Fantasy Football Start’em, Sit’em: Marcus Mariota, C.J. Stroud, Aaron Rodgers

Start em or sit em? Fantasy football start or sit decisions can be excruciating. While it feels great to make the right call and cruise to fantasy glory, it hurts just as much when you have someone erupt while on your bench. You can use our Who Should I Start? tool to gauge advice from fantasy football experts as you make your lineup decisions. And you can also sync your fantasy football league for free using our My Playbook tool for custom advice, rankings and analysis.

Let’s dive into our start/sit lineup advice and outlook for a few of the top fantasy football waiver wire pickups of the week.

Fantasy Football Start’em, Sit’em Lineup Advice

Marcus Mariota (QB – WSH)

Touted as the best streaming option for Week 15, Marcus Mariota let managers down with only 13.7 fantasy points against a weak Giants defense. Why give him another chance? Well, for the second time in three weeks, Mariota had 10 rush attempts for 43 yards. He also had 49 rushing yards against the Dolphins in Week 11 and 55 rushing yards against the Broncos in Week 13. That type of production on the ground is desirable from a streaming quarterback option. Mariota also played a clean game against the Giants on Sunday, completing 10-of-19 passes for 211 yards and a score. This week, he takes on a more formidable opponent in the Eagles. Although the Eagles’ defense boasts a lot of big names, we saw Mariota post a QB3 finish against the vaunted Broncos defense in Week 13. If you just lost Patrick Mahomes, Mariota is a solid option to close out the season.

C.J. Stroud (QB – HOU)

The turnaround for the Texans since their Week 6 bye is one of the most impressive storylines of the season. Powered by their incredible defense, they’re now in the thick of the playoff chase. Although Houston’s defense deserves a lot of praise, C.J. Stroud has admirably controlled games and limited turnovers. On Sunday, he had 260 yards and three scores without an interception in a 40-20 win over the Cardinals. In Week 16, Stroud faces the Raiders, who had the NFL’s eighth-worst opponent passer rating going into Week 15. With the Texans’ defense likely controlling this game from the opening kickoff, Stroud probably won’t be asked to do a lot. However, if the Raiders can make this a game, only Maxx Crosby stands in the way of another solid fantasy finish for Stroud.

Aaron Rodgers (QB – PIT)

Over his last two games, Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 508 yards and three touchdowns. In Week 14, we saw Rodgers complete 23-of-34 passes for 284 yards and a score in a 27-22 win over the Ravens. He also had his first rushing touchdown since Week 17 of the 2022 season. In Week 15, he threw for 224 yards and threw for two touchdowns. With a Week 16 shootout on tap against the pass-funnel Lions defense, the gunslinging Rodgers may need to return as the Steelers push for the AFC North crown. Rodgers offers a solid floor but a limited ceiling.

If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.