Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Josh Allen, Austin Ekeler or Tyreek Hill. Instead, I'll look at the players you have questions about who could exceed or fail to meet expectations at each position. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the 2022 NFL season.
Wild Card Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS & TEAM DEFENSES
Wild Card Round Start ‘Em: Running Backs
Travis Etienne vs. Chargers (Sat. 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC): Etienne's numbers have been up and down over the last six weeks, but he's in a good position to succeed when the Jaguars face the Chargers. Their defense allowed 19 total touchdowns and the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing running backs, which could turn into a high-scoring affair in Duval County. I like Etienne to produce this weekend.
Tony Pollard at Buccaneers (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Pollard posted a mere 1.9 fantasy points in what was a flop of a game for the Cowboys offense last week, but I’d continue to roll with him against the Buccaneers. While the matchup isn’t good on paper (and I don’t love Ezekiel Elliott), Dallas needs to utilize their most explosive backfield option as both a runner and receiver in this huge contest.
More Starts
• Dalvin Cook vs. Giants (Sun. 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Devin Singletary vs. Dolphins (Sun. 1 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS Bargains
• Devin Singletary vs. Dolphins ($5,500)
• Leonard Fournette vs. Cowboys ($5,300)
Wild Card Round Sit ‘Em: Running Backs
Ken Walker at 49ers (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, Fox): Walker finished the regular season on a high note, rushing for 100-plus yards in each of his last three games. Still, this week's matchup in San Francisco makes him tough to start in postseason leagues. No team in the league allowed fewer fantasy points to enemy running backs in 2022. In fact, only Josh Jacobs has rushed for more than 69 yards against them.
Ezekiel Elliott at Buccaneers (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): As I mentioned earlier, I'm concerned about Zeke in this tough contest in Tampa Bay. First off, his fantasy point totals have declined in six straight games. The Buccaneers also allowed just seven rushing touchdowns in 2022, and Zeke could be touchdown dependent in this game. Tampa Bay has also allowed the sixth-fewest points to runners.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!
