MNF Start 'Em Sit 'Em Week 16 Ravens vs 49ers: Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy in the spotlight for fantasy football

Week 16 of the 2023 fantasy football season concludes with one of the best overall matchups of the entire year. The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers are currently the two best NFL teams this season, each ranking as the one-seed in their conferences for the NFL Playoffs. This means that this primetime showdown could legitimately be a Super Bowl preview.

While all eyes around the NFL will surely be locked into this contest on Christmas evening, it also represents an extremely important game for fantasy football players. In addition to being the final game for round two of the fantasy playoffs, it's also loaded with potential lineup options in elite offenses. Both teams also feature dominant defenses, so managers will need to be cautious about who they start from this game.

Monday Night Football Week 16 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em fantasy football

Week 16 MNF

This particular showdown on Monday Night Football in Week 16 will put many fantasy football managers in a difficult situation. With the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens having two of the best offenses in the NFL, it's understandable that they also feature some of the best overall fantasy players.

The issue is that both teams are also among the best overall defenses in the NFL, so this matchup is loaded with elite fantasy options that aren't playing in an ideal weekly matchup. This dilemma will require managers to carefully analyze all of the available options before finalizing their lineup, especially considering this is the last game of the week with the 2023 fantasy football playoffs already underway.

Determining which players to target and fade from this particular matchup is based on a large number of variables. Some of these include recent individual performances, injuries to relevant players, potential game scripts, expected offensive roles, direct weekly matchups and projected team totals. They all play a major role in generating weekly projections.

This process can sometimes be complicated, but using the Start/Sit Optimizer makes navigating it much easier. This useful tool considers all of the variables for any players in a given week to generate lineup suggestions and fantasy projections. Managers who take full advantage of it often gain an edge over their leagues, which can be crucial in this win-or-go-home fantasy week.

The Optimizer was also used to help generate the following list of potential starts and sits for Week 16 of the 2023 fantasy football season for this pivotal Monday Night Football game.

MNF Week 16 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Picks

#1. Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson is one of the only quarterbacks in fantasy football who needs to be started every week, regardless of his direct matchup. His elite combination of passing and rushing has helped him rank among the top fantasy players every year of his NFL career. The 49ers defense will be difficult to overcome, but his reliable rushing numbers give him one of the safest floors of any quarterback.

#2. Christian McCaffrey

Christian McCaffrey is in a league of his own when it comes to fantasy football running backs. A legitimate case can be made that he is both is both the best rusher, as well as the best receiver, of any player in his position. This has resulted in him leading all running backs in fantasy points scored per game for the second consecutive season and third time overall.

#3. Deebo Samuel

Deebo Samuel has been one of the hottest fantasy players in the NFL over the past four weeks. He has finished among the top 10 wide receivers in each of his past four games, including ranking as the WR1 in two of them. Despite the Ravens allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to his position, he should be started in all scoring formats during his current hot streak.

#4. Isaiah Likely

Isaiah Likely has been one of the best fantasy football tight ends since Mark Andrews went down with an injury. Likely has ranked among the top five weekly tight ends in each of his past two games, totaling 10 receptions in that span and scoring a touchdown in both of them. Managers who added him from the waiver wire should continue taking advantage of his upside during the fantasy playoffs.

#5. George Kittle

George Kittle has one of the highest ceilings of any fantasy tight end as demonstrated by his massive results. He has ranked among the top eight weekly tight ends eight times this season, with five top-three finishes. The Ravens are allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to his position, but he has too much upside to leave on the bench.

MNF Week 16 Fantasy Football Sit 'Em Picks

#1. Brock Purdy

Brock Purdy has been having a strong 2023 fantasy football season, including finishing among the top ten quarterbacks six times in ten games. He has also finished as the QB6 or better in each of his past three games, but they have all come against some of the weakest passing defenses in the NFL. He is better off faded against the Ravens, who allow the third-fewest fantasy points per game to his position.

#2. Gus Edwards

Gus Edwards is expected to see an increase in his workload with Keaton Mitchell going down with an injury last week. While this surely improves his fantasy outlook for the remainder of the season, he is still a fade candidate for Week 16 against the 49ers. Their elite defense allows just the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to his position.

#3. Brandon Aiyuk

Brandon Aiyuk has been consistently productive this season, profiling as a low-end WR2 on most fantasy rosters. The issue is that his upside has been somewhat limited by a relative lack of volume as he has surpassed five receptions in just three games so far. He should be avoided in Week 16 by managers with other legitimate alternatives as the Ravens allow the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game for wide receivers.

#4. Zay Flowers

Zay Flowers has seen elite volume during his rookie season as he is currently averaging nearly seven targets per game. The issue is that he has been inefficient with his touches. He has yet to exceed 80 receiving yards in a game this year and has totaled just three touchdowns. Against an elite 49ers defense, he should be left on the bench wherever possible.

#5. Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckham Jr. has been surging in recent weeks in fantasy football, finishing among the top 20 wide receivers in four of his past six games. The problem is that he finished outside of the top 65 in the other two games. He should therefore only be started in favorable situations and facing off against arguably the best defense in the entire NFL isn't one of them.