While traditional fantasy football leagues are far behind us, DFS fans and players are gearing up for one final chance to make start ’em and sit ’em decisions for Super Bowl 56. As the level of competition rises, start ’em/sit ’em choices become a bit more difficult as the margins begin to shrink. Let’s dive into the start ’em or sit ’em decisions for the last game of the fantasy playoffs: Super Bowl 56.
NFL Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em for Super Bowl 56: Start ‘Em
With only two teams left lacing up their cleats, we are splitting hairs as we look into start ’em or sit ’em options for the final week of fantasy football playoffs. As we await kickoff on Super Bowl 56, who makes the start ’em list for the final time?
Start ‘Em | Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals ($7,600)
This is a game where the No. 2 wide receivers will need to shine. The Rams are likely going to use Jalen Ramsey to shadow Ja’Marr Chase. If this is the case, Joe Burrow will be looking towards Tee Higgins more often in a far better matchup.
Higgins is one of the best No. 2 options in the NFL. He could be the primary target on a majority of teams. We have seen Higgins take over games, recording over 100 yards or more five times, including in Cincinnati’s AFC Championship win over the Chiefs, where he had 6 receptions and 103 yards. He is the No. 4 priced WR of the slate on DraftKings and is a virtual must-start for Super Bowl 56.
Start ‘Em | Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Los Angeles Rams ($8,400)
Odell Beckham Jr. going to Los Angeles and completely flipping the narrative that surrounded him is one of the single best storylines of not just Super Bowl 56 but of the entire season. Since joining the Rams, Beckham Jr. has been locked in.
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Beckham Jr. posted his best game yet in LA’s NFC Championship Game against San Francisco, recording 113 yards on 9 receptions (11 targets). It was his first 100-yard game since Week 6 of 2019. All the attention will be on Cooper Kupp, leaving Beckham Jr. to shine under the NFL’s brightest lights. I can’t see a way I am building a lineup around the Rams and not including Beckham Jr. in DFS.
Start ‘Em | Kendall Blanton, TE, Los Angeles Rams ($4,600)
Rams TE Tyler Higbee has yet to practice since spraining his MCL in the NFC Championship Game. While listed as questionable, he seems like a longshot, leaving Kendall Blanton in the No. 1 slot. If C.J. Uzomah of the Bengals can’t go or is still hampered by his own knee injury, Blanton is the best TE on the field for either team.
Filling in for Higbee, Blanton caught all 5 targets for 57 yards in the Rams’ win against the 49ers. He finished third on the team in receptions, receiving yards, and targets behind Kupp and Beckham. In the Rams’ last two games, he has 9.8 and 10.7 fantasy points, respectively. Cincinnati was 27th in the NFL in points allowed to TEs at 14.85 per game and was 31st over the final four weeks of the regular season. Blanton at $4,600 on DraftKings might be the best value of the entire weekend for fantasy.
NFL Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em for Super Bowl 56: Sit ‘Em
While these players do traditionally have value, there is some additional risk that fantasy managers might want to avoid. Who falls into the sit ’em category in a game filled with great players?
Sit ‘Em | C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals ($4,400)
We all saw the video of C.J. Uzomah at the Bengals rally where he ripped off his knee brace and chucked it into the air. It got the crowd going. I loved it. However, don’t mistake this for Uzomah being the picture of health or a safe option.
While he did end the week with two practices, those were limited sessions and far from a full representation of game speed. If Uzomah does suit up, he will not be at full strength and could be on a snap count in a rotation with Drew Sample. Any tweak of his already compromised knee could have Uzomah on the sidelines for the remainder of the game, killing any and all value for DFS. Uzomah, based on his uncertainty, is a sit ’em for me in Super Bowl 56.
Sit ‘Em | Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals ($5,400)
Aside from a differentiation play when building DFS lineups, I don’t have much interest in Tyler Boyd. Even when the Bengals were down 21-3 to the Chiefs and going all out to make a comeback, Boyd was an afterthought. He caught 4 of 6 targets for 19 yards against Kansas City despite playing 48 of 69 snaps and running a route on 38 of 42 passing downs.
Boyd has failed to record 40 yards in any of his last four games, and he’s not seen over 6 targets since Week 13. His touchdown streak from Week 15 through the Wild Card Round helped to mask his underperformance. Could Boyd find the end zone again? Sure, but I do not want to bet my DFS lineup solely on potential touchdown upside with a low-floor play. Boyd is a sit ’em for me when building my primary DFs lineups on DraftKings.
Sit ‘Em | Van Jefferson, WR, Los Angeles Rams ($5,200)
After the dust settled and the Rams figured out their offense following the acquisition of Beckham Jr., Van Jefferson was back to his No. 3 role. That’s not to say he was bad at all. Since OBJ came to town, Jefferson has posted 394 yards and 3 touchdowns on 25 receptions (45 targets). But we need to remember this is over a 10-game period. That boils his per-game average down to just 4.5 targets, 2.5 receptions, and 39.4 yards a contest.
Jefferson has just one game with 6 or more receptions since Week 4 and has 4 or fewer in every game since Week 13. He posted a full practice for the first time on Thursday after sustaining a knee injury against San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game and appears to be all systems go for Super Bowl 56.
Jefferson has caught only 57.9% of the targets thrown his way this year, and despite the big-play potential, he worries me. I am inclined to sit Jefferson as both Kupp and Beckham Jr. will have better matchups and provide more DFS upside, which is all I am shooting for this weekend.
