Saints Fantasy Football Week 16: Start 'Em or Sit 'Em (Championship Edition)

Saints News Network's Fantasy Analyst Brendan Boylan gives his Start' Em or Sit 'Em for New Orleans Saints players in Fantasy Football Championship action.

As the NFL season winds down, so does the Fantasy Football season. For some it has felt like a long season, for others, it has gone by rather quickly. Regardless of how the season felt, congratulations to all who are reading this that are battling for a Fantasy Football crown this week.

Now for some, their Championship is one round while it is two rounds for others and because of that, I will be sharing my thoughts tips both this week and next for members of the Black and Gold on your fantasy rosters. So without further ado here is my Fantasy Football Championship Edition of Start 'Em or Sit 'Em.

Start 'Em

WR Emmanuel Sanders

Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

For a few weeks, it was difficult to project any Saints wide-out not named Michael Thomas, to the point where I said to sit any WR/TE that was not Michael Thomas but oh how things can change rather quickly. With the return of QB Drew Brees to the Saints lineup, New Orleans' wide receivers' fantasy value rose but add Michael Thomas' trip to Injured Reserve and the remaining Saints receiving corps became players to quickly watch on the wavier wire.

Though Brees' return was not as crisp as many hoped, one Saints' wide-out stepped up and proved to be a valuable fantasy option in championship weekend. Emmanuel Sanders finished Sunday's action with 4 receptions for 76 yards, including a 51-yard grab that nearly went for six points.

Prior to Brees' rib/lung injury, Sanders was playing some of the best football of his young Saints career and built a strong chemistry with the 20-year veteran quarterback. Over a four-game stretch without Thomas in the lineup and serving as the team's number one option, Sanders averaged 17 fantasy points a week in PPR leagues while scoring only 2 touchdowns during that stretch.

With a depleted group of wide receivers look for Sanders to step up against a Vikings defense that ranks 27th in the league in points allowed to opposing wide-outs. 

RB Alvin Kamara

© Derick Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

After two rough outings in the team's first two weeks with Taysom Hill at quarterback, Alvin Kamara has bounced back with 3 consecutive performances of 17+ points in PPR leagues. The four-time Pro-Bowl selection benefits more than any Saints' player with the return of Drew Brees, averaging 26.4 points per week (PPR) with number 9 under center while averaging only 14.2 points per week (PPR) with Taysom Hill.

AK remains fantasy football's MVP of 2020, scoring more points than any other player in PPR leagues this season. I am willing to bet none of you benched Kamara at any point this season and you shouldn't in your championship weekend either. Minnesota surrenders an average of 23.2 fantasy points to opposing running backs this season and Kamara could easily surpass that number this week.

With the favorable matchup and increased workload over the past 2 weeks, Kamara is a must-start RB1 this week. Trust your first-round pick, he could very well lead you to a championship.

Sit 'Em

QB Drew Brees

Credit: USA Today Sports

The NFL's all-time leading passer returned to the field this week after missing four consecutive games to a rib/lung injury and looked rusty by completing under 45% of his passes. One of the G.O.A.T.s of Fantasy Football in the early part of the 2010s finds himself as the 22nd ranked Fantasy quarterback of 2020 and has yet to reach a 25 point week.

Brees will battle a Minnesota defense surrendering 17.6 points per game and has not surrendered 16+ points to an opposing quarterback in four weeks. The Saints are without wide-outs left and right and called up three receivers from the practice squad last week.

At this point in the season and if you are in the Fantasy Football championship, odds are you already have your QB1 set in stone. No need to play Brees this week unless you are entirely out of options.

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