The Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs will meet at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, this Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CST.
This game is one that could be exciting to watch. The Chiefs are without Patrick Mahomes, the cornerstone and foundation of their offense. They won’t just be different; they’ll be fundamentally different with Gardner Minshew under center. The entire offense is going to change, and it will be an even bigger change if Rashee Rice can’t play due to a concussion.
The Titans have a huge opportunity to get their fourth win of the season this week, but it’s not going to be easy just because Mahomes isn’t on the field. The Titans will have to continue doing what they’ve done in recent weeks if they want a fighting chance.
All of this has a major impact on each player’s fantasy football value, too. Let’s take a look at who to start and who to sit from this Week 16 matchup between the Titans and Chiefs.
Start: RB Tony Pollard
Pollard fell off in the middle of the season, generating under 50 rushing yards in six games this season. But over the last couple of weeks, Pollard has looked more like the running back we are used to seeing. With three games left in the season, he’s on pace for his fourth consecutive 1,000+ yard season. He will be a key part of the Titans’ offense on Sunday and is a must-start.
Sit: RB Isaiah Pacheco
Pacheco shares backfield duties with Kareem Hunt, and while he still gets valuable touches each week, he has under 400 rushing yards on the season and has found the end zone only once. With an offense that will look completely different without Patrick Mahomes, it might be tempting to start Pacheco, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Gardner Minshew ended up the lead rusher on Sunday.
Start: TE Travis Kelce
Travis Kelce is still one of the elite fantasy tight ends. He’s heavily targeted and especially valuable in the red zone. Without Mahomes on the field, Minshew will need to lean on Kelce quite a bit this week. Minshew is running the offense for the first time all season, and Kelce is reliable. He’s a must-start every week unless he’s injured.
Sit: WR Elic Ayomanor
Elic Ayomanor hasn’t had much fantasy value all season, despite some nice flashes here and there. He has been inconsistent, and he tends to drop passes. He is seen as a potential breakout WR3/WR5 with upside in deeper leagues if volume increases, but he isn’t targeted enough to be of any real value in standard formats.
Sleeper: TE Chig Okonkwo
Chig Okonkwo has been one of the more reliable pass-catchers Cam Ward has to work with. Rookie tight end Gunnar Helm could also fit this category. Both are reliable short-yardage targets, and both have been consistent this season. Neither is an elite tight end, but both have decent flex value in tight scoring formats. If the Chiefs’ defense isn’t ready, Okonkwo and/or Helm could have a breakout game.