Eagles vs. Giants: Start, sit options as Fantasy football playoffs continue

Start: Darren Waller, TE (New York Giants)

Barkley is the only must-start player on New York's roster, but tight end Darren Waller has sneaky upside as a FLEX option. The 31-year-old returned to action from a hamstring injury in Week 15 and finished with 40 yards on four catches. A season-long 29-yard reception served as the best highlight.

There's been no hiding how dismal Philadelphia's pass defense has been. The Eagles rank among the bottom five teams in both passing yards allowed per game (296.3) and yards allowed per completion (11.1) during home games. Waller will have an obvious chance to exploit open gaps with his routes.

The other thing to keep in mind is FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Giants as 11.5-point road underdogs on Christmas Day. They are expected to be playing from behind for the majority of the game. That means even more opportunities for Waller to provide quarterback Tommy DeVito with a safety valve.

Sit: Philadelphia Eagles D/ST

Although there are times when taking risks is needed in Fantasy football, the playoff semifinals are not one of them. Now is the time to trust the performers who have carried the roster thus far to keep on doing what they do. Avoid the temptation of streaming the Eagles' defense against a subpar offense.

Philadelphia ranks as the eighth-lowest scoring D/ST unit this season and has posted more than six Fantasy points in only two of the last seven games. Any potential upside is capped due to an inability to force turnovers, too. The Eagles enter Week 16 tied for the fifth-fewest takeaways in the NFL (15).

One last statistic to consider here is Philly is giving up a ridiculous 29.2 points per home game. That is the third-highest mark in the league. There is too much that could go wrong for the Eagles to be a top streaming option. Managers looking for a weekly fill-in should steer toward more reliable choices.