In the fantasy playoffs, each start/sit decision becomes more crucial. In this article, I’ll be covering a handful of players that I believe will either exceed expectations or let your team down in a major way. Here’s who you should be looking at for Week 15.
Starts: Quarterbacks
Jalen Hurts, Eagles @ Cardinals
In his first career start, Jalen Hurts looked comfortable throwing the ball and flashed tremendous upside as a rusher. Hurts should be a low-end QB1 with a high rushing floor moving forward–think rookie-year Lamar Jackson. Start him with confidence against the Cardinals, who have allowed the 5th-most rushing yards to opposing QBs.
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers @ Bengals
Since Week 7, Ben Roethlisberger is averaging 44.5 pass attempts per game, and he’s thrown 2+ TD passes in seven of eight games. During this stretch, he tore the Bengals apart, throwing for 333 yards and 4 TDs. I can’t guarantee he’ll do quite as well in this Week 15 rematch, but I do expect him to bounce back from his poor Week 14 performance.
Starts: Running Backs
J.K. Dobbins, Ravens vs. Jaguars
Gus Edwards may have scored 2 TDs, but J.K. Dobbins played on 61.7% of the offensive snaps and handled 59% of the RB opportunities in Week 14. He may not be an every-down workhorse just yet, but we are certainly witnessing a changing of the guard. Dobbins is a great start against the Jaguars, who have allowed the 3rd-most rushing yards and 5th-most points to opposing RBs.
D’Andre Swift, Lions @ Titans
Swift only carried the ball 7 times in his return to action, but that was still more than Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson combined. Including his 5 targets, Swift commanded 57% of the RB opportunities and found the end zone against the Packers. He’s the clear RB1 in this backfield, and he should be in your lineup moving forward regardless of the QB situation.
Jeff Wilson, 49ers @ Cowboys
Kyle Shanahan is notorious for his confusing RB rotations, but, with snap counts near 50% each of the past two weeks, Jeff Wilson looks like the RB2 in San Francisco. If Raheem Mostert is forced to miss Week 15 with an ankle injury, Wilson could be a waiver wire steal. The Cowboys are allowing 5.1 YPC to opposing RBs, worst in the league, and the 6th-most fantasy points to the position.
Starts: Wide Receivers
Terry McLaurin, Washington vs. Seahawks
In the past two weeks, Terry McLaurin has caught just 4 passes for 38 yards. Even so, I’m not ready to banish him to the bench. After all, he’s 8th in the league in targets, 9th in target share, 2nd in air yards share, and 9th in receiving yards. Look for Terry to get back on track this week against the Seahawks, who have been extremely generous to opposing WRs this season.
Chris Godwin, Buccaneers @ Falcons
Chris Godwin’s disappointing Week 14 can be chalked up primarily to game script. The Buccaneers jumped out to an early lead over the Vikings, and Tom Brady attempted just 23 passes as a result. Godwin posted 90+ receiving yards or a TD in three straight games prior to his Week 14 dud, so you should feel comfortable rolling him out again next week.
Sterling Shepard, Giants vs. Browns
Sterling Shepard has played seven full games with Daniel Jones this season. In six of those games, he recorded at least 6 receptions. His season-high for yardage is just 74 yards, so he doesn’t provide much of a ceiling. But he’s at least a flex option in PPR leagues against this vulnerable Browns’ secondary.
Starts: Tight Ends
Evan Engram, Giants vs. Browns
You don’t have to be excited about it, but Evan Engram is a great start this week. His 21.8% target share is 5th among TEs. Meanwhile, he’s 7th in receptions and 8th in receiving yards at the position. Against the Browns, who have allowed the 2nd-most points to opposing TEs, that amount of volume will lead to fantasy points.
Sits: Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan, Falcons vs. Buccaneers
Since Week 7, Matt Ryan has thrown for over 300 yards exactly zero times. He’s also thrown 8 INTs compared to just 7 TDs in that span. You can chalk it up to the coaching change or a hobbled Julio Jones, but, either way, Matt Ryan just isn’t startable anymore. Look for other options this week.
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins vs. Patriots
I realize Tua is coming off the best fantasy performance of his young career, but the odds are really stacked against him in Week 15. He’ll be up against a much-improved Patriots’ defense that has held Kyler Murray, Justin Herbert, and Jared Goff under 15 fantasy points in three consecutive weeks. And to make matters worse, he’ll likely be without DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant, Mike Gesicki, and Myles Gaskin.
Sits: Running Backs
Todd Gurley, Falcons vs. Buccaneers
Todd Gurley hasn’t handled double-digit touches or scored a TD since Week 9, and in Week 14 he was out-touched by Ito Smith. It’s clear that Gurley isn’t fully healthy, so I’m not eager to play him against one of the league’s toughest run defenses.
James Conner, Steelers @ Bengals
The Steelers have struggled to run the ball in recent weeks, opting for more short passes to mask injuries along the offensive line. James Conner has been inefficient on the ground and uninvolved in the passing game, while players like Benny Snell and Jaylen Samuels have worked their way into the backfield rotation. Even in this favorable matchup against Cincinnati, I’m not starting Conner if I can help it.
Sits: Wide Receivers
DJ Chark, Jaguars @ Ravens
Over his past three games, DJ Chark has seen 24 targets. Unfortunately, those targets have only turned into 8 catches for 98 yards and 0 TDs. Chark is a talented player, but he’s limited by a low-scoring offense with terrible QB play. Having Gardner Minshew back under center could be good for Chark, but I’d still prefer to leave him on the bench against this tough Ravens’ secondary.
Jakobi Meyers, Patriots @ Dolphins
Meyers enjoyed a hot streak from Weeks 7 to 10, but he’s since cooled down. He’s finished with fewer than 7 targets and 55 receiving yards in each of his past four games. Cam Newton just isn’t producing enough through the air to make Meyers a viable weekly starter. I’d leave him on the bench this week against Miami’s tough secondary.
Sits: Tight Ends
Hayden Hurst, Falcons vs. Buccaneers
Hurst hasn’t found the end zone since Week 6, and he’s now finished back-to-back games with just 1 reception. Hurst looked like an integral part of the Falcons’ offense in the middle of the season, but he seems like more of an afterthought at this point. With Atlanta’s offense trending down, I’d look for another TE option this week.
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