Week 15 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

The fantasy playoffs are here, and all 32 NFL teams will be in action for the first time since Week 5! That means our rosters should be filled to the brim with reliable Flex options for the week ahead, right? Why else would I include a whopping 300 players in my Week 15 Flex rankings? Well, as Chris Rock once stated, “You can drive a car with your feet if you want to. That doesn’t make it a good (expletive deleted) idea!” By that, I mean that just because I listed a player below, does not mean that player is an option I’m excited about or one you should go out of your way to start this week. I just wanted to provide as many options as possible. Many of these players may not even play this weekend. Also, don’t drive with your feet.

On top of the litany of injuries that normally run roughshod through the NFL this time of year, we are also seeing an increasing number of players being placed in the NFL’s Covid-19 protocols. There have been nearly 100 positive cases among NFL players since Sunday. The vast majority are asymptomatic or dealing with minor symptoms, which is good news. Unfortunately, we as fantasy managers still have to deal with the fallout of these positive cases. Of course, not all are skill position players, but there are certainly enough to make an impact as we prepare for the first week of the fantasy football playoffs. Here are some quick news and notes along with this week’s rankings.

More fantasy football fun for Week 15: Waiver Wire | FAAB Guide | Start & Sit | Loves & Hates | Stock Watch | Sleepers & Streamers | D/ST Streamers

Running Back Notes

James Conner enters Week 15 sixth among running backs in fantasy points and has emerged as Cordarrelle Patterson’s primary competitor for 2021 fantasy MVP. He has scored double-digit fantasy points in seven straight games and has been the overall RB2 since Chase Edmonds went down with an ankle injury. But Conner suffered an ankle injury of his own on the final play of Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Conner is considered day-to-day with the injury and is currently questionable for Sunday. Meanwhile, Edmonds is on track to return this week. The situation with Conner is one to monitor in the coming days. For now, I have Conner as a high-end RB2 and Edmonds as a low-end RB3. The matchup is certainly favorable against a Detroit Lions defense that has allowed 22 total touchdowns to opposing running backs this season.

Rams running back Darrell Henderson was reportedly due to return from a recent quad injury last week before being placed on the reserve/Covid list. The late-week development allowed Sony Michel to enjoy another 20-plus touch performance. Because the Rams did not place Henderson on the reserve list until Saturday, his status for Week 15 is still in question. In many cases, a player must be out for 10 days. If that is the case with Henderson, he would miss this week’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Because of that, I currently ranked Henderson well outside the range for starting a running back, even as a Flex option. Michel remains a volume-driven RB2 if Henderson cannot return to action this week. The Seahawks have allowed the second-most fantasy points to the running back position this season.

Next up on the NFC West edition of “Running Back Notes” is San Francisco’s Elijah Mitchell. Mitchell missed last week’s game due to a concussion. He is also dealing with a knee injury, and of course, broke his finger several weeks ago. Mitchell has not practiced yet this week, but I am optimistic that he can return for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. I ranked him as a low-end RB2, but he will likely end up a few spots higher if he can go this week. Jeff Wilson has disappointed from a fantasy perspective when allowed to be the 49ers’ lead back. Wilson was the overall RB36 a week ago after posting an RB31 finish in Week 11. Even if Mitchell sits another week, I would be hard-pressed to recommend Wilson as a Flex option in Week 15.

The Miami Dolphins currently have their top three running backs on the reserve/Covid list. We do not yet know the statuses of Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed, or Phillip Lindsay for Week 15. There are several permutations as to how Miami’s backfield could look on Sunday. With a matchup against the New York Jets and their abysmal defense, almost any warm body in line for double-digit touches could become a viable Flex option. With that in mind, I have listed no less than a half dozen Dolphins running backs among this week’s rankings. We should have some clarity in the coming days as to which players will be available for Miami. That means that at least a couple out of the six will be removed from contention by Sunday. Keep that in mind when making roster decisions over the next 72 hours or so.

Wide Receiver Notes

Adam Thielen missed last Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with an ankle injury. In his absence, Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn finished as top-15 fantasy wideouts. Of course, Jefferson’s results are more trustworthy than Osborn’s, and more projectable going forward. But as I mentioned last week, Osborn has produced when given the opportunity this season. The Vikings have not made any definitive announcement regarding Thielen’s Week 15 status, so I did include him in this week’s rankings. However, I am not expecting him to suit up against the Chicago Bears. If that is the case, I will probably bump Osborn up to low-WR3 territory as I did last week. No team has allowed more touchdown receptions to wide receivers than the Bears have this season.

Emmanuel Sanders suffered a knee sprain in Buffalo’s Week 14 loss in Tampa Bay. With Sanders sidelined, Gabriel Davis stepped up to a more prominent position in the Bills’ passing attack. Davis ran a route on a season-high 80.6 percent of Josh Allen’s dropbacks. As a result, Davis posted season-bests in targets (8) and receptions (5). Sanders is expected to miss this week’s game against the Carolina Panthers. That means Davis is a serviceable Week 15 Flex option. He also should have a favorable individual matchup. Carolina is likely to use star cornerback Stephon Gilmore to shadow Stefon Diggs. That would leave Davis matched up against C.J. Henderson on a majority of pass plays. Henderson’s 45.2 Pro Football Focus coverage grade is fifth-worst among 120 qualified cornerbacks. Gilmore’s 90.0 grade would be the best in the league, but he has yet to play enough snaps to qualify.

Cleveland has placed top wideout Jarvis Landry on their reserve/Covid list on Tuesday. It is a tough break, especially with the Browns playing a game on Saturday this week. The short turnaround makes it unlikely that Landry will play against the Las Vegas Raiders. Donovan Peoples-Jones and Rashard Higgins are the players most likely to benefit from Landry’s likely absence, with DPJ being a decent Flex option. Former Brown Odell Beckham has also been placed on the reserve/Covid list by the Los Angeles Rams. If he misses this week’s game, it would have less of an impact because the Rams have a rather rigid hierarchy in their passing game. Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson are already must-starts, regardless of OBJ’s involvement. Ben Skowronek could be a desperation option in deep leagues, but hopefully, you have more reliable reinforcements on your roster.

Tight End Notes

For the first time in what seems like forever, Travis Kelce is not my top-ranked tight end for the week. That distinction goes to George Kittle of the 49ers. Kittle has been an absolute monster over the last two weeks. During that stretch, he has 22 receptions for 332 yards and three touchdowns. For reference, Kelce has 24 catches for 315 yards and two total touchdowns over his last five contests. Time will tell if Kittle can keep up this level of production in the coming weeks, but fantasy managers who remained patient and held onto Kittle when he missed a month earlier in the season with a calf injury should continue to reap the rewards. Kelce is still an elite option going forward and can break out of his mini-slump at any time in a big way.

T.J. Hockenson is currently my TE12 for Week 15. But as is the case with many star players this week, his status for this week is in doubt. Hockenson missed last week’s game with a hand injury and has yet to practice this week. Reports suggest that Hockenson may be forced to miss another week with the ailment. Unfortunately, there aren’t a whole lot of inspiring tight ends still sitting on the wire for managers to scoop up if Hockenson cannot play. Pat Freiermuth is still somehow available in 21 percent of leagues. After that, it thins out pretty quickly. The most readily available tight end who could be a solid streamer this week for me is Ricky Seals-Jones of the Washington Football Team. RSJ gets the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15. No team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season than the Eagles.

More Week 15 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Kicker | D/ST | PPR | Flex

Week 15 Flex Rankings

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