The Fantasy Football playoffs have arrived. This means the Start and Sits decisions we make are more crucial than ever. Win and you advance. Lose and spend all off-season wondering why you did not start the player you spent hours stressing over. That is why I am here. Let’s capture these Fantasy Football Championships by advancing from round one to the semi-finals in all of your leagues.
Week 15 Starts and Sits
Quarterback Sits
Justin Fields @ Cleveland Browns
Justin Fields has had a very up-and-down 2023 season. In nine games, Fields has been a QB1 in just four of them. With that being said, Fields can turn it on at any moment with his legs if he can’t find it through the air. The issue is the team he is facing in round one of the playoffs. The Cleveland Browns have been one of the best teams overall in defending the Quarterback this season. They are giving up just 13.04 fantasy ppg which is the fifth least. They have also given up just the eighth fewest total rush yards to opposing Quarterbacks, halting what Fields is best at. It is too risky to start Justin Fields against this stiff Browns defense. The Fantasy Football playoffs are about matchups and there are Quarterbacks on the Waiver Wire with higher upside in Week 15.
Trevor Lawrence vs. Baltimore Ravens
Trevor Lawrence is not only hurt but has not taken the leap we all thought he would this season. He has finished as a QB1 in seven of 13 games but is averaging the same ppg as last season. As the QB13 in PPG this season, Lawrence has been underwhelming. Despite finishing as a QB1 the past four games, he faces the Baltimore Ravens in round one of the Fantasy Football playoffs. The Ravens have been a bottom twelve team the past month against Quarterbacks, but are still allowing just 11.25 fantasy ppg this season to the position, which is the least. It is too risky to trust Lawrence against a fierce defense and ferocious pass defense in Baltimore this week.
Running Back Sits
James Cook vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are allowing the fewest fantasy PPG to Running Backs this season. This game features the QB1 and QB2 in Fantasy Football. I expect a shootout from the two Quarterbacks which in turn, hinders the Running Backs. James Cook is a sit for me as Dallas also has given up just seven total touchdowns and LESS than 1000 yards in total to all Running Backs they have faced this season.
James Conner vs. San Francisco 49ers
Some people will probably fire him up, but I am here to tell you not to. The 49ers are not only the best team in the NFL, they are giving up just 17.36 fantasy ppg to Running Backs. It gets worse as they have not even given up a total of 800 yards combined to all Running Backs they have faced. The Cardinals are always down and the game has not started. DO NOT put Conner into your lineup. An RB36 finish is what happened to James Conner the last time he faced the 49ers. James Conner is the easiest sit-in Starts and Sits for round one of the Fantasy Football playoffs.
Wide Receiver Sits
DJ Moore @ Cleveland Browns
DJ Moore is one of my favorite football players and I have tons of shares across all leagues. I am here to tell you that in leagues I do not have a bye week and Moore is on my team, he is on the bench in Week 15. This is in correlation to sitting Justin Fields, too. Moore has had three consecutive soft matchups. In the last tough matchup, he finished as just the WR34. Despite the recent struggles from the Browns’ secondary, I cannot find it in me to tell you to start DJ Moore when I am benching his Quarterback in any 1QB leagues I have him rostered in.
Adam Thielen vs. Atlanta Falcons
I say this with all seriousness. If the Atlanta Falcons had an actual good Quarterback, they would be legit contenders in the NFC South and NFC in general. Their defense has been elite all season long and that is why they are in contention for a division title. With that being said, Adam Thielen started the season off strong and he looked like an early league winner. Thielen had three WR1 weeks in the first six games. Since then, he has not had any WR1 games. The Falcons are also allowing just 22.60 fantasy ppg (fourth fewest) to the position. With a struggling Bryce Young, keep Thielen on your bench in Week 15.
Tight End Sits
Jake Ferguson @ Buffalo Bills
Jake Ferguson has been wonderful as the TE1 for the Dallas Cowboys. Currently, Ferguson is the TE9 in ppg. He has been a TE1 in eight of thirteen games and is seventh in targets and tenth in receptions. The issue is that the Buffalo Bills have allowed just twelve catches to the position in the last four weeks COMBINED. At just 8.67 ppg the past month, Buffalo has been dominating the position and managers need to look at streaming a different Tight End this upcoming week.
Dalton Kincaid vs. Dallas Cowboys
Dalton Kincaid did his duty once Dawson Knox got hurt. I fear the time of Kincaid producing TE1 numbers has come and gone this season. Kincaid got hurt in the Bills Week 14 matchup. Although he still outproduced Knox in Week 14, he finished as just the TE23. Now, he gets the number one defense against the position in the past month of football, the Dallas Cowboys. Do not even hesitate to keep Kincaid on your bench. A mixture of Knox being back, Kincaid being hurt, and Diggs not finishing as a WR1 since Week 9, has me benching him in Week 15. I expect a big game from the Wide Receivers from both sides in this game.
Quarterback Starts
Matthew Stafford vs. Washington Commanders
In the first 11 weeks of football, Matthew Stafford never finished as a QB1. Since then, Stafford has had three consecutive games of over 23 fantasy points with QB7, QB8, and QB5 finishes. Now, in Week 15, Stafford gets the Washington Commanders. The Commanders have been the second-worst team in terms of PPG allowed to Quarterbacks the past month and the entire season. They have had just six interceptions to 30 passing touchdowns this season. The 30 passing touchdowns rank worst among all NFL defenses. With Stafford being the QB3 the past three weeks, he is a must-start and my favorite player on the start side of things in Starts and Sits.
Russell Wilson @ Detroit Lions
Can you smell what the Russ is cooking? Russell Wilson has increased his completion percentage by seven percent from that horrific season in Denver last year. He has also eclipsed his TD total from 16 to 23 with four games left to play. Wilson gets to face the Detroit Lions who have a lethal offense but have been suspect for a while now this season in the secondary. The Lions have given up the fourth most ppg the past month to the position with six touchdowns to just one interception. The Lions also have given up 34.80 ppg to Wide Receivers in the past month. Expect Wilson to be cooking early and to have his first 20-point game since Week 4.
Running Back Starts
Pittsburgh Steelers Running Backs @ Indianapolis Colts
If you have both of the Steelers’ Running Backs, I lean toward Najee Harris. If you roster just one of them, give them the start in your lineup. The Colts have allowed the third most ppg to Running Backs this season with 26.82 ppg. In the past month, they have allowed the second most ppg at 31.27. I do not trust any Quarterback on the Steelers and that is why I love both of their Running Backs this week. I see a world where they both find the endzone and each has over 15 fantasy points this week.
David Montgomery vs. Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos pass defense, led by Patrick Surtain II has been fierce all year long. On the other hand, their run defense has been some of the worst I’ve seen. At 28.71 ppg, the Broncos have given up the most ppg to Running Backs this season. Along with the most total rush yards and the seventh most total receiving yards to the position, David Montgomery has 20 points in Week 15. Although Jahymr Gibbs has taken over as the team’s RB1, Montgomery running behind that offensive line is a match made in heaven. Fire Montgomery into your lineup as he will find the endzone in Week 15 and one of the best options in Starts and Sits.
Wide Receiver Starts
Courtland Sutton @ Detroit Lions
Courtland Sutton had 14 touchdowns in his first five seasons. In his sixth season, he has the second most touchdowns among Wide Receivers with ten. In Week 15, Sutton gets such a soft matchup against the Detroit Lions. The Lions have allowed the third most touchdowns to the position with 15. Courtland Sutton has 43% of Russell Wilson’s touchdowns this season and Wilson will be cooking Lions in Week 15. Fire Sutton up and expect him to grab his 11th touchdown of the season. Sutton is my favorite player out of all the starts in Starts and Sits in Week 15.
Tyler Lockett vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Tyler Lockett’s route to becoming a 2023 league winner starts against the Eagles. The Eagles are the WORST team against Wide Receivers. Currently, the Eagles have allowed the most ppg, receptions, and touchdowns to Wide Receivers this season. Just like the Lions miss CJ Gardner-Johnson, the Eagles do, too. With the Eagles being one of the best three teams in stopping the run, look for Geno Smith to pass a lot in Week 15. I like Tyler Lockett as a top 20 Wide Receiver and he will have a touchdown against this suspect secondary. This will not be the last time you see Lockett in Starts and Sits with such a lovely schedule for the next three weeks.
Tight End Starts
Isaiah Likely @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Isaiah Likely is coming off a game where he had five catches, 83 yards, and a touchdown with a TE3 finish. The Jaguars have allowed the fifth most ppg to the Tight End position and Lamar Jackson has increased his pass attempts in consecutive weeks. I believe Likely will once again be one of the main focal points of this offense in an AFC Sunday Night showdown. Look for Likely to find the endzone once again and post the top eight numbers.
Tucker Kraft vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Once Luke Musgrave was announced out, Tucker Kraft became the Green Bay Packers’ TE1. Since he stepped into that role, he has seen a snap share of over 95%. He has also finished as a TE1 in two of the three games. It is a good thing the Buccaneers have gotten shredded by Tight Ends the past month. At 254 yards the past month, that is fourth most. At fifth most ppg the past month to the position, Kraft is risky, but these risks will make you into a champion. Fire Tucker Kraft up in what should be a game where Jordan Love exceeds over 30 pass attempts against a weak Tampa Bay pass defense. Tucker Kraft presents the most risk, but the upside cannot be ignored for him in Starts and Sits.
Week 15 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty