Starts and Sits: Week 15
Week 15 is here, so we need to know who to start and who to sit. Our start/sit article is not going to discuss the apparent players who should always be played. We aim to help you with the players that you might be on the fence about heading into the weekend. Good luck this week and don’t overthink it.
Here are the Starts/Sits for Week 15:
Quarterback
Starts
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants Vs. Washington Commanders
Outside of the usual auto starts, the QB streaming options are pretty rough this week. Jones may very well be your best bet off of the waiver wire. He faced the Commanders two weeks ago and was able to put up 17 fantasy points. I would be happy with that from my starting QB, especially as a streaming option. Jones offers a safe floor with a decent ceiling against the Commanders. He is a mid-tier QB2 with an upside in week 15.
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans Vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Tannehill is not a top-tier option, but he does have the capabilities to be able to put up decent numbers in good matchups. Over the last 5 weeks, Tannehill has not scored less than 11.5 points and has scored more than 17.5 in three of the 5. The floor is not great but I would be willing to risk it as I feel this week against the Chargers will end up being more of a floor play for Tannehill. Tannehill is a mid-tier QB2 this week.
Sits
Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Brady has been extremely disappointing and I don’t know if it is purely because of his age. The offense hasn’t been playing at a top-tier level like we had gotten used to over the last two years. This week’s matchup against the Bengals isn’t horrible but it is not the kind of matchup where I would feel confident in starting Brady. If you don’t have a better option than Brady this week, I wouldn’t fault you for starting him. Brady is a mid-tier QB2 this week with limited upside.
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions Vs. New York Jets
Goff was amazing last week but this week is not looking as promising. The New York Jets defense has been extremely good this year and they have been capable of limiting all opposing offensive positions. Since we are now in the playoffs, I would not risk starting Goff this week. Goff is a mid-tier QB2 with a low upside.
Running Back
Starts
Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers Vs. Carolina Panthers
Najee hasn’t performed as we had hoped he would this year, as he has had a lot of mediocre games in 2022. This week I actually like Najee to outperform his current weekly ranking though. The matchup against the Panthers is nice and this game should be close for most of it, which means the Steelers will be utilizing the running game early and often. Najee is a low-end RB2 with an upside this week.
Latavius Murray, RB, Denver Broncos Vs. Arizona Cardinals
Murray didn’t perform like we had hoped last week, but I would expect that he bounces back this week against the Cardinals. The Broncos will be without Russell Wilson this week, so I would assume that they will lean on the run game heavily against a Cardinals defense that ranks 14th against the run. Murray should receive enough work to be a solid starting option this week. He is a high-end flex with an upside in week 15.
Sits
D’Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions Vs. New York Jets
Trying to know when to play Swift has been impossible. This week’s matchup against the Jets offers very little upside, especially at the RB position. I would personally not start Swift this week as his usage lately has been so erratic that it is hard to trust him in such an important week. I would look for an option that would offer a more reliable floor with an upside in the 1st round of the playoffs. Swift is a risky flex option in week 15.
Cordarelle Patterson, RB, Atlanta Falcons Vs. New Orleans Saints
Patterson hasn’t been performing at the same rate that we had seen last year or even earlier in the season before his injury. Now it might be solely due to his injury, or it might be because the Falcons don’t want to use him heavily. Either way, his ceiling has been completely capped and his fantasy floor is nothing more than mid-tier flex territory at best. The Falcons will also be making a change at QB this week, which is another reason why I am hesitant to start Patterson. Until we see how things unfold with Ridder behind center, I would be leaving Patterson on my bench. Patterson is a low-end flex with limited upside this week.
Wide Receiver
Starts
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers Vs. Los Angeles Rams
If there is one player on the Green Bay Packers that I will not be benching, it is Watson. He has been nothing short of amazing over his last 4 matchups. The matchup against the Rams defense may be difficult, but it doesn’t scare me from starting Watson one bit. All he needs is one play to win you your matchup. Start Watson with confidence this week. He is a low-end WR2 with a massive ceiling.
Devonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles Vs. Chicago Bears
Smith has looked great lately and should continue to produce this week against the Bears. Dallas Goedert will not be playing this week, which means that Smith should still be the #2 option for Hurts and the Eagles. Smith is a low-end WR2 with an upside this week.
Sits
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vs. Cincinnati Bengals
It is hard to want to sit Evans, but his recent fantasy production would have me doing it if I had a better option to start. The Buccaneers offense as a whole has been underperforming for weeks and I just don’t see that changing this week against the Bengals. Evans is a risky low-end WR2 with a low floor and ceiling this week.
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals, WR, Vs. Denver Broncos
The situation in Arizona is pretty rough. The overall upside of the team has been capped due to Kyler Murray having a season-ending injury. Outside of James Conner and DHop, I would not be looking to start any of the other offensive options this week. The Denver Broncos are a very good defense and should be a problem for the Cardinals offense early and often. Brown is nothing more than a risky flex option in week 15.
Tight Ends
Starts
Greg Dulcich, TE, Denver Broncos Vs.Arizona Cardinals
I like Dulcich’s upside going forward, he has shown that he has what it takes to be a TE1 in fantasy football. The Broncos will be without Russell Wilson this week but I don’t believe that will be an issue for Dulcich. He has a great matchup against the Cardinals, who rank last against the tight end position. Dulcich is a great starting option and should be one of the top options for the Broncos this week. He is a low-end TE1 with an upside.
Chigoziem Okonkwo , TE, Tennessee Titans Vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Chigoziem has been nothing short of solid for those who have needed a tight-end streamer over the last three weeks. The Titans will still be without Treylon Burks this week, so I like Chigoziem’s upside against the Chargers this week. Okonkwo will offer fantasy managers a safe floor with TD upside this week. He is a high-end TE2 with an upside.
Sits
Tyler Conklin, TE, New York Jets Vs. Detroit Lions
I was starting to warm up to the idea of starting Conklin this week, but then they named Zach Wilson the starter and that ended that. I have no real confidence in Wilson’s ability to move the ball. The targets from Wilson are extremely inconsistent and therefore I couldn’t recommend starting Conklin in a fantasy playoff week. Conklin is a mid-tier TE2 with a low ceiling this week.
Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams Vs. Green Bay Packers
I was hoping that Higbee would be utilized heavily with all of the injuries on the Rams offense, but that has not been the case. After starting off the season so strong, Higbee has totally fallen off from a fantasy perspective. Touchdown upside is the very least that you would want from your tight end, Higbee does not even offer that at this point. Higbee is nothing more than a mid-tier TE2 with a low floor and ceiling this week against the Packers.