This is Fantasy Sleepers Week 15!
Oh, look, you are still here—playoff time. Win or go home.
If you are in a jam this week and are dealing with injuries or poor performances, the players listed in this article could be the life preserver you need to get through the week. Every season, we see some seemingly random players step up their production levels during the fantasy playoffs. In the NFL, when one door closes, another opens. The players listed have opportunities to shine this week and potentially for the next few weeks.
Quarterbacks
Jake Browning | Cincinnati (45%)
Browning is on a heater. He has had back-to-back top 5 QB finishes with 629 yards passing and three TDs. Additionally, he’s added two rushing TDs. Ja’Marr Chase had a blowup game with Browning in Week 13, Tee Higgins is healthy, and the Joe Mixon–Chase Brown combination is giving the Bengals some of their best RB production on the season. If you lost Justin Herbert or C.J. Stroud, Browning could be a life preserver despite the tricky matchup against an underrated Minnesota Vikings defense.
Will Levis | Tennessee (20%)
Levis and Tennessee are flying high, after a come from behind victory over Miami on Monday. His QB15 finish was his second-highest of the season, and his 327 passing yards were a career high. This week, Levis faces off against a Houston Texans defense that has been shredded by opposing QBs lately.
In the second half of the season alone, the Texans have allowed Zach Wilson (301), Jake Browning (347), Trevor Lawrence (364) and Derek Carr (353) to all exceed 300 passing yards. Levis could be a sneaky streamer for QBs in a tough spot.
Joe Flacco | Cleveland (22%)
The Bears’ defense will pressure Flacco, but with the recent high-volume passing attack, he has a relatively safe fantasy floor. Over his past two games, Flacco has 89 pass attempts. He has passed for five TDs, and his 311 passing yards in Week 14 were his highest total since 2018.
Running Backs
Ty Chandler | Minnesota (34%)
Alexander Mattison will miss with an injury, and Chandler is in a great spot. He should be involved as a runner and a receiver and see 15-20 touches. Every season, there are RBs whose production elevates in the fantasy playoffs. Chandler played over 80 percent of the RB snaps when Mattison left the game, and he has posted two RB2 weeks this year already. Look for Chandler to have his most productive game of the season when fantasy managers need it the most. Chandler was my No. 1 Waiver Wire addition this week as well.
Chase Brown | Cincinnati (18%)
Chase Brown has been a a revelation the last two weeks, and he has looked explosive in the Bengals backfield as a compliment to Joe Mixon. Brown has 4.44 40 speed and has shown to be productive so far in a small sample size. In Week 13, Brown ripped off a 31-yard run.
Last week, Brown showed off his wheels once again. This time with a 61-yard touchdown on a screen pass. On that same play, he was clocked with the second-fastest time of any player in the league, right behind DK Metcalf. The volume could be unpredictable for Brown, but if he gets 10 touches, he has a chance to help desperate fantasy managers at the RB2 or Flex spot.
Jerick McKinnon | Kansas City (39%)
While Clyde Edwards-Helaire will be involved in what should be a KC backfield split, McKinnon feels like the player with the most upside this week. In Week 14, McKinnon ran for a TD and also added three catches. McKinnon now has four TDs on the season in a limited number of opportunities. The Chiefs offense has scored less than 20 points in three of their last four games, and some self-scouting could come into play in getting the veteran back involved early and often as a receiver this week. The Patriots’ defense has played well lately, but controlling Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice seems like the logical game plan. This will leave McKinnon with some advantageous matchups.
Tight Ends
Tucker Kraft | Green Bay (10%)
Kraft is gaining momentum heading into the fantasy playoffs. Last week in Green Bay’s loss to New York, Kraft posted career highs of 64 receiving yards and four catches. In Week 13, Kraft had a career high in targets with six. It feels like a big game could be on coming up on the radar for the rookie TE. With multiple WR injuries, Kraft could see an increase in usage this week in a must win game for Green Bay against Tampa. Kraft is a high end TE2 this week.
Chig Okonkwo | Tennessee (34%)
After a disappointing start to the season, Okonkwo is starting to display some of the talent and athleticism fantasy managers bet on this summer. Okonkwo has had at least five targets and 45 receiving yards over his last three games played.
He has not gone over 50 yards this season in any game, but desperate fantasy managers could do worse. The Texans have been generous to opposing QBs of late, and Okonkwo should see a 15-percent target share.
Wide Receivers
Zay Jones | Jacksonville (30%)
While the production was uninspiring (five catches for 29 yards), Jones’ usage was anything but. Jones was targeted a team-high 14 times. He is the biggest beneficiary of Christian Kirk‘s injury among all Jacksonville wideouts. In Week 13, Jones had five catches for 78 yards and was targeted eight more times. This week, Big Play Zay can be used in the flex or WR3 spot. Baltimore just conceded three TD passes to Matt Stafford, and the matchup is less scary than it would have been a few weeks ago.
Curtis Samuel | Washington (36%)
Samuel has 165 combined receiving yards over his last two games played. Washington and the Los Angeles Rams have one of the highest game totals on the board this week. Look for Samuel to thrive on low ADOT looks, and he could also see increased rushing attempts with Brian Robinson questionable to play.
Wan’Dale Robinson | New York Giants (11%)
Robinson had his best game of the season in New York’s MNF win over Green Bay. I had bet on Jalin Hyatt being a post-bye week winner, and I was wrong. New York went to Robinson early and often. He had a 32-yard reception and a 32-yard run on his way to 115 combined yards.
His nine targets were a season high. New York has a difficult matchup this week on the road in New Orleans, but Robinson is still an intriguing dart throw for fantasy managers scrambling at the WR3 or Flex spot.
Demarcus Robinson | Los Angeles Rams (6%)
Robinson has scored in back-to-back weeks and has been a nearly every down WR. Tutu Atwell looks set to miss another game and look for Robinson to slot in right next to Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Washington has conceded the most passing yards in football. This game has one of the highest totals on the board (50.5).
