It’s time for Start Sit Week 15 in Fantasy Football! Which players should you be starting this week, and which players should you consider benching? We will cover it all in this weekly article!
Every week of the NFL season, fantasy gamers juggle players to insert into lineups at each position. Are you questioning which players face easy matchups and which players face tougher paths to production? You are in the right place! For seasonal leagues, DFS, and more, this week’s must-start and must-sit picks can give you some guidance on setting your lineups.
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Quarterback Start Sit Week 15
Start: Justin Herbert
In spite of back-to-back down weeks for Herbert, the matchup is too good to pass up. Tampa Bay is allowing the most fantasy points to quarterbacks on the season, mainly due to their struggling secondary. Quarterbacks are having their way with the Buccanaeers’ defense, to the tune of the second-most pass attempts per game, 10th-best completion percentage, and 10th-highest percentage of touchdowns coming through the air (TeamRankings). The Bucs have ceded at least 275 passing yards and a touchdown in five consecutive games that weren’t against the Giants or Raiders (two pitiful offenses). Outside of Bryce Young, the other four QBs have thrown for at least two touchdowns each. Simply put, good QBs are putting up good fantasy performances against the Bucs.
Justin Herbert deniers are funny because they don’t watch football, they don’t tip their servers, and they don’t think we landed on the moon. pic.twitter.com/SKBfwtqUdI
— Chuck Bass (@ChuckFBass) November 18, 2024
Without J.K. Dobbins, the Chargers’ offense relies heavier on the passing game. While Herbert’s recent performances may be scary, his matchup still deserves a start unless you have an iron-clad option at your disposal.
Honorable Mentions (Starts): Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, Bo Nix
Sit: Kirk Cousins
In my last bold predictions article, I was fooled by Kirk Cousins. I thought the slump would come to an end, but the result was far worse. Kirk may simply be done. He can’t move within the pocket, and his accuracy goes out the window the moment a ball needs any zip put on it. Now, he’ll face a Raiders defense that blitzes at the 10th-highest rate in the NFL. Against non-Buccaneers defenses ranking inside the top-10 in Blitz Rate, Cousins averages a measly 10.6 fantasy points per game, with zero games over 15 fantasy points. If anything, his success against Tampa should speak more to the secondary concerns I mentioned previously.
At this point in the season, we’ve seen too much bad to roll out Kirk. Especially because there is now a growing likelihood that Cousins will be benched for rookie Michael Penix at some point if his struggles continue.
Honorable Mentions (Sits): CJ Stroud, Russell Wilson, Caleb Williams
Running Back Start Sit Week 15
Start: Aaron Jones
Aaron Jones is a professional Bear Killer. Time and time again, he’s thrashed the Bears’ defense and made fantasy managers very happy. He’s cleared 100 rushing and receiving yards and scored a touchdown in five of his last seven matchups against Chicago. And this isn’t just from his time with the Packers, as he did so in his first matchup against the Bears this season this season. In three of those seven matchups, he’s found the end zone twice. Chicago, being a run-funnel defense, is a very favorable matchup for Jones. His recent production favors him as well. He has notched 80+ scrimmage yards in six of his last eight games, while scoring in four. Against a rival and the eighth-worst defense versus backs, you couldn’t ask for a better playoff matchup.
Honorable Mentions (Starts): Rico Dowdle, Rachaad White, Najee Harris
Sit: Tyrone Tracy Jr.
We finally saw the PPR upside we knew Tracy had last week, as he corralled five of 10 targets for 38 yards on top of his 16 carries, 45 yards, and a touchdown. However, this was all for naught, as Tommy DeVito will head back to the starting gig for the Giants. Unlike Drew Lock, DeVito has no desire to check the ball down to running backs. It’s likely because he’s not even good enough to do that, but nevertheless. The Giants square off against Baltimore, which should be a fantastic matchup. However, Tracy has been a touchdown-dependent asset thus far. Under Daniel Jones and even Lock, this wasn’t a huge issue. Against a team in Baltimore that’s allowing the 12th-fewest red zone trips per game to opposing offenses, I’m scared.
Often in these cases, I ask myself, “Who am I most comfortable losing with?”. I can’t think of anything that would frustrate me more as a fantasy gamer than putting the fate of my playoff team under *gulps* Tommy DeVito.
Honorable Mentions (Sits): Isiah Pacheco, Tank Bigsby, Sincere McCormick
Wide Receiver Start Sit Week 15
Start: Terry McLaurin
After a sluggish start to the year, Terry McLaurin has truly blossomed as an NFL receiver. He is the lifeblood of this passing offense, generating 2.3 (No. 11) Yards per Team Pass Attempt and a 43-percent (No. 2) Dominator Rating. This week, he’ll line up against the Saints, who currently allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to receivers.
Terry McLaurin is so good our qb is so good were so good pic.twitter.com/nx9oMJkn1u
— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) September 24, 2024
Over their last six games, leading receivers versus the Saints average 5.7 receptions, 96 yards, and 0.7 touchdowns, which is good for 19.5 PPR fantasy points. Commanding six targets a game and 40-percent of the Commanders’ Air Yards, McLaurin’s opportunity is solid. The matchup makes his outlook all the sweeter.
Honorable Mentions (Starts): Adam Thielen, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Courtland Sutton
Sit: Marvin Harrison Jr.
I understand that in deeper leagues, you probably have no other choice than to start Marvin Harrison Jr. But in shallower leagues, I’m trying my best to stay away. On paper, the matchup is fantastic. The Patriots bleed yardage to opposing pass catchers like no other, but they also struggle to cover tight ends and defend the run. Unfortunately for Harrison, this plays right into Arizona’s preferred game script: Pound the rock, funnel targets to Trey McBride, and take some deep shots to Michael Wilson to keep the defense honest. In this spot, you’re relying on matchup luck, not opportunity mixed with a good matchup, to get your money’s worth.
Meanwhile, MHJ doesn’t see consistent targets, with six or fewer in over half of his games. Not only is he struggling to see consistent targets, he’s struggling to convert them to production, with just three games of 15 fantasy points since Week 5. If you can, keep Harrison on the bench.
Honorable Mentions (Sits): Xavier Worthy, Elijah Moore, Michael Pittman Jr.
Tight End Start Sit Week 15
Tight ends are perhaps the most disgusting they’ve ever been for fantasy football. If you have one of these guys, you’re probably looking to just start them every week and hope for the best:
If not, consider these options:
Start: Hunter Henry
It’s sad to say, but Hunter Henry is the Patriots’ entire passing offense. He draws 21-percent of the targets (6.4 per game) and nearly 30-percent of the red zone targets, and there’s no one for this team you can play in fantasy besides Henry. On the surface, the matchup doesn’t look great. Arizona ranks in the bottom 25-percent in fantasy points allowed to tight ends, but they rank much worse when matched up against receivers. This is the edge Henry brings to the table: versatility. The Patriots, as they have all seasom, will look for matchups to create with their best playmaker. They’ll also look to create more scoring chances against the team that’s allowing the ninth-most red zone trips to opposing offenses. If you’re truly in a bind, there are few options with better opportunity and upside than Henry.
Honorable Mentions (Starts): Pat Freiermuth, Evan Engram, T.J. Hockenson
Sit: Cade Otton
This one is simple for me. With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans sidelined, Otton took on a huge role in this offense. That role disappeared the moment Mike Evans was inserted back into Tampa Bay’s lineup. Otton has just eight targets across all three games since Evans returned, scoring over 10 fantasy points just once. That’s really all I need. This isn’t random variance or a blip on the radar. This is by design, and it won’t change now.
Honorable Mentions (Sits): PSam LaPorta, Kyle Pitts, Dalton Schulttz
Set Your Lineups!
It is time to set lineups! Fire up those fingers and plug in your productive players (and bench the sits!). Check back for weekly must-starts and must-sits based on the action that unfolds this season. Need some more options? Check out PlayerProfiler’s Upside Finder, or DM me on Twitter! It’s time again for a season full of ups and downs. Buckle up!
