Find success this weekend with the NFL Week 15 Start/Sit offense list!
A few notable developments around the NFL are worth discussing for the 15th week of the season. First of all, all of the bye weeks are completed so there will be a full slate of matchups from now until the end of the regular season.
The second item to discuss is concerning the alarming spread of Covid-19 through the league. Week 15 is shaping up to be a week where you are feeling grateful if you are able to fill a starting lineup. It would serve you best to monitor the injury and Covid related updates throughout the week to optimize your free agency moves as well as your lineup optimization.
Piggy-backing off of that last point, week 15 includes two games that will be played on Saturday! This fact should be on the radar so you can best plan ahead and make wise lineup decisions, especially if your team is riddled with players holding questionable tags.
Finally, and most importantly, fantasy football playoffs are officially underway. If you have made it to the playoffs in your league, congratulations! If you have secured a round 1 bye week, that is even better (especially with the current state of the season)! The only option you have now is to win, and I have laid out how to best navigate the week 15 slate.
Below is the explanation of my start/sit decision-making system. Tough calls will likely need to be made with the questionable availability of players throughout the league, but the system below will help give you the best chance to succeed.
Let’s review the system and dig into the matchups.
The “Trust, If You Must, and Bust” System:
“Trust” = Strong start, a player who should be started in all formats!
“If You Must” = Weak start, a player who is good enough to be a starter, but faces a tough matchup or holds an unclear opportunity in a good offense. Some caution should be used while the risk is recognized, as this is often league format dependent.
If you play in a shallow league, I would lean towards benching this player if you have a decent replacement option. In a deep league, I would lean towards starting, since the options may be more scarce. Either way, expectations should be managed.
“Bust” = Keep on your bench, at least for now. These players should be avoided since stronger options at the relative position should be considered first. These are players who fit into one of the following categories:
- A player in a tough matchup or currently holds ambiguous weekly opportunities in the offense.
- A strong bench stash for season-long purposes but currently in a “wait and see” period. Wait and see if their role expands for starter caliber consideration. For example, this type of player may be a strong backup RB behind a stud in an elite offense or could be in line for a big workload if the starter misses time.
- Currently lacking a clear offensive opportunity in either a projected good or bad offense
- Is too volatile on a week-to-week basis. There is no need to play boom or bust type players if you can help it.
Weekly Start/Sit Decision Reminders
Be sure to always be mindful of weekly injury reports and gameday inactive announcements as this could pivot a weak starter into a strong starter!
Be sure to always leave the FLEX spot(s) free of Thursday night players!
Thursday Night Football
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
Chiefs
Trust – Patrick Mahomes QB, Tyreek Hill WR, Travis Kelce TE, Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB
If You Must – Darrel Williams RB, Mecole Hardman WR
Chargers
Trust – Justin Herbert QB, Austin Ekeler RB, Keenan Allen WR (if active), Mike Williams WR (if active)
If You Must – Jared Cook TE, Jalen Guyton WR (if Allen or Williams are inactive)
Bust – Josh Palmer WR
Saturday Slate
Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns
Raiders
Trust – Darren Waller TE (if active), Josh Jacobs RB, Hunter Renfrow WR
If You Must – Derek Carr QB
Bust – Zay Jones WR, Bryan Edwards WR
Browns
Trust – Nick Chubb RB, Donovan Peoples-Jones WR
If You Must – Baker Mayfield QB, D’Ernest Johnson RB
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
Patriots
Trust – Hunter Henry TE, Damien Harris RB (if active)
If You Must – Rhamondre Stevenson RB (TRUST if Harris inactive), Jakobi Meyers WR, Mac Jones QB
Bust – Jonnu Smith TE, Nelson Agholor WR, Kendrick Bourne WR
Colts
Trust – Jonathan Taylor RB, Michael Pittman WR, Carson Wentz QB
If You Must – Jack Doyle TE, Nyheim Hines RB, T.Y. Hilton WR
Sunday Early Afternoon Slate
Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles
Football Team
Trust – Antonio Gibson RB, Terry McLaurin WR
If You Must – Taylor Heinicke QB, Ricky Seals-Jones TE
Eagles
Trust – Jalen Hurts QB (if active), DeVonta Smith WR, Dallas Goedert TE, Miles Sanders RB (if active)
If You Must – Boston Scott RB (TRUST if Sanders inactive )
Bust – Jalen Reagor WR, Kenneth Gainwell RB (If You Must if Sanders inactive)
Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills
Panthers
Trust – D.J. Moore WR (if active)
If You Must – Robby Anderson WR, Chuba Hubbard RB, Cam Newton QB
Bills
Trust – Josh Allen QB (if active), Stefon Diggs WR, Dawson Knox TE
If You Must – Devin Singletary RB, Cole Beasley WR, Gabriel Davis WR
Bust – Matt Breida RB, Zack Moss RB
Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions
Cardinals
Trust – Kyler Murray QB, DeAndre Hopkins WR, James Conner RB (if active), Zach Ertz TE
If You Must – Christian Kirk WR, Rondale Moore WR, A.J. Green WR, Chase Edmonds RB (if active)
Lions
Trust – D’Andre Swift RB (if active), T.J. Hockenson TE (if active)
If You Must – Amon-Ra St. Brown WR, Jared Goff QB, Josh Reynolds WR
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
Jets
Trust – Michael Carter RB (if active)
If You Must – Jamison Crowder WR, Ty Johnson RB (if Carter inactive)
Bust – Zach Wilson QB
Dolphins
Trust – Mike Gesicki TE, Tua Tagovailoa QB, Jaylen Waddle WR, DeVante Parker WR
If You Must – Duke Johnson RB
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Cowboys
Trust – Dak Prescott QB, Amari Cooper WR, CeeDee Lamb WR, Dalton Schultz TE
If You Must – Ezekiel Elliott RB, Tony Pollard RB (if active), Michael Gallup WR
Giants
Trust – Saquon Barkley RB
If You Must – Sterling Shepard WR (if active), Evan Engram TE
Bust- Daniel Jones QB (if active) Kenny Golladay WR, Darius Slayton WR
Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers
Titans
Trust – Ryan Tannehill QB
If You Must – Julio Jones WR, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine WR, Dontrell Hilliard RB, D’Onta Foreman RB
Bust – Jeremy McNichols RB
Steelers
Trust – Najee Harris RB, Diontae Johnson WR, Chase Claypool WR, Pat Freiermuth TE
If You Must – Ben Roethlisberger QB
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars
Texans
Trust – Brandin Cooks WR
If You Must – Rex Burkhead RB (if active), Royce Freeman RB (if Burkhead INactive)
Bust – Davis Mills QB, Brevin Jordan TE, Nico Collins WR
Jaguars
If You Must – James Robinson RB, Marvin Jones WR, Laviska Shenault WR, Trevor Lawrence QB
Sunday Mid Afternoon Slate
Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos
Bengals
Trust – Joe Burrow QB, Ja’Marr Chase WR, Tee Higgins WR, Joe Mixon RB
If You Must – Tyler Boyd WR, C.J. Uzomah TE
Broncos
Trust – Javonte Williams RB, Jerry Jeudy WR, Noah Fant TE
If You Must – Melvin Gordon RB (if active), Courtland Sutton WR, Tim Patrick WR, Teddy Bridgewater QB
Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers
Falcons
Trust – Kyle Pitts TE, Cordarrelle Patterson RB
If You Must – Matt Ryan QB, Russell Gage WR
Bust – Mike Davis RB
49ers
Trust – George Kittle TE, Deebo Samuel WR, Elijah Mitchell RB (if active), Jeff Wilson RB (if Mitchell inactive)
If You Must – Jimmy Garoppolo QB, Brandon Aiyuk WR
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams
Seahawks
Trust – Russell Wilson QB, D.K. Metcalf WR, Tyler Lockett WR
If You Must – Gerald Everett TE, Rashaad Penny RB
Rams
Trust – Matthew Stafford QB, Cooper Kupp WR, Sony Michel RB, Van Jefferson WR
Green Bay Packers at Baltimore Ravens
Packers
Trust – Aaron Rodgers QB, Davante Adams WR, Aaron Jones RB, AJ Dillon RB
If You Must – Allen Lazard WR, Marquez Valdes-Scantling WR
Ravens
Trust – Lamar Jackson QB (if active), Mark Andrews TE, Marquise Brown WR, Devonta Freeman RB
If You Must – Rashod Bateman WR
Bust – Latavius Murray RB
Sunday Night Football
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Saints
Trust – Alvin Kamara RB, Taysom Hill QB
If You Must – Marquez Callaway WR, TreQuan Smith WR
Buccaneers
Trust – Tom Brady QB, Mike Evans WR, Chris Godwin WR, Leonard Fournette RB, Rob Gronkowski TE
Bust – Ronald Jones RB
Monday Night Football
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Vikings
Trust – Kirk Cousins QB, Dalvin Cook RB (if active), Justin Jefferson WR, Adam Thielen WR (if active)
If You Must – Tyler Conklin TE, K. J. Osborn WR (if Thielen is inactive)
Bears
Trust – David Montgomery RB, Darnell Mooney WR
If You Must – Justin Fields QB, Cole Kmet TE, Allen Robinson WR
Bust – Khalil Herbert RB
Good luck with your Week 15 start/sit offense selections and enjoy the games!
