Must-Add Handcuffs for Injured Fantasy Football Stars in Week 15

Week 15 signifies the fantasy football semifinals for most leagues; thus, the opportunity to advance and play for bragging rights or take home that championship trophy next week is enough of a reason to sit down and do nothing but watch football all day.

Adding further intrigue this week, however, is the injury status of several star players—some of whom will likely be game-time decisions this Sunday.

Not being able to rely on one of your best players during the fantasy football playoffs is obviously a huge detriment; however, pulling out a win without him is a huge reward for owners who executed proper handcuff strategy this season.

Without further ado, here is a look at the players who must be owned heading into Week 15. As always, monitor the inactive reports before kickoff and act accordingly if these players are due for a major uptick in playing time.

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James Starks

Eddie Lacy owners are breathing a sigh of relief, as the workhorse running back is listed as probable (hip) for the Packers’ Week 15 game at Buffalo—despite a week’s worth of limited practices.

The probable tag is a bit unexpected and perhaps aggressive, though head coach Mike McCarthy said after practice Friday he may be able to practice on Saturday, according to Mike Spofford of Packers.com.

“He’s getting better. He did the strength and conditioning work and all the other work in that area today. He’s making progress, and hopefully, he can practice tomorrow.”

Still, we are just days removed from a rather pessimistic update from Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Lacy did not finish the game on Monday Night Football against the Falcons due to the hip bruise, leaving James Starks to compile a season-high 75 rushing yards—the bulk of which came on a 41-yard run on the Packers’ game-clinching drive.

This situation may turn into more of a timeshare if a less than 100 percent Lacy is active. Starks has averaged a very respectable 4.9 yards per carry over the last two seasons. But ultimately, he is only a fantasy option if Lacy sits against the Bills' No. 8-ranked run defense.

Still, the injury scare emphasizes the importance of handcuff strategy late in the fantasy football season.

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Andre Williams

Andre Williams was back on the fantasy radar entering last week, but he went off for likely career-highs in rushes (24) and yards (131) as a fantasy bench player after Rashad Jennings—who ended up with three touches (two carries, one reception)—was ruled active at Tennessee.

Jennings clearly was not 100-percent healthy, so Williams was the beneficiary of an increased workload against the NFL’s league-worst rushing defense, resulting in the best game of his rookie campaign.

The Giants' running back tandem faces a tougher test this week against Washington’s 10th-ranked run defense, and how the workload will be divided remains uncertain.

This is a situation many are following again this week, and NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan reported the Giants may use the hot-hand approach at running back:

Both are risky flex plays, but Williams may be the better roll of the dice. He seems more likely to establish himself as the feature back coming off his breakout game and given the injury question marks attached to Jennings.

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Marquess Wilson

While handcuff strategy is most typically associated with running backs, it can be applied to wide receivers, too—and Marquess Wilson will start opposite Alshon Jeffery in Week 15 against New Orleans following Brandon Marshall’s season-ending injuries.

Adam Levitan of Rotoworld.com featured Wilson in his “Waiver Wired” column for this week:

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Wilson is a must-add because he’s 6-foot-4 with plus speed and will be playing every down in a Marc Trestman offense. Note that he went 82-1388-12 as a sophomore at Washington State, but slipped to the seventh round of the draft after quitting the team as a junior (over “abuse” from coach Mike Leach). …The Bears showed a lot of confidence in him by letting go of Earl Bennett and handing Wilson the No. 3 job on a silver platter. They proceeded to watch him star at OTAs and minicamp. This week, he has a reasonable shot to break out in a home game on Monday night against a Saints defense giving up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts.

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Wilson has only accumulated 40 receiving yards to date this season, but Monday Night Football has the potential to be a shootout, as the Saints and Bears feature the NFL’s 30th- and 32nd-ranked defenses, respectively.

He caught two passes on five targets last week against Dallas while playing 62 of 70 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). While it would be a gamble to start him in a semifinals matchup, the reward could outweigh the risk, and chasing his ceiling could very well end up being the move that punches your ticket to the fantasy football finals.

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Harry Douglas

Harry Douglas finished with nine catches for 116 yards in Week 13 vs. Arizona in the absence of Roddy White (ankle), and he caught a late touchdown last week after Julio Jones exited with a hip injury.

Jones, who is questionable for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh, did not practice at all this week and is shaping up as a game-time decision. Jones, of course, set a franchise record with 259 receiving yards on Monday Night Football against the Packers one week after recording a then-career-high 189 receiving yards in Week 13 against Arizona.

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution‎ believes Jones will not play this Sunday, meaning he will be unable to add to his league-leading 1,428 receiving yards against the Steelers, who have allowed a combined 16 catches for 386 yards and two touchdowns to opposing No. 1 wide receivers—Kenny Stills and A.J. Green—in two games since their Week 12 bye.

Douglas is a viable plug-and-play fantasy starter if Jones can’t play, as the Steelers' pass defense ranks 20th in the NFL on the season. The Steelers have also allowed at least a pair of passing touchdowns in their last seven games and in 10 of 13 games this season, and Douglas will be a good bet for at least seven to eight targets in the event Jones does not play.