NFL Predictions Week 15: Full Projections, Odds, Highlighting Top Fantasy Stars

Somewhere out there, the unluckiest fantasy football owner alive is going to lose because of Case Keenum.

During the St. Louis Rams' surprisingly high-scoring 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, the quarterback of the NFL's worst passing offense completed 14 of 17 pass attempts for 234 yards and two touchdowns. In almost all leagues, this won't matter. The standard manager isn't crazy or desperate enough to even pick up Keenum, let alone start him.

But in a deep two-quarterback league, some people have realized it's either him or an inactive Andy Dalton. Those owners will gladly take a solid performance Sunday.

The other 98 percent of fantasy gamers have set their sights higher for Week 15. Are certain big-name veterans still trustworthy starters despite losing a step? And can a top-tier talent keep flourishing with limited opportunities? Let's look at three prominent stars who can send fantasy players to the championship round.

Away	Home	Spread	O/U	Prediction
New York Jets	Dallas Cowboys	NYJ (-3)	41.5	24-16 NYJ
Houston Texans	Indianapolis Colts	IND (-1)	41.5	17-16 HOU
Kansas City Chiefs	Baltimore Ravens	KC (-7)	41	30-13 KC
Tennessee Titans	New England Patriots	NE (-15.5)	46.5	38-17 NE
Chicago Bears	Minnesota Vikings	MIN (-5)	43	26-20 MIN
Atlanta Falcons	Jacksonville Jaguars	JAX (-2.5)	49	28-27 JAX
Buffalo Bills	Washington Redskins	BUF (-1)	44	27-24 BUF
Carolina Panthers	New York Giants	CAR (-4)	48	35-21 CAR
Green Bay Packers	Oakland Raiders	GB (-3)	48	23-14 GB
Cleveland Browns	Seattle Seahawks	SEA (-16.5)	43	34-10 SEA
Miami Dolphins	San Diego Chargers	Even	46	30-27 MIA
Denver Broncos	Pittsburgh Steelers	PIT (-7.5)	44.5	27-23 PIT
Cincinnati Bengals	San Francisco 49ers	CIN (-5.5)	40.5	20-15 CIN
Arizona Cardinals	Philadelphia Eagles	ARI (-3.5)	51	35-24 ARI
Detroit Lions	New Orleans Saints	NO (-2.5)	51	31-27 DET

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press/Associated Press

Due to the New Orleans Saints' defensive futility, Matthew Stafford will receive all the gushing write-ups heading into Monday night's anticipated shootout. Don't look past Drew Brees, who gets a great home matchup against the Detroit Lions.

Talk of Brees' decline is exaggerated, especially from a fantasy perspective. The Saints gunslinger has registered 316.2 passing yards per game with a 67.8 completion percentage, and he's on pace to match last year's 33 passing touchdowns.

Detroit ranks No. 10 in passing defense, but it yields the second-highest completion percentage (68.3) and 7.7 yards per pass attempt. Brees has also performed better inside the Superdome, as 4For4 Football's Chris Raybon noted:

As competitors adopt New Orleans' pass-happy ways, Brees is NFL.com's No. 12 fantasy scorer at quarterback despite pushing for his fifth 5,000-yard season. That places him in streamer territory, but this is a matchup to exploit. By the end of Week 15, he could vault up to No. 7, passing Dalton and Jameis Winston.

No lead is safe for gamers who are facing any Lions or Saints on Monday night. Brees will swing some playoff showdowns with a huge day. If he's not a top-five option, he's No. 6 or 7.

Projections: 31-of-44, 330 passing yards, three TDs, one INT

Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press

Quick, somebody distract the Miami Dolphins coaching staff and free Lamar Miller from that terrible place while no one is looking.

The star running back jumped out to a rousing start Monday night, scoring 14- and 38-yard touchdowns during the first half. Naturally, the Dolphins stopped utilizing their best player and instead employed an ineffective passing game. Shockingly enough, this foolproof plan led to a 31-24 loss against the New York Giants.

Miller finished with 89 rushing yards and two scores despite receiving only a dozen carries. Instead, Ryan Tannehill compiled 236 yards on 41 pass attempts. That's 7.4 yards per run for Miller and 5.8 yards per pass attempt for Tannehill.

Don't worry, Dolphins. Math is hard.

Miller, whose woeful misuse had briefly paused after the Dolphins fired former head coach Joe Philbin, stated the obvious to the Palm Beach Post's Andrew Abramson.

“When I’m feeling it, I feel I should get more opportunities,” Miller said. “But it just depends on the situation if we’re losing or if we’re up. I was feeling it pretty good Monday night."

Let's try this again. The San Diego Chargers allow 4.8 yards per carry, the NFL's second-worst mark behind New Orleans. Miller is one of four running backs with at least 100 rushing attempts to average more than 5.0 yards per run. Who should get the ball Sunday?

Take a second to think it through.

Projections: 18 rushes, 100 yards, one TD, three receptions, 30 yards

Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers

Antonio Gates quickly rewarded owners who waited out his four-game suspension with two nine-catch, 90-yard outings. In a pass-heavy Chargers offense that's thin at wide receiver, he has managed to serve as a solid starter while simultaneously underwhelming.

Nobody can complain about a tight end who has compiled 45 catches, 497 yards and four touchdowns through eight games. Despite everyone else receiving a head start, he's already the No. 10 tight end under NFL.com standard scoring.

He also has 185 yards over the past four weeks, but his touchdowns have all come in two games. After seeing 43 targets through the first four games, he has since received 26. As Pro Football Focus' Mike Clay observed, teammate Ladarius Green remains a factor despite middling results:

It's natural to wonder if a 35-year-old can remain a workhorse during his 13th season. Yet his opponents deserve more credit than Father Time. Two of his previous four tilts have come against the Kansas City Chiefs, who give up the second-fewest NFL.com fantasy points to tight ends. Another came against the Denver Broncos, who boast the league's top-ranked passing defense.

Miami, meanwhile, ranks No. 24 against the pass while surrendering 8.0 yards per pass attempt. In his last good matchup, Gates scooped up two touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Look for Phillip Rivers to bounce back against an easier opponent and find his top target in the end zone.

Projections: 10 targets, seven receptions, 80 yards, one TD