Fantasy Football Week 15 Rankings: Flex and PPR Outlook for Top Players

Thursday and Saturday's NFL games set the table for a frustrating Week 15, when many fantasy football playoff participants will fight for a finals bid.

On Thursday night, Tavon Austin registered more fantasy points than Todd Gurley or Doug Martin. Even Case Keenum played well. Two days later, Bilal Powell stole Chris Ivory's spotlight in the New York Jets backfield.

The chaotic fun has only begun. Fourteen games remain on the schedule, leaving fantasy managers stuck with roster dilemmas to solve on Sunday morning. To help solve some conundrums, here's a last-minute assortment of flex rankings for standard and point-per-reception (PPR) players. 

Rank	Standard	PPR
1	Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN	Julio Jones, WR, ATL
2	Julio Jones, WR, ATL	DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU
3	LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF	Antonio Brown, WR, PIT
4	Lamar Miller, RB, MIA	Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN
5	DeAndre Hopkins, WR, HOU	Calvin Johnson, WR, DET
6	Devonta Freeman, RB, ATL	Devonta Freeman, RB, ATL
7	Calvin Johnson, WR, DET	Lamar Miller, RB, MIA
8	Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE	Odell Beckham Jr., WR, NYG
9	DeAngelo Williams, RB, PIT	LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF
10	David Johnson, RB, ARI	Alshon Jeffery, WR, CHI
11	DeAngelo Williams, RB, PIT	Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN
12	Antonio Brown, WR, PIT	Rob Gronkowski, TE, NE
13	Odell Beckham Jr., WR, NYG	Doug Baldwin, WR, SEA
14	Eddie Lacy, RB, GB	Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI
15	Alshon Jeffery, WR, CHI	DeAngelo Williams, RB, PIT
16	Jeremy Hill, RB, CIN	Allen Robinson, WR, JAX
17	Matt Forte, RB, CHI	David Johnson, RB, ARI
18	Doug Baldwin, WR, SEA	Jeremy Maclin, WR, KC
19	Allen Robinson, WR, JAX	Jarvis Landry, WR, MIA
20	A.J. Green, WR, CIN	Sammy Watkins, WR, BUF
21	Demaryius Thomas, WR, DEN	Golden Tate, WR, DET
22	Denard Robinson, RB, JAX	Matt Forte, RB, CHI
23	Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI	Greg Olsen, TE, CAR
24	Sammy Watkins, WR, BUF	John Brown, WR, ARI
25	Tim Hightower, RB, NO	Danny Amendola, WR, NE
26	Jeremy Maclin, WR, KC	Eddie Lacy, RB, GB
27	John Brown, WR, ARI	Randall Cobb, WR, GB
28	Latavius Murray, RB, OAK	Tyler Lockett, WR, SEA
29	Golden Tate, WR, DET	Javorius Allen, RB, BAL
30	Charcandrick West, RB, KC	Denard Robinson, RB, JAX
31	Greg Olsen, TE, CAR	Brandin Cooks, WR, NO
32	Javorius Allen, RB, BAL	Delanie Walker, TE, TEN
33	Jarvis Landry, WR, MIA	Jeremy Hill, RB, CIN
34	Tyler Lockett, WR, SEA	Emmanuel Sanders, WR, DEN
35	Giovani Bernard, RB, CIN	Michael Crabtree, WR, OAK
36	Frank Gore, RB, IND	Shaun Draughn, RB, SF
37	Michael Floyd, WR, ARI	Michael Floyd, WR, ARI
38	Shaun Draughn, RB, SF	Martavis Bryant, WR, PIT
39	Brandin Cooks, WR, NO	Theo Riddick, RB, DET
40	Randall Cobb, WR, GB	Giovani Bernard, RB, CIN
41	Martavis Bryant, WR, PIT	Gary Barnidge, TE, CAR
42	Danny Amendola, WR, NE	Latavius Murray, RB, OAK
43	Delanie Walker, TE, TEN	Tim Hightower, RB, NO
44	Bryce Brown, RB, SEA	Jordan Reed, TE, WAS
45	Emmanuel Sanders, WR, DEN	Latavius Murray, RB, OAK
46	Michael Crabtree, WR, OAK	Charcandrick West, RB, KC
47	Gary Barnidge, TE, CLE	Allen Hurns, WR, JAX
48	Jordan Reed, TE, WAS	Willie Snead, WR, NO
49	Allen Hurns, WR, JAX	James White, TB, NE
50	Fozzy Whittaker, RB, CAR	Danny Woodhead, RB, SD

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants

Here we go again. For the second consecutive week, Josh Norman's Carolina Panthers will face an offense headlined by a superstar wide receiver. A weekend after shadowing the Atlanta Falcons' Julio Jones, his sights are set on the New York Giants' Odell Beckham Jr.

While Norman effectively covered Jones, he closed shop early during a 38-0 shutout. The wideout bolstered his numbers in garbage time, finishing with seven catches and 88 yards. Per CarolinaPanthers.com' Max Henson, the corner is excited for another marquee matchup:

"

Josh Norman on preparing to face Odell Beckham: "I got chill bumps... It's enticing, man."

— Max Henson (@PanthersMax) December 17, 2015"

On a meteoric tear akin to last year's breakout, Beckham has surpassed 100 yards in each of the last six games, scoring eight touchdowns in the process. He's now NFL.com's top non-quarterback fantasy producer, and the accolades don't stop there.

As highlighted by FanDuel's Eric Mack, his astounding start compares favorably to star receivers of past and present:

"

Remarkable context in here for Odell Beckham Jr. pic.twitter.com/lY3cxtWe9F

— Eric Mack (@EricMackFantasy) December 16, 2015"

Like Jones last week, nobody is benching Beckham, but owners should acknowledge his lower floor than usual. Pro Football Focus detailed the danger of throwing to Norman:

The Giants may be able to separate the two by lining up Beckham in the slot, where Norman frequently doesn't follow. It only takes one big play, and the 23-year-old makes exceptional plays on a weekly basis. 

Javorius Allen, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Javorius Allen's expressway to fantasy stardom made a sudden stop last Sunday. Facing the Seattle Seahawks' No. 2-rated rushing defense, he tallied 14 rushing yards on eight carries and coughed up his first fumble of the season.

“It’s difficult, but you’ve got to move on and put your mind behind you,” Allen told the Baltimore Sun's Jon Meoli.

In three previous games as the Baltimore Ravens' starter, Allen received 24 touches per game. Season-ending injuries to Justin Forsett, Joe Flacco and Steve Smith Sr. made him the unlikely focal point in a league where few rushers still hold that job moniker.

But a 35-6 blowout, Baltimore's first loss by more than eight points this season, changed those plans. The 4-9 squad is in jeopardy of withstanding the same outcome against the rolling Kansas City Chiefs, who allow the fifth-fewest NFL.com fantasy points to opposing running backs.  

He's not playing a great hand this Sunday, but he's a starter who regularly touches the football. He's also not entirely dependent on rushing, amassing 26 receptions for 228 yards and two scores over the last four games. As a result, Allen remains a prominent No. 2 back in PPR formats and a flex play in standard leagues.

Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, Michael Floyd, WRs, Arizona Cardinals

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

All fantasy players want a piece of the Arizona Cardinals offense against the Philadelphia Eagles. Pitting the No. 1 offense against the No. 27 defense is a great recipe for success, especially for the Cardinals' deep crop of wideouts.

Per NFL.com, Philadelphia has relinquished the second-most fantasy points and receptions to wide receivers. Last weekend, gamers could direct those dots specifically to Sammy Watkins, the Buffalo Bills' clear No. 1 option. The Cardinals, however, carry three noteworthy pass-catchers in Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown and Michael Floyd.

Most teams can't foster three productive receivers, but don't sit any of those guys on Sunday. Fitzgerald hasn't scored in the last five games, but he has received more than 10 targets in all but one of them. He also has a reputation for demolishing the Eagles, most recently gaining 160 yards and a score during an otherwise unproductive 2014 campaign.

Although lower in the rankings, Brown and Floyd each might harness more upside. Rotoworld's Evan Silva chronicled both of their hot streaks:

Floyd has exceeded 100 yards in four of his last games played, but a 14-yard dud in between should remind investors of his risk factor. Brown offers a nice middle ground of safety and big-play potential, the latter showcased with a 65-yard score in Week 14. 

In the season of giving, Carson Palmer will find a way to spread the wealth around the trio while also providing running back David Johnson plenty of handoffs. It's not possible for most offenses, but Arizona is the best in the league for a reason.