Fantasy Football Week 15 Rankings: Top Players and Matchups for All Positions

As usual, it's shaping up to be a wild week in fantasy football heading into Week 15, when many players have entered their postseasons. 

Owners of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones are sweating it out as they wait to hear whether he will miss a second straight game with turf toe.

Those who drafted the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski in the first round have had to stay active on the waiver wire this season.

And Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is instilling panic in those who plan to start him as he works through a hamstring injury in one leg and a hurting calf in the other. 

But if fantasy football was easy, it wouldn't be nearly as fun, right?

Let's take a look at the top projected players at each position heading into Week 15 and preview some of the top starters' matchups. 

Quarterback

Rank	Player	Team	Week 15 Opponent
1	Aaron Rodgers	GB	@CHI
2	Matt Ryan	ATL	SF
3	Derek Carr	OAK	@SD
4	Kirk Cousins	WAS	CAR
5	Drew Brees	NO	@ARI
6	Marcus Mariota	TEN	@KC
7	Andrew Luck	IND	@MIN
8	Russell Wilson	SEA	LA
9	Tom Brady	NE	@DEN
10	Jameis Winston	TB	@DAL
11	Tyrod Taylor	BUF	CLE
12	Joe Flacco	BAL	PHI

The Green Bay Packers may be playing for their postseason lives, but don't tell that to Aaron Rodgers; the leader of the Pack is already in postseason form.

Heading into Week 15, Rodgers leads the league with 32 touchdown passes against only seven interceptions. 

Rodgers is the highest-scoring quarterback in fantasy this season, posting 296.66 points on the year. That's nearly 20 more points than Atlanta's Matt Ryan, who has also been lighting up the league with the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense. 

On Sunday, the Packers have a classic divisional matchup against the Chicago Bears, a team that is allowing opponents an average of 22.3 points per game. With his team's season on the line, expect Rodgers to take to the air early and often. 

Running Back

Rank	Player	Team	Week 15 Opponent
1	David Johnson	ARI	NO
2	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	@CIN
3	LeSean McCoy	BUF	CLE
4	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	TB
5	DeMarco Murray	TEN	@KC
6	Devonta Freeman	ATL	SF
7	Carlos Hyde	SF	@ATL
8	Jordan Howard	CHI	GB
9	Thomas Rawls	SEA	LA
10	Latavius Murray	OAK	@SD
11	LeGarrette Blount	NE	@DEN
12	Jay Ajayi	MIA	@NYJ
13	Lamar Miller	HOU	JAC
14	Jeremy Hill	CIN	PIT
15	Spencer Ware	KC	TEN
16	Doug Martin	TB	@DAL
17	Tevin Coleman	ATL	SF
18	Frank Gore	IND	@MIN
19	Rob Kelley	WAS	CAR
20	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	@WAS
21	Mark Ingram	NO	@ARI
22	Todd Gurley	LA	@SEA
23	Terrance West	BAL	PHI
24	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	@BUF
25	Bilal Powell	NYJ	MIA
26	Kenneth Farrow	SD	OAK
27	Kenneth Dixon	BAL	PHI
28	Rashad Jennings	NYG	DET
29	Dion Lewis	NE	@DEN
30	Devontae Booker	DEN	NE
31	Matt Asiata	MIN	IND
32	Jerick McKinnon	MIN	IND

If you're in the playoffs in your fantasy league, you're likely counting on David Johnson to bring home the trophy. 

The Arizona Cardinals rusher was 17th in scoring among running backs in Week 14, a worrisome turn of events for owners who rely on him to turn in big points. But don't let that fluke distract you from Johnson's historical season to date:

Johnson is making his biggest impact with his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. He has 745 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions on the season, which could be more than your WR2.

Wide Receiver

Rank	Player	Team	Week 15 Opponent
1	Odell Beckham Jr.	NYG	DET
2	Antonio Brown	PIT	@CIN
3	Mike Evans	TB	@DAL
4	Jordy Nelson	GB	@CHI
5	Dez Bryant	DAL	TB
6	Julio Jones	ATL	SF
7	Tyrell Williams	SD	OAK
8	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	NE
9	Doug Baldwin	SEA	LA
10	Amari Cooper	OAK	@SD
11	Michael Crabtree	OAK	@SD
12	Davante Adams	GB	@CHI
13	T.Y. Hilton	IND	@MIN
14	Stefon Diggs	MIN	IND
15	Golden Tate	DET	@NYG
16	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	NO
17	Sammy Watkins	BUF	CLE
18	Jamison Crowder	WAS	CAR
19	Julian Edelman	NE	@DEN
20	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	NE
21	Tyreek Hill	KC	TEN
22	Brandin Cooks	NO	@ARI
23	Steve Smith	BAL	PHI
24	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	JAC
25	Dontrelle Inman	SD	OAK
26	Michael Thomas	NO	@ARI
27	DeSean Jackson	WAS	CAR
28	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	@WAS
29	Brandon Marshall	NYJ	MIA
30	Rishard Matthews	TEN	@KC
31	Donte Moncrief	IND	@MIN
32	Jarvis Landry	MIA	@NYJ

Raise your hand if Antonio Brown is the reason you're in the playoffs in your league.

The Pittsburgh Steelers wideout has been a not-so-secret weapon for hundreds of fantasy owners who have watched him pile up 179.90 points in 2016.

Brown is third among all receivers in yards (1,130) and second in touchdowns (11).

As Sound FX captured Brown telling Ben Roethlisberger in the huddle, he's just been itching for a "tuddy," even if he already had one in that game:

And that's why Brown's fantasy owners love being able to plug him into their lineups week after week. 

Tight End

Rank	Player	Team	Week 15 Opponent
1	Travis Kelce	KC	TEN
2	Tyler Eifert	CIN	PIT
3	Delanie Walker	TEN	@KC
4	Jimmy Graham	SEA	LA
5	Kyle Rudolph	MIN	IND
6	Greg Olsen	CAR	@WAS
7	Cameron Brate	TB	@DAL
8	Ladarius Green	PIT	@CIN
9	Eric Ebron	DET	@NYG
10	C.J. Fiedorowicz	HOU	JAC
11	Zach Ertz	PHI	@BAL
12	Antonio Gates	SD	OAK

Heading into Week 15, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has moved into the top spot at his position in fantasy.

Kelce has compiled 111.10 points on the year—more than the Carolina Panthers' Greg Olsen (110.70), the Tennessee Titans' Delanie Walker (105.80) and the Seattle Seahawks' Jimmy Graham (104.50).

His three touchdowns aren't as many as Walker (six) or Graham (five) have compiled, but Kelce has connected with quarterback Alex Smith for 916 yards and a two-point conversion this season. 

In Week 15, the Chiefs will take on the Titans, who have allowed opponents an average of 274.9 passing yards per game, the second-most in the league. 

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Unit	Week 15 Opponent
1	SEA	LA
2	KC	TEN
3	MIN	IND
4	BUF	CLE
5	DEN	NE
6	ARI	NO
7	HOU	JAC
8	ATL	SF
9	MIA	@NYJ
10	BAL	PHI
11	NE	@DEN
12	GB	@CHI

Speaking of the Chiefs, Kansas City also boasts the No. 1 defense and special teams in fantasy, and the unit is a must-play in Week 15 against the Titans.

Chuck Burton/Associated Press/Associated Press

The Chiefs have amassed 27 sacks, 14 interceptions, 11 fumble recoveries and a whopping five defensive touchdowns in 2016, and the special teams unit has added another two scores on returns.

Tennessee will provide something of a challenge for the Chiefs; the Titans are eighth in the league in yards per game (372.3). However, Kansas City has more than proved it's up to the task. 

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Week 15 Opponent
1	Cairo Santos	KC	TEN
2	Matt Bryant	ATL	SF
3	Steven Hauschka	SEA	LA
4	Justin Tucker	BAL	PHI
5	Sebastian Janikowski	OAK	@SD
6	Dustin Hopkins	WAS	CAR
7	Wil Lutz	NO	@ARI
8	Josh Lambo	SD	OAK
9	Dan Bailey	DAL	TB
10	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	@DEN
11	Caleb Sturgis	PHI	@BAL
12	Roberto Aguayo	TB	@DAL

With three games left in the season, the Baltimore Ravens' Justin Tucker has established himself as the best kicker in the league.

Gail Burton/Associated Press/Associated Press

Tucker has been clutch when it comes to the big ones; he has nine successful field goals of 50 or more yards—the most among all kickers. He also has 11 field goals of 40 to 49 yards, which is the second-most in that category after Carolina's Graham Gano (12).

If you want a kicker who is going to earn you points off the long bombs, Tucker is your guy.  

Rankings, scoring leaders, average draft position and ownership stats via NFL.com, unless otherwise noted, and are current as of Dec. 14.