Fantasy Football Week 15: Flex and PPR Rankings

The second week of the 2014 fantasy football playoffs has started, and owners are looking to find the latest flex and points-per-reception rankings in order to set their Week 15 lineups.

With an NFL schedule filled with divisional matchups and marquee games, fantasy owners will be trying to decipher which players have the most upside and which players have the potential to become busts in this key moment.

Here are the overall flex and PPR rankings for Week 15. When in doubt, start the higher-ranked player on each list.

Flex Rankings

Rank	Player
1	Jamaal Charles, KC, RB
2	Calvin Johnson, DET, WR
3	LeSean McCoy, PHI, RB
4	DeMarco Murray, DAL, RB
5	Demaryius Thomas, DEN, WR
6	Antonio Brown, PIT, WR
7	Le'Veon Bell, PIT, RB
8	Dez Bryant, DAL, WR
9	Arian Foster, HOU, RB
10	Rob Gronkowski, NE, TE
11	A.J. Green, CIN, WR
12	Marshawn Lynch, SEA, RB
13	Jordy Nelson, GB, WR
14	Julio Jones, ATL, WR
15	C.J. Anderson, DEN, RB
16	Matt Forte, CHI, RB
17	Eddie Lacy, GB, RB
18	Odell Beckham, NYG, WR
19	T.Y. Hilton, IND, WR
20	Jimmy Graham, NO, TE
21	Ryan Mathews, SD, RB
22	Justin Forsett, BAL, RB
23	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN, WR
24	Mike Evans, TB, WR
25	Rashad Jennings, NYG, RB
27	Randall Cobb, GB, WR
28	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU, WR
29	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR, WR
30	Alfred Morris, WAS, RB
31	Jeremy Maclin, PHI, WR
32	Keenan Allen, SD, WR
33	Mark Ingram, NO, RB
34	Fred Jackson, BUF, RB
35	Josh Gordon, CLE, WR
36	Alshon Jeffery, CHI, WR
37	Sammy Watkins, BUF, WR
38	Joique Bell, DET, RB
39	Isaiah Crowell, CLE, RB
40	Antonio Gates, SD, TE
41	Roddy White, ATL, WR
42	Julian Edelman, NE, WR
43	Lamar Miller, MIA, RB
44	Jeremy Hill, CIN, RB
45	Martavis Bryant, PIT, WR
46	Julius Thomas, DEN, TE
47	Terrance West, CLE, RB
48	Brandon LaFell, NE, WR
49	Andre Johnson, HOU, WR
50	Mike Wallace, MIA, WR

Many players in standard-scoring leagues are worth a start at the flex position for Week 15, but few have as much upside as Martavis Bryant of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Fred Jackson of the Buffalo Bills.

Fantasy owners jumped on the Bryant bandwagon early in the season after the rookie made his regular-season debut. In his seven games this season, he has racked up 21 total receptions for 453 yards and seven touchdowns.

When asked about how the coverage has changed now that defenses are aware of how dangerous he has become, Bryant said the following, per Chris Adamski of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "They're treating me like a little 'AB' now. So I'm just really following him, trying to do what he does. He just says you've got to outwork them. Double-team or not, you've got to go out and execute your plays. I'm just working hard, trying to get better."

Bryant had lackluster performances in back-to-back weeks but bounced back in Week 14 against Cincinnati by racking up four receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown. Against the league's worst secondary of the Atlanta Falcons (allowing 287.8 passing yards per game), Bryant should be able to rack up five receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Another player worth starting is Jackson. After suffering a groin injury earlier in the season, the veteran has slowly regained a heavy workload and has once again become the team’s primary running back.

While Jackson amassed only eight carries in the Week 14 loss to Denver (he had 21 carries the week before), he was the team's safety valve in the passing attack, catching 10 passes for 37 yards.

In Week 15, Buffalo plays the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay allows 129.2 rushing yards per game, 25th in the NFL, so owners should expect a hefty workload on the ground and through the air for Jackson.

Jackson should easily amass 80 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Start him as a flex in both standard-scoring and points-per-reception leagues.

PPR Rankings

Rank	Player
1	Jamaal Charles, KC, RB
2	Calvin Johnson, DET, WR
3	Antonio Brown, PIT, WR
4	LeSean McCoy, PHI, RB
5	T.Y. Hilton, IND, WR
6	DeMarco Murray, DAL, RB
7	Matt Forte, CHI, RB
8	Le'Veon Bell, PIT, RB
9	Arian Foster, HOU, RB
10	Demaryius Thomas, DEN, WR
11	Jordy Nelson, GB, WR
12	Rob Gronkowski, NE, TE
13	Odell Beckham, NYG, WR
14	Marshawn Lynch, SEA, RB
15	Dez Bryant, DAL, WR
16	Randall Cobb, GB, WR
17	Jeremy Maclin, PHI, WR
18	Ryan Mathews, SD, RB
19	A.J. Green, CIN, WR
20	Jimmy Graham, NO, TE
21	Julio Jones, ATL, WR
22	C.J. Anderson, DEN, RB
23	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN, WR
24	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU, WR
25	Keenan Allen, SD, WR
27	Justin Forsett, BAL, RB
28	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR, WR
29	Mike Evans, TB, WR
30	Eddie Lacy, GB, RB
31	Julian Edelman, NE, WR
32	Alfred Morris, WAS, RB
33	Alshon Jeffery, CHI, WR
34	Josh Gordon, CLE, WR
35	Lamar Miller, MIA, RB
36	Rashad Jennings, NYG, RB
37	Golden Tate, DET, WR
38	Jeremy Hill, CIN, RB
39	Roddy White, ATL, WR
40	Rashad Jennings, NYG, RB
41	Sammy Watkins, BUF, WR
42	Andre Johnson, HOU, WR
43	Reggie Bush, DET, RB
44	Mike Wallace, MIA, WR
45	Joique Bell, DET, RB
46	Tre Mason, StL, RB
47	Steve Smith, BAL, WR
48	Denard Robinson, JAX, RB
49	Brandon LaFell, NE, WR
50	Doug Baldwin, SEA, WR

Winning a PPR league is an entirely different animal than winning a standard-scoring league, but owners should be considering players such as Alshon Jeffery of the Chicago Bears and Reggie Bush of the Detroit Lions as starters this week.

However you get Jeffery and Bush into your lineup, just make sure they are starting Sunday.

Chicago has put No. 1 wide receiver Brandon Marshall on the injured reserve, opening the door for Jeffery to be the team's primary target in the passing game against the 29th-ranked pass defense of the New Orleans Saints (allowing 265.2 yards per game).

Fantasy owners who own Jeffery should expect eight receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown.

While Bush may not have the same success as Jeffery in Week 15, the talented running back is finally returning to elite shape after missing time with an ankle injury. He may have managed only 34 yards in his return to the lineup in Week 14, but he should see a heavier workload this week.

Detroit plays the susceptible run defense of the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Minnesota has allowed 127.2 rushing yards per game, 23rd in the NFL. With Bush getting eight carries and four receptions last week, fantasy owners should expect closer to 10 carries and six receptions as his role increases in the offense.

As the superior receiving back, Bush will once again become one of quarterback Matthew Stafford’s favorite weapons. In a favorable matchup, Bush should rack up 90 all-purpose yards, six receptions and one touchdown.

Both players must be started in all PPR formats.

Stats via NFL.com.