Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 15: Choosing Top Fantasy Football Locks and Flops

The rest of your life can be put on hold for the next few weeks because the fantasy football playoffs require your full attention.

This might be bad news for your significant others, your jobs and any other responsibilities in your life, but your lineup is too important.

Heading into the playoffs, all you want to do is put together the best team possible. While this mostly includes players who have gotten you to this point, you can't be afraid to make some adjustments if it means more points. 

Some of these switches could be a bit of a risk, but these are the smart moves that could help bring you a championship.

Quarterback: Start Jay Cutler over Matthew Stafford and Ryan Tannehill

Considering how little Chicago Bears fans trust Jay Cutler, it's strange to think you would trust him on your fantasy team in a big moment. However, the great thing about fantasy football is that it doesn't matter when you get points, as long as you get them.

Cutler is coming off one of his biggest games of the year against the Dallas Cowboys, throwing two touchdowns while adding one more on the ground. 

Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports joked about the quarterback's ability to put up big numbers when the game is already decided:

He will have a chance to post some big numbers in Week 15 against a New Orleans Saints defense that has struggled mightily lately. The unit has allowed nine passing touchdowns in the past four games, most recently allowing a 35-point outing to Cam Newton.

With Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte making plays down the field, Cutler should have a huge day.

At the very least, he should be better than rival NFC North quarterback Matthew Stafford. Fantasy owners should be excited to use a player who has thrown for 701 yards with five touchdowns in the past two games, but a lot of that was due to the weaker competition.

The upcoming matchup against the Minnesota Vikings is tougher than many realize, as the team has allowed just one quarterback to reach 20 fantasy points in standard leagues this season. The squad ranks sixth in the NFL against the pass and is certain to cause problems for Stafford.

Additionally, Ryan Tannehill shouldn't be in lineups after a pair of disappointing showings in favorable matchups over the past two weeks. Things only get tougher against the New England Patriots, who have been outstanding defensively lately, as noted by ESPN's Adam Schefter:

The Miami Dolphins quarterback still has plenty of ability in real football, but his fantasy prospects are not good for the rest of this season.

Running Back: Start Chris Ivory over Rashad Jennings and Steven Jackson

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

It's understandable that people have lost faith in Chris Ivory over the past five games, as the New York Jets running back has averaged just 4.2 points per game. However, the New York Jets have reestablished the run in the last two weeks and it seems like this strategy is here to stay.

Even quarterback Geno Smith was on board with the strategy, telling The Associated Press (via CBS New York), "We’re running the ball so well in that game, we were up and time of possession was so good for us that I think what we did by sticking to the game plan was definitely the best thing for us to do."

Ivory is splitting carries with Chris Johnson, but he has received 16 rushing attempts in each of the past two games. As the better downhill runner and the go-to back on the goal line, Ivory has the better chance of having a big day.

Fortunately for patient fantasy owners, that big performance should be coming in Week 15 against the Tennessee Titans, who rank dead last in the NFL against the rush. With the same amount of carries as he's been getting, Ivory could be a star.

The same cannot be said for Rashad Jennings, who is coming off a dud in Week 14 while losing out on opportunities to Andre Williams. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post noted, it wasn't even close:

Jennings is likely healthier this week, but the Giants would be smart to see what they have in Williams after a big week. The team is far out of playoff contention, so giving more touches to the rookie would be a reasonable scenario.

Another veteran that can't be trusted is Steven Jackson, despite coming off a strong performance in Week 14. The Pittsburgh Steelers do a good job of keeping opposing running backs out of the end zone, only allowing one rushing touchdown in the last five games.

The Atlanta Falcons are going to try to throw the ball a lot, and whether they are successful or not, this will not be a good day for Jackson.

Wide Receiver: Start Sammy Watkins over Josh Gordon and DeAndre Hopkins

Things were not going well for Sammy Watkins lately, but he bounced back with a strong performance against the Denver Broncos, as noted by Matthew Fairburn of The Post-Standard:

While he is difficult to trust after so many poor showings, the good news is that he remained a big part of the offense throughout with at least five targets in each of the last seven games.

Watkins also has a good chance to have a big day against a secondary that was recently torched by Julio Jones to the tune of 259 receiving yards and a touchdown. The Green Bay Packers have struggled with athletic receivers this season and the Bills star can show what he can do in this one.

Meanwhile, Josh Gordon is too much of a risk with Johnny Manziel making his first start for the Cleveland Browns. ESPN's Chris Mortensen noted the problems with the talented receiver:

Trusting Manziel to make that much of a difference after Gordon totaled just 15 yards last game would be a mistake.

DeAndre Hopkins is also far from a safe bet, even with Andre Johnson questionable with a concussion. All this means is there will be more attention from opposing defenses. This could lead to problems for the second-year receiver, especially against the Indianapolis Colts, who have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this year.

If you have better options, this might be a week to make a change.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.