Fantasy Football Week 15 Rankings: Latest Position-by-Position Rundown

The fantasy football finals are so close yet so far away. 

As the typical league shuns the dreaded Week 17—even though few, if any, teams will have a chance to rest up before the playoffs—Week 15 represents the year's penultimate fantasy matchups. A win paves the way for a championship opportunity while a loss at best creates a token consolation bout for third place.

Legends aren't born battling for third. Glory is within arm's reach, but one slip-up can send the whole season crumbling down. Nobody wants to bungle a lineup decision now, so here are some handy rankings to aid the process.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Andrew Luck	IND	HOU
2	Peyton Manning	DEN	SD
3	Aaron Rodgers	GB	BUF
4	Drew Brees	NO	CHI
5	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	ATL
6	Tom Brady	NE	MIA
7	Jay Cutler	CHI	NO
8	Matt Ryan	ATL	PIT
9	Russell Wilson	SEA	SF
10	Matthew Stafford	DET	MIN
11	Tony Romo	DAL	PHI
12	Philip Rivers	SD	DEN
13	Eli Manning	NYG	WAS
14	Mark Sanchez	PHI	DAL
15	Joe Flacco	BAL	JAC
16	Johnny Manziel	CLE	CIN
17	Ryan Tannehill	MIA	NR
18	Ryan Fitzpatrick	HOU	IND
19	Kyle Orton	BUF	GB
20	Alex Smith	KC	OAK

Johnny Championship?

Better late than never, the Cleveland Browns are turning to Johnny Manziel to make his first career NFL start. Not only is Cleveland battling the Cincinnati Bengals in a crowded AFC North, but fantasy owners have a semifinal to win.

The move says more about Brian Hoyer's struggles than Manziel. The 29-year-old went three games without a touchdown, throwing seven interceptions over that stretch. ESPN Stats & Info tracked Cleveland's recent offensive futility.

A household name, Manziel will get overvalued by his bandwagon of supporters. It especially doesn't help that the Bengals rate No. 6 in opposing yards per attempt (6.5) and No. 7 in completion percentage (59.8).

Yet his speed makes him an intriguing bet. In a brief cup of coffee two weeks ago, he ran for 13 yards and a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. Even if he doen't light up the aerial assault, his legs can galvanize his status as a late-season fantasy hero.

ESPN.com's Christopher Harris offered a spot-on assessment about his Week 15 fantasy stock. 

"

He has a big arm. His chemistry with his receivers isn't a finished product. He can really run and doesn't seem jumpy in the pocket. His accuracy is a question mark. I was on record as saying the Browns have been foolish not to play Manziel sooner, mainly because Hoyer is a backup-quality player. Now that the Browns are unlikely to make the playoffs, they'll give Johnny Football his shot. It'll be fun. In a two-QB league, I would absolutely fire him up in my lineup. In standard leagues, I would have to be a pretty huge underdog with a bad depth chart to make that leap.

"

In daily leagues, his basement price allows gamers to load up elsewhere, making Manziel a worthwhile ploy if he can simply hold his own against Cincinnati. For traditional gamers battling for a title shot, starting the rookie against a tough opponent is too risky.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	ATL
2	DeMarco Murray	DAL	PHI
3	Matt Forte	CHI	NO
4	Arian Foster	HOU	IND
5	Jamaal Charles	KC	OAK
6	C.J. Anderson	DEN	SD
7	Justin Forsett	BAL	JAC
8	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	SF
9	LeSean McCoy	PHI	DAL
10	Eddie Lacy	GB	BUF
11	Joique Bell	DET	MIN
12	Alfred Morris	WAS	NYG
13	Mark Ingram	NO	CHI
14	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	CIN
15	Jeremy Hill	CIN	CLE
16	LaGarrette Blount	NE	MIA
17	Latavius Murray	OAK	KC
18	Chris Ivory	NYJ	TEN
19	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	TB
20	Rashad Jennings	NYG	WAS
21	Fred Jackson	BUF	GB
22	Daniel Herron	IND	HOU
23	Lamar Miller	MIA	NE
24	Chris Johnson	NYJ	TEN
25	Steven Jackson	ATL	PIT
26	Giovani Bernard	CIN	CLE
27	Doug Martin	TB	CAR
28	Terrance West	CLE	CIN
29	Andre Williams	NYG	WAS
30	Frank Gore	SF	SEA

Is this a trick? An elaborate scheme from Bill Belichick to lure everyone into a false sense of security only to switch running backs again?

The famed head coach is notorious for getting bored with runners, a fact Jonas Gray can certainly support. Since acquiring LeGarrette Blount before Week 12, he has become the top draw, gaining 202 yards and two touchdowns on 42 carries.

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Over those same three matches, Gray and Shane Vereen have combined for 15 carries. Anything can change in any given week, but for now, Blount is the man behind Tom Brady.

Fantasy managers should take note, as the matchup is perfect for an onslaught of Blount touches. While the Miami Dolphins rank No. 3 against the pass, they fell all the way to No. 22 during an ongoing rough patch. John Paulsen of 4for4 Fantasy Football tracked the gushing gains given up on the ground.

Belichick isn't afraid to drastically cater his script as the schedule dictates. Against a shaky Indianapolis Colts rushing defense, Gray got 37 carries. The previous week, Brady fired 53 passes against a tough Denver front seven.

This weekend calls for a furious ground-and-pound attack from Blount, making him a steady No. 2 back.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Antonio Brown	PIT	ATL
2	Calvin Johnson	DET	MIN
3	T.Y. Hilton	IND	HOU
4	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	SD
5	A.J. Green	CIN	CLE
6	Odell Beckham Jr.	NYG	WAS
7	Dez Bryant	DAL	PHI
8	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	NO
9	Jordy Nelson	GB	BUF
10	Julio Jones	ATL	PIT
11	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	SD
12	Jeremy Maclin	PHI	DAL
13	Randall Cobb	GB	BUF
14	Mike Evans	TB	CAR
15	Josh Gordon	CLE	CIN
16	Sammy Watkins	BUF	GB
17	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	TB
18	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	IND
19	Golden Tate	DET	MIN
20	Roddy White	ATL	PIT
21	Kenny Stills	NO	CHI
22	Julian Edelman	NE	MIA
23	Jordan Matthews	PHI	DAL
24	Keenan Allen	SD	DEN
25	Steve Smith	BAL	JAC
26	Vincent Jackson	TB	CAR
27	Brandon LaFell	NE	MIA
28	DeSean Jackson	WAS	NYG
29	Martavis Bryant	PIT	ATL
30	Jarvis Landry	MIA	NE

Nobody can say they didn't see Keenan Allen's dud coming. After delivering his two best games of an underwhelming sophomore season, he simply got trapped on Revis Island. 

With Darrelle Revis strapped to his side, the wide receiver finished with two catches for three yards. Per ESPN Stats & Info, Philip Rivers didn't even look his way for half the game. 

Allen tipped his cap to Revis after his shutdown performance, via U-T San Diego's Tom Krasovic:

"

I still think he's the best cornerback in the league. Lots of credit for him. He has great technique. He's very patient. He understands his technique.

"

It stinks that it happened to begin the fantasy playoffs, but that shouldn't sour anyone still standing from rolling with him this Sunday. Allowing a league-best 6.2 passing yards per attempt, Denver isn't a beautiful matchup. But anything is a step up from going head-to-head with Revis.

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Since the Broncos score so many points and stifle everyone on the ground, their opponents are forced to keep airing it out. According to ESPN.com, only the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans allow more receptions to wideouts than the Broncos, whose have surrendered 183 catches.

Even if Allen doesn't burn off 125 yards and a touchdown, he'll receive a much heavier workload than last Sunday.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Rob Gronkowski	NE	MIA
2	Jimmy Graham	NO	CHI
3	Martellus Bennett	CHI	NO
4	Greg Olsen	CAR	TB
5	Julius Thomas	DEN	SD
6	Antonio Gates	SD	DEN
7	Delanie Walker	TEN	NYJ
8	Travis Kelce	KC	OAK
9	Coby Fleener	IND	HOU
10	Larry Donnell	NYG	WAS
11	Jordan Reed	WAS	NYG
12	Jordan Cameron	CLE	CIN
13	Heath Miller	PIT	ATL
14	Jason Witten	DAL	PHI
15	Mychal Rivera	OAK	KC

Allen is a nice play, but Antonio Gates is the top San Diego Chargers target this weekend.

Following a torrid start, Gates predictably has fallen back down to earth. The 34-year-old scored nine touchdowns in the first eight games but has since failed to find the end zone in five ensuing bouts.

Over that time, he's mustered just 20 catches for 191 yards. He was never going to sustain that earlier pace and finish with 18 touchdowns, but more than four receptions per game would sure be nice.

ESPN.com's fantasy data helps again here, as only the Dallas Cowboys yield more receptions to tight ends than Denver (78). Gates has gradually becomes more involved, receiving 17 targets over the past two games.

Despite his touchdown drought, he remains a top-10 tight end heading into a pivotal Week 15.

Kicker

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Adam Vinatieri	IND	HOU
2	Justin Tucker	BAL	JAC
3	Cody Parkey	PHI	DAL
4	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	MIA
5	Dan Bailey	DAL	PHI
6	Connor Barth	DEN	SD
7	Matt Bryant	ATL	PIT
8	Steven Hauschka	SEA	SF
9	Mason Crosby	GB	BUF
10	Nick Novak	SD	DEN
11	Shayne Graham	NO	CHI
12	Shaun Suisham	PIT	ATL

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team	Opponent
1	Baltimore Ravens	JAC
2	Seattle Seahawks	SF
3	Detroit Lions	MIN
4	Kansas City Chiefs	OAK
5	New York Giants	WAS
6	Green Bay Packers	BUF
7	Carolina Panthers	TB
8	New York Jets	TEN
9	New England Patriots	MIA
10	Tennessee Titans	NYJ
11	Indianapolis Colts	HOU
12	Philadelphia Eagles	DAL

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