Week 15 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Final Review of Most Difficult Fantasy Matchups

The fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em tactics that have owners alive in Week 15 do not all apply to the playoffs.

Before, it was passable to throw emotion into the decisions. That running back an owner stole from a friend via trade who happens to be in a bad matchup? Throw him to the fire.

Now, though, research and gut feeling are all that matter in the face of elimination. If a waiver-wire add looks to be a better starter than a player an owner spent a first-round pick on, so be it.

It is better to go down swinging with the odds in favor as opposed to a risky play.

With that in mind, below rests some of the difficult decisions of Week 15.

Quarterback

Start 'Em: Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears (vs. NO)

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It is easy to dismiss Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.

Bad team and turnover issues are the first things that come to mind. So too does the loss of star wideout Brandon Marshall.

This matchup and recent history say to get him in all lineups, though.

Cutler is on fire as of late with 15 or more points in three of his last four games. Even though Marshall went down with an injury last week, Cutler posted 25 points, which ties his season-high mark.

Now Cutler gets to welcome the New Orleans Saints to town. Rob Ryan's defense is an absolute mess that surrenders the third-most points to quarterbacks and has allowed 25 and 35 points in its last two outings.

Sit 'Em: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens (vs. JAC)

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Owners will not want to hear it after two consecutive 23-point outings, but Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco needs to be on the bench this week.

Flacco is in the midst of his best stretch of the season in terms of fantasy. He also seems to have a juicy encounter on deck against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The only problem with that logic is that the Jaguars rank in the top half of the league in terms of points allowed to quarterbacks. In fact, the unit has steadily improved since Week 4, allowing just one quarterback to post more than 20 points in a game in that span.

Flacco will lean on Justin Forsett and the league's fifth-ranked rushing attack in the cold to overcome the Jaguars. Few reasons exist to air it out, especially against a tough pass defense that would have better numbers if it had not started the season off on the wrong foot.

Running Back

Start 'Em: Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns (vs. CIN)

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Isaiah Crowell did not even lead the Cleveland Browns in carries last week and still wound up with 11 points.

Now that he is healthy again, Crowell will see the lion's share of the carries just in time for a rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals. The two did their AFC North dance back in Week 10, where Crowell found another 10 points.

This time, things look even better. The Bengals look even worse against the rush, allowing the fourth-most points to backs on the year. The unit has surrendered 61 points over the course of its last two outings alone.

Keep in mind that rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel will be the starter this time around, too. His ability as a rusher means less attention thrown Crowell's way. Against a defense that just allowed 194 rushing yards and 41 points, Cleveland's lead back is about to feast.

Sit 'Em: Ryan Mathews, San Diego Chargers (vs. DEN)

The allure around Ryan Mathews makes sense.

San Diego's lead back now has double-digit outings in two of his last three games. The only problem is that Mathews' name is already back on the injury report just a few weeks removed from making his return. 

Lindsay Jones of USA Today does believe Mathews will see time this weekend despite his absence from practice:

Backs can play well without practice given the nature of the position.

Against the Denver defense, though? Maybe not.

The Broncos surrender the fifth-fewest points to running backs this season and have not allowed an entire backfield to breach 20 points since Week 5. There is little reason to rely on Mathews now that there are two red flags around his Week 15 situation.

Wide Receiver

Start 'Em: Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons (vs. PIT)

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Roddy White is a WR1 this weekend, no questions asked. 

White posted 10 points last week, good for his sixth double-digit outing of the season. More important, though, is the status of Julio Jones, as explained by D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

White owners are in for a treat when he lines up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The unit has been horrific has of late against wideouts, allowing a minimum of 26 points to the position in each of the past three weeks. Wide receivers have scored nine touchdowns against the unit over the course of its past six outings.

Sit 'Em: Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati Bengals (at CLE)

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There was a brief stretch of time when Cincinnati wideout Mohamed Sanu was a must-own commodity. 

Those were lucrative times, as Sanu hit double digits four times in five weeks while A.J. Green was injured. Since Green's return, though, Sanu has been an afterthought in the aerial attack.

No reason to risk a playoff game on his potential return to form.

Conventional wisdom says Sanu should feast against Cleveland as Joe Haden and Co. focus on Green. However, if that were the case, he would have scored more than two points against the Browns back in Week 10.

Also, keep in mind that Sanu has just two scores on the road this season and enters the weekend with a total of three points over the course of his last two games. His relevancy as a fantasy starter is expired.

Tight End

Start 'Em: Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans (vs. NYJ)

It is easy to forget that Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker is the eighth-highest scorer at the position this season. 

Do not feel bad—his two total points over the course of the past two weeks make him forgettable.

Time to remember, though. Jake Locker is back under center for the Titans. Walker remains a focal point of the passing attack regardless, but it is important to point out that rookie Zach Mettenberger struggled to find him on a team-high 10 targets last week.

Locker will fix some of these issues. So will a New York Jets defense that allows the fifth-most points to the position mostly thanks to 12 touchdowns allowed.

Sit 'Em: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys (at PHI)

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It stinks to throw a name such as Jason Witten on the shelf. 

This is playoff time, though, and Witten has been an absolute dud all season long. Despite his presence in a potent offense, the veteran has hit double digits just once this season and scored four times.

The owner of two points total in his last two games, keep in mind that the first in that stretch came against the Philadelphia Eagles—a unit that held him to one catch for eight yards and no points.

A rematch with a unit that surrenders the sixth-fewest points to his position will not do Witten any good.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.