Week 15 Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

We have reached fantasy football's second season. In most leagues, Week 15 brings with it the playoffs.

And that means one very important thing—losing is no longer an option.

Fantasy glory is so close you can taste it (it tastes like French fries. No one knows why.). Peel off a few more victories, and the championship will be yours. But make one misstep, and that's that. Season's over. No more fantasy football.

Those wins aren't easy to come by, either. There are no more matchups against two-win tomato cans or managers who don't even bother to add players or set lineups. Every opponent from here out is formidable. Every fantasy point matters. Every lineup decision can be the difference between victory and defeat.

This column's goal is to make sure you accomplish the former and avoid the latter, by highlighting some players who should absolutely be in starting lineups this week and some others who could torpedo your quest for the title.

Author's Note: "Starts" have a started percentage at NFL.com of less than 60 percent or do not exceed a maximum DFS salary threshold at DraftKings. "Sits" have a started percentage over 70 percent or exceed a minimum salary threshold. "Sleepers" have a started percentage of less than 30 percent or don't exceed an even lower salary threshold.

Quarterbacks

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Giants QB Jaxson Dart

Start 'Em

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (vs. WAS) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,600]

Dart has shown more than a little fantasy upside this season, although the rookie needs to learn that discretion is the better part of valor when running the ball. This week Dart and the Giants take on a Washington Commanders team that has surrendered the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.

Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders (at NYG) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,000]

Mariota has shown the ability to produce numbers for fantasy managers this season, including throwing for 294 yards and two touchdowns against a stout Denver defense a couple of weeks ago. The Giants defense is, um, not stout—New York ranks 24th in the league against the pass the season.

Sit 'Em

Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (at HOU) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,600]

Brissett has been quite the waiver find for fantasy managers this year—he leads all NFC quarterbacks in fantasy points since Week 10. But this week Brissett and the Redbirds travel to face the Texans, and if you watched Houston put the clamps on the Chiefs last week you know the team's offense is no joke.

Patrick Mahomes II, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. LAC) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,500]

Mahomes threw for just 160 yards last week against the Texans and was picked off three times in easily his worst fantasy outing of the 2025 season. Now he has to take on a Chargers defense that ranks fifth in the league against the pass and just shut down Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts in Week 14.

Sleeper

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings (at DAL) [DraftKings DFS Value: $4,900]

For most of the season, McCarthy has struggled mightily under center for the Vikings. But the second-year pro is coming off a three-touchdown effort in a blowout win over the Commanders. The Cowboys defense ranks dead last against the pass and leads the NFL in fantasy points given up to quarterbacks.

Running Backs

AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura

Jets RB Breece Hall

Start 'Em

Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota Vikings (at DAL) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,100]

Jones has been battling a shoulder injury, but it didn't stop him from logging 14 carries in last week's blowout win over the Washington Commanders. The Dallas defense has been terrible most of the season, including against the run—the Cowboys are giving up the fifth most PPR points to running backs this year.

Devin Neal, New Orleans Saints (vs. CAR) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,300]

Like Jones, Neal is nicked up, but after a pair of limited practices to start the week the rookie appears to be trending toward playing Sunday in a plus matchup with the Panthers. Carolina's defense has allowed the sixth-most PPR points to running backs since Week 7, and nine backs have finished with 14-plus points against them this year.

Sit 'Em

Breece Hall, New York Jets (at JAX) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,200]

After missing practice Wednesday with a knee injury Hall was back on the practice field Thursday. But even if Hall is able to give it a go Sunday in Jacksonville, it will be against the NFL's No. 1 run defense and a Jaguars team giving up the fifth-fewest PPR points to running backs in 2025.

Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers (at DEN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,900]

Jacobs is having another solid season for the Packers—he has scored 12 times on the ground and is on track to crack 1,000 yards on the ground. But Jacobs has been battling a knee injury for some time, and this week he takes on a Denver run defense surrendering just 89 rushing yards per game.

Sleeper

Devin Singletary, New York Giants (vs. WAS) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,000]

Singletary had his best game of the season two weeks ago against the New England Patriots, amassing 15 touches for 102 yards and a score. A similar workload against Washington should lead to good things—the Commanders have given up the sixth-most PPR points to running backs this season.

Wide Receivers

AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

Packers WR Christian Watson

Start 'Em

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers (vs. TEN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,200]

Jennings has yet to accrue 75 receiving yards in a game this season, but the fifth-year veteran has found the end zone in four of his past five games. This week the 49ers play host to a terrible Tennessee Titans team that has given up the eighth-most PPR points to wide receivers.

Deebo Samuel Sr., Washington Commanders (at NYG) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,300]

The Commanders were miserable offensively last week in a shutout loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but Marcus Mariota actually led that offense fairly well against the Denver Broncos a couple of weeks ago, and this week the Commanders take on a Giants team that has allowed the third-most PPR points to wide receivers.

Sit 'Em

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers (at DEN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,500]

Watson has been hot of late, with eight catches for 169 yards and three touchdowns over his last two games. Keeping that going this week against reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II and a Denver Broncos team allowing the ninth-fewest PPR points to wideouts in 2025.

Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals (at HOU) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,600]

With Marvin Harrison Jr. on the shelf, Wilson has been on fire—only Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks has more PPR points among wideouts since Week 10. But this week Wilson and the Cardinals are on the road against the NFL's No. 1 defense and a team that just shut down Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sleeper

Darius Slayton, New York Giants (vs. WAS) [DraftKings DFS Value: $4,400]

Slayton only saw three targets in Week 13 against the Patriots, but the seventh-year veteran found the end zone for the first time in that loss. This week, the Giants take on a Commanders team that ranks 30th in the league in pass defense and ninth in fantasy points given up to receivers this year.

Tight Ends

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Ravens TE Mark Andrews

Start 'Em

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens (at CIN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,900]

Andrews is admittedly a highly touchdown-dependent fantasy option—he either finds the end zone or tends to wind up on the side of a milk carton. But tight ends have been going ballistic on the Bengals all season long—Cincinnati has allowed 7.7 more PPR points per game to the position than any team in the NFL.

Theo Johnson, New York Giants (vs. WAS) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,800]

Johnson has had his moments for the Giants this year, especially with Jaxson Dart under center—he has surpassed 10 PPR points in three of his last five games. This week's NFC East tilt with the Commanders is a favorable one—Washington has given up the fifth-most PPR points to tight ends in 2025.

Sit 'Em

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots (vs. BUF) [DraftKings DFS Value: $4,400]

Henry has been a decent weekly starter for fantasy managers, ranking eighth among tight ends in PPR points both for the season as a whole and since Week 10. But it's not going to be easy to Henry to get going in Sunday's big AFC East showdown—no team has allowed fewer PPR points to tight ends this year than the Bills.

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. LAC) [DraftKings DFS Value: $4,900]

Kelce's Week 14 was a nightmare for fantasy managers and the Chiefs alike—one catch on five targets for eight yards. Now he faces a stout Los Angeles Chargers defense that has surrendered the eighth-fewest PPR points to tight ends, and in their first meeting this season Kelce caught just two passes on four targets.

Sleeper

A.J. Barner, Seattle Seahawks (vs. IND) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,200]

Barner has admittedly been hit-or-miss this season—he hasn't found the end zone since Week 5, and he has just one game with double-digit PPR points over his last seven contests. He'll break out of that funk Sunday against a reeling Colts team giving up the seventh-most PPR points to tight ends.

Team Defenses

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Bears EDGE Montez Sweat

Start 'Em

Chicago Bears Defense (vs. CLE) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,500]

The Bears rank just inside the top-12 defenses for the season, but it has been a month since the team posted double-digit fantasy points in a game. They will break that streak Sunday at home against a Browns team with a bad offensive line and a rookie quarterback giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to defenses in 2025.

Jacksonville Jaguars Defense (vs. NYJ) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,900]

The Jaguars have been sneaky-good defensively this year—Jacksonville leads the league in run defense and ranks just outside the top-10 in total defense. The Jets have been atrocious offensively most of the season, and now there's a real chance Brady "Who?" Cook will be the team's starting quarterback Sunday.

Sit 'Em

Denver Broncos Defense (vs. GB) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,400]

The Broncos were the first defense drafted in most fantasy leagues and sit sixth for the season in fantasy points at the position. But this week's matchup with the Green Bay Packers is a tough one—for the season, only one team has given up fewer fantasy points to defenses this year.

Los Angeles Rams Defense (vs. DET) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,000]

The Rams are currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC, thanks in no small part to a talented young defense that ranks third in the NFL in scoring defense and fourth in fantasy points. This week presents a stiff test for that defense though—the Lions are dead last in fantasy points surrendered to defenses.

Sleeper

Carolina Panthers Defense (at NO) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,100]

The Panthers aren't a team that leaps to mind when thinking of productive fantasy defenses, but over the past three weeks Carolina has been a top-five unit in fantasy points per game. Now the Panthers face a New Orleans Saints team giving up the fourth-most fantasy points to defenses this season.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.