Fantasy Football Week 15: Preview and Predictions

Week 15 of the 2015 fantasy football season is here, which brings with it Round 2 of the fantasy playoffs. If you are reading this article, odds are you advanced—so congratulations. Or perhaps you are simply playing for pride at this point. In any event, this article will help you prepare with a preview of Week 15. We’ll make some bold predictions as well.

At the quarterback position, Detroit Lions signal-caller Matthew Stafford can be trusted in Week 15. A notoriously inconsistent player, Stafford is a tough one to evaluate from a fantasy perspective. But his matchup this week is a no-brainer, and if you’ve been streaming quarterbacks, Stafford should be your top target this week.

Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy may not be fully “back”—he was the No. 1 player on many boards this summer—but he is a strong RB2 in Week 15 and is set for another strong game.

At wide receiver, New York Giants second-year sensation Odell Beckham Jr. draws his toughest matchup to date. He’ll square off against Carolina Panthers superstar cornerback Josh Norman. Given this matchup, how should you view OBJ heading into Week 15?

This is just a taste of the previews of each position. This slideshow will check in on every position entering Week 15 and will also provide several bold predictions.

QBs: Trust Matthew Stafford in Week 15

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

Matthew Stafford

Most of the elite fantasy quarterback options roll into Week 15 with Grade A matchups, and there’s a big gap between Nos. 1-5 and Nos. 6-10 on this list as a result.

Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers all have excellent matchups. Drew Brees and Matthew Stafford have decent matchups as well, but there’s a clear divide between the top five and the rest.

Week 15’s Top 10 QBs

1. Tom Brady (vs. TEN)
2. Carson Palmer (at PHI)
3. Cam Newton (at NYG)
4. Russell Wilson (vs. CLE)
5. Aaron Rodgers (at OAK)
6. Drew Brees (vs. DET)
7. Blake Bortles (vs. ATL)
8. Matthew Stafford (at NO)
9. Tyrod Taylor (at WAS)
10. Ben Roethlisberger (vs. DEN)

Breakout QB of the Week: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions 

Stafford and the Lions will square off against the New Orleans Saints, who have given up by far the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, per ESPN.com.

Additionally, Stafford has been playing well over the past few weeks. He has tossed multiple touchdowns in three straight games—and in four of his past five. He has also thrown only one interception in his past four games combined, and he has 15-plus fantasy points in five straight outings.

Look for Stafford to get star wideout Calvin Johnson more involved in Week 15 as well, which should lead to even bigger numbers. A three-score outing could be in the cards.

QB Bust of the Week: Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans 

Mariota has been a strong rookie quarterback from a fantasy perspective—something that doesn’t happen all that often—but he should be avoided in Week 15 against the New England Patriots.

The Patriots pass defense has picked it up in recent weeks, holding their past two opponents to 279 passing yards—combined.

In fact, a quarterback hasn’t scored over 12 fantasy points against the Patriots in four straight games.

RBs: Eddie Lacy Is Finally a ‘Go’ Again

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Eddie Lacy

Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy is looking like the running back we all expected him to be this season. He carried the ball 24 times for 124 yards in Week 14 and recorded a touchdown as well. It was easily his best game of the season. Look for him to have a strong encore in Week 15.

Arizona Cardinals rookie David Johnson hasn’t had an otherworldly game yet, but he’s still ranked high this week (No. 2) because of a juicy matchup, and because he’s seeing elite RB1-level volume.

Week 15’s Top 10 RBs 

1. Adrian Peterson (vs. CHI)
2. David Johnson (at PHI)
3. Doug Martin (at STL)
4. LeSean McCoy (at WAS)
5. Devonta Freeman (at JAC)
6. Todd Gurley (vs. TB)
7. Jonathan Stewart (at NYG)
8. DeAngelo Williams (vs. DEN)
9. Matt Forte (at MIN)
10. Lamar Miller (at SD)

Breakout RB of the Week: Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers

Is it time to believe in Lacy again? His roller-coaster season hit a new high in Week 14, and while it’s understandable if you don’t want to trust Lacy in Week 15, odds are you can safely lean on him.

He carried the ball a season-high 24 times in Week 14, recording a season-high 124 yards in the process. He also scored just his third touchdown of the season.

Lacy has now rushed for more than 100 yards in three of his past four games. Of course, wedged in between those three strong performances was a five-carry, four-yard clunker in Week 13. That’s why everyone is still a bit nervous.

But Lacy truly did look great in Week 14. And he could have had an even better game if he didn’t have some touchdown opportunities vultured by James Starks.

RB Bust of the Week: Darren McFadden, Dallas Cowboys

McFadden and the Cowboys will play against the New York Jets, who are among the best at slowing running backs from scoring fantasy points this season, per ESPN.com.

McFadden gained a strong 111 yards in Week 14, but he did it on just nine carries. He now has fewer than 15 carries in three straight games, and fewer than 55 rushing yards in three of his past five.

Additionally, the Jets haven’t allowed a running back to score a rushing touchdown against them since Week 3.

McFadden’s up-and-down usage, coupled with the tough matchup, makes him a player to be wary of this week. He’s a flex option or weak RB2—not the strong top-10 option he was just one month ago.

WRs: Odell Beckham Takes a Hit in Week 15

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Odell Beckham

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones tops the rankings this week after making it through his tough Week 14 matchup against Josh Norman and the Carolina Panthers. Jones is playing the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15, who have been average against wideouts over the course of the season but have given up some big games in recent weeks.

For their part, Norman and the Panthers are moving from Jones to another one of the game’s best wide receivers: New York Giants stud Odell Beckham Jr.

Week 15’s Top 10 WRs

1. Julio Jones (at JAC)
2. DeAndre Hopkins (at IND)
3. Brandon Marshall (ad DAL)
4. Calvin Johnson (at NO)
5. Antonio Brown (vs. DEN)
6. A.J. Green (at SF)
7. Allen Robinson (vs. ATL)
8. Alshon Jeffery (at MIN)
9. Larry Fitzgerald (at PHI)
10. Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. CAR)

Breakout WR of the Week: Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs

Maclin has at least six receptions and 65 yards in three straight games, and he has three total touchdowns in that span as well. He has officially broken out of the “three-catch game” rut he found himself in for a stretch in the middle of the season.

He’ll be facing the Baltimore Ravens in Week 15, who are among the five worst teams at slowing fantasy wideouts in 2015, per ESPN.com.

Maclin is on the rise. The Ravens defense is weak. You do the math.

WR Bust of the Week: Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants 

OBJ remains an amazing player—he had some more signature circus catches on Monday Night Football in Week 14—but there’s no denying he has a bad matchup in Week 15. He’ll face Josh Norman of the Carolina Panthers, who did a great job of slowing down Julio Jones in Week 14.

Beckham Jr. is still in the top 10—but he’s ranked 10th this week. He’s usually found in the top five.

Again, OBJ is obviously a must-start. But his impressive streak of games with a touchdown (which currently sits at four) could be coming to a close, as could his streak of games with 100-plus receiving yards (currently at six).

TEs: Richard Rodgers Steps into Top 10

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

Richard Rodgers

Green Bay Packers tight end Richard Rodgers had been flirting with TE1 status all season long, and with the year wrapping up, he’s finally cracked into the top 10. Better late than never.

Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots is the top tight end of the week. There was some hesitation about his health heading into Week 14 (he was a game-time decision), but he appeared to be just fine, catching four passes for 87 yards and scoring, albeit on limited snaps. There’s no reason not to trust Gronk in Week 15.

Cincinnati Bengals touchdown machine Tyler Eifert is also in this week’s top 10, but he suffered a concussion in Week 14 and didn’t finish the game, so you’ll obviously want to monitor his status throughout the week.

Week 15’s Top 10 TEs 

1. Rob Gronkowski (vs. TEN)
2. Greg Olsen (at NYG)
3. Jordan Reed (vs. BUF)
4. Delanie Walker (at NE)
5. Gary Barnidge (at SEA)
6. Tyler Eifert (at SF)
7. Julius Thomas (vs. ATL)
8. Antonio Gates (vs. MIA)
9. Travis Kelce (at BAL)
10. Richard Rodgers (at OAK) 

Breakout TE of the Week: Julius Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars

Thomas will face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. The Falcons are only slightly below average when it comes to slowing tight ends from scoring fantasy points—i.e. they aren’t terrible, but they aren’t great either. The real reason to like Thomas is because he has a touchdown in four straight games and plays an important role in an offense that throws the ball a lot.

Additionally, Jacksonville running back T.J. Yeldon sprained his left knee in Week 14, according to Jaguars.com Senior Writer John Oehser. That could cause Jacksonville to lean on the pass even more in Week 15 (if that’s even possible). Look for Thomas to extend his touchdown streak to five games.

TE Bust of the Week: Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers 

Miller caught an impressive 10 passes in Week 14, but he gained only 66 yards on those receptions, so unless you play in a PPR league, Miller was simply a mediocre tight end despite the high volume.

He’ll play the Denver Broncos in Week 15. Tight ends have scored a touchdown against the Broncos in just three games this season, and Miller has scored just one touchdown this year (way back in Week 2).

Ks: Matt Prater a Top-10 Kicker This Week

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Matt Prater

We highlighted Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford as the breakout quarterback of the week earlier in this article because the Lions should have no problem moving the ball up and down the field against the New Orleans Saints. That also means the Lions could be in field-goal range all day long.

In other words: Roll with Detroit’s Matt Prater in Week 15 if you’re in the market for a kicker.

Week 15’s Top 10 Ks

1. Stephen Gostkowski (vs. TEN)
2. Steven Hauschka (vs. CLE)
3. Chandler Catanzaro (at PHI)
4. Graham Gano (at NYG)
5. Cairo Santos (at BAL)
6. Justin Tucker (vs. KC)
7. Brandon McManus (at PIT)
8. Matt Prater (at NO)
9. Mason Crosby (at OAK)
10. Josh Brown (vs. CAR)

Breakout K of the Week: Matt Prater, Detroit Lions

As noted above, Prater could be on the field often in Week 15 when the Lions take on the Saints. The Saints are among the 10 worst teams at stopping kickers from scoring fantasy points—and the fact that they play in a dome, which is where Week 15’s tilt will take place—doesn’t hurt. That's according to ESPN.com.

K Bust of the Week: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

Tucker is still in the top 10—it’s hard to remove one of the league’s best kickers from the top group—but he could have a tough go of it in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Not only is Baltimore’s offense a shadow of what it was to start the season (thanks to injuries), but the Kansas City defense is playing lights-out right now. This had led to kickers attempting just six field goals against them in the past six games combined. Only four of those attempts have been made.

Defense and Special Teams: Tampa Bay a Strong Stream Option in Week 15

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

The Seattle Seahawks (against the Cleveland Browns) and Kansas City Chiefs (against the Baltimore Ravens) have the best D/ST matchups of the week—by a mile—but some other, less-touted D/STs have strong matchups as well.

This includes the New England Patriots, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers. Each one of these units should be considered a top-10 D/ST this week.

Week 15’s Top 10 D/STs

1. Seattle Seahawks (vs. CLE)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (at BAL)
3. Arizona Cardinals (at PHI)
4. New England Patriots (vs. TEN)
5. Carolina Panthers (at NYG)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (at SF)
7. Denver Broncos (at PIT)
8. New York Jets (at DAL)
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at STL)
10. Green Bay Packers (at OAK)

Breakout D/ST of the Week: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers will be playing the St. Louis Rams in Week 15 on Thursday night. Thursday Night Football games are often sloppy affairs, which could lead to some big D/ST plays.

The Rams have given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs so far this season, per ESPN.com. And, believe it or not, Tampa Bay’s D/ST is a top-12 unit on the season as a whole.

D/ST Bust of the Week: Houston Texans 

This “bust” label is made under the presumption that Andrew Luck suits up at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15. Some signs point to Luck practicing this week— Fox59/CBS4’s Indianapolis Colts beat writer Mike Chappell thinks he will—which means he could play on Sunday.

The Texans get the bust label because many fantasy players will pick up the Houston D/ST thinking a matchup with Charlie Whitehurst is on the horizon. If that happens, then Houston would indeed be a strong D/ST option this week. But that juicy potential would sour fast if Luck suits up instead of Whitehurst.

Bold Predictions: Russell Wilson Throws at Least 3 Touchdowns Again

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Russell Wilson

Below are five bold predictions for Week 15 of the 2015 fantasy football season. 

• Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson throws for three-plus touchdowns again. This would mark five straight games with at least three passing touchdowns for Wilson, which would be quite the feat, considering he threw just one touchdown in eight of his first nine games this season.

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin rushes for 150 yards. He’ll be playing against the St. Louis Rams, who have given up over 100 rushing yards to opposing teams’ backfields in four of their past five games.

• Detroit Lions wideout Calvin Johnson bounces back; goes for more than 125 yards and scores. Johnson nearly didn’t catch a pass in Week 14, but he’s set to rebound in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints, who are among the worst teams at defending wide receivers from a fantasy perspective, per ESPN.com.

• Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen has 150 receiving yards and scores. He’s been the best pass-catcher for the Panthers all season long, and he gets a shot at the New York Giants in Week 15, who are among the five worst teams at defending tight ends from a fantasy perspective this year, per ESPN.com. It’s a match made in heaven.

• Ben Roethlisberger throws three touchdowns for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This really only a bold prediction because he’s playing against the Denver Broncos, who have only given up just 12 passing touchdowns all season long. However, the Broncos did give up three passing scores to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Week 12, and Roethlisberger’s passing attack—featuring the deadly duo of Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant—is capable of putting up similarly huge numbers.

The rankings provided throughout this article are the author's own preliminary Week 15 rankings. His rankings are updated throughout the week at FantasyPros.com.