Week 15 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Matchups to Exploit and Avoid on Sunday's Schedule

The fantasy football playoffs aren't a time to get crazy with your lineup, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't make tweaks that can help you win.

Many players who carried you to this point, such as Julio Jones or Aaron Rodgers, are worth sticking with even in a cold stretch. The upside is simply too great to ignore unless you have much better options available.

However, there are some less steady options that aren't worth the start at this stage, thanks to their recent play or a tough matchup. Here is a look at some players you might want to sit if you have suitable alternatives as well as a few sleepers to help out teams in need.

Sit 'Em

Pos.	Player	Team	Opp
QB	Eli Manning	New York Giants	CAR
QB	Matt Ryan	Atlanta Falcons	JAX
RB	Latavius Murray	Oakland Raiders	GB
RB	Frank Gore	Indianapolis Colts	HOU
RB	Isaiah Crowell	Cleveland Browns	SEA
WR	Dez Bryant	Dallas Cowboys	NYJ
WR	Jarvis Landry	Miami Dolphins	SD
WR	Anquan Boldin	San Francisco 49ers	CIN
TE	Travis Kelce	Kansas City Chiefs	BAL

Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants

Last week's game against the Miami Dolphins was as good as we have seen from Eli Manning lately. The quarterback finished with as many touchdowns (four) as incompletions while consistently finding his favorite target in Odell Beckham Jr. for big plays.

The problem is Beckham won't have as many openings against an elite Carolina Panthers defense, especially against top cornerback Josh Norman. Rodney Harrison of NBC Sports discussed the challenge for the second-year wideout:

If you have Beckham on your team, you are definitely starting him. He will move around the field to get away from Norman, including in the slot, and he always has the ability to produce at a high level. However, this still might not be enough to justify playing Manning.

The fact is the Panthers have playmakers all over the field to keep all of the Giants' options in check. Be happy if you started Manning last week, but he is unlikely to replicate that performance in Week 15.

Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

The workload is going to be high this week. Frank Gore consistently gets close to 15-20 carries almost every game, making him one of the more heavily used backs in the league. With major question marks at quarterback, the Indianapolis Colts will have to rely on the veteran even more than usual.

Of course, the Houston Texans are smart enough to see this coming. No matter who is starting under center for Indianapolis, the defense will likely stack the box to stop the run and force the team to make plays down the field.

This type of strategy has kept Gore in check in recent weeks, as the running back has failed to average even four yards per carry in any of the last six games. His only touchdown in the last four weeks came through the air in a blowout loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Although the opportunities will be there, it is tough to trust Gore to come through with enough fantasy points to keep him in your lineup.

Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins

Dez Bryant has been quiet without Tony Romo in the lineup, making it understandable to bench him. Jarvis Landry might be a bit more of a surprise, though, considering his strong performance against the Giants in Week 14.

Landry was targeted an incredible 18 times last week and finished with 11 catches for 99 yards. He also returned kicks and punts in a busy day when few of his teammates seemed to even show up.

The problem is this workload has taken a toll on the second-year receiver.

According to Pro Football Focus, he only played 46 of 70 offensive snaps Monday night, which ranked third at the position behind DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills. A lot of that has to do with a knee injury that has kept him out of practice this week while fellow receiver Rishard Matthews is working his way back, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

On a short week at less than full strength, it will be difficult to beat Jason Verrett of the San Diego Chargers, who is quickly becoming one of the top young cornerbacks in the NFL. Ryan Tannehill won't be able to force-feed his top target and instead will need to spread it around to his other options.

While Landry still has value in points-per-reception leagues, you should definitely temper expectations overall this week.

Start 'Em 

Pos.	Player	Team	Opp
QB	Tyrod Taylor	Buffalo Bills	WAS
QB	T.J. Yates	Houston Texans	IND
RB	Denard Robinson	Jacksonville Jaguars	ATL
RB	Giovani Bernard	Cincinnati Bengals	SF
RB	Brandon Bolden	New England Patriots	TEN
WR	Golden Tate	Detroit Lions	NO
WR	John Brown	Arizona Cardinals	PHI
WR	Kamar Aiken	Baltimore Ravens	KC
TE	Richard Rodgers	Green Bay Packers	OAK

Tyrod Taylor, QB, Buffalo Bills

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Much of Tyrod Taylor's reputation this season has been as a runner, but he has done a great job throwing the ball as well for the Buffalo Bills. This is something Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden noted before his team's upcoming matchup:

While the running ability certainly helps in fantasy and provides a higher floor than pocket passers, Taylor's passing has been truly impressive lately. In the last three games, the quarterback has seven touchdowns and just one interception, averaging 256.7 passing yards in this stretch.

With the players around him finally healthy, Taylor has a chance to light up the stat sheet both through the air and on the ground to carry fantasy teams everywhere.

Against an inconsistent Redskins defense, there should be no hesitation putting him in your lineup.

Denard Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars were holding out hope for T.J. Yeldon to play this week, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes he is doubtful for Sunday:

As a result, Denard Robinson will become the starter in a favorable matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. According to ESPN, the Falcons have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season, including the most rushing touchdowns (15) in the NFL.

Meanwhile, Robinson has plenty of ability on his own when he gets the chance to shine. The former Michigan quarterback had 389 yards and four touchdowns in a four-game stretch last season as a starting running back. He finished with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries when Yeldon went down last Sunday. 

With the opportunity in front of him, Robinson can be trusted to produce big numbers this weekend.

Kamar Aiken, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

The Baltimore Ravens don't have a good offense, but certain players can put up quality numbers thanks to great opportunities. Kamar Aiken is one of those players after being elevated to the No. 1 receiver spot with few alternatives on the roster.

Aiken finished with a season high of 90 receiving yards last week against a tough Seattle Seahawks defense, something he should be able to improve upon in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs. While this is a defense that has improved greatly since the start of the year, Kansas City still gives up big plays down the field and Aiken is someone who can take advantage of it.

With an average of 10 targets over the last five games, the receiver will have plenty of chances to pick up yards and should be one of the safer plays of the day.

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