Fantasy Football Week 15 Rankings: Top Players and Matchups for All Positions

The NFL fantasy football playoffs have taken center stage.

Some leagues may have started the playoffs last week, but a majority of head-to-head leagues use Weeks 15 and 16 as playoff week and championship week. While there are some leagues that simply play a 17-game season, most culminate with a fantasy postseason.

Fantasy players understand that this is no time to sit idly by and just go with the players on your roster. There's no reason to make changes if your best players are healthy and have high-scoring matchups, but if players are injured, slumping or have poor matchups, you may want to consider tweaks.

As this crucial week gets underway, here are the best matchups in NFL Week 15 and a ranking of the top-five players at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end, as well as a projection of their production levels.

Quarterbacks

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City vs. L.A. Chargers, 330 yards, 3 TDs
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans at Carolina, 325 yards, 2 TD
3. Philip Rivers, L.A. Chargers at Kansas City, 320 yards, 2 TD
4. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh vs. New Engand, 310 yards, 2 TDs
5. Tom Brady, New England at Pittsburgh, 300 yards, 2 TDs

Patrick Mahomes is a legitimate MVP candidate, and the Chiefs are facing their most important game of the year.

If they can beat the Chargers Thursday night, they will clinch the AFC West Division. If they lose, the Chargers and Chiefs will both be 11-3, but the Chiefs will still maintain the lead because they have the better division record. 

Mahomes has been the trigger man for one of the most explosive offenses in the league, and his success started in Week 1 against the Chargers. He has completed 322 of 482 passes for a league-leading 4,300 yards with 43 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

The 23-year-old has two of the league's most dangerous weapons in wideout Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce, and while the Chargers have a solid defense (eighth in yards allowed), they are not likely to shut down the Chiefs' powerful offense on their home field.

Mahomes and the Chiefs need this game, so look for the quarterback to get off to a fast start and finish with the best numbers of any quarterback in Week 15.

Running backs

1. Todd Gurley, L.A. Rams vs. Philadelphia, 145 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards, 2 TDs
2. Saquon Barkley, N.Y. Giants vs. Tennessee, 125 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards, 2 TDs
3. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans at Carolina, 110 rushing yards, 35 receiving yards, 1 TD
4. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas at Indianaplis, 105 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards, 1 TD
5. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina vs. New Orleans, 85 rushing yards, 50 receiving yards, 1 TD

There are still some out there who believe the Giants made a mistake by drafting Barkley with their first-round draft pick (No. 2 overall), but it's clear that Barkley is already one of the top-five backs in the league, and he will likely rank higher than that in 2019.

Barkley is coming off a 170-yard effort that included a 78-yard TD run and another 52-yard bolt, and he did not even play in the fourth quarter.

Barkley will almost certainly be the Giants' top weapon against the Titans because of his explosiveness, power and speed. The Giants have learned that if they try to depend on Eli Manning as their primary weapon, they will almost certainly fall short. When Barkley is the main thrust of the offense, the Giants have a better chance to be successful.

Barkley should have a better game than any other back with the possible exception of Todd Gurley of the Rams.

Wide receivers

1. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh vs. New England, 145 yards, 2 TDs
2. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston at N.Y. Jets, 125 yards, 1 TD
3. Amari Cooper, Dallas at Indianapolis, 115 yards, 1 TD
4. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City vs. L.A. Chargers, 110 yards, 1 TD
4. Keenan Allen, L.A. Chargers at Kansas City, 100 yard, 1 TD

The Steelers have hit the skids at the wrong time of the year as they come into this Week 15 game against the Patriots having lost three games in a row.

This is somewhat shocking considering the Steelers were 7-2-1 through their first 10 games, but they have not been able to finish matches recently.

The reason for that is undetermined, but if they get a lead against the Patriots, they will not take their foot off the gas pedal. Look for Brown to be instrumental in everything they do, and he could be a huge factor in the second half of a close game. Brown has remarkable speed and quickness, and he does not have to slow down when making his cuts. 

The other key to his game is his remarkable footwork along the sidelines. Nobody has ever done been better at that aspect of the game than Brown.

He has caught 86 passes for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he is often at his best when the team needs him most. The Pats don't have dominant speed or athleticism in the secondary (23rd in passing yards allowed), so we see Brown having a dramatic impact in a game the Steelers need badly.

Tight ends

1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City vs. L.A. Chargers, 95 yards, 1 TD
2. Eric Ebron, Indianapolis vs. Dallas, 90 yards, 1 TD
3. George Kittle, San Francisco vs. Seattle, 85 yards, 1 TD
4. Rob Gronkowski, New England at Pittsburgh, 80 yards, 1 TD
5. Jared Cook, Oakland at Cincinnati, 85 yards

It has all come together for Ebron this season, as he has been a powerful figure in and around the end zone for the first time in his career.

Ebron has caught 58 passes for 654 yards and 12 touchdowns, and he had never caught more than five touchdown passes in any of his previous four seasons. He had been held to one TD reception in two other seasons, so this has been a remarkable breakout year for the tight end.

The Colts are fighting hard for a wild-card spot, and their confidence is high after winning six of their last seven games.

We see him following up with a strong performance against the NFL's other team from Texas.