Account
Fantasy Football Week 15: Matt Camp's Fantasy Big Board
December 11, 2019Fantasy Football Week 15: Matt Camp's Fantasy Big Board
You may not expect it, but your starting lineup could get a boost heading into the semifinal round of the fantasy playoffs.
Just a few weeks ago, Chris Carson's ball security issues resurfaced, so the Seattle Seahawks turned to Rashaad Penny, who gave them a strong performance in the victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. With Penny appearing primed for a bigger role, his stock shot up while Carson's dipped.
The Seahawks fed Penny more than usual in Week 13, yet Carson also stayed plenty busy. This past weekend, Penny was lost to a torn ACL before even registering a touch, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. With Penny completely out of the mix, Carson's value has arguably never been higher just weeks after it appeared to hit a major low.
Of course, your lineup might also be in trouble because of injuries to players on teams out of contention. Derrius Guice landed on injured reserve with a sprained MCL, while Marvin Jones Jr. was sent to IR by the Detroit Lions with an ankle injury. Calvin Ridley is another reliable fantasy option from an out-of-contention team who landed on IR this week.
Don't be surprised if more important players with injuries on teams out of the playoff hunt wind up sitting out the rest of the season. That's why when you're in doubt, focus on acquiring more players on contending teams. Injured reserve is more of a last resort in those situations, as opposed to the designation losing teams give injured foundation players at the end of the year.
Here's my first look at points-per-reception (PPR) rankings for Week 15. These will change throughout the week and up to Sunday's action as we get more information about injuries and limitations, so make sure to bookmark this page for my full rankings for all scoring formats.
Top 100
- Baltimore Ravens (vs. New York Jets)
- New England Patriots (at Cincinnati Bengals)
- Seattle Seahawks (at Carolina Panthers)
- San Francisco 49ers (vs. Atlanta Falcons)
- New Orleans Saints (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
As an additional tiebreaker, here are the teams I like as a whole this week based on their matchups:
Week 15 Top 100 PPR Rankings
Week 15 Top 100 PPR Rankings
Quarterbacks
Better than Usual
Jimmy Garoppolo, SF (vs. ATL)
Last week's matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints was a potential NFC Championship Game preview, with concerns on both sides about tough matchups that could impede fantasy production. Then, the teams combined for 94 points, which included Garoppolo completing 26 of 35 passes for 349 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. His 29.1 fantasy points made him QB5 for the week and should give you plenty of confidence to use him this week.
For a couple of weeks, it looked like the Atlanta Falcons defense was starting to turn things around, but that was short-lived. On the season, Atlanta has been the third-best matchup for quarterbacks. With the 49ers motivated toward the march for home-field advantage and the Falcons just riding out the final few games, it's a good week to fire up Garoppolo with high expectations.
Concerns
Jameis Winston, TB (at DET)
There's never been a better example of the quintessential Winston performance than what we saw in Week 14. On his first attempt of the game, Winston was picked off by the Indianapolis Colts. His next interception was returned 80 yards for a touchdown. Winston would add another interception, but he also had 456 yards and four touchdowns on 33-of-45 passing in addition to five yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown.
Winston hit Mike Evans for a 61-yard touchdown in the first quarter, but Evans got knocked out of the game after he injured his hamstring on the play. Winston won't have Evans against the Detroit Lions, and he'll have to play through a thumb injury. The Lions don't pose much of a threat as a defense, but Winston tends to help out defenses with his turnovers. With his injury and Evans' absence, there shouldn't be as much excitement for using Winston with your season on the line.
Josh Allen, BUF (at PIT)
The tough part of the schedule is hitting Allen at the wrong time. Last week, the Baltimore Ravens were able to limit Allen to just 146 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-39 passing and just nine rushing yards. That was the first time all season Allen failed to hit double-digit rushing yards and only the second time he didn't run for at least 20 yards.
It won't get easier with the Bills taking on a tough Pittsburgh Steelers defense on the road. The Steelers are the fourth-toughest matchup for quarterbacks, allowing just over 13 fantasy points per game. Pittsburgh is also the sixth-toughest matchup over the last month at 12.6 fantasy points per game. With both defenses among the better units in the league, this could be a low-scoring battle, which is never ideal for fantasy purposes. Allen is a low-end option if you need him, but it's fine to look elsewhere.
Week 15 Quarterback Rankings
# Player (team) 1 Lamar Jackson (BAL) 2 Deshaun Watson (HOU) 3 Drew Brees (NO) 4 Russell Wilson (SEA) 5 Patrick Mahomes (KC) 6 Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) 7 Kyler Murray (ARI) 8 Ryan Tannehill (TEN) 9 Tom Brady (NE) 10 Dak Prescott (DAL) 11 Carson Wentz (PHI) 12 Aaron Rodgers (GB) 13 Jameis Winston (TB) 14 Kirk Cousins (MIN) 15 Josh Allen (BUF) 16 Jared Goff (LAR) 17 Baker Mayfield (CLE) 18 Ryan Fitzpatrick (MIA) 19 Derek Carr (OAK) 20 Matt Ryan (ATL) 21 Drew Lock (DEN) 22 Jacoby Brissett (IND) 23 Gardner Minshew (JAC) 24 Mitch Trubisky (CHI) 25 Eli Manning (NYG) 26 Philip Rivers (LAC) 27 David Blough (DET) 28 Kyle Allen (CAR) 29 Dwayne Haskins (WAS) 30 Sam Darnold (NYJ) 31 Andy Dalton (CIN) 32 Devlin Hodges (PIT)
Week 15 Quarterback Rankings
| # | Player (team) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lamar Jackson (BAL) |
| 2 | Deshaun Watson (HOU) |
| 3 | Drew Brees (NO) |
| 4 | Russell Wilson (SEA) |
| 5 | Patrick Mahomes (KC) |
| 6 | Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) |
| 7 | Kyler Murray (ARI) |
| 8 | Ryan Tannehill (TEN) |
| 9 | Tom Brady (NE) |
| 10 | Dak Prescott (DAL) |
| 11 | Carson Wentz (PHI) |
| 12 | Aaron Rodgers (GB) |
| 13 | Jameis Winston (TB) |
| 14 | Kirk Cousins (MIN) |
| 15 | Josh Allen (BUF) |
| 16 | Jared Goff (LAR) |
| 17 | Baker Mayfield (CLE) |
| 18 | Ryan Fitzpatrick (MIA) |
| 19 | Derek Carr (OAK) |
| 20 | Matt Ryan (ATL) |
| 21 | Drew Lock (DEN) |
| 22 | Jacoby Brissett (IND) |
| 23 | Gardner Minshew (JAC) |
| 24 | Mitch Trubisky (CHI) |
| 25 | Eli Manning (NYG) |
| 26 | Philip Rivers (LAC) |
| 27 | David Blough (DET) |
| 28 | Kyle Allen (CAR) |
| 29 | Dwayne Haskins (WAS) |
| 30 | Sam Darnold (NYJ) |
| 31 | Andy Dalton (CIN) |
| 32 | Devlin Hodges (PIT) |
Running Backs
Better Than Usual
Kareem Hunt, CLE (at ARI)
Since Hunt returned from suspension in Week 10, he and Nick Chubb are nearly even in points at 71.1 and 70.3 respectively. That puts both players right on the RB1/RB2 borderline. Chubb has at least 15 carries in each of those games, while Hunt has never had more than the nine carries he logged in Week 14. Hunt's advantage has come through the air.
Through those five weeks, Hunt posted 22 receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown on 28 targets. Chubb has seven receptions for 95 yards on 11 targets during the same span. He averaged 3.1 receptions per outing in the eight games without Hunt on the active roster.
Hunt's active role in the passing game and reliable fantasy production should continue against a very beatable Arizona Cardinals defense. They've provided running backs with the 10th-easiest matchup in the last month. Even with the disparity in carries, Hunt remains just as productive as Chubb, which means you should play him with low-end RB1 expectations.
Concerns
Josh Jacobs, OAK (vs. JAC)
The Oakland Raiders had to go through Week 14 with DeAndre Washington leading the way since Jacobs was unable to play through a shoulder injury that's been a problem dating back to Week 7. Washington turned seven targets into six receptions for 43 yards and carried 14 times for 53 yards and a score in a loss to the Tennessee Titans. Jacobs is far from a lock to return in Week 15, which is less than ideal knowing the Jacksonville Jaguars are the most fantasy-friendly matchup of the last month.
Le'Veon Bell, NYJ (at BAL)
The only sport Bell can earn points in for the fantasy playoffs is football, so extracurricular activities over the weekend didn't make up for his absence from the Week 14 game with the Miami Dolphins. Bell's sickness appears to be behind him, yet the concern for Week 15 is a short week for the Jets to face arguably the best team in the league.
Baltimore's defense has rounded into great shape in recent weeks, which includes yielding the third-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs in the last four contests. The Jets don't have much working in their favor in this AFC battle, so Bell has an uphill struggle to post decent fantasy production. Don't expect him to be anything more than a high-end RB3/flex.
Week 15 Running Back PPR Rankings
Week 15 Running Back PPR Rankings
Wide Receivers
Better Than Usual
Kenny Golladay, DET (vs. TB)
The mess of Lions quarterbacks hasn't totally ruined Golladay, but it may feel a little tougher to trust him. He needed a garbage-time touchdown to salvage an otherwise ugly performance by the Lions offense in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He caught six of eight receptions for 58 yards with the score and he's failed to hit 70 yards in four of his last five games, but he's scored in three of those five games. The touchdown reliance is definitely there, although more targets could be coming this week.
The Lions put Marvin Jones on injured reserve earlier this week, which vacates 20 percent of the team's target share. Couple that with a fantastic matchup against a bottom-five defense from the last month, and it makes sense to like Golladay a bit more for Week 15.
Dede Westbrook, JAC (at OAK)
Much like Golladay, Westbrook could benefit from an unfortunate injury to one of his teammates. D.J. Chark's status is in question because of a foot injury that Doug Marrone categorized as "week-to-week or day-to-day," according to John Oehser of Jaguars.com. Westbrook has 30 targets over the last four games, so he's already been pretty busy and could be heading toward his busiest week of the year.
The Oakland Raiders have been a vulnerable pass defense for most of the season, and that was on full display when they had no answers for A.J. Brown in Week 14. Oakland allowed 12 receptions, 223 yards and two touchdowns to Brown and the Tennessee Titans wide receivers. With Westbrook facing a beatable secondary and more looks coming his way, he's a WR3 with WR2 upside.
Concern
John Brown, BUF (at PIT)
The concerns for Josh Allen trickle down to Brown, which could be a tough blow to fantasy lineups that have relied on him to be a very good, weekly WR2. Last week, Brown caught just three of eight targets for 26 yards. In the last three games, Brown managed only eight receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets. His life won't get any easier with a trip to Pittsburgh coming this weekend.
The Steelers are the fourth-toughest defense against wide receivers over the last month and 11th-toughest defense on the season. Brown is WR18 for the year but should be pushed down toward the WR3 tier with a difficult situation in front of him for Week 15.
Week 15 Wide Receiver PPR Rankings
Week 15 Wide Receiver PPR Rankings
Tight Ends
Better Than Usual
Dallas Goedert, PHI (at WAS)
Even with all the Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver woes, Goedert failed to produce good fantasy numbers in Week 14. He had three receptions for 41 yards on six targets. Looking at it from a more positive angle, Goedert has at least five targets in the last six games. More targets could be available in Week 15.
Nelson Agholor (knee) was out for Week 14 and may not be ready for Week 15. Alshon Jeffery's foot injury will keep him out for the rest of the year, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The Eagles are perilously thin at wide receiver, which should make Goedert that much more important to the offense's success. Plus, he'll get a crack at the fourth-easiest matchup for tight ends in the last month in the Washington Redskins. Get Goedert right back in your lineup and expect big things.
Concerns
Ryan Griffin, NYJ (at BAL)
Griffin was unable to take advantage of the weak Miami Dolphins defense this past Sunday because of an ankle injury that forced him to the sidelines for good after just three snaps and one reception. Griffin's status for Week 15 is uncertain, although the lack of rest his injury will get before a Thursday night game could be a problem. You may need to find another option if Griffin has been your guy up until this point.
Noah Fant, DEN (at KC)
Another star-making performance for Fant in Week 14 has created some buzz for rookie quarterback Drew Lock. The young pair connected on all four targets for 113 yards and a touchdown. That gives Fant 100-plus yards in two of the last five games. Unfortunately, Fant suffered a foot injury against the Houston Texans, so it's unknown if he'll be ready for the trip to Kansas City. He'd be missing out on the seventh-easiest matchup for tight ends in the last four weeks. If cleared for action, Fant would be worth another look following his big outing in Week 14.
Week 15 Tight End PPR Rankings
# Player (team) 1 George Kittle (SF) 2 Travis Kelce (KC) 3 Zach Ertz (PHI) 4 Jack Doyle (IND) 5 Darren Waller (OAK) 6 Hunter Henry (LAC) 7 Dallas Goedert (PHI) 8 Mark Andrews (BAL) 9 Austin Hooper (ATL) 10 Tyler Higbee (LAR) 11 Jacob Hollister (SEA) 12 Ian Thomas (CAR) 13 Kyle Rudolph (MIN) 14 Jared Cook (NO) 15 Ryan Griffin (NYJ) 16 David Njoku (CLE) 17 Mike Gesicki (MIA) 18 Noah Fant (DEN) 19 Jason Witten (DAL) 20 O.J. Howard (TB) 21 Jonnu Smith (TEN) 22 Jimmy Graham (GB) 23 Darren Fells (HOU) 24 Hayden Hurst (BAL) 25 Dawson Knox (BUF) 26 Irv Smith Jr. (MIN) 27 Vance McDonald (PIT) 28 Benjamin Watson (NE) 29 Kaden Smith (NYG) 30 Tyler Eifert (CIN) 31 Nick O'Leary (JAC) 32 Cameron Brate (TB) 33 Jordan Akins (HOU) 34 Blake Jarwin (DAL) 35 Logan Thomas (DET)
| # | Player (team) |
|---|---|
| 1 | George Kittle (SF) |
| 2 | Travis Kelce (KC) |
| 3 | Zach Ertz (PHI) |
| 4 | Jack Doyle (IND) |
| 5 | Darren Waller (OAK) |
| 6 | Hunter Henry (LAC) |
| 7 | Dallas Goedert (PHI) |
| 8 | Mark Andrews (BAL) |
| 9 | Austin Hooper (ATL) |
| 10 | Tyler Higbee (LAR) |
| 11 | Jacob Hollister (SEA) |
| 12 | Ian Thomas (CAR) |
| 13 | Kyle Rudolph (MIN) |
| 14 | Jared Cook (NO) |
| 15 | Ryan Griffin (NYJ) |
| 16 | David Njoku (CLE) |
| 17 | Mike Gesicki (MIA) |
| 18 | Noah Fant (DEN) |
| 19 | Jason Witten (DAL) |
| 20 | O.J. Howard (TB) |
| 21 | Jonnu Smith (TEN) |
| 22 | Jimmy Graham (GB) |
| 23 | Darren Fells (HOU) |
| 24 | Hayden Hurst (BAL) |
| 25 | Dawson Knox (BUF) |
| 26 | Irv Smith Jr. (MIN) |
| 27 | Vance McDonald (PIT) |
| 28 | Benjamin Watson (NE) |
| 29 | Kaden Smith (NYG) |
| 30 | Tyler Eifert (CIN) |
| 31 | Nick O'Leary (JAC) |
| 32 | Cameron Brate (TB) |
| 33 | Jordan Akins (HOU) |
| 34 | Blake Jarwin (DAL) |
| 35 | Logan Thomas (DET) |
Defenses
Best Streaming Option
Detroit Lions (vs. TB)
Because we're so late in the season, you won't find much on the waiver wire, with playoff teams already grabbing defenses ahead of time. That doesn't leave many options with decent availability and a good matchup, which is why the Lions occupy this space for Week 15.
In the last month, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers provided fantasy defenses with the eighth-easiest matchup, thanks to seven sacks, nine interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two touchdowns. Jameis Winston already had 23 interceptions for the season and has to play though a thumb injury with Mike Evans (hamstring) almost definitely out for this week and the rest of the season. This Lions defense is catching the Buccaneers at the right time.
Ownership percentage: ESPN, 11.3; Yahoo, 14.0
Week 15 Defense Rankings
# Player (team) 1 Baltimore Ravens (vs. NYJ) 2 Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. BUF) 3 New England Patriots (at CIN) 4 Minnesota Vikings (at LAC) 5 Green Bay Packers (vs. CHI) 6 New Orleans Saints (vs. IND) 7 Philadelphia Eagles (at WAS) 8 San Francisco 49ers (vs. ATL) 9 Detroit Lions (vs. TB) 10 Seattle Seahawks (at CAR) 11 Dallas Cowboys (vs. LAR) 12 Los Angeles Chargers (vs. MIN) 13 Kansas City Chiefs (vs. DEN) 14 Houston Texans (at TEN) 15 Chicago Bears (at GB) 16 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at DET) 17 Buffalo Bills (at PIT) 18 Cleveland Browns (at ARI) 19 Cincinnati Bengals (vs. NE) 20 Los Angeles Rams (at DAL)
Week 15 Defense Rankings
| # | Player (team) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore Ravens (vs. NYJ) |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. BUF) |
| 3 | New England Patriots (at CIN) |
| 4 | Minnesota Vikings (at LAC) |
| 5 | Green Bay Packers (vs. CHI) |
| 6 | New Orleans Saints (vs. IND) |
| 7 | Philadelphia Eagles (at WAS) |
| 8 | San Francisco 49ers (vs. ATL) |
| 9 | Detroit Lions (vs. TB) |
| 10 | Seattle Seahawks (at CAR) |
| 11 | Dallas Cowboys (vs. LAR) |
| 12 | Los Angeles Chargers (vs. MIN) |
| 13 | Kansas City Chiefs (vs. DEN) |
| 14 | Houston Texans (at TEN) |
| 15 | Chicago Bears (at GB) |
| 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at DET) |
| 17 | Buffalo Bills (at PIT) |
| 18 | Cleveland Browns (at ARI) |
| 19 | Cincinnati Bengals (vs. NE) |
| 20 | Los Angeles Rams (at DAL) |
Kickers
Best Streaming Option
Nick Folk, NE (at CIN)
The New England Patriots have had trouble sticking with a kicker this season, so Folk was brought back for Week 14 after missing Week 13. He hit one of his two field-goal attempts and made his only extra point in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
That might not seem very inspiring until you consider the Patriots have a great matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15. Only the Arizona Cardinals have allowed more yards (414.7) per game than the Bengals (399.5). Cincinnati yields 25 points per game, which is the 10th-worst mark in the league. Facing that bad of a defense should give Folk more chances, especially since the Patriots offense has been far from dominant.
Ownership percentages: ESPN, 5.1; Yahoo, 9.0
Week 15 Kicker Rankings
# Player (team) 1 Justin Tucker (BAL) 2 Wil Lutz (NO) 3 Mason Crosby (GB) 4 Greg Zuerlein (LAR) 5 Matt Gay (TB) 6 Nick Folk (NE) 7 Jake Elliott (PHI) 8 Harrison Butker (KC) 9 Robbie Gould (SF) 10 Dan Bailey (MIN) 11 Austin Seibert (CLE) 12 Ka'imi Fairbairn (HOU) 13 Zane Gonzalez (ARI) 14 Michael Badgley (LAC) 15 Jason Myers (SEA) 16 Ryan Succop (TEN) 17 Joey Slye (CAR) 18 Jason Sanders (MIA) 19 Younghoe Koo (ATL) 20 Josh Lambo (JAC)
| # | Player (team) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Tucker (BAL) |
| 2 | Wil Lutz (NO) |
| 3 | Mason Crosby (GB) |
| 4 | Greg Zuerlein (LAR) |
| 5 | Matt Gay (TB) |
| 6 | Nick Folk (NE) |
| 7 | Jake Elliott (PHI) |
| 8 | Harrison Butker (KC) |
| 9 | Robbie Gould (SF) |
| 10 | Dan Bailey (MIN) |
| 11 | Austin Seibert (CLE) |
| 12 | Ka'imi Fairbairn (HOU) |
| 13 | Zane Gonzalez (ARI) |
| 14 | Michael Badgley (LAC) |
| 15 | Jason Myers (SEA) |
| 16 | Ryan Succop (TEN) |
| 17 | Joey Slye (CAR) |
| 18 | Jason Sanders (MIA) |
| 19 | Younghoe Koo (ATL) |
| 20 | Josh Lambo (JAC) |