Fantasy Football Week 15 Start/Sit: Matt Schaub In, Kyle Orton Out

Ryan LesterDec 15, 2010

Here’s some sit and start advice as you set your lineups for Week 15 of the NFL season.

Quarterbacks

Start:
Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
In case you didn’t get the memo, Matt Schaub is back. He’s thrown for 730 yards and five touchdowns in his past two games. He’s averaging 295.2 yards and two touchdowns in his past five games. He’s going up against a Tennessee team that is allowing 244.3 passing yards per game, which ranks 26th in the league.

Sit:
Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos
I gave Orton a chance last week and he completed just 19 of 41 passes for 166 yards with three interceptions. The week prior he threw for just 117 yards. Now he’s facing an Oakland team that ranks seventh in the league with just 202.5 passing yards allowed per game. That same Raider team that held him to 198 yards in Week 7 when he was still posting monster numbers.

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Running Backs

Start:
Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
Brown has yet to reach 100 yards of total offense in any game this season, and is averaging just 62.3 total yards per game on the year. With just three touchdowns, he’s not making fantasy owners happy.

This week, though, he should be able to turn in a solid performance. He faces the Bills, who at 165.8 rushing yards allowed per game rank dead last at stopping the run. Brown had 85 total yards and a score in Week 1 against the Bills, and I like his chances against them at home this week.

Mike Tolbert, San Diego Chargers
Just because Ryan Mathews had 16 carries and a score last week doesn’t mean Tolbert should be avoided. After all, he had 16 carries of his own and a score. The Niners have the ninth ranked run defense (100.1 yards allowed per game), but Philip Rivers will take pressure off the running backs, which should allow Tolbert, and possibly Mathews, to have solid performances.

Sit:
Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals & Thomas Jones, Kansas City Chiefs

This RB duo once shared a backfield in Chicago. They have been two of the better fantasy running backs the past few seasons, but I’m down on both this week. Benson is going up against a Browns team that has allowed just four rushing touchdowns all season. They held him to 60 yards in Week 4.

Meanwhile Jones had just one yard on three carries last week. I don’t anticipate him bouncing back against the Rams, who have allowed just five rushing touchdowns this year.

Wide Receivers

Start:
Derrick Mason, Baltimore Ravens
Mason is about a month away from his 37th birthday, but nobody must have told him. He has five touchdown catches in the past six games. The Saints have been incredibly tough against the pass this year, but Joe Flacco has played well in recent weeks.

Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys
Williams has struggled the past couple of weeks against the Colts and the Eagles, but is a nice bet to bounce back against Washington’s 29th ranked pass defense (260.5 yards allowed per game).

Sit:
Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers
With Aaron Rodgers expected to be out, Driver can’t be counted on against the red hot Patriots. Aside from a 61-yard touchdown two weeks ago, Driver has been quite since Week 4.

Tight Ends

Start:
Owen Daniels, Houston Texans
Daniels returned from a five-game absence and caught five passes for 91 yards. He was targeted 11 times. We already spoke of Tennessee’s struggles stopping the pass.

Sit:
Zach Miller, Oakland Raiders
This may sound hypocritical since Miller also overcame an injury to catch four passes for 68 yards. My problem is that Miller’s foot injury is a lingering one. He had just four catches for 20 yards combined in the three games prior to last week. I just don’t feel safe starting him in the playoffs.

Defenses

Start:
Oakland Raiders Defense
The last time they faced off, Oakland mauled the Broncos 59-14 in Denver. They forced three turnovers and collected four sacks. This time they welcome the Broncos to the Black Hole. Good luck with that. The Raiders are tied for third in the NFL with 38 sacks.

Sit:
Green Bay Packers Defense
The Packers are next in line to try and slow down Tom Brady and company. The Pats are piling up points, not allowing many sacks and aren't turning the ball over. It’s a situation to avoid entirely.

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