Week 15 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Massive Wide Receiver Decisions Made Easy

The following is everything you need to know about three borderline starting receivers to make the decision on whether or not to start them for Week 15.

Miami Dolphins WR Brandon Marshall

Prognosis: Sit

Marshall is playing the poor Bills' pass defense, but he still needs to hit the pine.

Over his last four games, Marshall has averaged less than four catches a game. Last week, he had four catches for just 27 yards, though one was for a touchdown.

This week he will not be so lucky. What is really going to hurt Marshall is that QB Matt Moore may not play.

ESPN.com News Services reported that Moore's status for this week's game is uncertain after suffering a concussion last Sunday.  

There is no reason to play Moore if there are any lingering effects and, at the very least, you can expect him to miss valuable practice time.

The Dolphins' offense looked completely out of sync last week, and with the craziness of losing their head coach, that is not likely to improve this week.

Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant

Prognosis: Sit

Now that the Cowboys' receivers are healthy, Dez Bryant is too big a risk to play. 

He had just one catch last week on a meager two targets—though that catch was for 50 yards and a touchdown, which led to a decent fantasy day. However, it is a terrible idea to start someone who is only going to get a couple of passes thrown his way.

The Cowboys are facing the weak defense of the Buccaneers, but in this case that will only lead to less production for Bryant.

Dallas is not going to have to rely on its passing game this week. That will mean more carries and more targets that gain consistent yardage. Tony Romo will be going for Miles Austin, Laurent Robinson and Jason Witten. He will not need to shoot for the playmaking ability of Bryant.

Houston Texans WR Kevin Walter

Prognosis: Start

Kevin Walter must like playing with T.J. Yates. Last week he caught six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Walter was targeted ten times in that game, which brought his two-game total with Yates as the QB to 14 targets. That is one more target than he had for the four games prior.

Walter is a solid route runner and excellent in the intermediate routes that Yates likes to throw. This week Walter is playing a poor Carolina pass defense. The Panthers have allowed the fourth-most points to receivers this season.

There is one big caveat with playing Walter, however. He becomes a lot less valuable if Andre Johnson is able to play. This will be something to keep an eye on, but my guess is that Johnson will sit out. Here is a glimpse into the Texans' mindset regarding their prized wide receiver.

The Texans will have two games to get Johnson into the flow following this one. It would be foolish to even come close to rushing him back to action. So, pencil Walter into your starting lineup and keep an eye on Johnson's status.