Week 15 Start Em Sit Em: Peyton Hillis and Others to Bench

It's not easy benching a player who's either been mildly productive or with a somewhat favorable matchup.

What it ultimately comes down to is consistency and who you have relied on the most to get this far. Also, can you trust a specific player who's in a bad system or is simply underachieving?

That being said, here are some players to bench in Week 15.

Ryan Fitzpatrick: QB, Bills (vs. Miami)

Prior to the Chargers game, Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had two nice games where he threw four TDs and no interceptions. But, then last week happened and Fitz went back into his slump from early November where he had a three-game stretch of two TDs to seven INTs.

One of those games was against Miami where he threw two picks, completed just 51.3 percent of his passes, and had a 45.8 QB rating.

This week he gets the Dolphins at home in Buffalo. Don't expect much better of a performance. The Dolphins may have a vulnerable pass defense but it's not like Buffalo's passing offense has been any more impressive.

Thing is, you can't really trust Fitzpatrick right now if you're fantasy season is on the line. At best he's a risky start and maybe an option if you play in a two-QB league. So, unless you literally have no other feasible option, bench Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 15.

Peyton Hillis: RB, Browns (at Cardinals)

In an article by Tony Grossi of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, it appears the Browns are going with Seneca Wallace to start:

"

"All systems are go for Seneca Wallace to make his first start of the season at quarterback for the Browns Sunday in Arizona."

For the third day in a row, Colt McCoy was sent home with concussion symptoms after reporting to work. "McCoy still is experiencing headaches," coach Pat Shurmur said.

"

With Wallace under center it's expected that Peyton Hillis will get more carries this week. However, also anticipate the Cardinals stacking the box to stop him.

Arizona's best shot to win is by shutting down Hillis and forcing backup Seneca Wallace to beat them through the air. No Browns WR can get open in single coverage, so Arizona will be playing a lot of man defense all day.

Therefore, bench Hillis as he will be keyed-in on for much of the game and force Cleveland to become one-dimensional. Hillis has been a disappointment all season, so don't expect much, even against the NFL's No. 19 ranked rush defense.

Michael Crabtree: WR, 49ers (vs. Steelers)

Michael Crabtree may be San Francisco's most productive receiving target this season, but that's not too impressive considering the 49ers rank No. 29 in passing offense.

On the contrary, the Pittsburgh Steelers are their opponent this week and they rank No. 1 against the pass and No. 6 against the rush. So, being that The Steel Curtain can dominate in both aspects, Frisco must use their strength and run the ball.

Unfortunately, they're not gonna have much success there either, and as long as Pittsburgh can be themselves, meaning get QB pressure, Alex Smith won't have time to throw and Crabtree won't have time to get open.

It's basically going to be an encore performance for Frisco (in a bad way) by comparison to how the Baltimore Ravens isolated Gore and shutdown Crabtree (six catches, 54 yards). If anything, Crabtree be lucky to match what he did against Baltimore provided that Smith can somehow buy time in and out of the pocket.

Nonetheless, bench Crabtree as the Steelers will completely dominate San Fran's offense.

Ryan Mathews: RB, Chargers (vs. Ravens)

Chargers' RB Ryan Mathews is having a solid season as evidenced by his 943 rushing and 420 receiving yards.

But that previous production won't have any affect in Week 15 as the Ravens are known to suffocate solid RBs. They did it to Frisco's Frank Gore, Houston's Arian Foster, Tennessee's Chris Johnson, and now it will be San Diego's Ryan Mathews.

The Ravens currently rank No. 5 against the pass and No. 2 against the rush, plus with hopes of being the AFC's No. 1 seed on the line, you can bet Balty shows up in this big road game.

It's no doubt that Mathews will need to produce for the Bolts to have a chance, but San Diego only ranks No. 16 in rushing offense and their defense will be run over by Ray Rice and the Baltimore offense.

Therefore, San Diego's best odds of moving the ball will be via Philip Rivers as he has played well of recent. Stick to your strengths because although Mathews is capable, he will get shutdown.

Follow John Rozum on Twitter @ Sportswriter27