Each week there are some obvious starts and sits in fantasy football. Other decisions are not quite so simple. Here are some of my picks for Week 15 in the latest edition of Studs, Duds & Sleepers.
STUDS
QB: Josh Allen (BUF vs. DAL): Dallas seems like a tough matchup, but over the last five weeks they’ve ceded nearly 20 fantasy points per game to opposing signal callers, including two 28+ point days over the past month. Allen has the Bills fighting for a playoff spot and is playing at home. He’s QB1 on the season and is in my top 3 in my QB ranks for Week 15.
RB: Kyren Williams (LAR vs. WAS): Over the last three weeks no running back has posted more fantasy points (72.9 PPR) than the Rams’ running back. Now he gets a lackluster Commanders’ D that has ceded the most fantasy points to running backs over the last five weeks (27.5 ppg).
WR: Deebo Samuel (SF vs. ARI): He’s back. Man Deebo is putting up those highlight reel type plays of late for a 49ers’ offense that is finally healthy. This week San Fran faces off against a defense that ranks in the bottom third in nearly every defensive metric fantasy managers care about. Roll all you Niners out here and sleep like a baby.
TE: Evan Engram (JCK vs. BAL): No tight end has scored more fantasy points over the past five weeks than Engram, who now is even more involved in the Jags’ passing attack with Christian Kirk (core) on IR. The matchup isn’t great, but Engram makes his way on the stud list based on his target volume (29 targets over the last three contests).
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DUDS
QB: Tua Tagovailoa (MIA vs. NYJ): Tua has cooled a bit. Now Tyreek Hill is dealing with a sore ankle and the Jets are on tap. New York has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2023.
RB: James Conner (ARI vs. SF): Conner is a valuable fantasy commodity, but the tough matchup with the 49ers coupled with expected game flow that could lead to increased snaps for Michael Carter on passing downs makes his floor too low for my liking. I have him outside my top 25 RB’s in Week 15.
WR: Drake London (ATL at CAR): London is coming off a monster performance (10/172/2) vs. Tampa Bay in Week 14. However, the Falcons are favorites here and I do expect them to play from ahead in Carolina. That will likely lead to London landing closer to his previous average targets (5.75) in the three games prior to last week this time around. Less targets make it tougher for me to endorse him inside my top 40 wideouts this week.
TE: Hunter Henry (NE vs. KC): Don’t chase last week’s production. Henry scored twice last Thursday vs. Pittsburgh. This week he faces a tougher Chiefs’ D. Kansas City has only allowed three TE’s to score all season and just one TD in the last seven weeks to the position. That doesn’t bode well for the TD-dependent veteran.
SLEEPERS
QB: Jordan Love (GB vs. TB): Don’t look now, but the Packers’ quarterback has scored 23 or more fantasy points in six of his last seven contests and this week he gets a matchup with the Bucs, who have allowed the fourth most fantasy points to the position this season.
RB: Ty Chandler (MIN at CIN): With Alexander Mattison battling an ankle injury, look for Chandler to see the bulk of the carries vs. a Bengals’ defense that has struggled at times vs. the run this season. Eight running backs have reached 15+ PPR points vs. Cincy this season and Chandler could easily become the ninth to do so if he gets the volume I expect.
WR: Zay Jones (JCK vs. BAL): Jones is another emerging fantasy weapon in the Jacksonville offense in the wake of Kirk’s injury. He ran 93 percent of the Jags’ routes and earned a team-high 14 targets in Week 14 and he’s averaging 9.3 targets in his 3 games as a full-time player this season.
TE: Chigoziem Okonkwo (TEN vs. HOU): One my favorite preseason sleepers at tight end is an intriguing choice for a tight end dart throw to open the fantasy playoffs. Houston has allowed the third most PPR points (15.1 ppg) to tight ends this season.
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