Fantasy Football Week 15 Starts, Sits: Advice For Toughest Lineup Decisions

The fantasy football playoffs are upon us.

Whether it be the first or second round of your postseason run, Week 15 is critically important, and you don’t want to nix your chance at winning a league championship due to a poor lineup decision.

With that in mind, here are NESN.com’s starts and sits for Week 15:

STARTS
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
The arrival of Amari Cooper has taken Prescott’s game to new heights, as the Cowboys quarterback has thrown for nine touchdowns over the past six weeks, including three to Cooper in last Sunday’s overtime win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Indianapolis Colts have done a fine job defending the pass this season, but Prescott’s current tear is more than enough of a reason to give him the nod in Week 15.

Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Edwards has taken the reigns as the Ravens’ feature back in wake of Alex Collins’ injury, and the rookie has fared rather well. Edwards has seen 16-plus carries in each of the past four games, and he could be in store for a big day Sunday against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that’s allowed 16 rushing touchdowns this season, tied for third-most in the NFL.

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Doug Baldwin’s lingering knee injury has turned Lockett into Russell Wilson’s favorite target. The fourth-year wideout has been strong of late, catching 21 passes over the past five weeks with three touchdowns. He’ll be primed to continue this stretch Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, who have allowed the third-most passing touchdowns this season.

Jared Cook, TE, Oakland Raiders
Cook has been one of the lone bright spots for the Raiders this season. The veteran tight end has caught seven passes in each of the last two weeks and six total touchdowns on the campaign. The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the worst all-around defenses with only two defenses allowing more fantasy points to tight ends this season, so Cook should be able to pad his stats Sunday.

SITS
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
Opting to sit Rodgers might come off as fantasy sacrilege, but it certainly hasn’t been a normal season for the star quarterback and his team. Rodgers only has thrown for 300-plus yards on three occasions this season, and he’ll be hard-pressed to light it up Sunday against the vaunted Chicago Bears defense at Soldier Field. It’s become a lost season for the Packers, while the Bears still are fighting for playoff seeding and will be hungry to avenge their Week 1 loss to their division rival.

Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Mack has shined in spurts this season, but starting him Sunday is a risk, to say the least. The Cowboys have allowed the third-fewest rushing yards in the league this season, which leads one to believe the Colts will feature a pass-happy offense in Week 15. Not to mention, Indianapolis as a team only has rushed for 91 combined yards over the past two games.

Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Ridley has begun to cool off after a hot start to his rookie season, as he only has caught one touchdown over the past five weeks. And while the Arizona Cardinals own one of the NFL’s worst records, their pass defense has actually been pretty good,  allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points to wideouts this season. All things considered, it’s probably best to keep the Alabama product on the bench this week.

Cameron Brate, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It’s always tough to sit a player after a great performance, but it’s important to look at the bigger picture. Brate shined in Week 15 with a two-touchdown effort against the New Orleans Saints, but a tough matchup against a stout Baltimore Ravens defense awaits the Bucs tight end in Week 15. It’s also worth noting Brate has yet to catch more than three passes in a game this season.