Fantasy Football Week 15 Start 'Em Sit 'Em Playoffs Flex picks feat. Amari Cooper, Christian Watson and more
Week 15 of the fantasy football season brings us that joyous phrase: “playoffs.” Hopefully, most of you reading this are still alive in your fantasy leagues. If not, thanks for reading anyway. But now that we’ve made it to the championship tournament, we need to get our lineup decisions right.
Using the analytics from Fantasy Points Data, I’m going to comb through Week 15 projections and find under-the-radar plays you should play and fade. There might be options I list that are available on your waiver wires. Even if you can’t start them, why allow your opponents to pick them up to use against you? Blocking your opponents is a real thing. Get used to it.
Let’s dive into the players I’m playing and fading for this weekend.
Fantasy Football Week 15 Start 'Em Sit 'Em Playoffs Flex picks
START THESE GUYS:
Amari Cooper (WR, BUF): It was a welcome sight for fantasy owners of Amari Cooper to see the veteran receiver catch six balls for 95 yards last week. What is even more eye-popping were the 192 air yards he compiled on 14 targets and just 29 snaps. I don’t care if Dalton Kincaid, Andre Reed, or O.J. Simpson are made available for the Bills on Sunday, Cooper is getting the ball. A potential shootout with the Lions at Ford Field should have you excited to get Cooper in your lineups. Vegas has a team total of 54.5 in this game, meaning they expect plenty of points to be scored. If Buffalo has to move the ball, it’s because of Cooper.
Patrick Taylor (RB, SF): The Niners play Thursday night, and because of that, I doubt we see Issac Guerendo on the. That opens the door for former Green Bay Packer Patrick Taylor to see the majority of the reps. If history has taught us anything, it’s that the Shanahan offense can and will produce no matter the back on the field. Taylor took seven carries on Sunday and ran for 3.6 yards per carry and a touchdown. If he’s available, pick him up. Don’t let your playoff opponents play him. If you own him, start him.
Stone Smartt (TE, LAC): This is simple. Add talented young players who provide juice to desperate offenses. Smartt is taking over for the injured Will Dissly and could be Justin Herbert’s number-two target this week. In fill-in duty Sunday night, Smartt caught all three of his targets for 54 yards. There’s optimism that Ladd McConkey plays, but even so, Los Angeles’ Week 15 opponent, Tampa Bay, allows the 6th most points to opposing tight ends. I’m not saying bench your stud for him, but in a deep league, I can see Smartt as a viable flex play. Either way, don’t let your opponents grab a potential difference-maker at a position without many.
Isaiah Davis (RB, NYJ): Breece Hall didn’t practice on Wednesday, and his coaches don’t sound optimistic about his playing status for Week 15. That means more of the rookie duo of Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Not only did Davis have more rushing attempts than Allen, but he caught one more pass. This is basically a full-blown 50/50 split. Davis finished as the PPR running back 15, and he’s owned in just 38% of Yahoo leagues. There’s a good chance he’s available and needs to be scooped and started. I’m all in for another Davis touchdown against a Jaguars team that allows the second-most points to fantasy running backs.
FADE THESE GUYS:
Alvin Kamara (RB, NO): Fading overall RB 3 in fantasy isn’t typically a money-making endeavor. But things have changed in New Orleans of late. First, Derek Carr is injured and won’t play anytime soon. Welcome in Jake Haener, who is basically the Joshua Dobbs of Gardner Minshew’s. He’s terrible. That could mean more running for the Saints; that makes sense, right? Well, last week, the Saints introduced Kendre Miller into the mix. His ten carries don’t diminish the 17 that Kamara had, but it was his inside the ten yard line touchdown that gives me pause. Now I don’t think Kamara shut down, but I’m not expecting a monster day against Washington. I find it hard to believe Haener will sustain drives and put this Saints offense in a position to score. He’s more of an RB 2 option and off my DFS radar.
Tyrone Tracy (RB, NYG): It was an outstanding week for the Giants rookie. He finished as RB 11 thanks mostly to his ten targets, where he collected five for 38 yards. On the ground, while he did score, he managed just 2.8 yards per carry on his way to 45 total rush yards. Sunday, he’ll meet the Ravens defense, which ranks in the top 10 of the fewest points allowed to fantasy running backs. Only MVP candidate and possible Superman, Saquon Barkley, has topped 65 yards versus Baltimore. I think Baltimore is ticked off after losing at home to Philly before their BYE, and this Tommy DeVito-led offense is shut down like it’s a Pizza Shop that ran out of cheese.
Christian Watson (WR, GB): Trying to pick which week a Packers receiver is going to go off is like trying to guess the lottery numbers. Good luck. Watson had a tremendous Week 14, catching four balls for 114 yards. While his snaps are over 90% each of the past two weeks, it only resulted in 11 targets. Watson hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 6, and he’s topped 10 PPR points just twice in that same span. Sunday, he’ll face a rejuvenated Seattle secondary who hasn’t allowed a 100-yard receiver since Week 9. Seattle smothers outside WRs. Per Fantasy Points Data, the Seahawks are the number one defense in terms of the fewest yards per route run allowed to outside wide receivers. With Romeo Doubs also expected back this week, I’m expecting another disappearing act for Watson.