First of all, congratulations to those of you who have made the fantasy Championship! It has been a awesome and unexpected 2018 fantasy season. Below is a list for my best/worst starts and sits for Week 15. Before we take a look at this week’s best start/sit options, let’s see how accurate my predictions were from Week 15:
Best Start of Week 15: Joe Mixon (RB5)
Worst Start of Week 15: Josh Gordon (WR86)
Best Sit of Week 15: Jameis Winston (QB30)
Worst Sit of Week 15: Matt Ryan (QB1)
Now, let’s take a look at this week’s top starts and sits:
Quarterbacks
Must Start:
Russell Wilson (SEA v KC) The Seahawks quarterback has been quietly having a great 2018 season, throwing for 31 touchdown passes with just 6 interceptions and over 3,000 passing yards. Wilson has a favorable matchup this week, facing off against the Chiefs defense that ranks dead last in passing yards allowed a game (283) and rank 23rd in touchdown passes allowed this season (23). With the Seahawks trying to lock up a post season ticket, they’re going to have to come out firing, making Russell Wilson a must start for your fantasy championship.
Honorable Mentions:
Andrew Luck (IND v NYG)
Baker Mayfield (CLE v CIN)
Kirk Cousins (MIN @ DET)
Matt Ryan (ATL @ CAR)
Must Sit:
Eli Manning (NYG @ IND) The Giants have a tough game against the rising Colts that shut the Cowboys out in Week 14, allowing Dak Prescott to pass for just 206 yards and an interception. Eli is much worse than Dak and has no Odell Beckham Jr. to help him out as he’s expected to miss his 3rd straight game with a quad injury. Eli and the Giants have had a 2018 season to forget (outside of Barkley’s remarkable rookie campaign), as Manning has 9 interceptions to just 18 touchdown passes. If you’re in the fantasy championship or playing for a consolation prize and are desperate for a quarterback to start, I would recommend looking for options outside of Eli Manning.
Honorable Mentions:
Jameis Winston (TB @ DAL)
Matthew Stafford (DET v MIN)
Philip Rivers (LAC v BAL)
Derek Carr (OAK v DEN)
Running Backs
Must Start:
Chris Carson (SEA v KC) The Chiefs could find themselves in trouble this week against the Seahawks, as Seattle is trying to earn a trip to the postseason. The Chiefs’ offense has been spectacular this season, but their defense has been terrible against both the run and the pass. As mentioned above for Russell Wilson, the Chiefs have the most passing yards allowed this season while also allowing the 26th most rushing yards at 126.9 yards a game. This should be a great back and forth high scoring game as both teams have a lot on the line. Anyone who owns Carson should not consider benching him, he should be in your lineup to help you win a championship.
Honorable Mentions:
Nick Chubb (CLE v CIN)
Dalvin Cook (MIN @ DET)
Marlon Mack (IND v NYG)
Jamaal Williams (GB @ NYJ)
Must Sit:
David Johnson (ARI v LAR) After the Rams have had two straight losses, they have a great matchup against the Cardinals which is troubling for David Johnson. Johnson and the Cardinals have been having a 2018 season to forget. Last week against the Falcons, Johnson managed 19.10 PPR points despite rushing for just 33 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. He was able to make up for his poor rushing performance by hauling in 3 of 6 targets for 68 yards. In Week 2, when the Cardinals and Rams first faced off, the Cardinals got destroyed 0-34 leaving limited touches for Johnson who rushed 13 times for 48 yards and had just one catch for 3 yards. Since the Rams have lost back to back games, they won’t be taking the Cardinals lightly and should look stop the Cardinals most dangerous player in David Johnson, making him a sit for the championship game.
Honorable Mentions:
Adrian Peterson (WAS @ TEN)
Josh Adams (PHI v HOU)
Dion Lewis (TEN v WAS)
Kenyan Drake (MIA v JAX)
Wide Receiver
Must Start:
Amari Cooper (DAL v TB) In Week 15 against the Colts, Amari Cooper and the Cowboys had a very frustrating and disappointing game as they were not able to put up a single point. The Cowboys should be back on track offensively against the Buccaneers’ almost non existent defense that has allowed the 2nd most touchdown passes (30) and rank 27th in passing yards per game allowed (259). The Cowboys’ offense will need to get Cooper heavily involved in Week 16 against the struggling Buccaneers to try locking up the NFC East division.
Honorable Mentions:
Doug Baldwin (SEA v KC)
Jarvis Landry (CLE v CIN)
Tim Patrick (DEN @ OAK)
Julian Edelman (NE v BUF)
Must Sit:
Keenan Allen (LAC v BAL) Allen was forced to leave in the Chargers’ Week 15 victory over the Chiefs with an injured hip. If he’s not 100% healthy, he’s in line for a tough matchup against the Ravens stingy defense that allows 203 passing yards a game with is ranked 3rd. With fantasy championships on the line, Allen makes for a risky start.
Honorable Mentions:
DJ Moore (CAR v ATL)
Devin Funchess (CAR v ATL)
Larry Fitzgerald (ARI v LAR)
Courtland Sutton (DEN v CLE)
Tight End
Must Start:
David Njoku (CLE v CIN) Last time the Browns faced off against the Bengals, Njoku had 5 receptions for 63 yards and one of the best touchdowns of the 2018 season, leaping onto a defender and somehow finding the endzone. Though Njoku hasn’t been having the best season with 504 yards and 3 touchdowns, he has a matchup that cannot be ignored and should be in all starting lineups to help win a fantasy title.
Honorable Mentions:
Eric Ebron (IND v NYG)
George Kittle (SF v CHI)
Zach Ertz (PHI v HOU)
Must Sit:
Kyle Rudolph (MIN @ DET) Rudolph has not lived up to expectations in 2018, as he currently has 493 yards and 2 touchdowns after the 2017 season where he had 8 touchdowns. Rudolph has had just two game (both against the Packers) this year where he caught 7 passes. Outside of those games, he’s had just 3 games catching 5 passes. Rudolph hasn’t had a touchdown since Week 3 in a loss against the Bills. If there is any better options on waivers or your team, I would recommend benching him.
Honorable Mentions:
Antonio Gates (LAC v BAL)
Jimmy Graham (GB @ NYJ)
Ed Dickson (SEA v KC)
Thank you for reading and be sure to follow me on Twitter for more fantasy football advice throughout the week @LonskiWilliam
