As we say goodbye to fantasy football regular season and hello to the playoffs, making WR start ’em or sit ’em decisions for Week 15 begins to carry even more weight as teams attempt to survive and advance. With not all matchups being equal, here are our top wide receiver start ’em and sit ’em plays for Week 15 of fantasy football.
Week 15 Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers
The fantasy playoffs are here. Let’s get into this week’s start ’em and sit ’em plays at the wide receiver position. Which wide receivers are starts heading into Week 15?
Start ‘Em | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions (vs. ARI)
I’ll be honest, take every single one of these with a grain of salt. Teams are watching their rosters change by the minute, and until a game kicks off, there are no certainties.
As for the Lions, we actually find a situation shaken up by a non-COVID-related situation (I know, shocking). On Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that TE T.J. Hockenson will be out for the season after undergoing surgery on his thumb. This places Amon-Ra St. Brown into an even more pivotal role.
St. Brown has seen 12 targets in back-to-back games, hauling in 18 passes for 159 yards, and he scored his first NFL touchdown on the game-winning play in Week 14. Over the last two weeks, he has been the No. 8 WR, averaging 20.1 PPR points. Yes, small sample size, but St. Brown is finally breaking out and needs to play a massive role for the offense with Hockenson out.
The Lions face the Cardinals, who are 17th in points allowed to WRs (35.97) and should fall behind quickly, hopefully placing St. Brown in a key role. I have him as a starting WR3 for Week 15. Given the chaos around the league, he could very well be a deciding player for fantasy managers.
Start ‘Em | Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals (@ DET)
I am sticking with the same game here. DeAndre Hopkins (knee) is done for the season, and Christian Kirk likely assumes the No. 1 on one of the NFL’s most potent offenses.
Kirk has scored at least 11 PPR points in five of his last eight games. We’ve seen him take on a larger role at times in this offense, including when Hopkins missed time, recording 12+ points and 6 or more receptions in two of the three games.
The Lions have allowed six receivers to score at least 14 PPR points in their past five games. It’s difficult to find a way they contain this Cardinals offense.
Start ‘Em | DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins (vs. NYJ)
I had Jaylen Waddle as a top-12 WR this week, but all of that was spoiled after he tested positive for COVID-19 and was not activated off the reserve list ahead of Week 15. Because of this, DeVante Parker now has top-20 upside in Week 15 and becomes more of a must-start than he already was.
He’s scored at least 11 PPR points in four of his six games this year, and he’s averaging 8.0 targets, 5.0 receptions, and 64.8 yards per game. Those are already fringe-starting numbers — but with Waddle and his 23.5% target share out — not to mention Miami has no running backs, Parker will need an ice bath for his hands after the game.
Start ‘Em | Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams (vs. SEA)
Van Jefferson is a full-on must-start even after the Rams re-activated Odell Beckham Jr. (COVID-19) off the COVID-19/reserve list. The NFL pushed the game back hoping players could return and luckily for them, and fantasy managers, our rosters are beginning to fill back out a little at a time. With that said, the return of Beckham does not change my opinion of Jefferson as he has found consistent success even with Beckham on the field.
In Jefferson’s last three games, he has 20 targets, 11 receptions, 192 yards, and a touchdown in each game as the No. 11 WR in PPR scoring (16.4 PPR). He has seen 7+ targets in five of his last seven games and has top-20 upside in Week 15.
Week 15 Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers
Sometimes, wide receivers have a problematic matchup. Or maybe it comes down to inconsistent play, which forces them to remain on your bench. Whatever the reason, these WRs should be left off your starting roster in Week 15.
Sit ‘Em | Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens (vs. GB)
I hate telling you to bench your studs, especially in the playoffs. However, there is little positive about this matchup. For one, we either get a hobbled Lamar Jackson who is still not practicing (ankle) or Tyler Huntley. Brown hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 7, and he’s scored less than 10 points or less in three of his last four games.
In last week’s game against the Browns, Brown saw a healthy 8 targets but hauled in just 5 for 41 yards, all while Rashod Bateman blew up once Sammy Watkins was injured. Add in the possibility Green Bay gets back Jaire Alexander, and Brown could very well bust in Week 15.
Sit ‘Em | Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts (vs. NE)
I have been over the moon watching Michael Pittman Jr. become the WR1 for the Indianapolis Colts, but as of late, his torrent pace has cooled off quite drastically. He is averaging just 10.7 PPR points over his last four games and has not scored a touchdown since Week 9 against the Jets, which capped off a stretch of 4 TDs in three games.
The usage is there. He has 18 targets over his last two games and even last week added 33 yards on the ground on 2 rushes. The matchup is also tough against a Patriots team who ranks fourth on the season vs. WRs (29.05) and third over their last four games (21.67). Pittman is much closer to a back-end WR3 than a high-end WR2 for Week 15.
Sit ‘Em | Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos (vs. CIN)
I will continue to recommend fantasy managers sit Courtland Sutton until proven otherwise. Since Week 8 (Jerry Jeudy’s return), Sutton has been the WR103. Yet, for some reason, people in the industry are still ranking him as a WR3. I don’t get it.
In his last six games, Sutton is averaging 3.3 targets, 1.7 receptions, and 19.8 receiving yards per game. Ameer freaking Abdullah beats him in all three categories (24/15/129), and Carolina fired their offensive coordinator for inefficiency, for heaven’s sake. You did not make your fantasy playoffs because of Sutton. You made them despite him on your roster.