Fantasy football semi-finals are here, and we’re just two games from crowning a champion in leagues around the world. The 2020 season has taken its toll on fantasy football fans, with more disruptions than ever before. Don’t let any wide receiver woes disrupt your shot at the crown. Our Week 15 fantasy WR rankings help you separate the must starts from the must nots.
What to keep in mind heading into Week 15 and searching for the best fantasy football wide receiver
Some of the best players from our Week 15 fantasy WR rankings played on Thursday Night Football and in Saturday’s doubleheader. Therefore, if you’re reading this on Sunday morning, there is a chance you are well on your way to a high scoring week.
As always, it is crucially important that you keep an eye on the injury report all the way up to kickoff. Don’t let a last-minute inactive wide receiver derail your shot at a championship berth. Some of the big names to be wary of are Julio Jones, Kenny Golladay, and Brandin Cooks. All three were either limited or hadn’t practiced at all at the time of writing.
There are several wide receivers that would be in our Week 15 fantasy WR rankings that are already ruled out. Those include D.J. Moore, Henry Ruggs III, and Deebo Samuel. Samuel adds to a remarkable injury San Francisco 49ers injury list and looks unlikely to play again this season, as per Kyle Shanahan.
Adam Thielen tops the top 5 fantasy WR rankings
1) Adam Thielen, MIN @ CHI
2) Terry McLaurin, WAS vs SEA
3) Davante Adams, GB vs CAR
4) Keenan Allen, LAC @ LV
5) Tyreek Hill, KC @ NO
The Chicago Bears defense has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the wide receiver position in the NFL. They’re coming off the back of a game where they held the Houston Texans to just 155 passing yards. That hardly sounds like a matchup recipe for success for Adam Thielen but hear me out.
Thielen has become one of the most successful fantasy football wide receivers this season. His success is linked not to yardage or targets but to touchdowns. Thielen has the third-most touchdowns in the NFL this season. He already has two against the Bears this season, netting him 20.3 points in PPR leagues. He will continue to be the red zone target for Kirk Cousins, and I expect him to score highly again in Week 15.
Seattle Seahawks matchup makes Terry McLaurin is a fantasy WR must start
After a phenomenal start to the season, McLaurin has become almost a fantasy bust over the past two weeks. He tallied season-low fantasy points against the Pittsburgh Steelers and struggled to just 4.4 points against the San Francisco 49ers. However, his matchup this week against the Seahawks makes McLaurin a must-start WR.
The Seahawks have given up the third-most fantasy points per game to the WR position.
The remainder of the Week 15 fantasy WR rankings are must starts regardless of their matchup. Davante Adams leads the NFL in fantasy points per game with a remarkable 26.1 PPG. He also ties the NFL lead for touchdowns with Tyreek Hill, who has 301 fantasy points through 13 games. Los Angeles Chargers pass-catcher Keenan Allen remains a fantasy must-start in PPR leagues due to leading the NFL in targets.
Corey Davis rounds out Tier 1
6) Corey Davis, TEN vs DET
7) Marvin Jones Jr., DET @ TEN
8) Robert Woods, LAR vs NYJ
9) Allen Robinson, CHI vs MIN
10) Mike Evans, TB @ ATL
The rest of the top 5 of our Week 15 fantasy WR rankings contains several sleepers at the position. Corey Davis has been largely in the shadows of teammate A.J. Brown this season. However, the former fifth overall pick had a career-high 182 receiving yards in Week 13. Davis has an excellent opportunity to score big points against the Detroit Lions. The Lions defense has given up 26.1 fantasy points per game to fantasy football wide receivers.
The matchup between the Lions and the Tennessee Titans offers the chance for another sleeper in our WR rankings. With Kenny Golladay turning into one of the biggest fantasy WR busts, Marvin Jones Jr. is the main receiving weapon for the Lions. The Titans have also allowed 26 points to the wide receiver position. We should expect a high scoring contest.
Can Allen Robinson repeat his sensational Week 14 performance?
When I first released the Week 15 WR rankings last Sunday, Allen Robinson did not figure as a must-start. Why would he? The Chicago Bears have been an offensive dumpster fire with Robinson as a talented but unfortunate casualty.
However, the Bears offense went from dumpster fire to being on fire in Week 14. Robinson bagged 27.3 points in PPR leagues with 123 yards and a touchdown from nine receptions. This week he faces a Minnesota Vikings defense that has allowed the most fantasy points of any team in the NFL this season. There is an obvious risk with the uneven quarterback play. However, if Mitch Trubisky puts another decent game together, Robinson will score highly.
The same can be said for Robert Woods and Mike Evans. Evans faces an Atlanta Falcons defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers, averaging 27.7 per game. Woods goes up against a New York Jets unit that hasn’t faired much better, allowing 26.2 fantasy points per game.
Tier 2: Fantasy WR Rankings for Week 15
1) Stefon Diggs, BUF
2) D.K. Metcalf, SEA
3) A.J. Brown, TEN
4) DeAndre Hopkins, ARI
5) Calvin Ridley, ATL
6) Brandon Aiyuk, SF
7) Chris Godwin, TB
8) Cole Beasley, BUF
9) Chase Claypool, PIT
10) Tyler Lockett, SEA
Tier 3: Fantasy WR Rankings for Week 15
1) Cooper Kupp, LAR
2) Sterling Shepherd, NYG
3) Amari Cooper, DAL
4) Robby Anderson, CAR
5) Jarvis Landry, CLE
6) Michael Pittman Jr., IND
7) Michael Thomas, NO
8) DeVante Parker, MIA
9) Diontae Johnson, PIT
10) Willie Snead IV, BAL
Tier 4: Fantasy WR Rankings for Week 15
1) Justin Jefferson, MIN
2) D.J. Chark, JAX
3) Tee Higgins, CIN
4) CeeDee Lamb, DAL
5) Curtis Samuel, CAR
6) Jamison Crowder, NYJ
7) JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT
8) Julio Jones, ATL
9) Tim Patrick, DEN
10) Jalen Reagor, PHI
Tier 5: Fantasy WR Rankings for Week 15
1) Brandin Cooks, HOU
2) Antonio Brown, TB
3) Jacobi Meyers, NE
4) Breshad Perriman, NYJ
5) Russell Gage, ATL
6) Darius Slayton, NYG
7) T.Y. Hilton, IND
8) Nelson Agholor, LV
9) Mike Williams, LAC
10) Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
Tier 6: Fantasy WR Rankings for Week 15
1) Cam Sims, WAS
2) Mecole Hardman, KC
3) Darnell Mooney, CHI
4) Hunter Renfrow, LV
5) Allen Lazard, GB
6) Kendrick Bourne, SF
7) Travis Fulgham, PHI
8) Keke Coutee, HOU
9) Emmanuel Sanders, NO
10) Keelan Cole Sr., JAX
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Oliver Hodgkinson is an NFL Draft and NFL analytics contributor for the Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @ojhodgkinson.