Let’s start by reviewing last week’s calls
QB:
Start Jared Goff.
Finished: QB3
That’s a hit!
Sit Daniel Jones
Finished: QB11
That’s a miss!
RB:
Start D’Onta Foreman
Finished: RB24
That’s a miss!
Sit Rachaad White
Finished: RB27
That’s a hit!
WR:
Start Jerry Jeudy
Finished: WR2
That’s a nuclear strike of a hit!
Sit Mike Evans
Finished: WR49
That’s a nuclear strike of a hit!
TE:
Start Hunter Henry
Finished: TE11
I’m calling that a wash
Sit Dawson Knox
Finished: TE4
That’s a miss
So, I’m 4-3-1, but one of my hits won people their weeks so.. okay. On to this week’s picks!
Quarterbacks
Trevor Lawrence
Fantasy Pros Week 15 Rank: QB9
Trevor Lawrence was THE top scoring player in fantasy, last week. This has many fantasy managers putting him in set-and-forget mode for their fantasy playoff. But I say don’t set-and-forget. Never set and never forget. Yes, he went nuts against a Titans defense that Pro Football Reference says allows the second most fantasy points to quarterbacks. This week he faces a Cowboys defense that is on the other side in terms of stinginess: Dallas allows the third-least fantasy points to QBs. Plus, in week 13 Lawrence faced the Lions who give up the most points but he failed to get even 20. That’s why I would sit Trevor Lawrence over several waiver wire regulars such as Jared Goff and Ryan Tannehill.
Zack Wilson
Fantasy Pros Week 15 Rank: QB36
Yeah, I’m going to go big: Zack Wilson will be a top-12 QB this week. Though the Jets have done everything to hide the fact that he can’t play football, this is the week that exceptions reign. The Jets’ offensive line is too beat up to lean heavily on the run. The Jets face a Detroit team that leads the league in fantasy points allowed to QBs. Detroit is going to score a billion points and mandate that this becomes a shootout whether the Jets want one or not. If you don’t have an every-week QB option, start Zack Wilson.
I told you I had something in store for this week!
Running Backs
Gus Edwards
Fantasy Pros Week 15 Rank: RB37
Yes, Huntley and his sprinting legs are playing. Yes JK Dobbins is back. I’m still saying Gus Edwards finishes as a top-24 RB this week. Baltimore put up a quarter of a thousand rushing yards against a decent Pittsburgh defensive line last week. This week they get the Browns, who are bottom 10 in stopping the run and are tied for 2nd in most rushing TDs allowed.
The game script should make this matchup have the most total rushing plays for both teams of any game this year. Baltimore just wants to turtle against a slumping Browns defense to stack up wins for a run once Lamar Jackson is back in the lineup. Tyler Huntley can’t throw. Baltimore receivers can’t catch. Yes, my beloved Mark Andrews, idol to my son, will be a casualty of this script. But you can’t win a war without losing some soldiers, start Gus Edwards if you need a flex this week.
Zonovan Knight
Fantasy Pros Week 15 Rank: RB19
As bad as the Lions are at stopping fantasy QBs, they have been the opposite for RBs. Plus, if you’ve been following the NFL at all the last month you know: Their run defense has been getting a lot better. As I mentioned above, I think the Lions’ offense will be so productive that the Jets can’t lean on the run. So I’m sitting Bam Knight week 15.
Wide Receivers
Chris Moore
Fantasy Pros Week 15 Rank: WR49
Last week saw Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins sidelined. Against a Dallas defense that is middle-of-the-pack for WRs in fantasy, Moore went 10-124-0. Well, Collins and Cooks are ruled out for this Sunday. The Texans face the Chiefs, who give up the fifth most fantasy points to wide receivers. Plus it’s the Chiefs: The Texans aren’t going to ride their run game in a low-scoring affair, they will need to fire it deep for most of the game. Chris Moore may be ranked as a WR5, but I’m saying he performs in the top 24 this week, so you should start Chris Moore.
Amari Cooper
Fantasy Pros Week 15 Rank: WR23
The Browns play the Ravens on Saturday. That’s my team, and let me tell you a little bit about their passing defense: It stinks. However, it stinks because it always plays zone coverage, so good QBs learn the patterns. DeShaun Watson is not currently a good QB.
Furthermore, Cooper struggles against the zone. He ranks outside of the top 40 in average yards gained per route run against zone coverage. As I said earlier, I think this whole game is going to be a run-fest. So many reasons why I will sit Amari Cooper in week 15.
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry
Fantasy Pros Week 15 Rank: TE15
Hunter Henry had three catches for 70 yards against the all-world-bad-against-tight-ends Arizona defense. Not the big game I was hoping for, but he did finish as TE11. Now he faces the Raiders. The Cardinals might be the worst against tight ends on the season, but the Raiders look like the worst team against the pass of all-time, lately. Seriously, Baker Freaking Mayfield beat them 3 days after joining the Rams. I watched that game as part of our popular Thursday Night Farceball sidecast: The reason Baker beat them was not because he played well, but because the Raiders just refused to cover anything in the secondary. So, I’m running it back with another start Hunter Henry call.
Evan Engram
Yes, I told you to sit the #1 fantasy QB of week 14. Now I’m doubling down and telling you to sit the #1 fantasy TE of week 14. Dallas allows an average of 6.0 points to tight ends. That’s for all the tight ends on the other team, total. That’s the #1 lowest total in the entire NFL. I think this is a trap door game for the Jaguars, and I would look elsewhere in the tight end blob than this offense, this particular week. Go to the blob for your tight end start and sit Evan Engram in week 15.
Alright, that’s it for me, I’m exhausted. I’m going to go drink beer and have a nerf gun war with my kids. Bring home that playoff win!
