In a week where Josh Johnson and Ryan Tannehill were top-five fantasy quarterbacks, the fantasy football playoffs got off to a surprising start.
There were some head-scratchers on who performed well in the first week of the fantasy playoffs, including the quarterback position, where Johnson filled in for Washington and tallied the third-most fantasy points, while Tannehill was aided by that last-second touchdown to pad his fantasy stats.
Look for more surprises in the week 15 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em guide for quarterbacks.
Start
Kirk Cousins vs. Miami Dolphins
Cousins hasn’t been very good in recent weeks, but he should get a plus-matchup in week 15.
Since week 9, he’s been in single digits for fantasy points twice, and under 20 in four of five games. So that’s not a glowing recommendation for the fantasy football playoffs. However, at his best, Cousins is a solid fantasy option. He can generate mid-20s in terms of fantasy points, which should easily put in the QB1 status.
The Dolphins are are allowing 23 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks in the last four weeks, the third-most fantasy points allowed in the NFL during that timeframe.
Cousins is finally back at home and has been a much better option in Minnesota. Trust him to get you to the finals.
Lamar Jackson vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jackson gives you multiple ways to score fantasy points, which can come in handy during the later portions of the year.
The major issue with Jackson is that he needs certain game flow to be productive. But that game flow should be in play against a Buccaneers team that is likely done for the season.
Tampa Bay is still battling injuries and after an encouraging first half against New Orleans, the Buccaneers were unable to do anything in the second half. Jackson looked decent on the road against Kansas City in week 14, so I’m anticipating he should be able to move the ball consistently against Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay allows the second-most yards per pass attempt for a reason, so I’m banking on Jackson to be a solid fantasy option, possibly as a streamer in the semifinal round of the fantasy playoffs.
Carson Wentz vs. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams have been exposed for their lack of defense in recent weeks.
The offense makes up for a lot of that inability, but in terms of fantasy production, quarterbacks are able to take advantage of the Rams weakness. And even though Los Angeles turned over Mitchell Trubisky in week 14, this matchup provides a much stiffer challenge.
Since an ugly performance in week 11 against New Orleans, Wentz has been consistent in taking care of the ball and producing low-end QB1 numbers. And those matchups have been much more difficult, with games against Dallas, Washington and New York, all teams ranked higher than the Rams on the defensive side of the ball.
In the last four weeks, Los Angeles has allowed the most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Even on the road, Wentz has plenty of opportunities at being productive in week 15.
Sit
Derek Carr vs. Cincinnati Bengals
This is tempting. Very tempting.
However, I don’t trust Carr on the road, traveling to east in a meaningless game. The Bengals looked halfway motivated going west in week 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Bengals allowed 7 yards per pass attempt, almost a yard less than they’ve been giving up in the last three weeks.
Meanwhile, Carr has looked like a viable fantasy option in the last two weeks at home. However, that’s at home. This game is on the road, where he’s been awful this season. He hasn’t generated more than 16 fantasy points in a game all year on the road. And even against Cincinnati’s terrible defense, this doesn’t look like the opportune time for him to break that streak.
The Raiders are tough to trust on the road, and I wouldn’t put any stock on Carr’s chances in week 15.
Aaron Rodgers vs. Chicago Bears
I know this is insane. However, I just don’t buy the Packers offensive line holding up long enough to stop the Bears defensive line.
The Bears are going to be motivated for this game, so don’t expect a letdown after the week 14 win against Los Angeles. The Bears manhandled the Packers in week 1, only to see Rodgers return from the lockerroom to lead Green Bay on a late game-winning drive.
That won’t happen again.
Rodgers is not putting up the yardage totals in plus-matchups to be treated as a top-tier QB1 this year in fantasy football. The Bears will limit his opportunities at pushing the ball into the endzone, so I don’t expect Rodgers to be anywhere higher than a lower-tier QB1. If you have options, consider the better matchups.
Dak Prescott vs. Indianapolis Colts
Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
Prescott isn’t a consistent fantasy option. He had plenty of opportunities to make plays in week 14 against a bad Philadelphia defense, and while he had a major yardage output, he still had some turnover problems.
And in a matchup where the Colts will bring a top-10 defense against the pass in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, I don’t anticipate Prescott will be able to duplicate his effort from week 14.
Prescott hasn’t been on the road since week 11, when he tallied just 208 passing yards on the road against Atlanta. Don’t expect much from Prescott in a tough matchup against Indianapolis.
