Wide receivers are starting to gain more traction. That’s a nice sign for any fantasy football owner still alive who dedicated early draft picks on wide receivers.
Seven receivers have more than 50 fantasy points in the last four weeks. That’s not as many as running backs at 10, but it’s closing the gap from earlier this season when wide receivers had no depth in fantasy football.
Antonio Brown and Keenan Allen are the shining lights, but others, like Davante Adams, Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins are putting up consistently good numbers, too. Entering semifinal week, here’s the week 15 wide receivers start ’em, sit ’em guide in fantasy football.
Start
Mohamed Sanu vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Teams are doing everything in their power to stop Julio Jones. And I don’t blame them, especially after he went off in week 12…against Tampa Bay.
Do you think the Buccaneers are going to allow him to do the same thing in week 15? That’s highly doubtful, so Sanu should see plenty of single coverage, and the Falcons will make sure Sanu is a focal point of the gameplan.
Sanu is tough to trust on occasion, but he’s put in some solid numbers in recent weeks. He has at least eight targets in two of the last three weeks and 17 catches combined in the last three weeks.
He has a good matchup against a team allowing the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. And he should take centerstage in the game plan with Jones having such a big game in the first meeting. Trust Sanu as your WR2 in week 15.
Robert Woods vs. Seattle Seahawks
Don’t shy away from the Seahawks secondary. Injuries have plagued that unit this year and it’s starting to show up on the field. In the last three games, Seattle has allowed 263 yards through the air, the seventh-most in the NFL.
Seattle also gives up the seventh-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
That should free up some space for Woods, who has been missed in recent weeks due to injury. He should be back for this matchup and he will have room to maneuver against this depleted secondary.
The Rams are one of the better coached teams in the NFL, so expect Woods to have opportunities to score in fantasy.
Dede Westbrook vs. Houston Texans
I hate starting Jacksonville wide receivers, but Westbrook is a solid choice as a WR2 in week 15.
The Jaguars have a plus-matchup against the Texans, which allow the ninth-most fantasy points per game against wide receivers. Houston also ranks 26th in the league in passing yards allowed.
Most importantly, though, Westbrook has garnered quarterback Blake Bortles’ attention during his short stint of action. He has 27 targets in the last three weeks and tallied his career’s first touchdown in week 14 against Seattle.
As long as the Jaguars do more than just run, run, pass, then Westbrook has some value.
Sit
Corey Coleman vs. Baltimore Ravens
Coleman flirted with fantasy football stardom for a few weeks this season, including his week 14 effort against Green Bay.
He has at least 60 yards receiving in three of his past four games, while hauling in a touchdown in week 14. However, his targets aren’t high enough (thanks to Josh Gordon returning) to sustain momentum against a Baltimore defense that will have its way with the Browns.
Coleman isn’t a red-zone threat, and with Gordon back in the lineup, Coleman’s value has diminished, even with his solid outing in week 14. Don’t expect much out of Coleman and keep him on your bench.
Robby Anderson vs. New Orleans Saints
Anderson had a nice run in 2017 for fantasy football owners. Now’s the time to shut him down for the season on your roster.
I sat him last week based on my belief that he couldn’t keep up with his recent pace. That turned out to be true and I expect him to have more trouble with Josh McCown out with injury.
Whether you like McCown or not, he isn’t horrible. He does enough in the passing game to make some people relevant in fantasy, including Anderson. The quarterback situation is too volatile in New York, so find a better option than Anderson.
Tyrell Williams vs. Kansas City Chiefs
I see some momentum to start Williams in fantasy football, but I’m not buying it. In the last five weeks, he has a combined 16 targets. He’s been pretty productive in that time, scoring in two of the last three games, with more than 100 yards receiving in week 14.
And this is a plus-matchup for Williams against Kansas City, which can’t generally stop any opposing wide receiver.
But other than Allen, I just don’t see the value in starting another Charger wide receiver. Williams doesn’t see enough targets to warrant the buzz around his potential start in week 15.
Ignore the noise and keep Williams on your bench.
