Fantasy Football Week 15 Sleepers
Week 15, AKA the fantasy football semi-finals, is officially upon us. Whether you made it here because of a BYE or advancing from the first round, a quick pat on the back is in order.
With injuries continuing to pile up at a high rate, hitting on the right waiver wire sleeper is as critical as ever.
Focus on what you can control.
My Week 15 Sleepers:
Running Backs:
Jeff Wilson Jr. (San Francisco 49ers) – Since returning from IR, Wilson has seen 30 rushing attempts in the last three games, although his average yards per attempt has been streaky. If Raheem Mostert plays and is inefficient, perhaps Kyle Shanahan turns to Wilson to handle the majority of the backfield snaps. Wilson can handle an increased workload, indicated by his 21.9 and 32.0 fantasy point games in the first half of the season before his injury. The Dallas Cowboys have been terrible against the run all season, allowing a league-worse 162.7 yards per game on the ground, leaving Wilson in a perfect smash spot if Mostert is limited in any capacity due to his nagging ankle injury. Wilson has the most upside amongst all sleepers in Week 15, especially if he can log 50% or more of the offensive snaps.
Jamaal Williams (Green Bay Packers) – Williams has seen 32 rushing attempts over the last three games as a change-of-pace option behind Aaron Jones. Williams has proven the ability to produce with Jones in the starting lineup, as well as filling in for Jones as the Packers workhorse when Jones has missed time due to injury. In a game in which Green Bay should dominate the flow and tempo of the game, this could be a situation where both Williams and Jones can coexist for fantasy purposes. Perhaps the game is lopsided in favor of Green Bay, with Jones handling a larger workload at the beginning of the game, with Williams being sprinkled in at first, and then coming in as the closer to finish the game. Williams is a desperation RB3/FLEX play this week.
Wide Receivers:
Tim Patrick (Denver Broncos)– Perhaps not the most exciting name in fantasy football, Tim Patrick deserves some recognition this season. Patrick is coming off back-to-back double-digit fantasy points and has scored in the double-digits in eight out of 12 games played in 2020, highlighting his consistency and trust between himself and Drew Lock. Patrick is a tough receiver was a knack to make tough catches in tight coverage. He is a reliable target in the red zone as well. This is a good matchup for Patrick and the Broncos, with attention possibly turning towards Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, while also trying to stop deep threat K.L. Hamler. With all of these weapons healthy, the field could open up for Patrick. Buffalo is middle of the pack in regards to their passing defense. This game should be a high-scoring affair. Patrick is a WR3 with upside in an exciting Week 15 matchup.
Russell Gage (Atlanta Falcons) – Russell Gage has made a stride back into the fold for the Falcons offense, scoring double-digit fantasy points in three of the last four games while also logging 70% or more of offensive snaps. Without Julio Jones, Gage will continue to see an uptick of snaps and targets. With Tampa Bay’s attention turning towards stopping Calvin Ridley, Gage will be in a prime spot for another big fantasy performance. The Buccaneers are good but not great against stopping the pass. This divisional matchup should be a higher scoring game than most envision it to be. With Jones out of the lineup, and Ridley most likely being shadowed by Carlton Davis, Gage will have ample opportunity to step into a larger role once again and produce for fantasy managers that take a gamble on him in their semi-final matchup.
Tight Ends:
Irv Smith (Minnesota Vikings) – With Kyle Rudolph out of the lineup last week, Smith stepped up and thrived, hauling in all four of his targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. With Kirk Cousin’s recent revival, Smith becomes an intriguing option amongst the tight end wasteland. Rudolph’s status for Week 15 is not looking promising after missing last week’s game as well as the first two practices of this week, leaving Smith in a prime position to take over as the starting tight end this week. If you are lacking a serviceable tight end heading into your semi-finals contest, Smith could provide the fantasy production you are looking for out of a tight end for this week.
Quarterbacks:
Philip Rivers (Indianapolis Colts) – He might not be the flashiest player, in real life and fantasy, but Rivers has been consistent throughout the entirety of the season, even if he is not posting QB1 numbers. In a favorable matchup against a Houston Texans defense that has gotten destroyed by opposing offenses all season, Rivers is one of the best available streaming quarterback sleepers for this week. Look for the Colts to dominate the game both on the ground and in the air. You won’t have to worry about Rivers being sacked or throwing under pressure too often, ranking fifth in Protection Rate. When Rivers is under pressure, however, he is extremely efficient, also ranking fifth in Pressured Completion Percentage. Rivers is trustworthy when taking shots deep downfield for big plays, indicated by his 46.2% Deep Ball Completion Percentage, which is eighth-best among quarterbacks. Rivers is tied for fourth in Accuracy Rating, proving he can connect with his receivers at a high rate. Although top-10 fantasy quarterback aspirations for Rivers might be too high, against a Texans defense Rivers remains among the best plug and play options at quarterback this week.
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