Welcome to another edition of our weekly Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em. In this series, we’re here to help you set your lineups and put yourself in a position to win your fantasy football matchups each week. With the fantasy football playoffs kicking off, it’s time to take a look at Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season.

These players will be those “less-obvious” players that you’re on the fence about starting as your WR3 or Flex type of options. Nobody needs to tell you to start Patrick Mahomes or Christian McCaffrey. Let’s get right into it.

Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 15

Week 15 Start Em

Sam Howell QB – Washington Commanders @ Los Angeles Rams

Sometimes a week off is all you need to regroup and focus on the task at hand. Coming off of the bye week, Sam Howell for a few more weeks of fantasy football gold. Leading up to the bye, Howell had thrown for over 255 yards in five of six games while adding four rushing scores in the last three games.

This week, a face off with the Rams defense should amplify the fantasy potential. Opposing running backs have managed just 156 rush yards at 4.1 yards per carry in the last two weeks while quarterbacks have thrown five touchdowns and 285 yards per game. Also, four of the last five quarterbacks to play a full game against the Rams have thrown for over 255 yards with three of them notching multiple touchdown passes. Howell’s feet could even do some damage again, like Lamar Jackson’s 70 rushing yards last week. Not unlikely as Howell has averaged 7.8 yards per rushing attempt in his last four games.

In what could become a high-scoring affair, there is a better-than-good chance Howell pushes you into the next round of the fantasy football playoffs.

Drew Lock QB – Seattle Seahawks vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Drew Lock did a bang-up job in his spot start last week against a formidable 49ers defense, who are only giving up 13 points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Lock completed 22 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He did, however, throw two interceptions, which takes away from the performance, but this was quite the accomplishment against the 49ers in San Francisco.

If Lock starts against this week, he will be facing a reeling Eagles defense giving up a league-high nearly 22 points per game to quarterbacks. If Lock can keep his game clean, I could see a playoff-winning performance for him this week.

Jerome Ford RB – Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears

While not the most explosive player you’d think of, Jerome Ford has been a serviceable fantasy option since taking the lead role for Cleveland. In half PPR scoring, he’s tallied double-digit points in seven of his last nine games. Additionally, in his last six games, he’s either scored or eclipsed 75 scrimmage yards each time. Including 109 yards against Baltimore.

Now, he gets to face the Bears defense who, based on our free fantasy football tool, the D-PAC Score, has been the eighth-most generous team to opposing running backs. In their last three contests, each of the five running backs to get at least eight carries has averaged at least 4.5 yards per carry. Running backs have also scored three rushing touchdowns and hauled in a combined 19 receptions in those games.

Is Ford going to win you your fantasy week? No, but he is going to do enough to keep you from losing this week.

David Montgomery RB – Detroit Lions vs. Denver Broncos

If there is one thing you can count on David Montgomery for, it’s consistency. He’s currently ranked number two in the league for Consistency Score with a score of 6.56 and averaging over 15 fantasy points per game. He’s always right around 80 yards per game and gets his almost weekly touchdown. I’m expecting a slightly better output this week for him as he faces a Broncos defense giving up nearly 29 points per game to running backs. I expect Montgomery to be around 100 yards and at least one touchdown. Ultimately, he could be the player that gets you to the next round of the playoffs.

Zay Flowers WR – Baltimore Ravens @ Jacksonville Jaguars

If you’re looking for a wide receiver with potential, a great matchup, and all the momentum in the world, you’re looking for Zay Flowers. After scoring twice in Week 12, Flowers answered back with six catches for 60 yards and another score in his following contest. With 28 combined targets in his last four games, Flowers is re-emerging as the talent we saw at the beginning of the 2023 campaign when he saw 10 or more targets in three of the first five games.

Next up for the Ravens is a date with Jacksonville. 11 passing touchdowns have been surrendered by the Jaguars since Week 9 with six going to wide receivers. Notably, four different players have eclipsed 75 receiving yards against them in the last three games.

When a player is getting hot, it’s hard to not start them in fantasy football. Don’t fight it! Just put Flowers into your lineup this week and feel good about it.

Robert Woods WR – Houston Texans @ Tennesee Titans

Now this is a shot in the dark throw here to see if you can find a deep start. I’m going with Robert Woods in a much-depleted Texans wide receiver room. There is a possibility that both Nico Collins and Noah Brown will not start this week. Not to mention, rookie Tank Dell is on IR. That would leave Woods as the primary wide receiver and John Metchie as the number two.

Woods has finally just started to show his age and has been an afterthought in this Texans offense. However, without many other options, this might be a big week for him. The Texans face the Titans this week, who while they have a strong defense, are giving up nearly 48 points per game to opposing wide receivers. Someone has to catch the passes, so I’m going with Woods and probably Dalton Schultz as well.

Jake Ferguson TE – Dallas Cowboys @ Buffalo Bills

One of the more satisfying stories in this season of fantasy football, Jake Ferguson has been an excellent find at tight end. He’s scored four times in the last seven weeks and notched over 70 receiving yards in each of his last two games. Furthermore, he has also managed to average 12.8 yards per reception over his last six games.

As part of one of the hotter NFL offenses and going into a matchup against Buffalo, things are lining up well for Ferguson. The Bills have been a tougher matchup against tight ends this season but have given up some nice fantasy days to the position in recent weeks. Each of the four tight ends to grab at least three receptions since Week 8 has either scored or accumulated at least 45 receiving yards.

Ultimately, Ferguson has come through for fantasy managers again and again in 2023. And he’ll do it again in Week 15. He’s not going to single-handedly win you the week, but you’ll be happy to have him on your squad and in your lineup.

Dallas Goedert TE – Philadelphia Eagles @ Seattle Seahawks

In a surprising return from injury, Dallas Goedert returned to play last week to face the Cowboys. It was a very uninspiring performance (much like the entire Eagles team) only having four catches for 30 yards. However, after coming back from injury it can sometimes take a week or two to get back up to speed and this is the perfect week for him to get up to speed.

Furthermore, the Seahawks are giving up nearly 13 points per game to opposing defenses. What better way for Jalen Hurts to have a “get right” game than by using his talented tight end? I think Hurts will go to Goedert early and often.

Week 14 Sit Em

Justin Fields QB – Chicago Bears @ Cleveland Browns

It’s hard to bench the guys that got you to this point. Fortunately, if you got this far, you probably had another quarterback to lean on for a spell. Since returning from injury, Justin Fields has done considerable work with his legs, running for 221 yards in his last three games. Almost half of his season total of 458 yards. The issue is, that he’s thrown 203 yards per game with two total passing scores in those three games. Overall, not horrible numbers, but you may want to think about his next matchup.

Fields and the Bears head to Cleveland for Week 15 to play the defense with the worst D-PAC rating (2.49) for opposing fantasy quarterbacks. They are allowing just 179.6 passing yards per game and a completion rate of 56 percent – both the lowest in the NFL. Now you’re thinking the Fields’ scrambling will save his fantasy day, but you’d be wrong. In the last seven games, two quarterbacks have achieved 25 rushing yards in a game. They were Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson with 34 and 41 yards, respectively.

Benching Fields is not going to be easy, or even feasible, for many fantasy football managers. If you have another option, you should seriously consider them.

Gardner Minshew QB – Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

I think the whole league has been pleasantly surprised by how competitive Gardner Minshew and the Colts have been. Minshew has put together a few decent performances in a row since their bye week in Week 11 as he’s been averaging 268 yards per game and 1.5 touchdowns. Those types of numbers are enough to make your quarterback competitive in fantasy football.

This week, the Colts face the Steelers, who have been giving fits to opposing quarterbacks, only allowing 14 points per game to opposing quarterbacks. In a playoff-like atmosphere on Sunday, I’m expecting a tough day for Minshew.

Javonte Williams RB – Denver Broncos @ Detroit Lions

In the last few weeks, Javonte Williams hasn’t been the fantasy running back you were hoping for. Since Week 7, his best fantasy days have come with a touchdown, at least 20 touches, and a double-digit win by the Broncos. In that span, if all three things didn’t happen, he’s averaged 3.5 yards per carry 64.7 total yards per game.

With the Lions playing host to the Broncos in Week 15, expectations should be low. Since Week 9, only one running back with at least eight carries has managed more than 3.6 yards per attempt (D’Onta Foreman). Runners stymied in that time: Alvin Kamara (3.6 yards on 14 carries) and Austin Ekeler (3.5 yards on 19 carries).

Now’s not the time to put a ho-hum player in your lineup. Williams has been below average for too long for you to trust him in Week 15.

Kenneth Walker RB – Seattle Seahawks vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Kenneth Walker had some tough sledding last week in his return to action after an injury against the 49ers. He was only able to produce 21 yards on the ground and added another 33 yards through the air, but did not find the endzone. Additionally, he only saw a 56% snap share, when before his injury it was much higher.

Now, he faces the Eagles defense this week. While they aren’t too great against the pass, they can hold the running backs in check only allowing 16 points to opposing running backs. Overall, I expect a pass-heavy attack for the Seahawks and not a ton of production from Walker this week.

Tee Higgins WR – Cincinnati Bengals vs. Minnesota Vikings

Tee Higgins is an excellent wide receiver who can do special things with the ball. However, his biggest knock is that he tends to come back very slowly from injury. If we look back in time at his games following an injury, we see an unnerving trend. In 2021, he averaged 9.2 yards per catch with a high total of 62 yards across his next three games. Then in 2022, he missed two separate games due to injury. Overall, in five of the seven combined games to follow, he failed to exceed 60 receiving yards. After this year’s most recent injury stint, he has five total catches in the two games since.

With a Saturday matchup against the Vikings who just completely stonewalled Las Vegas, things don’t get any better. They’ve held opposing wide receivers to 126.7 combined receiving yards per game and 9.7 yards per catch in their last three games. Only one passing score has occurred in that span, so don’t count on a touchdown to save Higgins’ day. Leave him on the bench and move on to next week.

DJ Moore WR – Chicago Bears @ Cleveland Browns

DJ Moore is on a string of strong performances, averaging nearly 100 yards per game and one touchdown over the last three games. This is a very promising run for the owners that drafted Moore quite high and have seen a quite up-and-down season for him.

I’m predicting that it goes back down this week against a very tough Browns defense. The Browns have only been giving up 27 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers and have made life tough on quarterbacks. All things considered, I expect him to come a bit back down to earth and have a pedestrian performance.

Trey McBride TE – Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers

Last we saw Trey McBride, before the Cardinals’ bye week, he had a monster game hauling in eight passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. What a way to go into your bye week! With that being said, he’s going to face a much different defense this week against the 49ers who are only allowing nine points per game to tight ends. I like McBride and he looks to have a promising career, but not this week.

Cole Kmet TE – Chicago Bears @ Cleveland Browns

As one of the more sturdy plays at tight end, Cole Kmet has been a solid fantasy option for much of the 2023 campaign. He has, however, faded in matchups that prove more arduous for tight ends. Against Kansas City (12th worst D-PAC for TEs), he gained 22 yards. Against Carolina (6th worst), he notched 45 yards. Notably, in two games against Minnesota (3rd-worst), he managed just 5.8 yards per catch.

Now he has a date with Cleveland who sports the second-worst D-PAC for tight ends this year. Before last week’s two-score game by Evan Engram, the Browns had allowed just one tight end touchdown since their Week 5 bye. In that span, tight ends to tally 35 receiving yards or less include George Kittle, Pat Freiermuth, and Trey McBride.

As nearly the most important week of your fantasy football season, matchups can be the crucial element that determines your fate. Do you want to test that with the likes of Kmet in Cleveland this week? I didn’t think so. Someone like Cade Otton or Chigoziem Okonkwo would suit your needs better.

Don’t forget to hit us up on Twitter with any of your lineup questions. You can find Benjamin @FFRabbitDad and Brendan @OBryanBren. If you have a question, we will give you some guidance. After all, we want you to win!

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