Fantasy Football Today: Here's everything you need to set your Week 15 lineup

USATSI

I'm gonna be honest: The Keenan Allen injury almost broke me Wednesday afternoon.

This has been such a tough Fantasy Football season, with so many of our best, most exciting players and offenses seeing their seasons derailed by injuries, but for some reason, Allen being ruled out for Week 15 with a heel injury felt like one of the biggest of the season.

It isn't. Objectively, it isn't; as far as we know, this is a one-week injury for Allen, who might even have been able to play in Week 15 if the Chargers were scheduled to play Sunday instead of Thursday. But it just felt like such a gut-punch when Allen was ruled out Wednesday afternoon. He's having the best season of his career, and for those of us who made the playoffs with him on our rosters, his absence feels insurmountable; that it came as a surprise after we didn't hear much to suggest Allen wasn't likely to play this week prior to Wednesday only made it worse.

Of course, as we've had to do dozens of times already this season, we trudge on. Whether Allen's injury actually ends up being insurmountable remains to be seen. I'll be replacing him in multiple leagues with some combination of Ameer Abdullah, Wan'Dale Robinson, and DJ Chark, so it feels especially tough for me. But, I guess the bright side is, your opponents probably have their own seemingly insurmountable injuries to deal with; looking at one league where I lost Allen, my opponent has a very iffy-looking Tyreek Hill worry about, along with Tua Tagovailoa, with a tough matchup against the Jets this week.

We're all in the same boat this year.

So, let's got on with it, Week 15. Remember to send me your questions at Chris.Towers@Paramount.com to be included in a mailbag edition of the newsletter tomorrow morning to help set those lineups. Just make sure you use the subject line "#AskFFT" so I can keep track of them. And now, here's everything you need to know for that first lineup lock of the 2023 Fantasy playoffs.

Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | RB | WR
Week 15 Position Previews: QB | RB | WR | TE
Jamey, Dave, Heath's Rankings
My Week 15 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE

🔍Week 15 Game Previews

There's something to watch in every game on the NFL schedule every week, even if you have to squint to see it sometimes. Here's a look ahead at every Week 15 game, with some notes on what Vegas is expecting to see, the latest injuries, and the toughest lineup decisions:

All odds are via SportsLine's consensus odds.

Chargers at Raiders

Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Line: Raiders -3; 34.5 O/U
Implied totals: Raiders 18.75, Chargers 15.75

Expectations aren't quite as low for this one as they were for last Thursday's game, but a 34.5-point over/under is pretty putrid -- though, increasingly normal across an NFL landscape battered by injuries at the most important positions. With Justin Herbert out for the season with a finger injury, I'm not sure anyone in this game beyond Davante Adams is a true must-start option.

Toughest lineup decision: Zamir White -- Sit. It's a solid matchup against the Chargers, who allow the sixth-most Fantasy points to running backs this season, but I'm not sure how much that specifically matters for White. The Chargers have primarily struggled slowing running backs down in the passing game, allowing the most targets, second-most receptions, and second-most yards to running backs of any defense. The Raiders have mostly stopped throwing the ball to their running backs on early downs since Josh McDaniels' firing. Raiders running backs had combined for 6.5 targets per game on first and second down in eight games with McDaniels coaching, but just 2.4 since. White hasn't played much in his career, but it seems safe to assume he's not a better runner than Jacobs, and we have no reason to think he's going to have a third-down role. So, while White might have been a priority on waivers, I think I might rather start Ameer Abdullah.
Injuries to watch: This one is a mess. Keenan Allen (heel) has already been ruled out, though the Chargers will have Josh Palmer (knee) back from IR -- I'm not starting Palmer, given the QB situation, if I can avoid it. But a good game here would go a long way toward making him a viable option for the rest of the Fantasy playoffs. Quentin Johnston also has a chance to emerge as a useful option, though we haven't seen enough from him as a rookie to view him as anything more than a desperation play. On the Raiders side, Davante Adams (illness) and Josh Jacobs (quad) are both questionable, though at seemingly different degrees. Adams missed Thursday's practice with the illness, so let's hope it's just a 24-hour bug; Jacobs looks a lot less likely to play after missing every day in practice, though he's the kind of veteran who likely doesn't need to practice to have a chance to play, so we won't rule him out until the Chargers do. He's an RB2 if he plays.

Vikings at Bengals

Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
Line: Bengals -3; 40.5 O/U
Implied totals: Bengals 21.75, Vikings 18.75

Nick Mullens is the new Vikings quarterback for this week, and while he isn't entirely an unknown quantity, we've seen him attempt just 68 passes over the past three years and has never started a game in this Kevin O'Connell offense. The last time he played extensively, in 2020, his on-target pass rate was 75.3%, right in line with that Joshua Dobbs has managed as the Vikings starter. However, with Mullens less likely to take off and scramble, it's probably a net upgrade for the Vikings passing game. Probably.

Toughest lineup decision: Justin Jefferson -- Start. Yeah, you're starting Jefferson. He told reporters he will play this week despite leaving last week's game with an internal chest injury, and he had three targets on just 13 snaps before leaving last week. Jefferson gets a downgrade from Kirk Cousins, and we're entering entirely unknown territory as far as how much of a downgrade its, as just 14 of Jefferson's career 532 targets have come from QBs who aren't Cousins -- including none from Mullens. Still, Jefferson might be the best WR in the NFL, and we've seen Ja'Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson sustain fringe WR1 value with backups. Jefferson should be able to do the same. The same goes for T.J. Hockenson, though it's harder to have confidence in Jordan Addison, who went from 5.3 targets per game with Justin Jefferson active to 7.7 without.
Injuries to watch: It looks like Ty Chandler has a good chance of starting for the Vikings this week, with Alexander Mattison (ankle) missing the first two days of practice. We'll see what Thursday's injury report holds, but as of now, Chandler is in the RB2 range with a good matchup. Jefferson has been limited but already told reports he plans to play, and the same is true for Ja'Marr Chase (ankle) despite missing practice Tuesday. He improved to a limited practice Wednesday, a good sign.

Steelers at Colts

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET
Line: Colts -2.5; 42.5 O/U
Implied totals: Colts 22.5, Steelers 20

The Steelers have managed just 14.7 points per game in three games since getting rid of offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Sure, two of those games have been with backup Mitchell Trubisky at QB, but I still think it's probably fair to say that this team's offensive issues went deeper than the playcaller.

Toughest lineup decision: Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren -- Start. Both backs are coming off pretty lousy performances against the Patriots, with Harris managing just 7.8 PPR points, while Warren had just 8.0. But I'm still willing to roll both of them out there as RB2/3 types in a matchup against a Colts defense allowing the third-most points to opposing running backs. This is a bad offense with a timeshare, so neither should be viewed as a must-start option. But I would start both ahead of Zamir White, at least, and potentially ahead of Ty Chandler, too, among others.
Injuries to watch: Kenny Pickett (ankle) is going to miss at least one more game with his injury, and the Steelers could be even more short-handed Saturday, with Diontae Johnson (knee) missing practice Wednesday after being fine Tuesday. Hopefully that's a relatively minor issue, but we should know by Thursday, at least. On the Colts side, Jonathan Taylor (thumb) hasn't practiced and is expected to miss at least one more game.

Broncos at Lions

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Line: Lions -4; 47.5 O/U
Implied totals: Lions 25.75, Colts 21.75

The Lions defense has fallen apart since a strong start, and they've now given up at least 26 points in five straight games since their bye. This Broncos offense is more methodical than explosive, so I'm not necessarily expecting a 400-yard explosion from them (they haven't hit that mark in any game this season), but I do think what we've seen from the Lions lately should have the arrow pointing up for this Broncos offense.

Toughest lineup decision: Courtland Sutton -- Start. I've taken my lumps for being down on Courtland Sutton this season, and I put together a Twitter thread a few days ago with my thoughts on the process there, if you want to check that out. But I will say this: As down as I've been on Sutton, I'm starting him in this matchup. I still don't love his usage, and think his touchdown rate is unsustainable, and all that. But, if you're going to have to rely on a touchdown-or-bust, low-volume WR, this isn't a bad spot to do it in.
Injuries to watch: The relevant names here are all mostly healthy, it seems, and there's one new name to keep an eye out for: Greg Dulcich (hamstring), who practiced in full Thursday. He's been on IR for most of the season, so they'll be cautious with him, but he's a potential late-season breakout candidate if he can get healthy. I'm certainly not starting him, and probably not even adding him this week, but we'll definitely keep an eye on the 2022 third-rounder to see if he pops here in the final month.

Bears at Browns

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Line: Browns -3; 37.5 O/U
Implied totals: Browns 20.75, Bears 17.25

It's hard to overstate how much the Browns have overcome this season, with four different starting quarterbacks winning a game so far. Joe Flacco looks like he'll be the guy the rest of the way, and they've revamped their offense on the fly, becoming a pass-heavy offense over the past few games.

Toughest lineup decision: Justin Fields -- Start. I don't actually think this should be a particularly difficult decision, but I'm sure some of you are agonizing over it with the Browns defense. And look, it's a terrific defense, but it's not unbeatable. They're top-five in points allowed to quarterbacks in Fantasy this season, but are more like middle of the pack over the past four weeks. Fields is just playing too well to play the matchups game with unless you have some pretty stellar alternatives. Fields is averaging 27.5 points per game over the past five, not including the game he left with an injury, and I'm just going to trust him here.
Injuries to watch: One thing to keep an eye on here is D.J. Moore's status. He's been a huge help to Fields, but he was unable to practice Wednesday with an ankle injury. We'll watch that one over the next couple of days, because it would change Fields' outlook if he can't play. Jerome Ford (wrist) was able to get a limited practice session after going for X-rays after Week 14's game. He should be good to go, it seems.

Buccaneers at Packers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Line: Packers -3.5; 41.5 O/U
Implied totals: Packers 22.5, Buccaneers 19

This game actually has pretty high stacks for a battle of two sub-.500 teams in mid-December, as both are currently in the playoffs in the NFC. The Packers hold the seventh seed, while the Buccaneers are at the top of a three-way tie for the NFC South.

Toughest lineup decision: Aaron Jones -- Start. With Jones out the past three games, AJ Dillon was predictably pretty mediocre, totaling just 30.6 points in full-PPR scoring. Which is to say, I don't think there's any reason to be concerned about Jones' role when he's back to full strength. The question is whether he'll be anywhere close to "full strength" in Week 15 even if he does play, and it's a fair question; the last time Jones came back from a multi-week injury, he had eight carries and five targets. I would expect a similar workload, perhaps with even more opportunities in the passing game against a Buccaneers defense that tends to force teams into passing more than they otherwise would. Jones is a pretty risky start if he's cleared, but I'm probably rolling with him as a low-end RB2 with upside.
Injuries to watch: Chris Godwin (knee) didn't practice Wednesday, and this appears to be a new injury for the banged-up Godwin. He's missed a lot of practice lately, but has still played every game, though it's not clear if this new injury has him in the same position as before. On the other side, Jones (knee) was limited, while AJ Dillon (thumb) did not practice to open the week. We'll watch both over the next few days, along with Christian Watson (hamstring), who did not practice; Jayden Reed (ankle) got a limited session in to open the week, which seems like a good sign. If both backs are out, we'll likely see Patrick Taylor and Kenyan Drake split work; neither would be a recommended starter unless you are absolutely desperate.

Texans at Titans

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Line: Titans -3; 37.5 O/U
Implied totals: Titans 20.25, Texans 17.25

The outlook for this game is going to depend a lot on the injury report, with so many relevant Texans dealing with injuries. Which makes it especially tough to preview as of Wednesday evening.

Toughest lineup decision: Any Texans RB -- Sit. The Texans backfield has been one of the most frustrating situations in the league of late, because it seems like their preference changes seemingly every week. Two weeks ago, Dameon Pierce as the clear lead back, with 15 carries to Devin Singletary's eight (Singletary added just one target in a pretty low-volume passing attack); in Week 14, it was Singletary leading the way with 13 carries, while Pierce got just four. Even if we knew who the lead back would be, I'm not sure I'd be particularly excited about either if C.J. Stroud doesn't play; with the uncertainty, I'm just trying to avoid this mess entirely.
Injuries to watch: The state of the Texans offense right now makes it especially tough to trust any of their backs, with C.J. Stroud (concussion) and Nico Collins (calf) both held out of practice Wednesday. This could be a really bad offense if both are out. The good news is that Dalton Schultz (hamstring) practiced Wednesday, so he should be back and might be the top target in the offense -- albeit with Davis Mills throwing him passes. He'll be a top-12 TE if he plays, but Stroud's presence would obviously help.

Chiefs at Patriots

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Line: Chiefs -9; 37.5 O/U
Implied totals: Chiefs 23.25, Texans 14.25

Here's a stat that is hard to believe, but I swear is 100% accurate: The Chiefs have reached their 23.25-point implied total exactly once since October, a span of five games. A lot has been said about it, but this isn't the Chiefs offense we've gotten used to, and it might lead to some legitimately tough decisions for the Fantasy playoffs.

Toughest lineup decision: Patrick Mahomes -- Start. Tough decisions like, "Do I actually consider sitting Patrick Mahomes? He hasn't passed for 300 yards since Week 7, and has three games with one or fewer touchdowns in six games since. He's averaging 17.6 points per game in that span, and he's got a matchup against the sixth-best defense vs. QBs in Fantasy this season. I'm probably still starting Mahomes in a pass-heavy offense, but it's a legitimate question, especially if you have someone like Matthew Stafford or Jordan Love with a much better matchup this week.
Injuries to watch: Isiah Pacheco (shoulder) still isn't practicing as of Wednesday, an ominous sign for what was initially described as a contusion. We'll see what the rest of the week holds, but I wouldn't plan on having him available right now. The same goes for Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle), who also didn't practice after missing last week. Ezekiel Elliott will be ranked well ahead of both Jerick Mckinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire if both are out.

Jets at Dolphins

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Line: Dolphins -8; 37.5 O/U
Implied totals: Dolphins 22.75, Jets 14.75

The line for this one moved a few points toward the Jets since the Dolphins' stinker against the Titans Monday night. I would still be pretty stunned if the Jets actually pulled the upset off here, but if the line moves a few more points toward the Jets if Tyreek Hill's status looks uncertain, I certainly wouldn't be surprised.

Toughest lineup decision: Tua Tagovailoa -- Start. It's not a no-doubt-about-it start, especially if you have Stafford, who I would start ahead of Tagovailoa. But I do want to advise caution, because I get the feeling some of you with Tagovailoa might be starting to panic. He didn't have a great game the last time the Jets and Dolphins faced off, and this is a very tough matchup. But, if Hill is cleared to play -- and especially if he doesn't look especially limited in practice by the end -- I'm still likely starting Tagovailoa over most of the options you might have been able to pick up off waivers like Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield, or Jake Browning. But the Dolphins overall injury situation has me thinking I might need to move Tagovailoa down the rankings again.
Injuries to watch: De'Von Achane (toe) and Tyreek Hill (ankle) were both unable to practice Wednesday, which isn't a great start. The Dolphins tend to be pretty cautious when it comes to early-week practice, so hopefully they'll be cleared by week's end. Stay tuned. On the Jets side, they're in pretty good shape, though Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) still looks far away from returning as he has yet to get in a full week of even limited practice. He didn't practice Wednesday and seems like a long shot to play at any point this season.

Giants at Saints

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Line: Saints -6; 37.5 O/U
Implied totals: Saints 21.75, Giants 15.75

The Giants have won three straight to move to the periphery of playoff contention, but Vegas isn't buying it. Tommy DeVito is a fun story, to be sure, but Monday's game against the Packers was also the first time he's led the Giants to more than 300 yards of offense.

Toughest lineup decision: Wan'Dale Robinson -- Sit. Robinson is coming off his best game since his rookie season, and might finally be back to something like full strength after last year's torn ACL. But, it's worth noting that game was six catches for 79 yards, which is a solid performance, but surely not something that screams "must-start" in an offense that still figures to be pretty mediocre. He also had 42 yards on four catches before the team's final drive in the last minute, so he was pretty close to another mediocre showing. I'm not saying Robinson is without merit, but I'd have to be pretty desperate to start him; I'd much rather stash him and see what he does for an encore.
Injuries to watch: Taysom Hill (foot/hand) and Rashid Shaheed (thigh) were both able to get in a limited practice Wednesday, which indicates they've at least got a chance to get back on the field for this one. Whether they do or not will be determined by their status later in the week, so stay tuned. Shaheed would be a boom-or-bust WR3/4, while Hill has earned the right to be viewed as a top-10 TE if healthy.

Falcons at Panthers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Line: Falcons -3; 35.5 O/U
Implied totals: Falcons 19.25, Panthers 16.25

It says something about the state of so many offenses around the NFL that a matchup between a Falcons team that doesn't seem all that concerned with scoring as many points as it can and a Panthers team that can't really score even if they really want to doesn't have the lowest over/under of the week. That being said, it is the second-lowest, so things are still pretty grim here.

Toughest lineup decision: Chuba Hubbard -- Start. I thought about just declaring everyone in this Panthers offense a "sit," but I can't bring myself to get there with Hubbard. I don't love him in this offense, but it's hard to go away from a back with 20-plus carries in consecutive games, especially against a Falcons team that seems pretty unlikely to turn this into a multi-possession game early. Even if they do, of course, Hubbard might get that workload anyway -- he had 23 carries in Week 14, despite a 28-6 loss. The Panthers can't really do anything in the passing game anyway (they haven't had 200 passing yards since Week 8), so their primary concern at this point might be getting Bryce Young out of the season without a serious injury. I don't want to start anyone here, but Hubbard is a volume-based RB2.
Injuries to watch: Neither team features any Fantasy relevant injuries worth discussing as of Wednesday evening.

Commanders at Rams

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Line: Rams -6.5; 49.5 O/U
Implied totals: Rams 28, Commanders 21.5

That line seems a little high for a Rams team that is still sub-.500. On the other hand, a once promising Commanders season has completely fallen apart, and I don't think the bye week was enough to fix what has looked like the league's most hopeless defense. There's a reason Matthew Stafford is Jamey's Start of the Week.

Toughest lineup decision: Antonio Gibson -- Start. I think it would probably be a mistake to assume that if Brian Robinson is out, Gibson will just be the clear lead back. At this point, the Commanders pretty clearly don't view Gibson as that kind of player, rightly or wrongly, hence rookie Chris Rodriguez only averaging one fewer carry per game than Gibson. However, Gibson is still a solid start in a game where the Commanders should be chasing points, and he's got a chance for, say, 8-10 carries and a half-dozen targets. That's enough to put him in the RB2 conversation, I would think.
Injuries to watch: Brian Robinson (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, an ominous sign coming out of the bye. At this point, I'm not expecting him to play. On the other side, Tyler Higbee (neck) opened the week with a limited practice, a good sign for his chances of coming back, seemingly. He's in the TE2 discussion if he plays.

49ers at Cardinals

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Line: 49ers -13.5; 47.5 O/U
Implied totals: 49ers 30.5, Cardinals 17

The Cardinals have given up 400-plus yards in two of their last three games before the bye week, and now they have to go up against one of the most efficient offenses the NFL has ever seen. You don't see a lot of 13-point home underdogs, and Kyler Murray will have to play better than he has so far to have a chance.

Toughest lineup decision: Marquise Brown -- Sit. Opportunity has never been an issue for Brown, but at some point, we've gotta ask if he's worth all the opportunities he's gotten. He's averaging just 5.7 yards per target for the season, his third season in a row below 7.0. That's not an outlier, necessarily -- other guys, like late-career Larry Fitzgerald, Jarvis Landry, and Diontae Johnson had similar stretches of inefficiency -- but the thing that makes Brown stand apart is that he's not a short-area target, and he doesn't have QB issues holding him back. He's pretty exclusively played with at least decent (and often very-good) quarterbacks and is a downfield target who just ... doesn't hit on big plays. Is he miscast in that role? Perhaps, but as long as he's getting close to 10 targets per game, there's too much upside to have him as a blanket "sit." Brown is a WR3 with boom-or-bust potential.
Injuries to watch: Of course, it's surely not helping Brown that he's been playing through a heel injury. He left Week 13's game as a result of that injury, and despite having the Week 14 bye to recover, he wasn't able to practice Wednesday, a bad sign for his chances of playing. That said, he's played through it despite missing practices in recent weeks, so we won't know his status for certain until later in the week, likely.

Cowboys at Bills

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Line: Bills -2; 50.5 O/U
Implied totals: Bills 26.25, Cowboys 24.25

This isn't a must-win game for the Bills, but their chances of making the playoffs are going to look significantly better if they can pull this one off, seeing as they've got the Chargers, Patriots, and a potentially-resting Dolphins team up after that to close the season out. In fact, if they win this one, they've got a chance to at least make Miami sweat that Week 18 matchup.

Toughest lineup decision: Dalton Kincaid -- Start. In five games without Dawson Knox this season, Kincaid is averaging 14.2 PPR points per game, on 7.6 targets; in six games with Knox, he's at 7.4 and 5.0, respectively. Kincaid did have a solid eight targets in Knox's return last week, but was back to being used almost exclusively as a short-area target, with just two targets traveling more than 10 yards down the field. His floor and ceiling are both seemingly lower with Knox active, but that doesn't mean he's an automatic sit, especially in what could turn into a shootout. But I'm taking him out of top-five consideration, at least.
Injuries to watch: These teams are both in pretty good shape as far as health goes, with Dalton Kincaid (thumb/shoulder) and Rico Dowdle (ankle) the only names you need to know about on the injury report with a limited designation Wednesday. Both should be good to go.

Ravens at Jaguars

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
Line: Ravens -3; 42.5 O/U
Implied totals: Ravens 22.75, Jaguars 19.75

Far from taking a big step forward like pretty much everyone expected, the Jaguars offense has stagnated this season, and it's not getting better; their running game in particular has been pretty lackluster since the bye, with just one game over 100 yards in five tries. And now they face maybe the toughest defense in the league to try to avoid a three-game losing streak.

Toughest lineup decision: Calvin Ridley -- Start. Well, if I said I'm starting Brown, I guess I have to say I'm starting Ridley. They're not identical players, or really all that similar in most ways, except that they've both shown solid upside and incredibly low floors on a weekly basis this season. Ridley's been the better player, but he hasn't really been any more trustworthy, with four games of at least 18 PPR points and seven in single figures. I just don't think that's going to change down the stretch, but the upside is still worth chasing.
Injuries to watch: Trevor Lawrence (ankle) was a full participant in practice Wednesday after getting through last week's game. He looks good to go, and Travis Etienne (ribs) should be good to go despite that lingering injury.

Eagles at Seahawks

Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Line: Eagles -4; 47.5 O/U
Implied totals: Eagles 25.75, Seahawks 21.75

The past few weeks have made the Eagles look merely mortal, for really the first time in two years. If they lose to the Seahawks in the midst of a four-game losing streak, we might see full-on panic from the Eagles fan base.

Toughest lineup decision: Kenneth Walker -- Sit. Walker isn't an automatic sit, but he's RB30 for me, even in what no longer really looks like a terrifying matchup. He came back from injury last week and was in a clear timeshare still, getting eight carries and five targets while playing 56% of the snaps; Zach Charbonnet played 42%. Walker always has the upside to break a long run and make himself worth a spot in your lineup, but given how few opportunities he's been getting lately (one game with double-digit carries since Week 7), you just can't count on it at this point.
Injuries to watch: Neither team will release a full practice report until Thursday, so we won't know Geno Smith's chances of playing until later on in the week.