When it comes to making start/sit decisions in fantasy football, the advice is simple: Play the matchups, and you’ll win more often than you lose. Now that we’re in the thick of the bye weeks, knowing the matchups to avoid and exploit becomes even more important. Bellow you’ll find the key matchup stats to know from each of the 15 remaining games for Week 15 of the 2017 NFL season.
Chicago @ Detroit
Jordan Howard in a good spot.
After floundering in his previous two games, Howard rebounded in a big way last week. He’s back in the RB1 conversation this week with a plus matchup against the Lions on tap. Detroit has allowed at least one rushing touchdown to each of the last eight backfield’s they’ve faced with six of those groups topping 100 rushing yards.
LA Chargers @ Kansas City
Philip Rivers keeps rolling.
Over the last month, Rivers has thrown for 1,348 yards and eight scores. For fantasy purposes, he’s the No. 4 quarterback over that span. He’s a good bet to continue to be a product asset this week against the Chiefs. While Kansas City has only allowed three passing scores over the last four weeks, they faced a relatively soft schedule over that span. Rivers should have no problem taking it to the Kansas City secondary, especially given the recent mind meld he’s established with Keenan Allen.
Miami @ Buffalo
Kenyan Drake is locked in as an RB1.
With back-to-back 100-yard performances, Drake has emerged as one of the hottest fantasy running backs down the stretch. The good times will likely continue this week, as Drake draws the No. 1 matchup for running backs. Excluding the Bills’ Week 12 contest against the Chiefs, Buffalo is allowing 191 rushing yards and 2.2 rushing touchdowns per game to opposing running backs over the last six weeks.
Baltimore @ Cleveland
Fade DeShone Kizer.
This isn’t the week to use the rookie signal-caller. Kizer has flashed upside this season, but he’s an extremely volatile play and could struggle against the Ravens’ pass rush. This is also important for the Josh Gordon owners out there. Gordon still has upside, but his fantasy value is tied to Kizer’s production. It’s wise to not overvalue Gordon this week.
Cincinnati @ Minnesota
Upgrade the Vikings run game.
Latavius Murray is in a great position to produce this week against a fading Bengals defense that surrendered 227 rushing yards and two scores to the Bears’ backfield last week. Cincinnati currently sits as the No. 4 fantasy matchup for running backs, so Murray should be considered a solid RB2 play. Jerick McKinnon is a more volatile play, but he can be used as a flex option.
NY Jets @ New Orleans
Drew Brees in a plus matchup.
The Saints run game has put a bit of a damper on Brees’ fantasy value this season, but his fantasy owners should feel confident about this matchup. The Jets are the No. 3 fantasy matchup for quarterbacks with only the Giants and Broncos allowing more passing scores entering the week.
Philadelphia @ NY Giants
To stream or not to stream Nick Foles?
This is question many Carson Wentz owners are facing this week. There’s no doubt that Foles is a big downgrade from Wentz, but he has shown some upside during his pro career. He also gets an extremely favorable matchup against a Giants defense that allows an average of 275 passing yards and two passing scores per game. While there is some appeal to Foles as a streamer option this week, he’s more of a desperation play.
Arizona @ Washington
Kirk Cousins rebounds.
Last week was rough for Cousins, as he managed just 151 yards and one score against the stout Chargers defense. He gets a much better matchup in this one. Arizona managed to hold Marcus Mariota in check last week, but the Cards have allowed two passing scores in three of their last five games. Cousins is far from a safe play, but he offers enough upside to be considered a back-end QB1.
Green Bay @ Carolina
Don’t overthink it with Aaron Rodgers.
There’s a lot of armchair analysis going around the interwebs regarding Rodgers this week with a lot of folks telling you why you shouldn’t start Rodgers. But are you really going to sit one of the best quarterbacks of all time in the fantasy semifinals? If he’s playing, Rodgers should be in your starting lineup. Better yet, he faces a Panthers defense that has allowed two-or-more passing scores in four of their last five games.
Houston @ Jacksonville
Stream Blake Bortles.
Believe it or not, there’s a good chance that Bortles could be a big factor in the fantasy playoffs thanks to his extremely favorable schedule. This week, he faces a porous Texans defense that surrenders the fourth most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Bortles isn’t a play for the risk adverse, but he has the potential to be a high-quality streamer this week.
LA Rams @ Seattle
Mike Davis gets a matchup boost.
The Seahawks have made it clear over the last two weeks that Davis is their feature back. He’s touched the ball 36 times during that span. While Davis hasn’t been especially effective, his touch volume bodes well for fantasy purposes. The same thing can be said about Davis’ matchup this week. He faces a Rams defense that has allowed 100-plus rushing yards to five of the last six backfields they’ve faced with four rushing scores surrendered to running backs over that span.
New England @ Pittsburgh
The hot streak continues for Ben Roethlisberger.
After a very slow start to the season, the veteran signal-caller has caught fire and leads all quarterbacks in fantasy scoring over the last month. While the Patriots defense has been much better over the second half of the season, they did just give up three passing scores to Jay Cutler. Roethlisberger is a superior player with superior options. He should have no problem posting QB1 numbers this week.
Tennessee @ San Francisco
Fade Marcus Mariota despite the matchup.
This is a great matchup for Mariota. The 49ers have stunk up the joint against the pass this season, allowing at least two passing scores to seven of the last eight quarterbacks they’ve faced. But there’s just no way we can trust Mariota with our fantasy lives on the line this week. The third-year man has failed to deliver this season and currently sits with more interceptions (14) than passing scores (10). Mariota isn’t just a fade this week, he’s also droppable.
Dallas @ Oakland
Dak Prescott is in play.
A rock-solid QB1 option over the first half of the season, Prescott’s value took a major hit with Ezekiel Elliott suspended. However, he showed last week that he’s still capable of exploiting a good matchup, as Prescott put up 332 yards and three scores on the suspect Giants defense. He’s in play again this week as a backend QB1 against a Raiders defense that gives up the seventh-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay
Devonta Freeman poised for a big game.
The Falcons running back continues to run hard and is poised for a big week with a very favorable matchup on tap. Tampa Bay has allowed two rushing scores to each of the last three backfields they’ve faced and currently sit third in the league with 13 rushing touchdowns surrendered to running backs. Freeman is a solid RB1 and could be an even bigger play if Tevin Coleman is unable to get through the league concussion protocol.
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