Fantasy Football Wide Receiver & Tight End Start/Sit Week 15: Rashee Rice, Gabe Davis, Kyle Pitts
Lou breaks down some of the toughest Start/Sit decisions at the wide receiver and tight end positions for fantasy football in Week 15.
It’s playoff time!! This is when making the right start/sit choices becomes the most important part of playing fantasy. If you made the playoffs, your team is good; now you have to make sure to use the right players.
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Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Week 15 Starts
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
Wilson has been hard to trust for a lot of the season due to so many QB changes and poor play from those QBs. Zach Wilson is back under center now, though, and is coming off a very strong game, as is Garrett, who caught nine of 14 targets for 108 yards. The matchup vs. Miami should be high-scoring, and Garrett should be in your lineups as you look to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs @ New England Patriots
Rice has been the number-one WR for the Chiefs for a few weeks now. He has seen at least nine targets in three straight games and made at least seven catches in all three of those games. He also scored a TD in two of the games and has become a trusted target for Patrick Mahomes when Travis Kelce is double covered. Feel confident in using Rice this weekend.
Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittman has seen at least 11 targets in four straight games and has made at least eight catches in each of those games. He has double-digit catches twice and is undoubtedly the top pass-catching option for QB Gardner Minshew. Even against a good Steelers defense this weekend, Pittman has become a must-start WR, even in the shallower formats, as he and the Colts look to squeeze their way into the playoffs.
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Week 15 Sits
Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons
Even though he has seen 19 targets in the past two games, his actual effectiveness and fantasy production leave a lot to be desired. QB Bryce Young has struggled in his rookie season, and the Panthers' offense has been one of the worst in the NFL all season long. You should leave Mingo on your benches this week.
D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears @ Cleveland Browns
Moore has had some great games this season when in the right matchup. However, this weekend, he is in the wrong matchup. He and the Bears head to Cleveland to take on playoff hopefuls who are the second-best defense in fantasy against WRs and number one overall in the NFL against the pass. Moore simply cannot be trusted to put up the fantasy production you will need in order to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
Gabe Davis, Buffalo Bills vs Dallas Cowboys
He has caught zero passes in three of his past five games and has a tough matchup vs. a great Cowboys defense. He will either be lined up against veteran Stephon Gilmore or the pick-six king Daron Bland, and although he has big game potential, his potential to put up a donut exists, and that’s why he cannot be used in shallow leagues and should even be considered a non-play in deeper leagues too.
Fantasy Football Tight End Week 15 Starts
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers
Even though his matchup is very tough, going up against one of the top defenses in the NFL and the fourth-best defense against TEs, McBride is the favorite target of QB Kyler Murray, and there will be plenty of garbage time opportunities for him in a game that should be a massive blowout. This is a start your studs situation here; McBride should be used right now in any matchup.
Pat Freirmuth, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts
He has been solid since returning from the IR and is a nice security blanket for whoever is at QB for the Steelers. The Colts give up a lot of points and have been playing in high-scoring games lately, and that should provide “Muth” with plenty of opportunities both between the 20s and in the red zone. In 12-team leagues or more, you want him in your lineups.
Fantasy Football Tight End Week 15 Sits
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers
Pitts has had some good games this season, but for the most part, he has been a big disappointment. The Falcons' offense is also inconsistent, and Pitts is the third or fourth option in this offense behind Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and even Tyler Allgeier. The Panthers have been good against the pass this season too, so unless you play in a 14 or 16-team league, you can leave Pitts on the bench.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Green Bay Packers
For some reason, fantasy managers continue to run Otton out there every week. In a deeper league, I somewhat understand because there aren’t many other options, yet when you really look at Otton's body of work, he rarely hits double-digit fantasy points, and when he does, it’s because he finds the end zone. I don’t feel comfortable using a player who is TD-dependent when you’re trying to win a playoff matchup.