2022 Fantasy Football WR/CB Match-Up Report NFL Week 15: Mike Williams is a Great Value This Week
Welcome to the weekly wide receiver/cornerback breakdown for fantasy football Week 15! We will review each of the outside matchups, as well as my 10 favorite matchups in the slot. Then, below the charts in this article, I break down my five absolute favorite matchups to use for DFS purposes. It is the fantasy football playoffs, so if you are reading this, congrats on making it this far, let’s survive and advance! This article is also critical for fantasy football DFS players, as this will help you gain a competitive advantage when setting your lineups. Follow me on Twitter (@fightingchance) as well!
| Left WR vs Right CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DK / FD $ | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| DeAndre Hopkins | ARI | $7700 / $8400 | Patrick Surtain | DEN | Safe |
| Oh no! Kyler Murray is now out and that leaves the Cardinals in the (not really) capable hands of Colt McCoy. Hopkins did lose a fumble that resulted in a New England touchdown but he also had seven catches for 79 yards on a team high 11 targets. Even without the starting quarterback, Hopkins is still going to be the most targeted receiver on the team and he is still going to have decent games that are better than mere mortals at wide receiver. However, Colt McCoy and a matchup against Denver takes him out of DFS consideration but Hopkins is still a start in your season long fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Drake London | ATL | $4700 / $6300 | Marshon Lattimore | NO | Risky |
| The Falcons have finally had enough of Marcus Mariota’s subpar play and are turning to rookie Desmond Ridder coming out of their bye. The kid hasn’t played a snap all season long but did have almost two full weeks to get ready considering the Falcons were on bye last week. With this being the start of the fantasy playoffs, a change in quarterback brings a ton of uncertainty even if London had a great game against the Steelers in Week 13. Will Ridder be a success in his first start against a decent Saints defense? This is assuming Lattimore plays which I really think he finally does this week. With bye weeks over and a complete unknown at quarterback, I would try to find an alternative to London in such a crucial week. | |||||
| Devin Duvernay | BAL | $4300 / $5400 | Denzel Ward | CLE | Risky |
| It was a horrendous Week 14 for the Ravens offense as they scored just 16 points against the Steelers and almost everything was on the ground. Duvernay was only targeted once and he didn't catch it. With Lamar Jackson banged up and Tyler Huntley in concussion protocol it is going to be an ugly week for the Ravens pass game. They aren't going to throw a ton and Duvernay isn't going to be a fantasy asset for Week 15. | |||||
| Stefon Diggs | BUF | $8100 / $8600 | Xavien Howard | MIA | Safe |
| He had a pretty bad day with just three catches for 37 yards, but it was a miserable day of weather in Buffalo and the Jets still do have a very strong secondary. The production has been a little off since Josh Allen hurt his elbow, but he had been scoring touchdowns before this one. He had seven catches for 74 yards back in Week 3 against these Dolphins and the Miami secondary has been getting torched a lot lately. Diggs is going to be a great option in Week 15 in both season long and DFS contests. | |||||
| DJ Moore | CAR | $5300 / $6600 | Levi Wallace | PIT | Risky |
| I guess over the Panthers bye they came to an agreement not to use D.J. Moore. He had four catches for 103 yards in Week 12 against the Broncos and then failed to have a single catch on three targets against the Seahawks. It has been a ridiculous season for Moore as his production and usage has been all over the map. The Steelers secondary isn't that great but who the hell knows what's going to happen to Moore in Week 15 and I think you should try to find another option for your fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Chase Claypool | CHI | $4500 / $5800 | Darius Slay | PHI | Risky |
| He dinged up his knee last week, but still left a lot to be desired. Now the Bears top receiver with Darnell Mooney out, Claypool had a respectable five catches, but they were good for only 28 yards. I expect him to see similar volume to the six targets he had last time the Bears played, but I don’t expect this offense to thrive in the pass game. Not to mention this matchup is against one of the best secondaries in football and with bye weeks now behind us, I hope you have enough better options to keep Claypool on your bench for Week 15. | |||||
| Ja'Marr Chase | CIN | $8300 / $9000 | Carlton Davis | TB | Safe |
| It was another big game for Chase since coming back from injury as Chase had ten catches for 119 yards and a touchdown against a soft Browns secondary. Tyler Boyd went out and Tee Higgins really was taken off the field early, so it isn't a surprise that Chase had another big game. With Tyler Boyd out and Tee Higgins now a freaking mystery, you have to love Chase again this week even against a strong secondary in Tampa Bay. You might not want to have huge DFS exposure given the tougher matchup, but Chase is still likely to ball out again. | |||||
| Amari Cooper | CLE | $6100 / $7200 | Marlon Humphrey | BAL | Moderate |
| He wasn't 100 percent with a hip injury, but Cooper still did have seven targets against the Bengals. However, he caught just two of them for 42 yards. We hope another week will get him closer to full health and hopefully more production. He did have three catches for 74 yards against the Ravens the first time, but that was a totally different quarterback and situation. Cooper has only six catches for 82 yards in the two weeks since Deshaun Watson has come back so the expectations have to be kept under control as he isn't likely to top 12-15 fantasy points in PPR scoring. | |||||
| Michael Gallup | DAL | $4500 / $5700 | Tyson Campbell | JAC | Moderate |
| He nearly had a touchdown in Week 14 as the ball was jarred loose as he was going to the ground and Gallup finished with just two catches for 40 yards. The volume has been solid lately as Gallup has averaged seven targets a game over the last three, but he has averaged only 42 yards per game over that span. Really at this point if he isn't scoring, he isn't much of a fantasy asset. The Jaguars secondary is pretty bad as they have allowed 21 passing touchdowns this season, but Gallup is still just a tough guy to trust in your flex spot for the first round of the fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Courtland Sutton | DEN | $5200 / $6700 | Byron Murphy | ARI | Moderate |
| He missed last week with a hamstring injury, and he is no lock to play this week, but let's be honest, there's no one else that would step in for him that would be fantasy relevant so let's just talk Sutton. If he misses that obviously helps Jerry Jeudy's status, but let's assume Sutton is going to play. I want to know what his practice schedule will be like by the end of the week. Despite the fact that the quarterback is going to be less than ideal, Sutton has proven consistency all season long even if the floor isn't that high. If it is Brett Rypien, which I expect, he actually didn't look awful last week and in a matchup against the crappy Cardinals secondary, I still give Sutton a start in my season long fantasy playoffs. I wrote off the Broncos for DFS consideration a while ago. | |||||
| DJ Chark Jr. | DET | $4500 / $6100 | Sauce Gardner | NYJ | Moderate |
| He got great volume and great production as he ended up with six catches on seven targets for 94 yards and a touchdown for the Lions. There are two things to note here. First, the matchup gets a lot tougher as the Vikings stink out loud and the Jets have a strong secondary. Also, the Lions are very healthy at receiver now with Jameson Williams becoming a bigger part of the offense. Chark might be a flex play for Week 15, but I wouldn't expect a repeat performance of last week. | |||||
| Christian Watson | GB | Jalen Ramsey | LAR | Safe | |
| The ridiculous touchdown streak continued in Week 13 as Watson had three catches for 48 yards and a score and added a 46-yard touchdown run to the mix as well. That is now eight touchdowns in the last four games. This can’t continue right? Right?? Watson has turned into the de facto number one receiver on this team, and while Aaron Rodgers isn’t lighting the world on fire, he is doing enough to keep the Packers in games and Watson lighting up the fantasy boards. The Rams are just a shell of what they were to start the season and I see no reason not to target Watson in the Monday night DFS games and start him in season long contests even with the expected return of Romeo Doubs. | |||||
| Chris Moore | HOU | $4200 / $6000 | Josh Williams | KC | Moderate |
| I'm just going to assume that Brandin Cooks just isn't interested in playing anymore this season, and even if he does, what has he done to excite you this season? However, when he and Nico Collins have been out, Moore has proven that he has at least a little fantasy upside as he racked up ten catches for 124 yards in Week 14 against a pretty good Cowboys secondary. I'm not saying that Moore is the head of the class, but I will assume he will have more than a half dozen targets and when that has happened he's had decent fantasy days. The Chiefs secondary just gave up a bunch of yards and points to Russell Wilson and Brett Rypien and the horrible Broncos pass game, so who says they can't again to Houston? I actually like Moore as a flex play for Week 15 and I think he is a reasonable DFS GPP dart throw at a very low salary. | |||||
| Michael Pittman Jr. | IND | $5800 / $7000 | Patrick Peterson | DAL | Moderate |
| The Colts were embarrassed the last time we saw them on Sunday Night in Week 15 and Pittman had just two catches for 16 yards on four targets. He did have two good games before that since Matt Ryan was re-installed as quarterback, so I don’t think all is lost on Pittman it was just a game where the Cowboys just steamrolled this offense. Minnesota doesn’t have as talented as a defense to rush the passer or the secondary to guard Pittman. I don’t think that Pittman is an awful DFS choice, but the uncertainty of how the offense will play on a given week makes him somewhat risky. However, with three games on Saturday, it makes him a more viable option. I see no way that Pittman isn’t worth a starting spot in your fantasy playoff rosters and I think he is a strong WR2. | |||||
| Marvin Jones Jr. | JAC | $3400 / $5300 | Trevon Diggs | DAL | Risky |
| Trevor Lawrence threw the ball 42 times and Jones got one target. He did catch it for 22 yards, but still. He hasn't topped 50 yards since Week 7 and there is no way that Jones should be considered for any fantasy game. | |||||
| Kadarius Toney | KC | $4800 / $6000 | Steven Nelson | HOU | Risky |
| He almost played last week against the Broncos and at least practiced a little. Andy Reid said he was on the border of playing last week so I have to think he is going to be out there this week. Toney is always a re-injury risk and has only been on the team a few weeks and hasn't played much with Patrick Mahomes. If it was Week 6 maybe I would think take the chance that Toney could have a big game, but with your fantasy season on the line I can't suggest putting him in your lienups. | |||||
| Davante Adams | LV | $9000 / $8500 | Jonathan Jones | NE | Safe |
| The guy had 71 yards at the half on a couple of really nice catches and then has nothing for the rest of the game? I know the Raiders went conservative but how do you not get this guy more involved? What a freaking waste! The Raiders get the Patriots this week who started out the season great on defense but have really slid of late. Adams is a no brainer always in your fantasy football playoffs, and I also think he will be a strong option in DFS games for Week 15. | |||||
| Mike Williams | LAC | $6300 / $7200 | Kristian Fulton | TEN | Safe |
| He returned from an ankle injury in a big way as Williams caught all six of his targets for 116 yards and a beautiful toe tapping touchdown against the Dolphins. Williams looked no worse for the wear and Miami had little answer for him all night. He certainly appears to be back to form which is amazing timing because he has a great matchup this week. The Titans have allowed the second most touchdowns through the air this season with 25 in 13 games, and with this game being at home there is no concern about the weather. Fire up Williams in both season long and DFS contests for Week 15 and I don't think you will be disappointed at all. | |||||
| Van Jefferson | LAR | Jaire Alexander | GB | Risky | |
| I’m going to be honest; I don’t know what to think of the Rams for the rest of the season. I figured they were going to roll over and die, but they made a sweet comeback last Thursday. I do know this, Jefferson hasn’t been a big part of the game plan. He has just four targets in each of the last two weeks, and although he had three touchdowns in the last five games but no yardage totals of even 50 yet. Baker seemed to prioritize the other two guys more and I would avoid Jefferson for Week 15. | |||||
| Jaylen Waddle | MIA | $7000 / $7300 | Tre'Davious White | BUF | Moderate |
| Even with Tyreek Hill in and out of the game for most of the night Sunday, Waddle still didn't take advantage and finished with just two catches for 31 yards on only four targets. The Dolphins offense is suddenly going stagnant, and Tua Tagovailoa has turned horrendously inconsistent over the past two weeks. Waddle is dealing with his own injury as his fibula isn't 100 percent either. The Bills secondary is not the elite unit it used to be, but it is still pretty good. With this game in Buffalo I do think Miami's offense will struggle somewhat for the third straight week. That being said, Waddle got you to the dance of the fantasy playoffs and you can't dump him now. Give him a start and hope things look more consistent for Miami come Saturday. | |||||
| Justin Jefferson | MIN | $9100 / $9100 | Stephon Gilmore | IND | Safe |
| The Lions were one of the few teams to keep Jefferson in check this season, but I had a feeling they couldn't do it again but I still didn't expect 11 catches for 223 yards. He was completely unguardable and I wouldn't have been surprised if he had 300 yards in this game. The Colts secondary was solid in the beginning of the season, but they are fading down the stretch. Jefferson has had good games against better defenses than the Colts so I have no problem using him in both the fantasy playoffs and DFS contests for Week 15. | |||||
| Nelson Agholor | NE | $3400 / $5400 | Rock Ya-Sin | LV | Risky |
| With DeVante Parker concussed on Monday night that will now put Agholor as a starting outside receiver. He led the team in targets in that game with ten but finished with just 32 yards on five catches. That was against a pretty sucky Cardinals secondary and the matchup gets even better this week against the Raiders. Agholor has only two games of over 50 receiving yards all season, but this will be one of the softest matchups this season. With your fantasy playoffs on the line it would be tough to trust this guy, but I still expect him to get decent volume. In desperation, he isn't the worst play, but I hope you have better options. | |||||
| Chris Olave | NO | $6500 / $7100 | A.J. Terrell | ATL | Safe |
| If you have been reading this column all season, I have been a big Olave fan for a while now. He has been a bit off lately as he has only had one really big game in the last month or so, but Olave has still been a big part of the offense and really has been the best receiver on the team all season long. He had just three catches for 41 yards in Week 1 against these Falcons, but he has become much more comfortable with the offense since then, and the Falcons secondary has dealt with injuries as well. The Falcons allow over 250 yards per game through the air and the only thing holding Olave back is the subpar quarterback play. I still love Olave as a DFS and season long option for a crucial Week 15. | |||||
| Darius Slayton | NYG | Kendall Fuller | WAS | Moderate | |
| He now hasn't scored in four weeks and Slayton really slipped as he had only three targets and two catches for 42 yards against Washington. He failed to top 50 receiving yards for the first time since Week 6 and he had six catches for 90 yards against these same Commanders just two weeks ago. I am willing to go with the fact that the Eagles are one of the best secondaries and not that Slayton is slipping. I believe he will be a solid WR3 for Week 15 season long lineups and I don't think that Slayton is the worst dart throw for Week 15 DFS lineups. | |||||
| Garrett Wilson | NYJ | $6000 / $7800 | Jeff Okudah | DET | Safe |
| Even in terrible weather conditions in Buffalo, Wilson still had six catches on seven targets for 78 yards. He has hit that number in five of the last six weeks and has clearly been the top offensive weapon on this team. We got the terrible news on Friday that Mike White won't be able to start and Zach Wilson is back under center. Damn it! Can he turn it around and actually throw to the wide receivers? I don't have enough confidence. Last time Zach was under center, Garrett had two catches for 12 yards on three targets. Unless you are desperate, I think you have to bench Wilson now. | |||||
| A.J. Brown | PHI | $8000 / $8200 | Jaylon Johnson | CHI | Safe |
| The Eagles had this game well in hand early so Philadelphia didn't really throw the ball as much as they could. Brown had only six targets in this one and finished with four catches for 70 yards but he did score to make his fantasy day a success. He now has four touchdowns in the last three weeks and now the Eagles play one of the worst secondaries in football. Brown is one of the most dynamic receivers in football and I don't think the Bears have any corner that can handle him. He is an elite option in both season long and Week 15 DFS lineups. | |||||
| Diontae Johnson | PIT | $5100 / $6600 | Jaycee Horn | CAR | Moderate |
| He STILL hasn't scored a touchdown this season, but he did have one of his best games of the season last week against the Ravens as he had six catches for 82 yards. The volume has continued to stay solid as he has averaged nine targets over the last three weeks and has 16 catches over that time. I have pretty much given up on him scoring a touchdown, but he still seems to have a ceiling of 12-15 fantasy points in full point PPR leagues this week and the rest of the season. | |||||
| Brandon Aiyuk | SF | $13200 / $13000 | Tariq Woolen | SEA | Safe |
| The 49ers will be without Deebo Samuel for this big Thursday game that could all but decide the division. I do think the injury to Samuel will make the 49ers run a little more, but I no longer have any questions about Brock Purdy at quarterback. The team crushed Tampa Bay and then ran the second half out when the game was already decided. This one should be more competitive, and I can see San Francisco throwing close to 30 times. The loss of Samuel means there is one less stud to spread the ball around to, and that should help Aiyuk's volume some as he is the clear number one receiver now. He is a stud and should be a no brainer in both your season long fantasy playoffs and the Thursday night DFS Showdown slate. | |||||
| DK Metcalf | SEA | $15000 / $12000 | Charvarious Ward | SF | Safe |
| He battled a hip injury but was active and had another solid game with five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers. That is now two straight games with a score for Metcalf and four straight with over 70 receiving yards. Seattle is starting to lose games, but for fantasy purposes, the pass game has been strong. With the running backs being injured, that should cause them to throw more again on Thursday. He had just four catches for 35 yards against the 49ers in Week 2 but I do expect him to fare better this week. The 49ers are a savage defense so I am not expecting a huge game from Metcalf, but he is still good enough to start in your fantasy playoffs and will be the best option on the team for the Thursday Night DFS showdown slate. | |||||
| Mike Evans | TB | $6200 / $6900 | Eli Apple | CIN | Safe |
| He did have a healthy nine targets, but Evans came up small again with just four catches for 44 yards. It wasn't all his fault this week as he did have a 68-yard touchdown called back because of a penalty, but it was nothing special he did, it was just a blown coverage by the 49ers and he was left alone. Evans hasn't topped five catches or 60 receiving yards since Week 8. The Bengals secondary is solid but not elite, but at this point how much faith do you have in Evans? I would say if you have him in your fantasy playoffs you have to start him, but are you in the fantasy playoffs if you drafted Evans early? No one on Tampa Bay deserves DFS consideration, but unless you are stacked at wide receiver, you have to throw Evans out there and hope for the best. | |||||
| Treylon Burks | TEN | $4600 / $6000 | Asante Samuel | LAC | Moderate |
| He missed last week with a concussion, but he should be good to go for this one. Burks was really starting to break out before the head injury, and you hope that he can get right back on track as we enter the fantasy playoffs. My only concern with Burks is that the Titans aren't a high-powered pass offense and seem to spread the ball around a great deal. However, Burks is by far the most talented receiver on the team, and if he is active he should be in your lineups. | |||||
| Terry McLaurin | WAS | Fabian Moreau | NYG | Safe | |
| In a strange twist of the schedule the Commanders played the Giants before their bye, and they will play them again this week after the bye. McLaurin had a huge game with eight catches for 105 yards and a score in Week 13 and while the Giants secondary is getting a little healthier, they are still not at 100 percent. Taylor Heinicke will remain the quarterback, although I do expect the Giants to have a different plan on defense this week with McLaurin since he just crushed them recently. I still think he is a must-start for DFS purposes, but I don’t trust in the production again enough to give McLaurin DFS consideration. | |||||
| Right WR vs Left CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Marquise Brown | ARI | $5500 / $6800 | Damarri Mathis | DEN | Safe |
| He still had eight targets which was second behind DeAndre Hopkins, but Brown only had four catches for 34 yards in a game where the Cardinals struggled to move the ball once they lost their quarterback. It is Colt McCoy's team now and that is a serious detriment to the pass game. Brown will continue to be a high volume target receiver, but his upside is severely capped now and the matchup against Denver does him no favors either. Brown is now a WR3 or a solid flex play and is well out of DFS consideration. | |||||
| Olamide Zaccheaus | ATL | $3400 / $5400 | Paulson Adebo | NO | Risky |
| Outside of a couple of blips of production, Zaccheaus has been largely ineffective all season long. That comes with the territory when the quarterback only throws it 20 times a game, but nevertheless he hasn’t been a fantasy asset. Now throw in the fact that you have a rookie quarterback in his first game and that really makes Zaccheaus a no go. Ridder could be good, but we have no idea, and this week is too important. | |||||
| Demarcus Robinson | BAL | $4000 / $6000 | Martin Emerson | CLE | Moderate |
| The Ravens had a miserable day on offense and are going to be playing with a third string quarterback this week. Robinson has become their number one receiver and he had a 33% target share and tied for the same number of targets as Mark Andrews last week. Robinson had five catches for 52 yards and against a soft Browns secondary you can probably look for similar production this week, and is a less than ideal option in your fantasy playoff lineups. | |||||
| Gabe Davis | BUF | $5000 / $6200 | Keion Crossen | MIA | Risky |
| It was another ho hum day for Davis in Week 14, although I will at least let the weather take the blame on this one as he finished the game with three catches for 31 yards and the worst part is he only had four targets. He had just three catches for 37 yards in Week 3 against Mimami and he is so hit or miss he is hard to trust at this point. When he hits he hits great, but those games have been very few and far between in 2022. | |||||
| Terrace Marshall Jr. | CAR | $3500 / $5300 | James Pierre | PIT | Risky |
| The Panthers won the game last week, but they did it almost totally on the ground and they (smartly) didn't ask Sam Darnold to do too much. It worked out for the team, but not for fantasy players. Marshall has really slipped lately and had just a single catch on just a single target for 18 yards. The Panthers are really focusing on the run and asking very little of their quarterbacks to hide their inefficiencies which means you need to find a better option than Marshall for Week 15. | |||||
| Equanimeous St. Brown | CHI | $3700 / $5200 | James Bradberry | PHI | Risky |
| He made the most of Claypool missing a little time with injury and finished with three catches for 85 yards back in Week 13 against the Packers. However, I urge you not to get excited about this. First, 56 of the 85 yards came on one catch, second, he had only four targets which usually isn’t the type of volume that leads itself to a fantasy friendly day, and finally the matchup is a hell of a lot tougher this week against the Eagles than it was in Week 13 against the porous Packers secondary. Don’t give this St. Brown another thought. | |||||
| Tee Higgins | CIN | $6900 / $7500 | Jamel Dean | TB | Safe |
| He was on the injury report on Thursday but then practiced and was off the final injury report. And yet, Higgins only played a couple of snaps. This is the second time this season that Higgins appeared to be good to go and the coaching staff decided not to play Higgins barely at all. He is so good that you have to give him a start even in the fantasy playoffs when everything is so crucial, but at this point, you almost have to hold your breath and hope he plays. | |||||
| Donovan Peoples-Jones | CLE | $5100 / $6500 | Marcus Peters | BAL | Safe |
| He came back to earth late in the year, but Peoples-Jones was easily the most targeted player in Week 14 with eight catches for 114 yards on 12 targets. This offense is really hard to predict as Deshaun Watson is clearly not up to speed just yet. However, you have to love the target share. The Ravens secondary played pretty well last week, but in general, they haven't been that great in 2022. I think Watson should continue to improve a little bit each week, and Peoples-Jones is at least worth a flex play for Week 15. | |||||
| Noah Brown | DAL | $3400 / $5300 | Montaric Brown | JAC | Risky |
| He had one of his best games of the season, especially since Michael Gallup returned, as Brown had four catches for 85 yards. He hasn't scored since Week 2 and this was the first time since Week 7 that he had more than three targets. He is fourth or fifth on the pecking order for targets and the Cowboys also run a lot so I wouldn't chase last week's points and leave Brown on the waiver wire. | |||||
| Kendall Hinton | DEN | $3900 / $5300 | Antonio Hamilton | ARI | Risky |
| Even without Courtland Sutton in Week 14 Hinton had just 38 receiving yards which isn't great, but he did have five catches which isn't that bad. If there were six teams on bye again or you had five injured receivers I could possibly think about giving Hinton a shot but it is the fantasy playoffs and every team is playing so he shouldn't be considered in any fantasy lineup even against a pretty terrible Cardinals secondary. | |||||
| Kalif Raymond | DET | $3100 / $5100 | D.J. Reed | NYJ | Risky |
| He did have an illness all week and Raymond finished with just two catches for 19 yards. It was the second straight week that he had just two catches and two targets and failed to top 20 receiving yards. The Lions have a plethora of receivers for Jared Goff to choose from, and lately, Raymond hasn't been a huge part of the offense. I would look in another direction as the Jets have been a strong secondary all season long. | |||||
| Allen Lazard | GB | Troy Hill | LAR | Moderate | |
| Week 13 was Lazard’s best in a month and the sad part is that was five catches for 67 yards. He was strong to begin the season, but now has six or fewer targets in three of the last four weeks and less than five catches in two of those four. He also hasn’t scored since Week 9 and that was against the Lions. This is a fairly strong matchup against a Rams secondary that is not very good anymore but the return of Romeo Doubs and the continued high-level play of Christian Watson makes Lazard a very low level flex for your fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Amari Rodgers | HOU | $3200 / $5100 | Trent McDuffie | KC | Risky |
| I think it is a long shot that Nico Collins plays, but if he is able to practice in full by the end of the week, I do think he is worth a start in your fantasy playoffs. If he does not play, I have little confidence in what is left. Phillip Dorsett or Amari Rodgers don't exactly excite me. I know Rodgers had a touchdown with his four catches and 57 yards, but this was the first time he had any impact at all. I'm not saying he's not capable of having a good game, the Chiefs secondary is very porous, but with no teams left on bye and your entire roster at your disposal I hope you have better options than a crazy dart throw on a terrible offense that was rotating quarterbacks in and out in Week 14. | |||||
| Alec Pierce | IND | $3900 / $5700 | Duke Shelley | MIN | Moderate |
| While Michael Pittman had an unexpected down game against the Cowboys in Week 13, it was Pierce who went the opposite direction and had great success against Dallas with four catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. This one is a tough call because Pierce was successful early in the season with Matt Ryan before faltering mid-season when Ryan went downhill, and Sam Ehlinger was installed at QB. So, there is a strong chance that Pierce could continue this production, but I would say it is equally possible he disappears this week. If you are dealing with injuries, I could see Pierce as your flex in your fantasy playoff roster, and he isn’t the worst dart throw for the Saturday slate. | |||||
| Zay Jones | JAC | $4900 / $6300 | Kelvin Joseph | DAL | Safe |
| This is getting really frustrating! Jones has been so up and down and is getting hard to know when you can trust him. He had double-digit targets for the third time in four weeks and Jones finished with eight catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys have a strong secondary but have several injuries. Dallas struggled with Houston last week, and while I think that was just a weird game, I can see Jacksonville having some offensive success. Jones's price tag is pretty low considering some recent success and I like him in both season-long and DFS contests for Week 15. | |||||
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | KC | $3800 / $5600 | Tavierre Thomas | HOU | Risky |
| The Chiefs scored a bunch of points, Patrick Mahomes threw a lot and still Noah Gray had the same number of targets as Valdes-Scantling and more catches and yards than MVS, Skyy Moore, and Justin Watson combined. That's pathetic. This guy is a one-trick pony and if there isn't broken coverage or perhaps a deep bomb down the field, he is basically useless from a fantasy perspective. The Texans never win, but their secondary actually isn't terrible. There is no fantasy lineup that I think Valdes-Scantling should be a part of for Week 15. | |||||
| Mack Hollins | LV | $4600 / $5700 | Jack Jones | NE | Risky |
| Like Adams, Hollins got off to a very good start and then was ghosted in the second half and finished with two catches for 22 yards and 40 rushing yards on three carries. He served fairly well for fantasy players for a bit this season, but now it looks like both Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow will be back for this week against the Patriots. Neither has been overly effective this season at all, but you have to figure that Hollins target share will suffer with these two activations. If you have been riding with him, you can safely send Hollins packing to the waiver wire. | |||||
| Joshua Palmer | LAC | $5600 / $6500 | Roger McCreary | TEN | Moderate |
| With both top receivers healthy, Palmer takes a bit of a back seat but still had a solid game with four catches for 53 yards against Miami on Sunday night. His six targets were his lowest since Week 5, and that will probably come with the territory on these rare times that Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are both healthy. Palmer still has big play ability and has had an uncanny knack for making acrobatic and really tough catches, which is always great for fantasy production. It is hard to use him for DFS purposes with Allen and Williams healthy, but if you've been riding him the last six weeks, I don't think he is a terrible flex play for your fantasy playoffs with the matchup against one of the most giving defenses through the air in the NFL. I think he still has a real shot to give you double-digit fantasy points in PPR scoring. | |||||
| Ben Skowronek | LAR | Rasul Douglas | GB | Moderate | |
| A lot of it was late production, but Skowronek had his best game of the season with seven catches for 89 yards against the Raiders last Thursday night. I don’t know that I generally expect Baker Mayfield to throw that much, and it was a great matchup against the lowly Raiders secondary. However, it doesn’t get that much tougher this week against the Packers who have been giving up the yards and scores to everyone lately. This would be a bit too much for me to ask in DFS contests, but I don’t think Skowronek is a totally terrible play for your Week 15 flex spot. | |||||
| Trent Sherfield | MIA | $3400 / $5200 | Dane Jackson | BUF | Risky |
| Sometimes the challenge of doing an article like this is to come up with different ways every week to say that a guy isn't fantasy relevant and not say the same thing every week. Sherfield has just four catches in the last three weeks combined, and if it wasn't for that broken play touchdown against the 49ers he likely wouldn't have had 50 yards combined in those three weeks. This isn't going to be an easy one Saturday night in Buffalo, and Sherfield should be left on waivers. | |||||
| Adam Thielen | MIN | $5200 / $6600 | Isaiah Rodgers | IND | Moderate |
| He has scored in two of the last three weeks, however, it was against the Patriots and the Lions so it hasn't exactly been against the stiffest competition. The Colts are fading some in the second half of the season, but they still have allowed just 16 passing touchdowns in 13 games. They are coming off their bye so they have had extra time to get ready for this one and I really only like to trust Thielen against the lowest competition. He could be a flex play for Week 15, but I think he will finish between seven and nine fantasy points with a ceiling of around 12. | |||||
| Tyquan Thornton | NE | $3000 / $5200 | Nate Hobbs | LV | Risky |
| He tied a career-high in receptions on Monday night against the Cardinals. The bad news is that his career high is only four and he finished with only 28 yards and has just one score this season. The Raiders secondary is one of the worst in the league, but Thornton only has three games all season where he's even had five targets. I love this guy and his talent and his speed and I hope that the team uses him better next year, but he is impossible to trust for fantasy purposes in Week 15. | |||||
| Rashid Shaheed | NO | $3200 / $5400 | Rashad Fenton | ATL | Risky |
| Jarvis Landry is playing mostly out of the slot, and he hasn’t been good enough to make the slot portion of this article nor be fantasy relevant in general. Shaheed has been mostly miss, but he has had two pretty strong games in a row with 128 yards over those games against strong defenses. The Falcons are not a strong defense at all, but it is very hard to trust a guy like Shaheed who is a big play threat but also has five games under 15 receiving yards. He could be a great DFS dart throw against a pretty terrible secondary if you need to pay up at other positions to get some studs in your lineup. | |||||
| Isaiah Hodgins | NYG | Rachad Wildgoose | WAS | Risky | |
| Hodgins has gotten a little fantasy attention lately as he has had six targets in each of the last two weeks and scored in both games. He only has 82 receiving yards combined in those two games, but the Giants are desperate to have someone to be reliable to throw to. The Giants are playing the Commanders who they just played two weeks ago and Hodgins had five catches for 44 yards against them in Week 13. He could be a high risk with solid reward DFS dart throw for Week 15 but likely isn't worth a pickup in season-long leagues as I'm only considering him because of the matchup. | |||||
| Elijah Moore | NYJ | $3600 / $5600 | Jerry Jacobs | DET | Moderate |
| With Corey Davis leaving early with a head injury, Moore took advantage with ten targets in the game. He finished with six catches for 60 yards in terrible weather in Buffalo. The bottom drops out on Moore's potentially rising value though with Zach Wilson back under center this week. Hell, the last time Wilson was quarterback, Moore was talking to a football in the locker room. He and Zach have zero chemistry and at this point I see no way that you can put Moore in your starting lineups in your fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| DeVonta Smith | PHI | $6400 / $7200 | Kindle Vildor | CHI | Safe |
| He has scored in back-to-back games and Smith finished with five catches for 64 yards against the Giants. He now has 50+ receiving yards in four straight games and is averaging five catches a game over the last five weeks. The Eagles get another cupcake matchup against the Bears secondary who have been getting absolutely torched through the air lately and I love Smith as a DFS option and for your fantasy playoff WR3. | |||||
| George Pickens | PIT | $5000 / $6100 | C.J. Henderson | CAR | Moderate |
| It is going to be hard to have too much love for the Steelers offense with Mitch Trubisky at the helm as we saw what that looked like early in the season. Pickens did have a strong game last week with three catches for 78 yards, and the matchup against the Panthers isn't too strong. Pickens had a couple of decent games with Trubisky but I have to say that I don't have a ton of confidence in Pickens. You can throw him in your flex and hope for a big play but I hope you have better options for the fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Ray-Ray McCloud III | SF | $1800 / $7500 | Michael Jackson | SEA | Risky |
| Even with Deebo Samuel out, I don't think any of the ancillary parts of the 49ers offense comes into fantasy relevance. Moreover, I think the studs on the team just get a few more balls each, instead of everyone starving to get theirs. McCloud did get three rushing attempts but was targeted just once against the Bucs. The Niners had that game salted away by the second quarter, but I still don't see McCloud or even Jauan Jennings getting more than five targets. The Seahawks actually have a pretty solid young secondary and barring some big play, I don't see McCloud having an impact. Given the rushing attempts and possible punt returns, he could be worth a very cheap dart throw on the Thursday DFS showdown slate for GPPs as you try to pick someone different to make your entry unique, but I do think it is a long shot. | |||||
| Tyler Lockett | SEA | $15300 / $11500 | Deommodore Lenoir | SF | Safe |
| He has now scored in SIX straight games as Lockett finished with five catches for 60 yards and that touchdown against the Panthers. The Seahawks are clicking on all cylinders in the passing game right now, but they have also played a number of bad secondaries lately in Carolina, Vegas, Arizona, etc. The Niners have a really strong secondary but Lockett did also have nine catches for 107 yards against them in Week 2 and I think that Seattle will have some success moving the ball on Thursday. He is unlikely to match that early season matchup, but Lockett has enough potential to be a WR3 in your season long leagues and a reasonable option for the Thursday night DFS showdown slate against San Francisco. | |||||
| Julio Jones | TB | $3900 / $5400 | Cam Taylor-Britt | CIN | Risky |
| He had a season bests with eight targets and five catches, but they were good for only 38 yards. The Bucs offense is pretty pathetic at this point, and Tom Brady needs to retire as he underthrew or just flat out missed several throws against the 49ers last week. The matchup is easier against the Bengals, but Cincinnati is still a fairly good secondary. Jones hasn't been a fantasy factor all season long and I don't expect that to change in Week 15. | |||||
| Robert Woods | TEN | $4400 / $5600 | Bryce Callahan | LAC | Risky |
| Even with Treylon Burks missing the game with a concussion, Woods was still just okay as he had five catches on seven targets for 49 yards and failed to score against a pretty weak Jaguars secondary. The Titans get another worse than average secondary with the Chargers in Week 15, but despite the solid volume that he gets, I couldn't trust Woods with a spot in my fantasy playoff roster. Leave him benched or on waivers for this crucial week. | |||||
| Jahan Dotson | WAS | Nick McCloud | NYG | Moderate | |
| Was it a good game against an injured secondary or is Dotson back to early season form? The rookie looked exciting again with five catches for 54 yards on nine targets and a beautiful spinning touchdown to tie the game in Week 13. The matchup is the same again this week against those same Giants although they have had some time to get healthier and prepare to face the same team again. Dotson had a bunch of scores earlier in the season and I am very encouraged by the nine targets before the bye. He could be a decent dart throw in a DFS GPP here and there and I think he’s worthy of a flex spot if he is on your season long roster. | |||||
Now, here are my 10 favorite matchups in the slot in Week 15.
| Slot WR vs Slot CB | |||||
| Wide Receiver | Team | DraftKings/FanDuel | Cornerback | Opp | Matchup |
| Tyreek Hill | MIA | $9000 / $8800 | TAron Johnson | BUF | Safe |
| He was dealing with an ankle injury for much of the game, but Hill still ended with four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on ten targets against the Chargers. He also had a second touchdown on a fumble recovery that he scooped up and ran for the score. The whole Dolphins offense is dealing with a suddenly inaccurate Tua Tagovailoa, but Hill's incredible speed and big play ability means he only needs a couple of touches to make it a big fantasy day. It isn't going to be easy in Buffalo on Saturday night against a Bills defense that Hill had his worst game of the season against. However, you never sit him in your fantasy playoffs and there's not a huge deal of elite receivers on the Saturday DFS slate so he will be a pretty strong play there as well. | |||||
| CeeDee Lamb | DAL | $7300 / $8100 | Darious Williams | IND | Safe |
| The Cowboys struggled way more than expected against the Texans last week and Lamb finished five catches for just 33 yards. He now has under 50 receiving yards in two of his last four. The floor is there for him though as he has had five or more catches in every game but two this season. The Jags have given up the fourth most touchdown passes in the league this season, and they also allow over 250 passing yards per contest. The Cowboys offense should bounce back in a big way and I expect them to put up 30+ points in this one making Lamb a dynamite start in both seasonal and DFS games. | |||||
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | $7800 / $8400 | Michael Carter | NYJ | Safe |
| It wasn't quite the game we were hoping for as St. Brown had six catches for 68 yards against the Vikings last Sunday. It still isn't a bad game, I think we all just expected him to outproduce D.J. Chark. This one will be interesting as Sauce Gardner is definitely the Jets best corner, but with St. Brown lining up in the slot most of the time I am interested to see how much Sauce he gets or if the Jets will play it straight up with Michael Carter who is a far inferior corner. Either way, I think St. Brown is a must-start in your fantasy playoffs, but I think you will likely find better matchups and options for this main DFS slate. | |||||
| Chris Godwin | TB | $6700 / $7000 | Mike Hilton | CIN | Safe |
| The Bucs offense seems to be getting worse by the week, and it was totally inept last week against the 49ers. That being said, Godwin still had nine targets and still had five catches for 54 yards. He hasn't scored in two weeks, but Godwin is still providing the safe floor that fantasy players crave at this time of year. The Bengals secondary is in the top half of the league, but if there's a weak link it is Mike Hilton. I don't expect the Bucs to have more than a touchdown or two, but it would be nice if it would go to Godwin. With the volume he has gotten lately (almost 11 targets a game over the last five) it is impossible to sit him in your fantasy playoffs, but I think looking elsewhere for DFS purposes would be smart. | |||||
| Keenan Allen | LAC | $6800 / $8000 | Amani Hooker | TEN | Safe |
| He did have a foot injury for a short time on Sunday night, but it was vintage Keenan Allen as he had 12 catches on 14 targets for 92 yards against the Dolphins. This is the stat line we have been used to for Allen and he now has 14 targets in back-to-back games. The matchup gets easier this week against a Titans secondary that gives up the booty through the air basically every week. The Chargers really need this game, and at home I expect this one to be very aerial. While I still favor Mike Williams for DFS purposes, I do like Allen this week as well. Additionally, when he is healthy there is no reason to ever consider taking him out of your season long lineups. | |||||
| Christian Kirk | JAC | $6600 / $7100 | DaRon Bland | DAL | Safe |
| He hasn't scored since his team's Week 11 bye, and Kirk now has had under 50 receiving yards in two of the last three games. The team did throw the ball very well, it was just Zay Jones and Evan Engram that had the big games. I have not lost faith in Kirk at all, and this should be a fairly decent game for them to succeed as the Cowboys are definitely down two of their top three corners and Trevon Diggs also was injured last week. Bland allows nearly an 82 percent catch rate and Trevor Lawrence has looked good of late. I am a little skeptical of using him in DFS but he is full systems go in your fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Jakobi Meyers | NE | $4700 / $6400 | Amik Robertson | LV | Moderate |
| He missed last week with a concussion, but I feel pretty confident he will be ready to go for this one. Meyers is generally a great PPR threat, but he has had just ten receptions in the last three games that he played. I'm willing to cut him some slack in that two of those games were against pretty decent defenses in the Jets and Bills. This week they will play one of the worst secondaries in football in the Raiders and even Mac Jones can take advantage of this matchup. With the rest of the team coming off a short week after playing on Monday night, I think Meyers is a lock for five or six catches and has a real shot at a touchdown in this one. The Patriots pass game is weak enough that I don't consider him a DFS play but as long as he is in the game I like Meyers to help you advance in the fantasy playoffs. | |||||
| Jerry Jeudy | DEN | $6100 / $7400 | Marco Wilson | ARI | Safe |
| Not a lot goes right for the Denver offense, but Jeudy had one of the best games of the season for a wide receiver in this putrid offense when he caught eight balls for 73 yards and three touchdowns. He caught touchdowns from both Russell Wilson and Bretty Rypien, so I am not concerned with whoever the quarterback is this week. Courtland Sutton's health will be a bigger determining factor, but Jeudy has been fairly consistent most of the year with 50+ receiving yards in seven of the last eight even though his receptions have swayed from three all the way up to last week's eight. I can't trust Denver in any DFS contest, but Jeudy is firmly in the WR2-WR3 landscape and should definitely be in your starting lineup against a Cardinals secondary that is really not good at all. | |||||
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC | $5800 / $7300 | Desmond King | HOU | Safe |
| He appeared to be back to "pre-concussion form" as Smith-Schuster led his team with nine catches on 11 targets for 74 yards and a touchdown. Considering this was against a pretty strong Broncos secondary, that makes the feat even more impressive. As stated earlier, the next closest wide receiver to Smith-Schuster had one catch, so he is clearly Mahomes choice when not throwing to a running back or Travis Kelce. The Texans secondary has played very strong of late, but I don't know that they can keep the Chiefs in check all game long. Smith-Schuster is back on the DFS radar for me and a definite start in season-long leagues playoff matchups. | |||||
| Romeo Doubs | GB | David Long | LAR | Moderate | |
| The rookie was spending about half the time in the slot in the few weeks before his injury and he looks ready to go for Monday night. There is definitely some concern that he hasn't played in a month and a half after injuring his ankle back in Week 9 against the Lions. Christian Watson has certainly emerged during that time, but Doubs was getting solid volume from about Week 3 on, averaging nearly seven targets a game from the end of September through October. He was clearly one of the few guys Aaron Rodgers trusted, and I believe that he will get most of his role back right away. He will be a solid option for the Monday night DFS showdown slate and I could definitely give him a flex start in your fantasy playoffs. | |||||
Saturday Slate
Elite
Justin Jefferson vs. Stephon Gilmore
The guy has eight 100-yard games out of 13 this season and is coming off a 223-yard game last week against the Lions. How much do I have to sell you here? The Colts secondary is pretty decent, but Dak Prescott just threw for three touchdowns against them before the bye. Jefferson is as close to unstoppable as it gets with only four games under 50 receiving yards and has scored in four of the previous six games. If he isn’t the best in the league, he is top three, and what better choice can there be in a three-game slate and Stefon Diggs will be playing in a snowstorm?
Affordable
Michael Pittman vs. Patrick Peterson
This offense is always a concern (see the Dallas game), but they are getting a cupcake matchup this week against the Vikings defense. Minnesota is allowing nearly 290 yards per game through the air and Jared Goff, Mike White, Mac Jones, and Dak Prescott went bonkers on them in the last month. Matt Ryan should at least do okay, and Pittman should be the highest-volume receiver. It was terrible against Dallas but before then he had 50+ receiving yards in seven of the previous eight games and had six or more catches in six of the previous seven. The Saturday slate isn’t booming with great fantasy options at wide receiver and Pittman seems like a nice safe floor with solid upside.
Bargain Bin
Donovan Peoples-Jones vs. Marcus Peters
The Browns offense hasn’t been great since Deshaun Watson hit the field, but he certainly had a nice connection with Peoples-Jones last week to the tune of eight catches on a team-high 12 targets for 114 yards. I would expect Watson to get a little better each week, and the Ravens secondary isn’t bad, but they still give up nearly 250 yards per game through the air. With Amari Cooper, not 100% I expect Peoples-Jones to again get the highest target share and to come out with a great return on the three-game Saturday slate.
Sunday Main Slate
Elite
Davante Adams vs. Jonathan Jones
It was close between Adams and Chase for this top billing and believe me the fact that the Raiders went completely away from their stud receiver in the second half didn’t go unnoticed. However, the Patriots defense is dealing with many injuries and gave up nearly 250 yards to Colt McCoy last week and likely will be without both Jalen Mills and Jack Jones on top of other injuries. If the game was in New England, I wouldn’t be using Adams, but in the confines of Vegas, I love it. Adams has averaged over a dozen targets in the last six weeks and should go berserk against the Pats.
A.J. Brown vs. Jaylon Johnson
He has four touchdowns in the last three weeks and the Bears secondary SUCKS! They are coming off of their bye, but this defense has gone in the crapper in the last month. The Eagles clinched a playoff spot, but the division isn’t quite wrapped up yet so they will still have their foot on the pedal. I can see using either of the Eagles receivers this week, but with Brown on this touchdown streak, I am highlighting him as the better option as I think Jalen Hurts is going to have a monster day.
Affordable
Chris Olave vs. A.J. Terrell
We are still stuck with Andy Dalton at quarterback, but that hasn’t worked out poorly for Olave even though I still think Jameis Winston’s skill set fit the rookie better. He is undoubtedly the number-one receiver on the team, and he has had fewer than six targets just twice all season. The Falcons are allowing over 250 yards per game through the air and are kind of packing it in with the quarterback change. Olave has averaged over 14 yards per catch and Terrell has allowed seven passing touchdowns this season.
Mike Williams vs. Eli Apple
This is an ABSOLUTE gift on DraftKings at $6,300! He just came back from injury and had a 100-yard game and a touchdown and his price is this low? I get that the Bengals have allowed the second-fewest passing touchdowns in the league this season, but even if Justin Herbert only throws one I like to have my money on Williams to catch it. He has a three-inch height advantage on Apple who allows over 14 yards per catch. This is one of my favorite plays of the day
Bargain Bin
Zay Jones vs. Kelvin Joseph
The Jags are in an upward trajectory now while the Cowboys are down two starting corners and Trevon Diggs left last week’s game. Jones has been seeing strong volume lately and the team has struggled to run the ball which puts more onus on Trevor Lawrence. Jones has eight or more catches and 65+ receiving yards in three of the last four and when he goes off, he does it big time. At his salary, he doesn’t even have to go bananas, but if he does this is a huge value.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.