The start of the fantasy football playoffs in Week 15 means that the question of “who should I start this week” leaves little room for error for fantasy managers. With so many elements that go into those decisions, let’s take a look at the data for fantasy points allowed to each position in the last four weeks in order to make some starting recommendations for Week 15.
Who are some of the options that are in consideration this week that may not be the most obvious starters in fantasy leagues? Additionally, you could also utilize this data in order to aid your decision-making for DFS and Underdog Fantasy Best Ball leagues.
For the purpose of this article, all data discussed is using half-PPR and four-point per passing touchdown scoring unless otherwise stated. The Seahawks and 49ers are excluded from matchup data as they have already played.
Who Should I Start in Fantasy Football This Week?
The top of the list in terms of the most fantasy points allowed to defenses presents some intriguing matchup options. The easiest matchup on paper is for Justin Herbert against the Tennessee Titans. He was only started in 82% of ESPN leagues last week but should be locked in as a starter for most rosters.
The other intriguing matchups we can identify this week are headlined by Zach Wilson against the Lions. Prior to the news that Mike White was not expected to play this week, he was the QB14 in our QB fantasy rankings this week. However, trusting your fantasy season into the hands of Wilson is a very different matter to White, as wild as that seems when talking about the 2021 second-overall selection.
Among the other players with intriguing matchups this week are Baker Mayfield, Matt Ryan, and the Houston Texans QB situation. It would be a brave call to start Mayfield in Green Bay in his first start with the Rams. Meanwhile, Ryan has proven he can have big days, with a 22 fantasy-point performance against the Raiders in Week 10, but pinning your fantasy playoff hopes on Ryan would be extremely brave.
MORE: Fantasy QB Streamers and Rankings Week 15
The top matchup this week is for the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football. The New York Giants allow an average of 30.93 fantasy points to opposing RBs in the last four weeks. Therefore, both Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson could be intriguing options this week. They sit as the RB28 and RB41, respectively, in our Week 15 RB fantasy rankings.
The matchup for Cam Akers is intriguing, with the Packers allowing an average of over 30 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks. The other top matchups are hardly news as they benefit Dalvin Cook, Jonathan Taylor, and Miles Sanders. A sneaky option could be Latavius Murray after we saw two RBs find the end zone against the Arizona Cardinals last week.
The New York Jets WRs are intriguing this week with a matchup against the Detroit Lions. The Lions allowed 56.1 fantasy points to WRs last week. With Corey Davis dealing with a concussion, Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore could both be in line for big days in Week 15. Wilson sits as the WR10 in our WR fantasy rankings, with Moore as the WR36.
After Mike Williams returned last week, he should be a virtual must-start in Week 15 with a matchup against the Titans. In the last four weeks, Tennessee has allowed an average of 38.3 fantasy points to WRs. In deeper leagues, there is room for Joshua Palmer also to have potential value and is an interesting starting option in 14 and 16-team PPR leagues.
In the first game on Saturday, Michael Pittman Jr. is an interesting name. The Vikings have allowed 37.1 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers in the last four weeks. There is also the potential that Parris Campbell or Alec Pierce could have a big day. However, projecting which one will have success is tough to do.
Depending on the situation in Houston in terms of who plays, Chris Moore has a great opportunity to back up his big performance from last week. Moore turned 11 targets into 10 receptions for 124 yards, and this week he has a matchup with the Chiefs. Kansas City has allowed an average of 33.03 fantasy points per game to opposing receivers.
At tight end, it’s always tough to decipher matchup data. Last week, Evan Engram had a huge week against the Titans, who had been reasonably good against tight ends in recent weeks. This week, the top matchups for tight ends who were started in less than 50% of leagues are Gerald Everett and Greg Dulcich.
MORE: Fantasy TE Streamers and Rankings Week 15
Looking a little deeper, Cade Otton has a nice matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. He has 15 targets in the past two weeks but has needed to find the end zone to have significant fantasy value. Meanwhile, Juwan Johnson has a nice matchup against the Falcons and can have a significant role if he can play through his ankle injury.
Top Fantasy Football Matchups in Week 15
When we consider starting options for Week 15, looking back at recent data in terms of fantasy points allowed to each position can give you a good indication of some options to target. Using data from the last four weeks, let’s examine the five most favorable matchups for each position to help managers determine potential starting options this week.
The five teams to allow the most fantasy points to opposing QBs in the past four weeks and their matchups for this week are:
1. Titans (26.34 PPG) | vs. Chargers
2. Lions (23.54 PPG) | at Jets
3. Packers (22.70 PPG) | vs. Rams
4. Vikings (22.18 PPG) | vs. Colts
5. Chiefs (21.34 PPG) | at Texans
The five teams to allow the most fantasy points to opposing RBs in the past four weeks and their matchups for this week are:
1. Giants (30.93 PPG) | at Commanders
2. Packers (30.82 PPG) | vs. Rams
3. Vikings (28.50 PPG) | vs. Colts
4. Colts (28.47 PPG) | at Vikings
5. Bears (25.03 PPG) | vs. Eagles
The five teams to allow the most fantasy points to opposing WRs in the past four weeks and their matchups for this week are:
1. Lions (40.63 PPG) | at Jets
2. Titans (38.30 PPG) | at Chargers
3. Vikings (37.10 PPG) | vs. Colts
4. Chiefs (33.03 PPG) | at Texans
5. Bills (32.13 PPG) | vs. Dolphins
The five teams to allow the most fantasy points to opposing TEs in the past four weeks and their matchups for this week are:
1. Jaguars (18.07 PPG) | vs. Cowboys
2. Rams (13.70 PPG) | at Packers
3. Titans (13.11 PPG) | at Chargers
4. Cardinals (12.23 PPG) | at Broncos
5. Bengals (12.10 PPG) | at Buccaneers