Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Fantasy Football Week 15: Quarterbacks - Sleepers, Fades, Matchups, DFS Bargains

Jalen Hurts will look to exploit a vulnerable Washington defensive secondary in Week 15.

Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, Davante Adams, or Travis Kelce. Instead, I'll look at the players you have the most questions about to help you set the most effective starting lineup possible. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the 2021 NFL season.

Week 15 PPR Rankings: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | FLEX | KICKERS | TEAM DEFENSES (D/ST)

Week 15 Start ‘Em: Quarterbacks

Start of the Week

Jalen Hurts vs. Football Team (Tues. 7 p.m. ET, Fox): Hurts will be back under center for the Eagles after a one-week absence, and I’d start him in a battle with the Football Team. While their defense has played better in recent weeks, a pair of more mobile quarterbacks, Cam Newton and Russell Wilson, both beat them for better than 19 fantasy points. In all, they’ve allowed the third-most rushing yards to quarterbacks.

Week 15 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS | TEAM DEFENSES

Start ‘Em

Matthew Stafford vs. Seahawks (Tues. 7 p.m. ET, Fox): Stafford is coming off a huge stat line against the Cardinals, and he’ll be in line for another productive game when the Rams host the Seahawks. Their defense has allowed 18-plus fantasy points to enemy quarterbacks five times, and rookie Davis Mills beat them for 331 passing yards just a week ago. I like Stafford as a potential top-8 quarterback option this weekend.

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Taysom Hill at Buccaneers (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Hill has been a godsend for many fantasy fans, scoring a combined 46.9 fantasy points in his first two starts of the year. His success should continue against the Buccaneers, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks since Week 9. That includes a huge game from Josh Allen, who rushed for 109 yards and a score against them last week.

Kirk Cousins at Bears (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Cousins is tough to trust lately, as he has scored fewer than 16 fantasy points in two of his last three games. Still, when the Vikings host the Bears on Monday night, he'll be in the starting conversation. Chicago has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks since Week 9. Overall, six signal-callers have beaten them for 23-plus fantasy points.

Tua Tagovailoa vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Tagovailoa has not posted huge totals in recent weeks, as he’s failed to score more than 17.9 fantasy points since Week 7. Still, a matchup against the Jets makes him a solid option in multi-quarterback leagues. The Men in Green have been generous to the position lately, allowing 13 total touchdowns and the third-most fantasy points per game to the position over the last six weekends.

More Starts

• Aaron Rodgers vs. Ravens (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Justin Fields vs. Vikings (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Falcons (4:05 p.m., CBS)

DFS Bargains

• Jalen Hurts vs. Football Team ($6,600)
• Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Falcons ($5,800)
• Tua Tagovailoa vs. Jets ($5,700)

Week 15 Sit ‘Em: Quarterbacks

Sit of the Week

Cam Newton at Bills (1 p.m. ET, Fox): We have all heard of a backfield committee, but the Panthers have a quarterback committee right now. Over the last two weeks, Cam Newton and P.J. Walker have both seen snaps under center. Neither has been all that effective either, scoring a combined 25.9 fantasy points between them. This scenario makes Newton difficult to trust in any fantasy format against the Bills.

Sit ‘Em

Russell Wilson at Rams (Tues. 7 p.m. ET, Fox): Wilson has started to post better totals in recent weeks, so consider this more of a beware than a firm sit ‘em. He has failed to score 20 or more points in four of his last five games against the Rams, including three where he’s failed to hit the 11-point mark. Wilson has also been held to fewer than 16 points in all but two of his nine career road games against the Rams.

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Carson Wentz vs. Patriots (Sat. 8:15 p.m. ET, NFL): Wentz has seen his totals fall in recent weeks, as he’s failed to score more than 11.2 fantasy points in three of his last four games. That trend is likely to continue against the Patriots, who have been the stingiest defense in the league since Week 9. In fact, quarterbacks have averaged an awful 5.6 fantasy points against them in that time. Wentz is a hard fade this weekend.

Ryan Tannehill at Steelers (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Tannehill continues to record modest totals, scoring fewer than 17 fantasy points in four of his last five games. He'll have a tough time this weekend as the Titans travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. Their defense has allowed just one quarterback to score more than 19 fantasy points since Week 5, a list that includes Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Kirk Cousins.

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Matt Ryan at 49ers (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): The poster boy for our sit ‘em quarterbacks, Ryan is on this list yet again despite what looks like a good matchup. This season, the Niners have given up the fourth-most fantasy points to enemy quarterbacks. However, the position has averaged just 14.9 fantasy points against them since Week 9 and 17.1 points per game against them at home. Ryan remains a fade in all traditional leagues.

More Sits

• Derek Carr at Browns (Mon. 5 p.m. ET, NFL)
• Teddy Bridgewater vs. Bengals (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Mac Jones at Colts (Sat. 8:15 p.m. ET, NFL)

DFS Fades

• Dak Prescott at Giants ($6,500)
• Russell Wilson at Rams ($6,400)
• Joe Burrow at Broncos ($6,100)

Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business!

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