Winners Club: Fantasy Football Playoffs Already Marred By COVID-19

Postponements piled up this week as the number of positive tests shot up.

What a week it’s been in the NFL, and after today there are still four games of football remaining on Monday and Tuesday. Yes, Tuesday! That’s the impact that COVID-19 has had on the league with cases skyrocketing in the NFL and around the country. Outbreaks have forced postponements reminiscent of the 2020 season, where games were played every day of the week to accommodate a “normal” schedule.

Everything you need to know for Sunday—start/sit decisions, stat projections and DFS advice—is below, but the most important thing you need to know for this week and beyond is that you have to keep up with the day’s news and adjust your lineups accordingly.

Turn on tweet notifications for your favorite reporters and follow us @SI_Fantasy and @SI_Betting. The COVID-19 situation in the NFL is very fluid. Just a few days ago, a positive test was all but guaranteed to rule a player out for the week. Now, with updated protocols, vaccinated individuals like Tyler Lockett have a shot to produce two negative tests and get cleared to play. Keep reading and buckle up.

Who’s In and Who’s Out

Reserve/COVID-19 list aside, there’s still a number of stars on the injury report. Running backs James Conner, Leonard Fournette, Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams are all questionable for Sunday. Quarterback Jalen Hurts may make his return to the field after a one-game absence. See who else is questionable, active and out in the Week 15 Injury Report.

Photo credit: Max Gersh/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Winners Club Live Stream and Twitter Q&A

Get ready for NFL Sunday… and Monday and Tuesday. Michael Fabiano, Bill Enright and Jen Piacenti are live on Twitter Spaces at noon ET for their weekly live stream to answer all of your fantasy questions. Follow them on Twitter at @Michael_Fabiano, @Billenright and @Jenpiacenti. Submit your questions by tweeting at them or drop them in the comments. I’ll also be running the @SI_Fantasy account at 11:30 a.m. ET for a start/sit Q&A as well. You can also send your questions to my account, @Kkylewood.

Essential Reading

Week 15 Player Rankings and Projections: Cordarrelle Patterson is one of Shawn Childs’s top running back plays this week and he’s projected over 22 PPR points. See how his points break down and check in with the other top projected scorers.

Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Michael Fabiano is a must-read every week, especially so in the first round of the fantasy playoffs. Nick Chubb is Fabiano’s running back Start of the Week. See what other players are his starts and sits for Week 15.

NFL DFS Help: Childs is attempting to craft the perfect DFS lineup full of can’t-miss pricey players and cheaper options who are bound to perform. He’s in on post-Urban Meyer James Robinson and Josh Allen this week, read who else made the cut.

Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

How COVID is Affecting Fantasy: Craig Ellenport details the NFL’s updated protocols, touches on some of the players and teams that have been affected by outbreaks and offers advice for dealing with uncertainty in the postseason.

Follow the Money: Frankie Taddeo is checking in on the games with lines that are on the move this week. The Cardinals-Lions game moved nearly a touchdown from when it opened to Friday. This is a week with some heavy favorites. Click to find out what other games are shifting.

Player Prop Picks: Childs has been better than .500 in each of the last two weeks picking player props and he’s even for the season. He’s looking to get back in the green this week with five fresh prop bets for Week 15.