Fantasy: Start, Sit, Stash, Quit - Week 15

SSSQ is a weekly look at under-the-radar fantasy players to consider starting and potential busts you should leave on your bench. We also identify breakout candidates to stash on your roster and players you can safely cut.

For the rest of your lineup decisions, consult our Week 15 rankings. You can also listen to the Week 15 preview episode of theScore Fantasy Football Podcast.

Start

Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins

at Jets

Hopefully, none of the players named in this article end up missing Week 15. With all the COVID-19 cases and injuries across the NFL, trying to pinpoint the top starts and sits feels like we're aiming at a moving target.

We already know the Dolphins will likely be missing Jaylen Waddle, who landed on the COVID-19 list. However, Tagovailoa remains a strong streaming option in a rematch with the Jets, even with his star rookie wideout sidelined.

In their last meeting four weeks ago, Tua finished as the QB13 overall while throwing for 273 yards and two scores. With DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki as his primary weapons, he should have no problem repeating or improving those numbers against a Jets defense allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

Boone's projection: 284 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, 9 rushing yards

Other QBs to start

• Dak Prescott at Giants
• Justin Fields vs. Vikings
• Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Falcons

James Robinson, Jaguars

vs. Texans

Robinson's bizarre usage in recent weeks can apparently be attributed to now-former head coach Urban Meyer.

With the Jaguars moving on from Meyer this week, Robinson should see his volume return to normal levels - at least that's what offensive coordinator and interim head coach Darrell Bevell seemed to be alluding to with his recent comments.

And the timing couldn't be better as Robinson gets set to square off with the Texans, who are one of the five easiest matchups for fantasy running backs. In the past two games alone, Houston gave up 143 yards and two TDs to Jonathan Taylor and 138 yards and two scores to Rashaad Penny.

Robinson should be treated as a high-end RB2 with RB1 upside this week versus the Texans and next week against the Jets.

Boone's projection: 92 rushing yards, TD, 23 receiving yards

Other RBs to start

• Sony Michel vs. Seahawks
• Antonio Gibson at Eagles
• D'Onta Foreman at Steelers

Christian Kirk, Cardinals

at Lions

DeAndre Hopkins being sidelined for the remainder of the regular season is a blow to his fantasy managers, but it'll open the door for Kirk and A.J. Green to take on larger target shares down the stretch.

Kirk has a slight edge on Green in their season-long per-game averages and outperformed his veteran teammate during the three games Hopkins missed earlier this campaign. It's worth noting that quarterback Kyle Murray was also absent for those contests.

Both Cardinals receivers can be started in fantasy moving forward, with Kirk being a low-end WR2 and Green a high-end WR3.

Boone's projection: 87 receiving yards, TD

Other WRs to start

• Brandin Cooks at Jaguars
• Van Jefferson vs. Seahawks
• DeVante Parker vs. Jets

Dallas Goedert, Eagles

vs. Washington

Goedert is coming off his biggest performance of the year - a six-catch, 105-yard, two-touchdown effort prior to the Eagles' Week 14 bye.

Now he returns to a matchup with Washington, a team he'll face twice over the next two weeks.

Washington's generally done well against tight ends this season but has permitted at least 50 yards and/or a touchdown whenever it's dealt with high-end players at the position like Travis Kelce, Kyle Pitts, or Dawson Knox.

Goedert should be locked into your lineup as a mid-range TE1 the rest of the way.

Boone's projection: 56 receiving yards, TD

Other TEs to start

• Mike Gesicki vs. Jets
• Zach Ertz at Lions
• Gerald Everett at Rams

Sit

Russell Wilson, Seahawks

at Rams

The Rams permit the sixth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks, so this will be a tough game for Wilson.

But the degree of difficulty could be far worse if he's without his top four receivers Sunday.

In addition to Tyler Lockett being on the COVID-19 list, the Seahawks were also missing DK Metcalf, Freddie Swain, and Dee Eskridge on the practice field Wednesday and Thursday due to injuries.

Even if a couple of those wideouts get cleared to play, you'll still want to avoid Russ in this matchup.

Boone's projection: 221 passing yards, TD, INT, 19 rushing yards

Other QBs to sit

• Ryan Tannehill at Steelers
• Carson Wentz vs. Patriots
• Cam Newton at Bills

Devonta Freeman, Ravens

vs. Packers

Lamar Jackson's status for Sunday remains uncertain. Tyler Huntley is a decent backup, but you have to significantly lower your expectations for the Ravens' offense if Lamar isn't out there.

Even though Freeman has emerged as the lead back for Baltimore, his projection will take a hit against the Packers, who have given up the ninth-fewest rushing yards and fifth-fewest rushing touchdowns in 2021.

Just remember, the concept of sitting a running back with Freeman's guaranteed volume depends entirely on your other options.

Boone's projection: 38 rushing yards, 21 receiving yards

Other RBs to sit

• Damien Harris at Colts
• Devin Singletary vs. Panthers
• Chuba Hubbard at Bills

Michael Pittman, Colts

vs. Patriots

The Patriots' defense is a challenging matchup in any game, but even more so when Bill Belichick has two weeks to prepare thanks to a bye.

New England is the fifth-hardest opponent for fantasy wideouts and has only let one receiver top 51 yards against them since Week 6.

Though Pittman is in the midst of a breakout campaign, we did see his fantasy floor the last time he battled a tough secondary. The Bills held him to just two catches and 23 yards in Week 11.

Boone's projection: 42 receiving yards

Other WRs to sit

• Marquise Brown vs. Packers
• Terry McLaurin at Eagles
• Julio Jones at Steelers

Cole Kmet, Bears

vs. Vikings

Kmet could be in for a long day when he goes toe-to-toe with Harrison Smith and Minnesota's defense.

The Vikings have been a little unlucky in the touchdown column recently, but yardage-wise, only two tight ends have topped 50 yards against them and the last time that happened was in Week 3.

If you're picking from the crop of tight-end streamers this week, you should be able to find someone with a better matchup than Kmet.

Boone's projection: 33 receiving yards

Other TEs to sit

• Tyler Conklin at Bears
• Hunter Henry at Colts
• Evan Engram vs. Cowboys

Stash

Malcolm Brown/Duke Johnson, Dolphins

If you're digging deep in an attempt to find potential fantasy starters amid all the latest COVID-19 cases in the NFL, look no further than the Dolphins' backfield.

With Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed, and Phillip Lindsay all added to the COVID-19 list in the last week, their availability for Sunday's game is in doubt.

That could leave the lead back role to Brown (9% rostered), who returned to practice this week but remains on injured reserve, or Johnson (2% rostered), a veteran capable of stepping up in relief duty.

Both Brown and Johnson should be rostered until we get more information on which running backs will be active.

Craig Reynolds, Lions

At the beginning of the week, there was hope that D'Andre Swift and/or Jamaal Williams would be cleared to play Sunday.

Unfortunately, they didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday as Swift continues to deal with a shoulder injury and Williams remains on the COVID-19 list.

We recommended Reynolds (3% rostered) as a pickup in Monday's waiver wire column, but it doesn't seem like anyone listened. The 25-year-old played 46% of Detroit's offensive snaps in Week 14, turning them into 13 touches and 99 yards from scrimmage.

He'll be the favorite to lead the way again if Swift and Williams remain out.

Quit

Playoff roster cleaning

Since the fantasy playoffs are here, instead of highlighting one player you can quit this week, we're going to list several stars who are still rostered in over 50% of leagues but should be dropped.

• DeAndre Hopkins (83% rostered)
• Julio Jones (75% rostered)
• Courtland Sutton (75% rostered)
• Calvin Ridley (66% rostered)
• Tyler Boyd (64% rostered)
• Hunter Henry (64% rostered)
• Allen Robinson (55% rostered)
• Emmanuel Sanders (51% rostered)
• Nyheim Hines (51% rostered)