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

SSSQ is a weekly look at under-the-radar fantasy players you should 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

Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings

vs. Dolphins

Coming off arguably his worst outing of the season in Seattle, Cousins gets a bounce-back game against Miami, as the Dolphins' defense has allowed multiple touchdown passes in seven of their last eight contests. The Vikings will also be playing for a new offensive coordinator after John DeFilippo was fired this week, giving hope to a unit that's struggled to find consistency in 2018. Whether interim OC Kevin Stefanski will be an upgrade remains to be seen, but he should have a strong debut given the matchup.

Boone's projection: 267 passing yards, 3 TDs

Other QBs to start

• Dak Prescott at Colts
• Lamar Jackson vs. Buccaneers
• Mitch Trubisky vs. Packers

Lamar Miller, RB, Texans

at Jets

Despite a slow start to the season, Miller has turned into an extremely reliable fantasy back. Since Week 7, he's posted the 13th most fantasy points at his position, including four 100-yard rushing games. With the Texans favored by a touchdown against New York, Miller will see plenty of opportunities against a Jets defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league against the run.

Boone's projection: 89 rushing yards, 16 receiving yards, TD

Other RBs to start

• Jaylen Samuels vs. Patriots
• Derrick Henry at Giants
• Tevin Coleman vs. Cardinals

Robby Anderson, WR, Jets

vs. Texans

Curtis Samuel was originally occupying this space, but since I talked about him at length in the waiver wire column and on the Week 15 preview podcast, I decided to focus on Anderson. After breaking out as a top-20 fantasy receiver last year, Anderson's only cracked 50 yards twice this season. But one of those games occurred last week, when he posted 76 yards and a score against the Bills. With his targets up the last couple games, Quincy Enunwa already ruled out, and the Texans showing increasing vulnerability against speed receivers, Anderson is set up for another quality performance.

Boone's projection: 94 receiving yards, TD

Other WRs to start

• Curtis Samuel vs. Saints
• Courtland Sutton/DaeSean Hamilton vs. Browns
• Dante Pettis vs. Seahawks

Evan Engram, TE, Giants

vs. Titans

Unlike most of the players that make the "Start" section, Engram has the worst possible matchup - the Titans. However, there's reason to believe he'll be matchup-proof this week. In his last three games, Engram has stat lines of 4-46, 2-66, and 3-77, with two of those performances coming against teams that are in the top-10 at defending tight ends. Engram should also see a bump in targets once again with Odell Beckham Jr. out for a second-straight game.

Boone's projection: 68 receiving yards, TD

Other TEs to start

• Vance McDonald vs. Patriots
• Chris Herndon vs. Texans
• Anthony Firkser at Giants

Sit

Jameis Winston, QB, Buccaneers

at Ravens

Winston has played better recently, with multiple touchdowns in each of his last three games and only one turnover during that stretch. He's also rushed for 47 and 48 yards in his last two outings, helping lift his fantasy totals. Unfortunately for him, the Ravens boast one of the best defenses in the league and are even tougher at home. The chances of a Winston meltdown are extremely high for this game. Don't be surprised if we see Ryan Fitzpatrick at some point in the second half.

Boone's projection: 209 passing yards, TD, INT, FUM

Other QBs to sit

• Aaron Rodgers at Bears
• Matt Ryan vs. Cardinals
• Matthew Stafford at Bills

Adrian Peterson, RB, Redskins

at Jaguars

Outside of his 90-yard touchdown run against the Eagles in Week 13, Peterson is averaging less than two yards per carry over his last three games. It isn't his fault that the Redskins are down to their fourth-string quarterback or that the offensive line has also been decimated by injuries. Prior to Derrick Henry's 238-yard, four-touchdown explosion last Thursday, the Jaguars were playing solid run defense. They'll return to form against the banged-up Washington line.

Boone's projection: 39 rushing yards

Other RBs to sit

• Marlon Mack vs. Cowboys
• Kenyan Drake/Frank Gore at Vikings
• Josh Adams at Rams

Golden Tate, WR, Eagles

at Rams

Carson Wentz is dealing with a back injury that's expected to keep him out of the lineup this week and maybe for the rest of the season. The Eagles' offense was already struggling and will now try to get back on track with Nick Foles under center on the road versus a surging Rams defense. If that last sentence wasn't enough to scare you away from Tate, how about the fact he's only topped 50 yards once since arriving in Philadelphia? Alshon Jeffery is also a player you need to consider benching in this one, depending on your options.

Boone's projection: 46 receiving yards

Other WRs to sit

• Kenny Stills/DeVante Parker at Vikings
• Randall Cobb at Bears
• Tre'Quan Smith at Panthers

Jimmy Graham, TE, Packers

at Bears

Any hope that Graham would see a resurgence after Mike McCarthy's firing was lost when he caught just two of his five targets for 13 yards last week. Graham only had eight yards against the Bears in their first meeting in September. He'll likely need a touchdown to be viable in fantasy, but the Bears haven't allowed a touchdown to a tight end since the first half of the season. I'd place your chips elsewhere for the semifinals.

Boone's projection: 25 receiving yards

Other TEs to sit

• Ian Thomas vs. Saints
• Vernon Davis at Jaguars
• Ricky Seals-Jones at Falcons

Stash

Rod Smith, RB, Cowboys

At this point of the year in re-draft leagues, there isn't much time left to wait for a player to pay off, so we need immediate returns on our investments. Backup running backs can vault into the fantasy conversation if their starter suffers an injury, and Smith is one of the few clear handcuffs out there. He would get an excellent matchup in Week 16 against the Bucs if Ezekiel Elliott were sidelined, setting him up as an RB2.

Wayne Gallman, RB, Giants

Same deal applies to Gallman, who would need Saquon Barkley to get hurt in Week 15 in order to be on the fantasy radar as a potential option for the fantasy championship. If that happens, we'll be talking about Gallman in the low-end RB2 range next week.

Quit

Devin Funchess, WR, Panthers

Funchess has been passed on the depth chart by both DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel. The pair is seeing the field on around 90 percent of the Panthers' snaps, while Funchess is playing around 40 percent of the time. Perhaps we'll see something from Funchess again in the future, but barring injuries, it won't be this year.

Peyton Barber, RB, Buccaneers

Barber is a touchdown-dependent fantasy play who'll square off with two of the best run defenses in the league over the final two weeks of the fantasy playoffs. If you're rostering him at this point, you must be awfully desperate for running back help.