Keoni's Week 15 Playoff Starts and Sits
We’ve made it. It is finally time for the fantasy football playoffs to start. It is a magical time of year that we have all worked so hard to be a part of. Congratulations to those who are still fighting for a championship, and for those who must wait until next, I wish you better luck in 2023. Even though it is an accomplishment in and of itself making it to the playoffs, you don’t want to exit the playoffs in the first round. I’m here to give you the essential starts and sits at each position to make sure you make it to the semi-finals. Without any further ado, put the cookie down. It’s Turbo Time!
Starts of the Week
QB
Justin Fields: CHI Bears vs PHI Eagles
This might be a wild choice on paper but Justin Fields is a sneaky good option this week. Technically the Eagles are the #1 team vs the quarterback position in 2022. They are a very good team, but they have also allowed a good amount of rushing yards to teams this year. That’s where Fields thrives and can take a broken play and turn it into a 50+ yard touchdown run, which is an 11 point play by the way.
I’m not guaranteeing he will do something like that in this game, but he is having a record breaking season; anything is possible with him. He doesn’t have many great receiving options, so this game will fall on his shoulders. The Bears won’t win but Fields can have a great fantasy game that propels you into the next week of playoffs.
RB
Rachaad White: TB Buccaneers vs CIN Bengals
This is a relatively tough matchup, but not one that spells automatic doom for the rookie running back. He has been great since emerging in week 10 with a minimum of 15 touches in each game since then. He has had two 100 yard games in that span and he has averaged just under 7 receptions in each of the last 3 games.
Give me the guy who has the hot hand while also being thrown the ball. The football is a heat seeking missile and his hands are on fire right now. Start Rachaad White all the way this week.
WR
Mike Williams: LAC Chargers vs TEN Titans
He came back from injury last week and really lit it up. Williams looked like the spark the Chargers and Herbert needed last week. He caught all 6 of his passes for over 100 yards and found the endzone.
They face the Titans which have a bad defense ranking 31st vs the receiver position. They are allowing the 3rd most receiving yards and the 2nd most receiving touchdowns this season. I like the Chargers offense if they can get moving. If you need to take a big swing this week and go with a guy who can get you a bunch of points, go with Williams.
TE
Greg Dulcich: DEN Broncos vs ARI Cardinals
Dulcich has been up and down this year, but has still been a decent bright spot on a bad Broncos offense. He has finished in the top 12 tight ends in 5 of his 8 weeks playing this season. He can get a decent amount of targets with 8 each of the past two weeks and he has the fourth most yards on the team while playing at least 3 games less than the guy ahead of him in that stat. He also has the benefit of facing the Cardinals this week.
As Ryan has mentioned in many of our podcasts, the Cardinals are the worst defense vs the tight end having given up the most yards, receptions and touchdowns to the position. There is a possibility he finishes as a TE 1 this week so how can you not play him especially if you want your team to be dripped out with Dulcich and Gabbana.
Sits of the Week
QB
Jared Goff: DET Lions vs NYJ Jets
Goff and the Lions have been pretty good as of late, making a late season charge to have a chance at the playoffs. It is an improbable story, but they are getting it done. However, big boy JARED GOFF turns into little goff when he has to play on the road. In 3 out of their 5 away games this year, he has finished with fewer than 10 fantasy points and they were 5 of his 6 worst performances on the season.
He also faces a tough opponent in the Jets who are 8th best vs the position in 2022. They have held QBs to only 12 passing touchdowns which is tied for 2nd best this year. They are also 5th best in yards allowed to QBs with just over 200 per game. I like Goff and the Lions, but jared goff is likely to show up, and you sit him.
RB
Saquon Barkley: NYG Giants vs WAS Commanders
I know he’s been one of the best running backs this year, but as of late, he has become touchdown dependent to have a decent fantasy game. The Giants don’t seem to use him like they should, which is basically ever play. I understand that is an impossible task, but they basically have nobody else. Out of the past 5 games he’s had, the two games he didn’t have a touchdown in, he finished outside the top 30 running backs.
They face a really good run defense in the Commanders who have only allowed 5 rushing touchdowns to the position which is tied for 2nd best in the league. Even though they have given up receiving touchdowns to backs, I don’t expect this game to be Barkley’s first instance of that this season. It is a tough play to sit him, but I think it will pay off for you this week.
WR
Marquise Brown: ARI Cardinals vs DEN Broncos
He is going to be affected by the loss of Kyler Murray the most on this team. Brown is a deep play guy, but Colt McCoy likes to throw short and quick passes. We saw their offense stall vs New England getting no points in the second half. Denver can easily have a similar effect against the Cardinals offense. They can keep him out of the endzone and limit his yards because of those short passing situations.
The other main guys on this team will succeed because both Deandre Hopkins and James Conner are too good to be stopped by opposing defenses. The same does not apply to Brown. Hollywood brown is gonna feel like one of the many people living in retirement homes through Arizona, reminiscing about better days. The Broncos will leave him Mile high and dry this week. Don’t play him.
TE
Evan Engram: JAX Jaguars vs DAL Cowboys
He is coming off too great weeks that saw him finish as the TE 3 and 1 respectively. He was a great option in those games, but the executioner to the Sheriff T-Law, Trevor Lawrence, might end up in the gallows himself this week. I have a feeling the Jaguars are going to come crumbling down to Earth like a sack of potatoes as they face one of the best defenses in the league in the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys rank 4th best against the tight end, allowing 53 or fewer yards to the position in all but one game so far this year. They have allowed only 1 touchdown to the position which is tied for 2nd best. The Cowboys should take a lesson from last week and not try to get cute. Expect a low scoring game from the Jaguars and many reasons to not play Evan Engram.
Congrats on making the playoffs, a feat nearly as difficult as saying all the reindeer as fast as possible to a call-in radio show. Let’s keep the momentum going and make it into the fantasy semi-finals. Good luck and stay dreamin’!
