Fantasy Football Week 15 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em Quarterbacks: QBs to move in and out of your playoff lineups
Quarterbacks you want in Week 15 lineups, and those you should avoid
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1 min read
On Tuesday's Fantasy Football Today on CBS Sports Network, we were asked a question about playing your best players vs. playing the best matchup in the Fantasy playoffs. And I immediately thought of Patrick Mahomes in Week 15 against the Chargers.
Mahomes is having a standout season at 24.4 Fantasy points per game, which is No. 3 behind only Josh Allen (27.2) and Matthew Stafford (25.3). But Mahomes has scored 17.1 Fantasy points or less in four of his past five games, and Kansas City's offensive line is falling apart.
The Chargers come into this game No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and only Mahomes in Week 1, Jaxson Dart in Week 4 and Daniel Jones in Week 7 have scored at least 20 Fantasy points against Los Angeles. The Chargers have held six quarterbacks in a row to 17.1 Fantasy points or less.
And Mahomes scored 16.1 Fantasy points or less in two games against the Chargers last season. He had 28.1 points against the Chargers in Week 1 in Brazil, but he passed for 258 yards and a touchdown and ran for 57 yards and a score. He has not had multiple touchdown passes against the Chargers in three games in a row.
So should Fantasy managers trust Mahomes in the first week of the playoffs? He came in at No. 11 in my initial quarterback rankings, and the only non-regular starters I would consider using instead of Mahomes are Brock Purdy, who is the Start of the Week, and Jaxson Dart.
I'm hopeful Mahomes will find a way to have a successful performance against the Chargers. And his track record at home is worth trusting since he scored at least 24.1 Fantasy points in five of seven games in Kansas City this year.
I can understand if you want to bench Mahomes for Marcus Mariota if he starts in place of Jayden Daniels (elbow) at the Giants, or even C.J. Stroud against Arizona. Those are better matchups.
But I don't want to leave Mahomes on the bench in the Fantasy playoffs unless I'm 100 percent certain I love the alternative starting option for my team like Purdy or Dart. The last thing you want is for Mahomes to have a great game and you lose your Fantasy playoffs because he wasn't in your starting lineup.
QBs to Start
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Hurts just had the worst game of his career in Week 14 at the Chargers with 240 passing yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions, and he only managed 8 rushing yards with a lost fumble. Fantasy managers are concerned about starting him in the playoffs, but I would trust him in Week 15 against the Raiders. Hurts has scored at least 20.3 Fantasy points in five of six home games this season, and he's averaging 25.2 Fantasy points in Philadelphia this year. And while the Raiders have limited Justin Herbert and Bo Nix in the past two games to 17.6 Fantasy points or less in each outing, we've still had six quarterbacks score at least 21.2 Fantasy points against Las Vegas this year. Hurts should remain a starting Fantasy option in all leagues.
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Goff had a mediocre game in Week 14 against Dallas with just 18.2 Fantasy points, but I expect him to be in a shootout with Matthew Stafford and the Rams in Week 15. Goff has scored at least 20.8 Fantasy points in three of his past four road games, and the Rams have allowed Bryce Young and Jacoby Brissett to each score at least 23.1 Fantasy points in the past two games. Goff has faced the Rams three times since being traded from Los Angeles to Detroit in 2021, and he's never had a 20-point Fantasy outing. That changes in Week 15, and I like Goff as a top-10 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.
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Dart had a quiet outing in Week 13 at New England in his first game after a two-game absence with a concussion with just 15.6 Fantasy points. That's his worst Fantasy performance since becoming the starter in Week 4, but I expect him to rebound in Week 15 against the Commanders. Washington is No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and six of the past eight guys against Washington have scored at least 21.9 Fantasy points, including J.J. McCarthy in Week 14. I like Dart as a top-10 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.
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Mayfield has not been a good Fantasy quarterback of late with four games in a row with 18.8 points or less, and he's been under 200 passing yards and has no games with multiple touchdown passes over that span. But things should change for him in Week 15 against the Falcons. Mike Evans (collarbone) and Jalen McMillan (neck) could be active this week, which would give Mayfield his entire receiving corps for the first time all season. And he loves playing Atlanta. Mayfield has scored at least 24.1 Fantasy points in his past four games against the Falcons, including 28.6 points in Week 1. Atlanta has also allowed three of the past four quarterbacks to score at least 23.3 Fantasy points, including Bryce Young, Tyrod Taylor and Sam Darnold. This should be the slump buster that Mayfield needs to get back on track as a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Lawrence is hot coming into Week 15 with at least 23.1 Fantasy points in three games in a row, and I expect him to have another quality outing in this matchup with the Jets. My biggest concern is Travis Etienne and potentially Bhayshul Tuten running all over this defense since the Jets can't stop the run and are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. But Lawrence has scored at least 23.2 Fantasy points in three of his past four games in Jacksonville, and I like him as a low-end starter in all leagues in this matchup.
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Darnold had a standout performance in Week 14 at Atlanta with 28.3 Fantasy points, and he should have the chance for a solid encore against the Colts in Week 15. Trevor Lawrence just scored 28.4 Fantasy points against Indianapolis in Week 14, and the Colts are down cornerbacks Sauce Gardner (calf) and Charvarius Ward (concussion). There's always the risk of a lack of pass attempts for Darnold, but the matchup at home is worth trusting him as a low-end starter in all leagues.
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This is a good spot to trust Stroud with a home game against the Cardinals, and he's worth using as a low-end starter in all leagues. Stroud has scored at least 22.4 Fantasy points in two of his past three games at home, and Arizona has allowed three of the past four opposing quarterbacks to score at least 23.1 Fantasy points, including Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence and Matthew Stafford. Stroud has been a mediocre Fantasy quarterback since returning from a three-game absence with a concussion, scoring 14.6 points or less in consecutive outings against the Colts and Chiefs. But I expect him to end his slump with this matchup against the Cardinals at home.
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QBs to Sit
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Brissett is more of a bust alert than a must-sit quarterback, but this will be a tough test for him in Week 15 at Houston. The Texans are No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks and have held Josh Allen in Week 12 and Patrick Mahomes in Week 14 to 8.1 Fantasy points or less in each outing. Brissett has been on fire since taking over for Kyler Murray (foot) with eight games in a row with at least 20.7 Fantasy points, including tough matchups against Green Bay, Seattle and the Rams. But he won't have left tackle Paris Johnson (knee) in this game, and that makes it even tougher to trust Brissett in one-quarterback leagues. He's only an option in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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Williams scored 18.9 Fantasy points in Week 14 at Green Bay, and he's now scored fewer than 20 points in three of his past four games heading into Week 15 against the Browns. Cleveland is No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and five guys in a row have scored 19.3 points or less, including Lamar Jackson in Week 11 and Brock Purdy in Week 13. Rome Odunze (foot) could be out again for Chicago, and the Bears should continue to lean on their ground game in this matchup. Williams is only worth starting in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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Herbert played in Week 14 against Philadelphia one week after having surgery on his broken left hand, and he helped the Chargers get a must-needed 22-19 victory in overtime. But he only scored 14.2 Fantasy points, and he's been held to 16.8 Fantasy points or less in four games in a row. While he scored 33.9 Fantasy points in Week 1 against Kansas City, the Chargers offensive line has fallen apart since then. Even though the Chiefs have allowed three of the past five quarterbacks to score at least 20.8 Fantasy points, I would only use Herbert in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. And Herbert has scored 15.7 Fantasy points or less in his past two games at Kansas City.
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Nix comes into Week 15 against the Packers having scored 18.4 Fantasy points or less in four games in a row, and he hasn't scored multiple touchdowns since Week 9. It will be tough to trust him in one-quarterback leagues against Green Bay, even at home, since the Packers have allowed just one guy to score more than 18.9 Fantasy points in their past six games, including matchups with Jalen Hurts and Caleb Williams over that span. Nix is only worth starting in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in this game.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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The Broncos have allowed more than 21 Fantasy points in their past two games against Marcus Mariota in Week 14 and the combination of Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett in Week 15, but this is still a difficult matchup since Denver is No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks for the season. We'll see if Love can overcome this defense, and he's hot right now with at least 21.7 Fantasy points in three of his past four games, including two outings on the road at the Giants and Lions. But Love has also struggled in some tough matchups against Philadelphia in Week 10 and Minnesota in Week 12, and he scored 7.8 Fantasy points or less in each of those two games. I'm still starting Love in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues, but I would bench him in one-quarterback leagues in Week 15.
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