Happy fantasy playoffs to everyone and happy week 15 of the 2024 NFL season! Welcome back to my weekly Start/Sit HUB! Mike here, providing you with information that can help you win your fantasy league week in and week out.
The start to fantasy playoff greatness begins with a TNF matchup between the 7-6 LA Rams and the 6-7 SF 49ers. Both teams fighting hard to slip into the playoffs. Rams have won 3 of their last 4 while the 49ers have won their last game and hope to start a streak. The home team 49ers are favored over LA by 3 points with a total over/under of 49.5 points. If you remember week 3 when these teams first met this season, both Jauan Jennings and Kyren Williams combined for 3 TDs each for their teams. My prediction in this game is an upset win for LA by a score of 24-20.
I am here every week during the fantasy football season with start and sit suggestions that can impact your team each week. My decisions as always include obvious and not so obvious picks. I would also like to clarify that my sit suggestions are based on the assumption you have or can add a player that has a better chance at success. Good luck this week and continue to check out my weekly articles.
TNF START/SIT
Start – Brock Purdy – Purdy is coming off one of his better games this season and helped the 49ers put up a season high 38 points. He had his second highest passing yard total of the season with 325 passing yards to go along with his 2 TD passes. He also contributed 11 rushing yards. He gets the LA Rams on TNF who he already played back in week 3. LA won that matchup, but Purdy played exceptional and this time it is going to be played in SF. Purdy threw for 3 TD passes against LA and ran for an added 41 yards. Josh Allen just destroyed the Rams defense last week on his way to one of the greatest fantasy performances of all time. Purdy should be able to get some nice numbers again this time around.
Sit – Blake Corum – Blake has been low on my radar all season because I am high on his potential, but he has not displayed it in a breakout performance. It is hard to when Kyren Williams is RB1, has stayed healthy, and has equated to 14 total TDs. Williams has not missed a game and that’s unfortunate for Corum hopefuls. Blake has had his best 2 games in the last 2 weeks where he had 8 carries in each and totaled 42 rushing yards and 34 rushing yards. 8 carries is progress but not enough to be a fantasy starter behind a star offensive powerhouse RB that is healthy.
TNF was less than great to start the fantasy football playoffs. No TDs were scored, it was a punt and field goal fest. Kyren Williams had 108 rushing yards and Puka Nacua had 97 receiving yards which were the best 2 performances on the night. Rams get the Jets next while the 49ers get the Dolphins next. The TNF game in week 16 will be between the Broncos and the Chargers.
The games I am looking forward to watching most this weekend include theSteelers/Eagles, Dolphins/Texans, Bills/Lions, and Packers/Seahawks. A lot of games with fantasy implications and playoff implications.
START OF THE WEEK
Start – Rico Dowdle – As expected, Rico has taken over quite nicely for his team lately. The RB has averaged over 100 rushing yards per game over his last 3 performances and also has around 10 receiving yards per game in that time too. He only has 1 TD in that time frame, but his volume and production is hard to ignore going up against the Panthers defense.
Ravens @ Giants
Start – Derrick Henry – Obvious start alert! Henry is in a great spot to produce against the Giants this week. Giants struggle with RBs a lot this season and Henry is a cheat code. He has not scored in 2 consecutive games after scoring in every game this season. If I was the Giants defense, I would be very worried.
Sit – Tyrone Tracy Jr – Tyrone has a tough matchup with the Ravens this week who keep opposing RBs YPC very low which isn’t Tracy’s best attribute as a RB lately. He has Tommy DeVito behind center this week which didn’t seem to give Tracy a bump up or down in fantasy.
Jets @ Jaguars
Start – Brian Thomas Jr – Thomas Jr has back-to-back games with double digit targets and that is with QB Mac Jones. He has 76 receiving yards and a receiving TD in week 13 and then had 86 receiving yards the next week. Jets are usually known for their pass defense, but lately that hasn’t been the case which is perfect timing for BTJ.
Sit – Travis Etienne – Etienne hasn’t completely fallen off for the Jaguars, but he certainly seems to have taken a step backwards while his counterpart Tank Bigsby is taking a step forward. Tank ran 18 times compared to Etienne’s 4 times in week 14. Etienne did have the better game in the pass catching department which seems like his best chance at producing in fantasy moving forward.
Cowboys @ Panthers
Start – Rico Dowdle – SEE START OF THE WEEK TOP OF PAGE
Sit – Jake Ferguson – Ferguson has a great matchup here, but I’m not risking him starting unless there is no better option for me. I can think of a minimum of 10 better TEs to start this week. Jake is coming off a return from injury when he caught 3 of his 6 targets for 32 yards. The TE still has yet to score this season.
Commanders @ Saints
Start – Brian Robinson Jr – Robinson has a good matchup with the Saints defense this week. He is fresh off of his BYE week and had a season high 103 rushing yards in week 13. He has gotten exactly 16 carries in 3 of his last 4 games he played and has scored a TD in 2 of his last 3 games. Saints are a team hurting right now and Robinson smells blood in the water.
Sit – Jake Haener – Yes Jake will start at QB for the Saints this week. He is in for a rude awakening playing on a team riddled with injures. He has Kamara, MVS, and Juwan Johnson as his primary weapons. We haven’t seen much of Jake due to the small sample size, but even against a middle of the pack Washington defense I wouldn’t risk it with so much on the line in fantasy this week.
Bengals @ Titans
Start – Chase Brown – Take your pick of Chases. Both Brown and Ja’Marr have been lighting up defenses. Chase Brown continues to dominate for the Bengals both on the ground and through the air. He has double digit caries every week since week 4 and has 30+ receiving yards each week since week 9. Brown has also scored at least 1 TD in 8 of his last 10 games played.
Sit – Mike Gesicki – Going back to Gesicki in my sit spot since the return of Tee Higgins. But let’s be real, even Higgins didn’t play well last game resulting in just 23 yards. Gesicki had 53 yards in week 13 and 24 yards in week 14. Gesicki is buried under the huge volume and success of both Ja’Marr Chase and Chase Brown.
Chiefs @ Browns
Start – Jerry Jeudy – Jerry Jeudy has popped off lately since Winston took over at QB for the Browns. He had an incredible 235 yard receiving game in week 13 and has averaged 113 receiving yards per game with Jameis throwing to him. Jeudy also has scored in 3 of his last 4 games. Winston must air it out in this game if they want to win and Jeudy is the main target.
Sit – Nick Chubb – It has been easy to sit RBs against the Chiefs for mostly the entire season thus far, so I won’t steer clear here. Chubb hasn’t reached 60 yards rushing in a game this entire season. I expect Winston to come out throwing a lot in order to try to stay competitive with the Chiefs.
Dolphins @ Texans
Start – Tua Tagovailoa – Tua is playing some of his best football right now. He has 11 TD passes and no INTs in his last 4 games. If that isn’t impressive enough, he also has averaged 325 passing yards per game in that 4-game stretch. Tua has the Dolphins in the hunt for a playoff spot and if he wants a chance at that he is going to have to keep up this level of play.
Sit – Dalton Schultz – Last time I put Schultz in this spot he scored his first TD of the season so if you’re into a reverse jinx this is for you. Schultz has only reached 50 yards 3 times this season and Miami usually excels in their passing defense.
Steelers @ Eagles
Start – AJ Brown – I am going with my gut on this start pick. AJ Brown has been in a topic of conversation since week 14 that has most concerned about him and Jalen Hurts and the passing game. What a perfect time to dismiss everyone by going off on the Steelers and getting a 12th win. AJ’s nickname is always open for a reason.
Sit – Najee Harris – Harris is in the backfield alongside Jaylen Warren. This week they get the Eagles defense which has been playing very well this season and has been shutting down RBs. Najee is in a situation where a TD might save his fantasy outlook this week which is never guaranteed. I would choose Warren over Najee this week because the pass game will most likely benefit Warren more.
Colts @ Broncos
Start – Courtland Sutton – Sutton didn’t do anything against the Saints back in week 7 and since has been elite. 8 or more targets in every game, 70 or more yards in every game, and also has 3 TDs in his last 4 games. Bo Nix and Sutton have a strong connection that I’m sure we will continue to see in this game.
Sit – Anthony Richardson – Anthony has been playing well in fantasy lately and its almost all due to his mobility. He has 3 TD passes and 3 TD rushes over his last 3 games. The Broncos are currently holding onto the last AFC playoff spot, and their defense is in position to keep them there. If Denver can contain Richardson from running wild, I believe Richardson will have a less-than-ideal outing.
Patriots @ Cardinals
Start – Trey McBride – McBride is stellar. He is a target machine and produces each and every week. In his last 3 games he has been targeted a total of 41 times. He has caught 31 of those passes and has 299 receiving yards just in those 3 games. All this phenomenal TE needs is to finally catch a TD pass, he is overdue.
Sit – Demario Douglas – Sitting almost every Patriot this week and that includes Douglas. He has had decent games but none that jaw dropping. His best game took place back in week 6, and since then he has not scored, and 62 yards was his high. Cardinal’s defense isn’t scary, but the Patriots offense can be, and not in a good way.
Bills @ Lions
Start – Jared Goff – Out of all the talent and fantasy contributors in this matchup, I am picking Goff in my start spot. Simply because he is playing at home. Jared has been elite at home this season. He has put up great numbers, and that’s all while his 2 headed RB attack has been excelling almost every week. This game has big playoff implications, so I expect Goff to play well again.
Sit – Dalton Kincaid – Kincaid is questionable so keep an eye on his status up until game time. Kincaid has a really bad matchup as the Lions defense is the best at containing opposing TEs in fantasy points this season. I would stay away from Kincaid in this game.
Buccaneers @ Chargers
Start – Rachaad White – As time gets closer to the game it appears Bucky Irving is becoming less and less likely to play. Insert Rachaad White. White played well last week when Irving had to exit the game early. White has 90 rushing yards, 19 receiving yards, and a score by receptions and by rush. Irving will try to give it a go tomorrow, but even if he does go there is always a chance of reinjury or simply limited touches. White doesn’t have the greatest matchup, but the Bucs love to incorporate their RBs in any way they can offensively.
Sit – Cade Otton – Otton draws a tough matchup with the Chargers this week. Otton did have a solid 70 yards receiving in week 14, but that was against a much worse defense in Vegas. Otton has not been getting the volume he had been getting when Evans wasn’t able to play, and it shows. He is outside my top 15 TEs this week.
Packers @ Seahawks
Start – Zach Charbonnet – Another week for Charbonnet to shine. The RB is in line for the start after hearing that Kenneth Walker is doubtful to play after missing last week. Charbonnet made the best of his opportunity by rushing for 134 yards, scoring 2 rushing TDs, he caught all 7 of his targets, and finished with 59 receiving yards. By far his best game this season and another opportunity here to pour on some more. Green Bay is a decent defense but nothing special.
Sit – Noah Fant – Fant has struggles all season long and has yet to score a TD. He does have 3 games where he reached 60 yards receiving, but that hasn’t happened since week 7 and the Green Bay defense shouldn’t be too worried. Fant is an easy decision to sit this week.
Bears @ Vikings
Start – Sam Darnold – Darnold is one of many Vikings I could put in this spot this week. Jefferson, Addison, Jones, and Hockenson are all solid starts. The Bears pass defense has been great this season but when these teams met just weeks ago, Darnold was able to throw for 330 passing yards and a couple of TD passes. Sam has 11 TD passes in his last 4 games and hasn’t thrown an INT in that span of time.
Sit – D’Andre Swift – Swift was carving up defenses early in the season but has since cooled off. He has been under 40 yards rushing in 3 consecutive games and has been under 60 yards rushing in 5 of his last 6 games. He has 1 TD since week 9 and his team is on a massive losing streak. The Vikings rush defense isn’t one to underestimate.
Falcons @ Raiders
Start – Bijan Robinson – Can Bijan play QB as well? Because Kirk is doing him no favors. Luckily Bijan has held his own in fantasy and has been playing terrific. Bijan has scored in 3 of his last 4 games and has been a threat to run or to catch and run. The Raiders are in for a long day of trying to tackle Bijan.
Sit – Kirk Cousins – Something is clearly wrong with Kirk right now to be in a sit spot against a Las Vegas Raiders pass defense that has been bad this season. He has thrown 8 INTs in his last 4 games to go with a total of 0 passing TDs. 4 straight losses, 8 straight INTs, and 0 total TDs. Enough said.