In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Bleacher Nation Fantasy:
The fantasy football playoffs begin for most formats this week. With no teams on bye and the top teams in the playoffs, many are set with their lineups. In deeper formats, and with Breece Hall, Bucky Irving, Kenneth Walker, David Njoku, and George Pickens dealing with injuries, there might be some streamers required. Here are some to consider for Week 15 and you can also use our Start/Sit tool to assist in decisions.
QUARTERBACK
Jameis Winston (Cleveland Browns)
You already know the deal when it comes to Winston. Interceptions will happen. He will be aggressive and is prone to turnovers, but he can put up stats. The Browns are struggling to run the ball and Winston has attempted at least 41 passes in five of his six starts, and the one he didn’t was due to the snow. The Chiefs defense hasn’t been as good or generated much pressure on quarterbacks the last few games.
RUNNING BACK
Sincere McCormick (Las Vegas Raiders)
Antonio Pierce continues to heap praise on McCormick. He has been the most efficient back for the Raiders this season, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. McCormick had 12 carries for 64 yards against the Chiefs two weeks ago and rushed for 78 yards on 15 carries against the Buccaneers last week.
WIDE RECEIVER
Adam Thielen (Carolina Panthers)
Bryce Young and the offense has played better the last few weeks. Thielen has been targeted heavily the last two games with 21 targets. He had 8 catches for 99 yards with a touchdown against the Buccaneers, and in a difficult matchup against the Eagles last week Thielen had 9 catches for 102 yards. Dallas allows the fourth-most passing yards per play and the 11th-most fantasy points to wide receivers.
TIGHT END
Stone Smartt (Los Angeles Chargers)
Will Dissly injured his shoulder last week and is expected to miss multiple weeks. Smartt replaced him last week and played 22 snaps, catching 3 passes for 54 yards. The Buccaneers allow the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends.
If you need more streamers to consider, remember to check out our start/sit tool to compare options and double down to see how our expert rankers view fringe options this week.
COMPARE TO THE WEEK 15 PLAYER PROJECTIONS
What else is in today’s newsletter?
- Stat of the Day: What QB has the best strength of schedule for the fantasy playoffs?
- Watercooler: The hardest and easiest fantasy playoff schedules
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STAT OF THE DAY: The Titans face the easiest quarterback schedule in the league during the fantasy playoffs
Considering starting Will Levis at any point in the year can be heartburn-inducing, let alone in the fantasy playoffs. However, he looks like a viable option in superflex leagues, and he might even have some appeal as a streamer in one-QB leagues.
That’s entirely due to his schedule. His next three games come against the Bengals (second-most fantasy points per game allowed to quarterbacks), Colts (10th-most), and Jaguars (fourth-most). It doesn’t get much better than that.
Levis is coming off a clunker last week, but he has played some of the best football of his career recently. He’s finished as a top-10 scorer at the position in two of his past four outings, so he’s provided some value for those who have called upon him.
Can he take advantage of that schedule? That remains to be seen, but some of the top quarterbacks in fantasy have to navigate brutal schedules down the stretch. Jared Goff has the hardest schedule in fantasy to close the year, while Jordan Love and Brock Purdy are also in the bottom 4.
The weather is also going to potentially be a factor down the stretch, so Levis can be used as a “break glass in case of emergency” option in a pinch. You won’t feel great doing it, but Levis leading a team to a fantasy championship is far from the weirdest thing that can happen.
AROUND THE WATERCOOLER
The latest analysis and insights from our merry band of football nerds:
👀 Who has the hardest and easiest fantasy playoff schedules? Jake Ciely joins Ian and Dwain to discuss.
🇺🇸 Beyond a game. Army-Navy and CFB breakdowns with Thor, Coach Gene, and Froton Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.
💪 It’s win-or-go-home time and these WRs could be key factors in your fate.
🤔 A Cardinals bounceback spot? The stack is intriguing …
🪑 Is Jordan Love a sit this week? Chris Allen has the best and worst matchups for Week 15.
🚑 Everybody hurts. It only feels that way. Here’s the Week 15 Injury Roundup.
👋 The New York Giants are subject to cooterdoodle’s state of the team. It’s OK, buddy, you can let go now.
