It’s playoff time!
It’s time for savvy fantasy managers who have survived the barrage of injuries to cement their names forever as fantasy champions.
Now that fantasy rosters are primarily assembled, winning the waiver wire and making wise start/sit decisions is everything.
Week 15 features a slew of starts that might require a little extra fortitude to submit. It’s paramount to appropriately gauge floors, upside, and exploitable matchups.
As always, remember this is just a game, and do not target NFL players on social media for lackluster fantasy performances.
Let’s go win some titles, Wolves! The GOAT approves of this message.
RUNNING BACK STARTS:
Travis Etienne vs. New York Jets
Etienne and backfield mate Bhayshul Tuten are both good plays against a Jets team without a will to live or win.
The Jets have allowed just shy of 140 yards on the ground this season and have given up around 170 in their last three.
Since Etienne’s premature demise, brought on by a rough patch in the schedule, he has averaged 16.4 ppg and is pacing for 1,400+ YFS.
Understandably, as Tuten has come on, Etienne’s rushing totals have diminished a little, but he’s still averaging a healthy 4.6 YPC and has finished as an RB1 in four of his last six games.
Etienne is a really good RB guys. The Tuten takeover isn’t happening this season. Start him with confidence!
TreVeyon Henderson vs. Buffalo Bills
The Bills are a breeding ground for RB points to the fantasy position. This alone is enough to make fantasy managers salivate. Throw in a Ferrari like Henderson, and it’s a smash spot, right?
Well, Rhamondre Stevenson is still a featured part of the backfield, capping Henderson’s tantalizing upside.
Still, Henderson leads the Patriots in rush yards, rush TDs, rush yards over expectation, explosive run rate, and estimated points added (EPA).
On the season, the Bills have yielded the most rushing touchdowns and sixth-most rushing yards to backs, making Stevenson a viable play as well.
PFF noted that, across the last two weeks, the Bills have tightened up their defense a smidge, allowing just over 110 total yards on 35 carries (3.2 YPC).
With Henderson handling most of the early down work and splitting goal-line work with Stevenson, he’s the stronger play and projects as an RB2/flex.
If the powder in the forecast pans out, Henderson’s speed and burst could prove extra valuable. Keep a weather eye on the skies!
Chris Rodriguez Jr. vs. New York Giants
The lead back for the Commanders has a favorable matchup against a helpless Giants front.
The men in blue have allowed the second-most rushing yards to running backs in 2025 (1,629) and have allowed 16 touchdowns to the position, per ProFootball Reference.
Now that the Jacory Croskey-Merritt experiment is over, Rodriguez is in a smash position.
He’s seen at least 10 rushes in four of his last five games and is pacing for 860 rush yards while averaging 4.7 YPC.
The rub is that Rodriguez offers next to nothing in the receiving game, catching his lone target this season. Without more volume on the ground, Rodriguez becomes a TD-reliant option.
Since the Giants love to let opposing backs in the end zone, Rodriguez projects to be a safe flex play this week.
Woody Marks vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week 14 was the Woody Marks show.
Marks ranked sixth among RBs in expected fantasy points last week (17 xFP). He was a vultured touchdown from crushing expectation (-1.4 FPOE) and has clearly taken over the backfield.
Enter a lucrative Cardinals matchup that just let Kyren Williams and Blake Corum run all over them (212 rushing yards).
FantasyLife data shows that the last four RBs to bump with the Cardinals defense have averaged 23.1 ppg. They have given up 10 touchdowns over their last five games.
The risk with Marks is his durability.
He has left 12 games this season with an injury.
Still, with 91% of the Texans’ backfield xFP, Marks is a must start with top 5 upside.
RUNNING BACK SITS:
Omarion Hampton vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Do you have the guts to sit the Chargers lead back in an intense divisional matchup?
In his week 14 return, Hampton was given a workload worth 11.7 xFP (RB20). In a neutral-to-plus matchup against a reeling Eagles rush defense, Hampton returned value thanks to an early receiving TD in the red zone.
While no one reasonably expects Hampton to play only 31% of snaps, he is still facing a tough Chiefs front that has allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points this season.
In his NFL debut, Hampton produced 48 yards on 15 carries while adding two catches for 13 yards.
With offensive coordinator Greg Roman advocating for a hot hand approach, there’s a good chance Hampton pops off or busts.
The Chiefs have started to leak a little air in the defensive trenches, allowing six touchdowns in the last five games.
Starting Hampton should be done at your own risk!
Breece Hall vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
No RB has been more frustrating and less exciting to start than Hall this season.
He’s scored single-digit fantasy points six times this season and was held to only 43 yards against the Dolphins in a beautiful matchup.
Coming into the season, the argument for Hall revolved around his pass-catching prowess and expected target share.
Since the start of November, Hall has been targeted two or fewer times in four of his five games.
His targets have essentially been cut in half across his last five games, and his rushing floor has fallen off as well.
The Jets are an absolute mess top-to-bottom. Enter a tough matchup against the Jags, who have allowed the fewest rush yards to RBs this season.
Hall would need an explosive day on the ground or a healthy target share to likely return value in week 15.
Most managers might not have a suitable pivot option from Hall. Perhaps he sees more checkdowns now that Brady Cook is slated to start in week 15.
While Hall has performed above expectation, it seems a tall task to expect Hall to be more than a flex-level start at best.
David Montgomery vs. Los Angeles Rams
Look away… look away.
Montgomery has been nearly unusable in the last month. He’s been given 32 opportunities in his last four games…a cool 8 per game.
Jahmyr Gibbs looks like the most dangerous weapon in football right now, and he gives the Lions the best chances of salvaging their playoff chances.
He’s been a TD-reliant fantasy option, and the Rams have allowed only four backs to score all season.
With a 55.5 over/under, there’s a chance Montgomery falls into the endzone. But betting on 7 xFP/game against a top-four defense against RBs is not a wise bet to make.
Sit Montgomery, and save yourself some stress.
Kenneth Walker vs. Indianapolis Colts
The other most frustrating RB to start weekly has entered the chat. Well, almost. He never fully makes it in. Zach Charbonnet gets into the chat after Walker gets them near the chat line.
Okay, all jokes aside, Walker has also done a lot of this to himself.
Coming into the league, Walker had a nagging need to play hero ball on every possession, and that hasn’t changed. He’s a highly inefficient but explosive runner. As such, he’s turned into a TD-reliant option, an area where Charbonnet shines.
He has been held to single-digits in six of his last nine games, and honestly, the upside he possesses has to be brought into question.
The Indianapolis Colts rank as an above-average rush defense and have had great success at containing explosive runs in the second half of the season.
In other words, with a lackluster QB starting for the Colts, this game projects to be a low-scoring slobber knocker.
Have some guts and bench Walker.
