Tag: fantasy football Week 15 WDIS

Fantasy football inactives, injuries and weather: Week 15

Week 15 weather, injury updates and gameday inactives for the fantasy football lineup decisions.

Sunday updates will begin when teams start releasing official pregame inactives and starter information to the league. This is typically around 60-90 minutes prior to the kickoff of their game.

Weather forecasts are courtesy of The Football Database.

Week 15 gameday inactives, weather and notes

KEY GAME-TIME DECISIONS

Early games: WR Nico Collins (inactive), TE Darren Waller (active), RB De’Von Achane (active), WR Tyreek Hill (inactive), WR Christian Watson (inactive), RB Aaron Jones (active), RB AJ Dillon (inactive)
Afternoon games: WR Marquise Brown (active), WR Brandin Cooks (active)
Sunday night:
Monday night: QB Geno Smith

Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 46 degrees, 75% chance of precipitation, SSE 14 mph

Bears

Inactives: QB Nathan Peterman, LB Noah Sewell, S Quindell Johnson, WR Equanimeous St. Brown and OT Ja’Tyre Carter

Lineup notes: WR DJ Moore (ankle) is ready to do business. S Jaquan Brisker (groin) also will play through a questionable tag.

Browns

Inactives: LB Sam Kamara, LB Anthony Walker, C Ethan Pocic, LB Jordan Kunaszyk, S Juan Thornhill and DE Ogbo Okoronkwo

Lineup notes: RB Kareem Hunt (groin), RB Jerome Ford (wrist) and RB Pierre Strong (illness) all practiced Friday and are good to go. CB Denzel Ward (shoulder) is ready for Sunday action. RT Dawand Jones (knee) and S Grant Delpit (groin) went on IR this week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 42 degrees, cloudy

Buccaneers

Inactives: QB John Wolford, S Josh Hayes, OT Brandon Walton, DL William Gholston, LB Devin White, CB Carlton Davis and DB Ryan Neal

Lineup notes: WR Chris Godwin (knee) will give it a go. CB Carlton Davis (groin) and S Ryan Neal (back) are out. DT Vita Vea (toe) was upgraded from doubtful to questionable, joining CB Jamel Dean (ankle, foot), and both will be on the field. LB Devin White (foot, personal) was listed as questionable but won’t play for personal reasons.

Packers

Inactives: WR Samori Toure, RB AJ Dillon, CB Jaire Alexander, S Darnell Savage, DL Brenton Cox, OT Caleb Jones and WR Christian Watson

Lineup notes: WR Christian Watson (hamstring) will miss another contest. RB Aaron Jones (knee) is ready, though RB AJ Dillon (thumb) won’t go. WR Jayden Reed (ankle) and WR Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) carry no injury tags. CB Eric Stokes was activated from IR, and RB Kenyan Drake was elevated from the practice team. LB Quay Walker (shoulder) returns, but CB Jaire Alexander (shoulder) and S Darnell Savage (shoulder) are not right yet.

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 50 degrees, cloudy

Texans

Inactives: WR Nico Collins, LB Blake Cashman, CB Kris Boyd, QB C.J. Stroud, RB Mike Boone, OT George Fant and DL Will Anderson Jr.

Lineup notes: QB C.J. Stroud (concussion) was downgraded to out, and QB Case Keenum will start. WR Nico Collins (calf) didn’t practice all week and is inactive. WR Noah Brown (knee) had a limited practice Friday and will give it a go. TE Dalton Schultz (hamstring) worked all week and is ready to return. PK Ka’imi Fairbairn was activated from IR. No. 3 overall pick DE Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) won’t be out there.

Titans

Inactives: TE Josh Whyle, S Mike Z. Brown, DL Caleb Murphy, LB Trevis Gipson, WR Kyle Philips, DL Jeffery Simmons and QB Malik Willis

Lineup notes: WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (illness) didn’t practice Friday but will be available. QB Will Levis (ankle) had full sessions Thursday and Friday and will go. DT Jeffery Simmons (knee) has been ruled out.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 77 degrees, mostly clear, SW 15 mph

Jets

Inactives: OT Carter Warren, QB Brett Rypien, CB Bryce Hall, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball, DE Carl Lawson, WR Jason Brownlee and OT Max Mitchell

Lineup notes: QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) had limited practices Thursday and Friday but is out. RBs Breece Hall (ankle) was limited until Friday’s full session, but he’ll play. QB Zach Wilson (knee) practiced all week and will play.

Dolphins

Inactives: OT Robert Hunt, QB Skylar Thompson, DL Jason Pierre-Paul, WR Tyreek Hill, CB Xavien Howard, SS DeShon Elliott and S Jevon Holland

Lineup notes: WR Tyreek Hill (ankle) didn’t practice all week and has been ruled out. RB De’Von Achane (toe) graduated to limited work Friday and will give it a whirl. RB Raheem Mostert (knee) was limited Thursday and Friday, but he’s fine. RB Darrynton Evans was elevated to the 53-man roster. LT Terron Armstead (knee/ankle) will play through a questionable tag. CB Xavien Howard (hip) and S Jevon Holland (knees) couldn’t get right in time. S DeShon Elliott (concussion) won’t play.

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 50 degrees, cloudy

Chiefs

Inactives: DE Matt Dickerson, DE B.J. Thompson, OT Donovan Smith, CB Joshua X. Williams, RB Isiah Pacheco, DT Neil Farrell and DL Malik Herring

Lineup notes: WR Mecole Hardman (thumb) remains on IR. RB Isiah Pacheco (shoulder) and LT Donovan Smith (neck) are out again. RB Jerick McKinnon (groin) and WR Kadarius Toney (hip) practiced Friday and will play. RB Deneric Prince was elevated to the active roster.

Patriots

Inactives: DT Sam Roberts, CB Shaun Wade, OT Trent Brown, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Kayshon Boutte and RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Lineup notes: RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) is out. WR DeVante Parker (knee) is available, but WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) won’t go. WR Demario Douglas (concussion) cleared the protocol and is back. LT Trent Brown (ankle, hand, illness) will miss this one, however.

New York Giants at New Orleans Saints (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: Dome stadium

Giants

Inactives: S Gervarrius Owens, RB Jashaun Corbin, DE Carlos Basham Jr., WR Parris Campbell and OT Evan Neal

Lineup notes: TE Darren Waller (hamstring) is back on the field, and WR Wan’Dale Robinson (quadriceps) also will play. RT Evan Neal (ankle) is inactive, but DT Dexter Lawrence (hamstring) will dress.

Saints

Inactives: OT Ryan Ramczyk, RB Kendre Miller, DL Isaiah Foskey, LB Monty Rice, CB Cameron Dantzler, QB Jake Haener and WR Chris Olave

Lineup notes: RB Kendre Miller (ankle) is out again. WR Chris Olave (ankle) and RT Ryan Ramczyk (knee) won’t be able to go. RB Jamaal Williams (groin) is questionable. QB/TE Taysom Hill (foot, hand) and WR Rashid Shaheed (thigh) will play. Hill had a full practice Friday, and Shaheed was limited.

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 51 degrees, 100% chance of rain

Falcons

Inactives: DT David Onyemata, QB Logan Woodside, WR Mack Hollins, TE John FitzPatrick, LB Bud Dupree, OT Kaleb McGary and OG Chris Lindstrom

Lineup notes: RT Kaleb McGary (knee, illness) is out. C Drew Dalman (ankle) will go, but RG Chris Lindstrom (ankle) will not. LT Jake Matthews (knee) and PK Younghoe Koo (illness) are ready despite drawing questionable tags.

Panthers

Inactives: CB D’Shawn Jamison, TE Ian Thomas, OT David Sharpe, WR Terrace Marshall Jr., WR Mike Strachan and DE Eku Leota

Lineup notes: TE Hayden Hurst (concussion) went on IR and is done for the season, and TE Ian Thomas (ankle) is out. TE Tommy Tremble (hip) had a full session Friday and will play. LB Brian Burns (ankle) is ready, too.

Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Rams (4:05 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 73 degrees, mostly cloudy (open-air dome)

Commanders

Inactives: TE Cole Turner, OG Julian Good-Jones, DL James Smith-Williams, CB Kyu Blu Kelly, RB Brian Robinson Jr. and WR Mitchell Tinsley

Lineup notes: RB Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) is out. RB Jonathan Williams was elevated from the practice squad. LB Jamin Davis (shoulder) was placed on IR.

Rams

Inactives: CB Shaun Jolly, DE Ochaun Mathis, DL Desjuan Johnson, WR Tutu Atwell and OT Rob Havenstein

Lineup notes: WR Tutu Atwell (concussion) couldn’t clear the protocol. TE Tyler Higbee (neck) practiced Friday and is good to go. DT Aaron Donald (groin) was added as questionable on Saturday due to tightness but is active.

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals (4:05 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 77 degrees, clear (retractable-roof dome)

49ers

Inactives: DL Arik Armstead, TE Ross Dwelley, QB Brandon Allen, OG Spencer Burford, DL Javon Hargrave, RB Elijah Mitchell and LB Oren Burks

Lineup notes: RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) is out. DT Arik Armstead (foot/knee) and DT Javon Hargrave (hamstring) are out. LB Dre Greenlaw (hip/ankle) and CB Charvarius Ward (groin) earned questionable designations but will be out there.

Cardinals

Inactives: OT Dennis Daley, TE Blake Whiteheart, DE Tyreke Smith, OT Carter O’Donnell and S Qwuantrezz Knight

Lineup notes: WR Marquise Brown (heel) and WR Michael Wilson (neck) are active. QB Kyler Murray (thumb) practiced Friday and will play. S Budda Baker (illness) was added as questionable but will be available.

Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 49 degrees, 75% chance of drizzle, SSE 10 mph

Cowboys

Inactives: OT Asim Richards, DL Johnathan Hankins, QB Trey Lance, RB Deuce Vaughn, CB Eric Scott Jr., S Malik Hooker and WR Jalen Brooks

Lineup notes: WR Brandin Cooks (illness) didn’t practice Thursday or Friday but will give it a try. RB Rico Dowdle (ankle) is good to go after a full practice Friday. CB Stephon Gilmore (illness) is active.

Bills

Inactives: DE A.J. Epenesa, OG Alec Anderson, DT Poona Ford and OT Germain Ifedi

Lineup notes: TE Dawson Knox (wrist) and QB Josh Allen (shoulder) practiced all week and will play. TE Dalton Kincaid (thumb, shoulder) was limited all week but will play. S Micah Hyde (neck stinger) has been ruled out.

Sunday Night Football

Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars (8:20 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 59 degrees, 50% chance of drizzle, WNW 14 mph

Ravens

Inactives: C Sam Mustipher, OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, QB Malik Cunningham, QB Josh Johnson, CB Rock Ya-Sin and CB Damarion Williams

Lineup notes: TE Mark Andrews (ankle) remains on IR. S Kyle Hamilton (knee) is active.

Jaguars

Inactives: S Andre Cisco, OT Chandler Brewer, DT Angelo Blackson, CB Tyson Campbell, TE Brenton Strange and LB Yasir Abdullah

Lineup notes: WR Christian Kirk (abdomen) is out for the season after core surgery. QB Trevor Lawrence (ankle) practiced all week and will play. RB Travis Etienne (ribs), RB D’Ernest Johnson (knee) and WR Zay Jones (knee) were limited Friday but will play. WR Jamal Agnew was activated from the Reserve/Injured list. Starting LG Ezra Cleveland (knee) and LT Walker Little (hamstring) are active.

Monday Night Football

Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks (8:15 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 44 degrees, 40% chance of light rain

Eagles

Lineup notes: QB Jalen Hurts (illness) didn’t practice Saturday. He was added as questionable on Sunday but still hopes to start on Monday night. LB Zach Cunningham (knee) was ruled out, and CB Darius Slay (knee) underwent an arthroscopic procedure and also is out.

Seahawks

Lineup notes: QB Geno Smith (groin) is questionable and should be considered a game-time decision. QB Drew Lock will start again if Smith isn’t available. S Jamal Adams (knee) and CB Devon Witherspoon (hip) are both listed as questionable.

Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Week 15

Check out these starts and sits for fantasy football in Week 15.

The fantasy football playoffs commenced Thursday night in the majority of leagues. Hopefully, you didn’t have to play against the Las Vegas Raiders defense.

The Week 15 slate offers some intriguing matchups with a handful of games bringing some worry as the playoffs begin. Finding the sweet spot between trusting the process and avoiding overreaction is the key over the next three weeks.

Now, it’s time to take a look at how we can help you get the fantasy playoffs started on the right foot.

Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.

Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.

Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11), or check out our start/bench list for Week 15:

The best fantasy football gamble of Week 15

This slumping RB has a great opportunity to soar once again.

Every week, at least one player becomes my fascination of whether he’s worthy of a fantasy football start as a streamer. The decision can be a mental wrestling match, but for the purpose of brevity, only one player can be chosen as my favorite fantasy football gamble of the week.

The players chosen in this series are meant to be fliers for fantasy owners in desperate situations or those willing to take an intentional risk. No player is intended to be a lineup lock for guaranteed results, hence the name of the series.

The best fantasy football gamble for Week 15

Tracking my 2023 predictions: 6-8-0
All-time record: 25-39-3 (39.7%)

Win: Player produces ≥ 75% of projected fantasy points
Loss: Player produces >75% of projected fantasy points
Tie: Player is ejected, leaves with an injury, or is ruled out after publishing

This year, we’ll also track the accuracy on a percentage basis to show relative results, since sometimes calling a player a loss doesn’t actually hurt gamers. An example would be if a projection narrowly falls short of the 75 percent threshold, the player is still of use in a lineup.

Wk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
% 55 74 41 20 150 66 16 25 88 121 138 80 87 64%
Grade E C F- F- A+ D F- F- B+ A+ A+ B- B+ D

I went with Los Angeles Chargers tight end Gerald Everett last week, projecting a modest 13.9 points. He finished with 8.9 even after the Chargers lost Justin Herbert (finger). The Bolts had the ball in the red zone late in the contest, and backup quarterback Easton Stick bypassed a wide-open Everett for a short touchdown, instead zipping an unnecessary fastball toward Austin Ekeler that led to an incompletion.

While frustrating, I can’t get too worked up about it. This one was within reach until the waning moments, even with one of the least capable No. 2 quarterbacks in the league on the field.

This week, we turn to a veteran ball carrier whose season has been a tale of two halves thus far.

Philadelphia Eagles RB D’Andre Swift at Seattle Seahawks

From Week 2 — when injury thrust him into the lineup — through Week 8, Swift dominated the backfield and posted at least 10.5 PPR points in each contest. During that stretch, he topped 15 points four times and solidified himself as one of the best fantasy surprises the position has offered in 2023.

But over the last five games, Swift’s season has gone sideways. He has seen two fewer targets, on average, scored only once, and has posted more than 9.4 PPR points a single time, which came three contests ago. Swift has been only fractionally less efficient in terms of his yardage per touch, but the lack of scoring has crippled his fantasy value. In the seven-game hot streak, he found the end zone once every 35.8 touches, and that number has nearly doubled to a TD every 69 handles in the last five appearances.

Philadelphia, losers of consecutive games for the first time since midway into the 2021 season, will look to get on track vs. an inconsistent Seattle defense. While fireworks from the passing game come to mind when thinking about this offense, make no mistake, the Eagles thrive when the ground attack is clicking. Expect a rededicated approach to the rushing game.

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The Seahawks have allowed running backs to post top-10 stats in nearly every meaningful category related to fantasy success. Since Week 9, the position has averaged the 10th-most rushing yards (105.2), eighth-most receptions (5.6), fifth-most aerial yards (50), fifth-most total yards (155.2), second-highest efficiency rating, fourth-most standard fantasy points (23.9), and second-most PPR points (29.5) against this defense. All of that sorts out to Seattle being 34% easier to exploit than the league average.

On the year, that figure is 19%, which is mostly powered by the position scoring 14 rushing touchdowns and a pair more through the air. Long story short, versatile RBs have done the most damage. Fifteen backs have posted double-digit PPR results, and nine of those efforts were good for at least 15 points.

The Seahawks have done a better job of limiting wide receivers, and while there’s always the possibility Philadelphia unleashes its pent-up frustration on this secondary in such a way that Swift isn’t needed as much, there’s still enough to like from an efficiency perspective. It’s understandable if owners in the postseason are ready to cut bait for a safer option, but sticking with the former Detroit Lion one more week is a worthwhile risk to take.

My projection: 14 carries, 66 rushing yards, 1 TD, 4 targets, 4 receptions, 33 yards (19.9 PPR fantasy points)

The Huddle’s Blitzed Fantasy Football Podcast: Episode 206

Talking NFL player news, fantasy football advice, DFS strategy and more!

In this episode, Steve and Harley bring you NFL news, making difficult playoff start/sit decisions, and a double dose of “DFS Pay-ups, Stay-aways and Value Plays.” So Huddle up, tune in, and get Blitzed!

Or, click here to listen