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.
The brother of running back Travis Etienne has entered the transfer portal.
Florida running back Trevor Etienne, brother of former Clemson tailback Travis Etienne, has entered the transfer portal, according to On3 Sports.
Trevor Etienne finished the 2023 season with 754 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 131 carries. The sophomore also had 172 yards and one score as a receiver.
As a four-star recruit in 2022, Trevor Etienne named Clemson a finalist along with LSU before ultimately committing to the Gators. The 5-foot-9, 205-pound rusher will have two years of eligibility remaining.
With Will Shipley’s status for next season still uncertain, Trevor Etienne could be a potential target for head coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers.
BREAKING: Florida RB Trevor Etienne plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
The 5’9 205 RB was the Team Leader in rushing TDs (8), yards per carry, & yards per game.
Played in 24 games in his 2 years with the Gators. Will have 2 years of eligibility remaining… pic.twitter.com/87veU5HE0y
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence went down with what looked like a significant ankle injury on Monday night.
Former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence went down with what looked like a significant ankle injury on Monday night.
With nearly six minutes left in the fourth quarter of the Jaguars’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Lawrence was stepped on by an offensive lineman and fell to the ground. The former Clemson signal-caller tried to get up and walk to the sidelines but immediately went back down, slammed his helmet to the ground and had to be helped off the field.
Despite barely being able to walk, Lawrence never received a cart to help him to the locker room area, causing an uproar from fans.
Luckily for Lawrence and the Jaguars, the initial diagnosis was an ankle sprain, according to NFL insiders. Lawrence will get an MRI on Tuesday, which will help clarify his status.
Here’s how fans on X reacted to Lawrence’s injury.
Travis Etienne still thinks rookie running back Tank Bigsby has a bright future ahead.
Tank Bigsby’s rookie year hasn’t gone as planned. While the Jacksonville Jaguars’ third round pick scored two touchdowns in his first three games, he was also directly responsible for two turnovers in his NFL debut.
Those ball security issues haven’t gone away. Bigsby fumbled against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8 and a ball bounced off his hands for an interception last week against the San Francisco 49ers. There may have been a little too much heat on the throw from Trevor Lawrence, but Bigsby hasn’t done much to earn the benefit of the doubt.
Travis Etienne Jr. is still convinced Bigsby has a bright future, though.
“I feel like I was in that same situation last year,” Etienne said Monday. “You just have to weather the storm. In the NFL, I learned last year that you can’t get too high and you can’t get too low. It’s a week-to-week thing, all you got to do is go out there and make a play and nobody is even worried about Tank missing the ball.
“Just get out of his head, block out the outside noise and just be who he is. We all know Tank is a talented kid and we all know he’s a great football player. He’s just got to go out there and just show that and be himself.”
Etienne missed his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury. In his first actual year on the field, the 2021 first-round pick fumbled five times, second most in the NFL among running backs.
This season, Etienne has 189 touches, third most in the NFL through 10 weeks, and hasn’t fumbled once.
Bigsby, 22, has just 27 touches so far (26 rushing attempts, one reception), but has fumbled twice and had two passes bounce off his hands for interceptions. The question now is whether he’ll get a chance, as Etienne said, to “weather the storm” in the last eight weeks of the season.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the rookie is more or less shelved while D’Ernest Johnson gets more touches as the reliever for Etienne. The former Cleveland Browns running back, who was signed by the Jaguars as a free agent earlier this year, made the most of his five touches in Week 10, producing 40 yards from scrimmage.
Bigsby may require patience and reps to develop into a player the Jaguars can rely upon. That might not be a luxury the Jaguars can afford while in the midst of a playoff race.
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Pass-Rush
TD
Sam Howell
397-11
4
Josh Allen
324-41
3
Dak Prescott
304-19
4
Jalen Hurts
319-6
3
Joe Burrow
283-43
3
Running Backs
Yards
TD
Christian McCaffrey
12-54
6-64
2
Gus Edwards
19-80
2-14
3
Alvin Kamara
17-59
4-51
2
Travis Etienne
24-79
3-70
1
Austin Ekeler
15-29
7-94
1
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
CeeDee Lamb
12-158
2
DeAndre Hopkins
4-128
3
A.J. Brown
8-130
2
Tyreek Hill
8-112
1
Ja’Marr Chase
10-100
1
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Trey McBride
10-95
1
George Kittle
9-149
0
Taysom Hill
9-63
1-14
2
T.J. Hockenson
6-88
1
Evan Engram
10-88
0
Placekickers
XP
FG
Brandon McManus
0
4
Brandon Aubrey
5
2
Younghoe Koo
2
3
Cameron Dicker
3
3
Jake Elliott
5
1
Defense
Sack – TO
TD
Broncos
3-5
0
Cowboys
2-1
1
Jaguars
3-2
0
Vikings
4-1
0
Steelers
3-3
0
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
QB Matt Stafford -Thumb
QB Kirk Cousins – Achilles
QB Tyrod Taylor – Ribs
QB Kenny Pickett – Ribs
QB Desmond Ridder – Benched
QB Patrick Mahomes – Flu
RB Damien Williams – Foot
RB Travis Etienne – Ankle
WR DeVante Parker – Head
WR Kendrick Bourne – Knee
WR Drake London – Groin
WR Curtis Samuel – Toe
TE Darren Waller – Hamstring
Chasing Ambulances
QB Matt Stafford – He was already playing through a hip injury and left the Cowboys matchup when his thumb hit a helmet. He remained sidelined with a taped thumb after they examined it in the locker room but the Rams would not make a statement about it and Stafford did not talk to the press. Brett Rypien is the only other quarterback currently on their roster. Stetson Bennett is on the reserve/non-football illness list but the Rams have not disclosed exactly why. If Stafford misses any time, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua will likely suffer a decline.
QB Kirk Cousins – He suffered what is feared to be a season-ending Achilles injury. For a team already missing Justin Jefferson, this is catastrophic. The only healthy quarterback on the team is the rookie Jaren Hall. Sean Mannion is on the practice squad and Nick Mullens is on injured reserve. At 3-4, do they give up and make do with what they have or do they try to acquire or trade for someone? The worst part is that Cousins likely takes the Minnesota passing game with him, impacting Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Jefferson when he returns.
QB Tyrod Taylor – The Giants quarterback suffered a rib injury and was brought to a local hospital. He was already replacing Daniel Jones who is out with a neck injury. The Giants are down to Tommy DeVito who entered the game and completed 2-of-7 passes for a net loss of one yard. The expectation is that the Giants will bring in free-agent quarterbacks though the shelves are rather bare. The Giants cannot afford to have yet another step downward in their passing offense.
QB Kenny Pickett – The Steelers quarterback left with a rib injury and the immediate concern is how quickly he will heal since the Steelers host the Titans on Thursday. Mitchell Trubisky will take the start if Pickett cannot play. More should be known on Monday.
QB Desmond Ridder – Was evaluated for a concussion and did not return to the loss to the Titans. HC Arthur Smith said that Ridder was held out for health reasons and not as a benching. Taylor Heinicke took over and completed 12-of-21 for 175 yards and a touchdown. Barring new information, Ridder remains the starter and will play if healthy. Practices will indicate if Ridder or Heinicke are most likely to start against the Vikings this week.
RB Travis Etienne – He left with an ankle injury but later returned and scored a 56-yard touchdown on a catch. He is fine.
WR Kendrick Bourne – The Patriots’ No. 1 receiver was injured in the fourth quarter, holding his right knee in obvious pain. He was able to walk to the medical tent and was ruled out of the game. He is due to have an MRI on Monday and the hope is that it is just a sprained MCL. DeVante Parker was hit helmet-to-helmet as well and is expected to be diagnosed with a concussion. That would be serious since he missed games due to a concussion in 2022. JuJu Smith-Schuster has been a disappointment since joining the Pats and had his own health issues. But he received more playing time after Bourne left and caught a three-yard touchdown on his only reception.
WR Drake London – The Falcons star wideout left the game and was looked at by the trainers. After visiting the medical tent, he was ruled out with a groin injury. London claimed that he was fine after the game, but he’ll be evaluated Monday and his status will be clearer later in the week. If he is out for the Vikings matchup this week, Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, Mack Hollins, and Van Jefferson would have to take up the slack but London is the difference-maker out of all receivers.
TE Darren Waller – Suffered a hamstring strain and left the game. His status will be updated later this week, but the Giants’ problems at quarterback are an equally troublesome development for Waller’s fantasy value.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
New starting quarterbacks – The worst injury situation appears to be Kirk Cousins and the situation they are in if he cannot play as expected. The Vikings are likely to bring in veteran quarterbacks who will carry some fantasy value, but watch what moves they make in the early week. The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, so we’ll know quickly if they acquire any notable replacement.
QB Will Levis (TEN) – The 2.02 pick by the Titans in the NFL draft was the fourth quarterback selected. Levis took his first NFL start and threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns – three on deep passes to DeAndre Hopkins. Ryan Tannehill only totaled two touchdowns after six games. Levis has to be the ongoing starter. He became the third quarterback in NFL history to throw for four touchdowns in their first start.
RB Emari Demercado (ARI) – The Cardinals have turned to Demercado as the full-time back with 20 carries for 78 yards versus the Ravens on Sunday. He also caught one pass for one year. James Conner remains out for at least two more weeks and it could be longer since the Cardinals have not been very forthcoming about Conner’s prognosis.
TE Trey McBride (ARI) – The Cardinals placed Zach Ertz onto injured reserve and that left second-year McBride as the primary tight end. He responded well, leading all fantasy tight ends with ten catches for 95 yards and a score against the Ravens. McBride was drafted last year in the second round and this was the sort of development they were hoping to see.
TE Taysom Hill (NO) – The Swiss Army knife of the Saints already scored last week on five rushes for 18 yards and gained 50 yards as a receiver. Against the Colts, Hill ran for 63 yards and two touchdowns on nine rushes and caught a 14-yard pass. He’s always been inconsistent, but that’s two straight fantasy-relevant performances. He has been shifted to being a quarterback on some depth charts but remains a tight end on many.
RB Miles Sanders (CAR) – He missed Week 6 with a shoulder injury but had a bye to help him heal. He was removed from the injury report and was expected to resume his role as the starter, along with Chuba Hubbard. But Sanders only carried twice for no yards, and Hubbard ran 15 times for 28 yards. Sanders is far too risky to merit a fantasy start until he can prove to be healthy and a part of the game plan.
WR Demario Douglas (NE) – The Patriots rookie hasn’t scored and topped out in Week 7 with four catches for 54 yards. Against the Dolphins, he ended with five receptions for 25 yards but it was notable because his seven targets were three more than any other Patriot receiver. And Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker both were injured last week.
RB Gus Edwards (BAL) – He’s been consistent with around 50 yards in most games and scored only in Week 2. But these last two games, Edwards has his best performances of the year. In Week 7, he ran in a score, rushed for 64 yards and caught an 80-yard pass. For Week 8, he produced a career-best three touchdowns on his 19 rushes for 80 yards and caught two passes for 14 yards. Jackson dialed back his role as a rusher for these last two weeks and Edwards has feasted.
WR Tyreek Hill (MIA) – He currently has 1,014 receiving yards and is the first player to do that in their first eight games in the last 62 years of NFL history. He is on pace to gain 2,154 yards on the season.
Germany Alert! – The NFL returns to Europe this week with their first-ever game in Germany. The notable part is that they are showcasing the NFL by playing the Dolphins and Chiefs. That means there are a lot of fantasy team owners who need to get up well before 9:30 AM EST (6:30 AM EST) and check their lineups or risk missing an inactive.
Huddle player of the week
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
CeeDee Lamb (DAL) – The Cowboys No. 1 receiver already gained 117 yards last week, and he upped that mark against the Rams when he caught 12 passes for a career-best 158 yards and two touchdowns. After a three-week lull in production, Lamb is turning in big stats for multiple weeks and just led the NFL in fantasy points.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
The NFL had a rash of injuries to quarterbacks last week, so let’s hope that’s just an aberration and not the start of even more players getting hurt. The scoring has been down overall, and the incidence of monster performances by fantasy players have also declined. That makes for less fantasy points to go around, and yet amplifies the impact for when a player can log multiple touchdowns or pile up the yardage.
One of the more important facets of Week 7 is that the looming trade deadline is 4 p.m.. on October 31st. – the Tuesday following the Week 8 games. We saw a number of trades last season and it feels like that will repeat, since several top-record teams still have glaring holes to fill if they want to do anything in January.
To start, let’s look at why waiting in defenses and kickers may seem hard for some, but it is reasonable. And kickers are the worst.
How we did on fantasy defenses – The Top-5 are the difference makers and in a position that is typically the lowest scoring in most fantasy leagues, anything beyond those first five are not that different – usually a point or two per game overall. Here are how the Average Draft Position (ADP) shook out against the current Points Per Game (PPG) for the defense.
ADP
PPG
Draft Rank
PPG
ADP
Actual Rank
1
14
49ers
1
11
Steelers
2
9
Eagles
2
3
Cowboys
3
2
Cowboys
3
4
Bills
4
3
Bills
4
7
Jets
5
30
Patriots
5
16
Seahawks
6
10
Ravens
6
17
Bengals
7
4
Jets
7
9
Saints
8
11
Jaguars
8
20
Chargers
9
7
Saints
9
2
Eagles
10
20
Commanders
10
6
Ravens
The Cowboys and Bills were the only two that have delivered so far, the Cowboys are starting to fall after the effect of their first three weeks starts to be watered down. Three of the Top-8 have delivered so far, but teams that reached for the 49ers a few rounds earlier than the rest should regret spending too much. That’s almost always the case for the first defense drafted each year.
How we did on fantasy kickers –
ADP
PPG
Draft Rank
PPG
ADP
Actual Rank
1
15
Justin Tucker
1
ND
K. Fairbairn
2
29
Daniel Carlson
2
11
Jake Elliott
3
13
Tyler Bass
3
ND
Brandon Aubrey
4
24
Evan McPherson
4
ND
Brett Maher
5
5
Harrison Butker
5
5
Harrison Butker
6
8
Jason Myers
6
10
Greg Zuerlein
7
19
Cameron Dicker
7
ND
Nick Folk
8
28
Younghoe Koo
8
6
Jason Myers
9
10
B McManus
9
14
Jake Moody
10
6
Greg Zuerlein
10
9
B McManus
Okay, so look at the above table – only Harrison Butker paid off commensurate with where he was taken. Those first four kickers taken in the Average Draft didn’t deliver as a fantasy starter, let alone yield any advantage. The Top-4 in current points-per-game were Jake Elliot taken as the 11th kicker drafted, and three other guys who were not drafted in most fantasy leagues.
WR Mecole Hardman (KC) – The Chiefs swapped late round picks to bring Hardman back to Kansas City after logging just one catch for the Jets this year. Here’s what he did in the four seasons with the Chiefs:
Year
GMS
Catch
Yds
YPR
TDs
Rush
Yds
TDs
2022
8
25
297
11.9
4
4
31
2
2021
17
59
693
11.7
2
8
46
0
2020
16
41
560
13.7
4
4
31
0
2019
16
26
538
20.7
6
4
17
0
So the question is if Hardman can do what no other Chiefs’ wideout has this year – matter. As in provide consistent fantasy relevant stats. Hardman provided about 600 yards each season, though through 2021 Tyreek Hill was there, and Hardman had a season-ending groin tear in 2022. He’s only gained 100 yards in one game, but he should provide something has been missing – touchdowns. The Chiefs wideout combine for only four touchdowns in their six games but last year, Hardman alone scored four times in the first eight games prior to injury, including in all three of his final games. It is something to watch for because the Chiefs need to improve passing touchdowns.
TE Michael Mayer (LV) – The Raiders spent their 2.03 pick on the receiving tight end that led all Notre Dame receivers last year. At 6-5, 249-pounds and running a 4.7 40-time, Mayer has all the marks of an elite NFL tight end. He’s one to watch with the Raiders that have taken to spreading the ball around more (to the displeasure of Davante Adams) and Mayer led the team last week with five catches for 75 yards against the Patriots. His involvement at the Bears should indicate if he is ready for a bigger role or if last week was just the product of a specific matchup.
WR Darnell Mooney (CHI) – The trade deadline is nearing, and Mooney getting traded seems like an ideal situation. The Bears have found their No. 1 wideout with DJ Moore, and the season is already over at 1-5. They can get draft capital for a player who hasn’t used much but who had a 1,000-yard season in 2021 and can offer a speedy field stretcher. And Mooney’s career has already peaked in Chicago, so a change in team can only be a positive.
RB Derrick Henry (TEN) – The Titans’ long-time star running back is likely heading into free agency next spring and he turns 30 in January. The 2-4 Titans could get something for him in a trade and look like a team heading into a rebuilding mode next year, even if HC Mike Vrabel reaches his sixth season. The Buccaneers lead the NFC South and yet rank No. 32 in running backs. It would take a top team to be interested in a “win now at all costs” sort of deal, and Tampa Bay is the only such team that needs an upgrade in the backfield. The Ravens could be argued as needing one as well, but they’ve slogged along with a mediocre backfield for several years.
About last night…
Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
Jacksonville 31, New Orleans 24
The game was a slow affair for the first half that ended 17-6 thanks to two rushing scores by Travis Etienne. It seemed to be another low-scoring and sloppy Thursday night contest. But the Saints came back to tie it 24-24 with six minutes left to play, even compensating for a pick-six in the third quarter. But Christian Kirk turned a short catch into a 44-yard touchdown with three minutes left to play, and the Saints marched down the field to reach the Jacksonville 6-yard line with 40 seconds left to play. Derek Carr threw four incompletions, one catchable in the end zone to Foster Moreau.
Trevor Lawrence passed for 204 yards and one touchdown thanks greatly to Christian Kirk’s (6-90, TD) 44-yard catch and run for a score. Evan Engram totaled five catches for 45 yards as the next best receiver while Calvin Ridley yet again flopped with only one catch for five yards. Lawrence may have been questionable with a sprained knee, but he led the Jags with 59 yards on eight rushes. Travis Etienne ran for 53 yards on 14 runs with the two scores, and caught three passes for 24 more yards. The 5-2 Jaguars maintain their lead in the AFC South and head to Pittsburgh for Week 8.
Derek Carr threw for 301 yards and a score but it took 55 passes. Alvin Kamara led with 12 receptions for 91 yards and Chris Olave turned a team-high 15 targets into seven catches for 57 yards. Michael Thomas (3-42, TD) caught the rare touchdown. Kamara also ran for 62 yards on 17 carries for a total of 31 plays in the game. Taysom Hill ran for a score while Jamaal Williams (5-14) finally got back to the field. The loss drops the Saints to 3-4 and they play at the Colts next week.
Travis Etienne Jr. leads the NFL in touches through the first six weeks.
No player in the NFL recorded more touches through the first six weeks of the season than Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr., who already has 113 rushing attempts and 21 receptions. Those numbers aren’t too concerning to offensive coordinator Press Taylor, though.
“He hasn’t shown us he can’t [handle it] at this point in time,” Taylor said Thursday. “Obviously, we like to spread the wealth and we like to continue with the hot hand, whatever that may be; pass game, run game.
“He’s been a guy that is obviously a gamebreaker for us. He’s been able to come through in those situations when we continue to give him the football. He has opportunities and he finds opportunities, he creates his own opportunities at times. We want to continue to give the ball to our best players at all times.”
Last season, in his de facto rookie year (Etienne missed all of 2021), the Jaguars running back averaged 12.9 rushing attempts and 2.1 receptions per game. With over a third of the season in the books, those averages are up to 18.8 carries and 3.5 receptions.
While Taylor says he’s unconcerned, it’s hard to imagine this is the backfield usage the Jaguars envisioned for the 2023 season when they used a third-round pick to add Tank Bigsby and scooped up D’Ernest Johnson in free agency earlier this year.
Bigsby, 22, had seven carries in Week 1, but made a couple crucial errors in his NFL debut and hasn’t had more than three carries in a game since. His shaky pass blocking hasn’t made him the most reliable player in third down situations, either. Johnson has just 10 touches so far this season.
Its been the Etienne show in the Jacksonville backfield early in the year and that doesn’t appear set to change any time soon.
The Jaguars banked two touchdowns in 16 seconds against the Colts, as Travis Etienne Jr. went off.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense came into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts ranked 14th in DVOA, but it would appear that Doug Pederson and his staff want to up the ante a bit, and they want to do so in the run game.
With 14:17 left in the second quarter, Jags running back Travis Etienne Jr. took the ball into the end zone from two yards out.
On the Colts’ first offensive play after that, pass-rusher Josh Allen forced a Gardner Minshew fumble, and Jacksonville got the ball back at the Indianapolis 22-yard line.
Etienne was mic’d up for the Jaguars win over the Colts.
After some patience from all of us, the NFL season has begun with an excellent Week 1 in the books.
There were Tigers all over the NFL who performed well in their season openers, with one of the top performers being Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne. The Jaguars took down the Indianapolis Colts on the road 31-21, with Etienne taking 18 carries for 77 yards and a 26-yard game-sealing touchdown run. He added five catches for 27 yards on the ground.
During the big win, Etienne was mic’d up, giving everyone an inside look into his gameday experience. Check out the video below to see and hear Etienne mic’d up against the Colts.
