Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 15: Smartest Matchups to Exploit, Sleeper Plays and More

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Terrance Williams/Associated Press

The 2021 fantasy football playoffs is here.

That means your margin for error is gone.

Make a misstep in Week 15, and it’s a wrap on your fantasy season. If your gut has some good hunches, though, you’re one step closer to fantasy bliss.

Let’s focus on getting them right, then, with a fresh batch of start-or-sit recommendations.

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Don’t look now, but that’s back-to-back games with 290-plus passing yards and a pair of passing touchdowns for Jimmy Garoppolo. In fact, he has thrown multiple touchdown passes in five of his last six outings.

His yardage total might fluctuate, but the stars are aligning for a strong Week 15.

That largely stems from the matchup, as the Falcons have surrendered the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, per Yahoo. But it’s also worth noting Garoppolo is finally taking advantage of George Kittle again (22 catches for 332 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games). Plus, San Francisco could be more pass-reliant than normal if Elijah Mitchell is sidelined again.

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Terrance Williams/Associated Press

To be clear, this isn’t a blanket recommendation, as fantasy managers in leagues with any kind of depth will almost certainly have to start Dak Prescott. To be clear about another thing, yes, I am aware Dak Prescott could make this look really foolish.

But are you willing to bank your entire fantasy season on Prescott suddenly snapping out of his funk? I wouldn’t be if I had a reasonable alternative.

Prescott has been good once in his last four games. Take out his 375-yard, two-score performance against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thanksgiving, and you’re talking about 665 passing yards (221.7 per game), two passing touchdowns and five interceptions over three outings. That includes Sunday’s dud (22-of-39 for 211 yards, one score and two picks) against a Washington defense that allows more fantasy points to the position than anyone.

Stay away if you can afford it.

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Watch the injury report before locking anything in, because Myles Gaskin recently landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

But if he is good to go, then he’s a no-brainer starter with a not insignificant chance of landing as the RB1.

That’s asking a ton of him, sure, but the matchup doesn’t get better (or even come close) then this. Gaskin should know. He turned 26 touches into 96 scrimmage yards and a score against the Jets in Week 11. He has averaged 17.6 carries and 3.2 targets over his last five games, a stretch that includes four trips to the end zone.

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Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press

Buffalo’s running back room is somehow both crowded and uninspiring. Devin Singletary leads the Bills in rushing attempts, but he’s liable to lose touches to Zack Moss and/or Matt Breida any given week.

And that’s before factoring in the heavy rushing involvement of quarterback Josh Allen, who handled 12 of the team’s 19 carries in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Singletary constantly bumps into a low ceiling. He has two touchdowns all season, one of which came way back in mid-September. His 52 rushing yards Sunday were his most since Week 4. He has topped 30 receiving yards only twice and still awaits his first touchdown catch. Oh, and now he’ll tussle with a Panthers defense allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs. No thanks.