
Ian Hartitz offers 10 bold predictions for Week 15, top matchups and mismatches, ranks each game, and so much more in Ian's Manifesto.

Ian Hartitz offers Week 15 bold predictions, top matchups and mismatches, and much more in Ian's Manifesto.
And just like that: Week 15 is upon us. Let's break down some ball!
Every week I will be going through 10 key storylines ahead of all the NFL action, focusing on key fantasy-related trends, the week's biggest mismatches, my personal rankings of every game, bold predictions, and much more.
As always: It's a great day to be great.
We'll use Week 8 as our cutoff so every QB has had the opportunity to play at least six games in the sample barring injury. In terms of EPA per dropback and completion percentage over expected…
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There are three names in the upper right quadrant with cozy enough matchups in Week 15 to deserve the nod in close start/sit decisions:
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: No. 2 in EPA per dropback (+0.330) and No. 6 in CPOE (+6.5%) during this sample, Tua leads the league in passing yards since returning from injury and has helped the Dolphins score the league's fourth-most points over the past seven weeks of action. This has helped him rack up the sixth-most fantasy points, including four consecutive top-10 finishes–the longest such streak by anyone other than Josh Allen (5) and Joe Burrow (5). This offense looks plenty capable of cooking against just about anyone at the moment, especially a Texans defense that surrendered surprisingly passable performances to Mac Jones (235-2-0), Will Levis (278-2-1), and Cooper Rush (354-1-1) in three games before their Week 14 bye. Tua is deserving of top-10 treatment in this spot; I would start him ahead of guys like Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Anthony Richardson, among others.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford: Threw for just *3* TDs in the first six games of the season with no Puka Nacua and (mostly) no Cooper Kupp. In seven games since? Stafford has a whopping 16 scores through the air–more than anyone other than Joe Burrow (19). The results in fantasy land have accordingly been stellar, as Stafford has posted top-9 numbers in four of his last seven starts. I'm not anticipating the good times to stop rolling ahead of Thursday night's date with a 49ers defense that could still be without Nick Bosa. Stafford is more than deserving of starting treatment ahead of guys like Geno Smith, Caleb Williams, Russell Wilson, and Anthony Richardson.
Vikings QB Sam Darnold: Credit Darnold, credit his baller WRs, credit Kevin O'Connell, credit whoever you want: The veteran gunslinger has played the position as well as anyone in recent weeks even in some relatively tougher matchups. With QB7, QB6, QB12, and most recently QB2 fantasy finishes to his name, it's tough to name more than a few hotter passers at the moment. I'm not expecting Darnold and Co. to cool off at home against the same Bears defense he torched for 330 yards and two scores just a few weeks ago. The QB7 in fantasy points per game on the season is my QB6 on the week behind only Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, and Joe Burrow.
Now let's take a look at the RB position…
I put together the chart below to get an idea of who is commanding the most volume RIGHT NOW ahead of the fantasy playoffs. Note that I used Week 13 usage numbers for the six teams who spent last week on bye.
You should already be aware that guys like Chuba Hubbard and Chase Brown in addition to the Saquon Barkleys and Derrick Henrys of the world need to be in starting lineups of all shapes and sizes (if you weren't aware, well, you are now), but the following less-clear four players also have the sort of RB1-level volume that should make them starters in far more lineups than not for the time being.
Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle: Has peeled off touch counts of 22, 25, and 19 over the past three weeks as his offense's clear-cut featured RB. While the Cowboys offense still doesn't exactly boast the league's highest weekly scoring ceiling, this sort of volume is tough to fade in fantasy land–especially ahead of the position's single-best matchup against a Panthers defense that has allowed a whopping +7.9 fantasy points above expected to opposing RBs this season. Dowdle is an upside RB2 in this spot and someone who should be starting ahead of Chiefs and Steelers RBs among others this week.
Giants RB Tyrone Tracy: The rookie's ball security issues haven't impacted his usage, as Tracy saw a season-high 26 combined carries and targets last week. It'd be a lot cooler if there were more fantasy-friendly goal-line opportunities to go around inside this Drew Lock-led offense, but that sort of pass-game volume can't be ignored ahead of a matchup with a Ravens defense that has allowed bottom-five marks in receiving yards and targets to opposing RBs. This obviously isn't a smash spot, but similar to Dowdle, Tracy at least deserves the nod ahead of more split backfields like the Jets, Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, Jaguars, and Raiders.
Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet: This is where things get really juicy. Kenneth Walker (calf) looks to be at risk of missing multiple games, meaning Charbonnet could continue to work as the Seahawks' featured three-down back. This role has produced touch counts of 19, 21, and 29 on snap rates of 96%, 84%, and 80% in three spot starts this season–that's legit top-10 usage ladies and (mostly) gentlemen. Unlike with Dowdle and Tracy, there's a bit more scoring upside in this Seattle offense, and I'm accordingly willing to rank Charbonnet as a legit RB1 this week ahead of guys like Alvin Kamara, Jonathan Taylor, and James Cook.
Bucs RB Rachaad White: This "must start" ideology is contingent on Bucky Irving's back staying tight, but White shouldn't be discarded even if the Bucs get their stud rookie RB back for Week 15's matchup with the Chargers. After all, White has only finished outside the position's top-24 PPR performers once since returning from injury in Week 7, as his pass-down role and improved efficiency on the ground have been more than enough to produce bunches of fantasy points inside the Bucs' fifth-ranked scoring offense. Without Bucky, fire up White as a legit top-15 play at the position, while the third-year veteran will be more of a low-end RB2 should Irving manage to suit up.
Fun times, but now let's get a bit negative and address some pass catchers who simply aren't getting many chances to touch the football in recent weeks.
You probably spent some high draft capital on these guys back in August, and maybe they even returned some solid games earlier in the season—but those days sure look to be in the rearview mirror because (get this): You can't score fantasy points without getting the football.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel: The 49ers' WR/RB hybrid hasn't found the end zone or reached triple-digit total yards since Week 5. Hell, Samuel has now gone four consecutive games without even 25 receiving yards—last year he had only three such performances ALL SEASON. Luckily, Deebo is taking the struggles in stride; just kidding he's popping off on social media about not getting the ball. At this point it's clear the passing game is flowing through Jauan Jennings and George Kittle, and even a banged-up RB room hasn't resulted in too many touches on the ground. Deebo certainly hasn't helped his cause there: His average of 2.9 yards per carry is the third-lowest mark among 98 players with at least 30 rush attempts this season. Even in what would normally classify as a smash spot against the Rams, Samuel is nothing more than a boom or (more likely) bust WR4.
Eagles WR A.J. Brown: One of the best WR talents in the league hasn't had double-digit targets in a game since Week 1. Guys like Hunter Henry and Elijah Moore have more targets than Brown since he returned from injury in Week 6. Wan'Dale f*cking Robinson has just one less target (in one less game!) during this span. AJB doesn't seem too happy about this, noting Philly's offense needs to improve on, "Passing." The locker room vibes don't seem great here, although Kellen Moore does seem to recognize Brown needs more targets. Reminder: Brown is still amazing at football, as evidenced by his average of 3.15 yards per route run—a mark that trails only Puka Nacua and Nico Collins among all WRs with 50-plus targets this season. Alas, this is life inside the league's single-most run-heavy offense in terms of dropback rate over expected (-9%). You're going to have a very tough time putting Brown on the bench, but it might not be a bad idea for Guillotine LeagueTM members, as the projected volume here is that of more of an upside WR2 in fantasy land these days.
Packers WR Jayden Reed: The Packers have fed Reed 3 or fewer targets in four of his last six games. The WR position's leader in rushing yards also has only 2 carries over the last five weeks. While Reed is still a threat to pop a big play or find the end zone, this is scary-low volume, and the offense should welcome back Romeo Doubs (concussion) before too long. Ultimately, Green Bay seems content to run the ball and spread things out in their passing game. This has worked out perfectly fine in real life for the league's seventh-ranked scoring offense, but it leaves Reed as more of a WR4 moving forward despite the reality that he's probably the Packers' best real-life talent at the position.
While volume should be the primary driver when making start/sit decisions, we need to account for especially tough matchups as well.
The Fantasy Life DVP tool is pretty cool because it not only tells you how many fantasy points per game defenses are allowing to each position, but also the number of points above or below expectation.
Accordingly, these four Week 15 matchups look really tough on paper:
Texans C.J. Stroud vs. Dolphins (-3.3 fantasy points to QBs): Stroud has just two top-10 fantasy finishes all season long, and none since Week 4. Maybe the bye week was all this passing game needed to get back to partying like it's 2023 again, but it won't be easy against a Dolphins defense that has allowed a league-low 14.5 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs. Jalen Ramsey and Co. have shown some cracks in recent weeks against Jordan Love and Aaron Rodgers, although expecting this bottom-6 offensive line to hold up against Chop Robinson and Co. might be wishful thinking. I'm treating Stroud as the mid-to-low-end QB2 that he's been all season in this spot.
Browns RB Jerome Ford and Nick Chubb vs. Chiefs (-5.6 fantasy points to RBs): The Browns are content to split touches fairly evenly between these two, making Chubb a complete stay-away due to his lack of efficiency (3.1 YPC) behind this bad/injured offensive line, and Ford nothing more than a low-end RB3 in full PPR formats. Kansas City's defense has indeed slipped in recent weeks, but it's been far more against the pass than the run. Consider: No RB has cracked 20 PPR points against the Chiefs this season, and only James Cook (19.7) and Chuba Hubbard (15) have managed 15. I will be answering the vast majority of close-ish start/sit decisions involving a Browns RB with the other guy.
Steelers WR George Pickens vs. Eagles (-3.6 fantasy points to WRs): Already a tough enough matchup, and now we also have to consider the potential for Pickens to re-injure his hamstring if he manages to play at all. Throw in an annoying late Sunday afternoon kickoff, and Pickens will be in WR4 territory if considered a game-time decision in this one.
Bucs TE Cade Otton vs. Chargers (-3.2 fantasy points to TEs): Otton was THE TE1 from Weeks 7 to 10 as largely the focal point of the Bucs offense, but he's slipped to TE21 in three games since returning from the bye. The return of Mike Evans certainly hasn't helped; just realize Otton also isn't exactly a top-10 real-life option at the position, making it easier for defenses to limit him if they really want to. Expect this to be the case against Derwin James and Co. this week; Otton isn't in my top-15 options at the position.
Staying on the topic of tough sits…
Not really, although beggars can't be choosers, and Patrick Taylor is accordingly one of the top waiver wire additions of the week.
That said: Taylor won't be gracing my top-24 options at the position due to the reality that we have *zero* evidence that Kyle Shanahan and Co. will trust him to handle anything close to a three-down role. Could Shanny say f*ck it and give the fourth-year back 30 combined carries and targets? I guess, but remember: This is a guy who has played just 41 total snaps on offense all season, including just *three* in pass pro.
Reminder: Elijah Mitchell posted a lowly 52% snap rate in Week 18 last year with Christian McCaffrey sidelined, and Trey Sermon had sub-60% marks in his only two career starts on the squad. Hell, Jordan Mason might have made the most out of his rush attempts as the team's lead back, but he had just *one* game with more than 11 receiving yards. Kudos to Isaac Guerendo for actually having the sort of dual-threat ability to work as a middle-class man's CMC last week; just realize we have plenty of examples of the 49ers' next-man-up not exactly being given a "can't miss" three-down role in fantasy land.
It's possible Ke'Shawn Vaughn or Israel Abanikanda carve out some touches, or perhaps outside competition like FB Kyle Juszczyk or WR/RB Deebo Samuel wind up working as the de facto RBs. We truly don't know, and anyone who says otherwise is a big fat phony.
Ideally, Isaac Guerendo (foot) manages to miraculously suit up on Thursday with no concern for limited reps, but that feels like a bit of a pipe dream at the moment. It's a shame considering the plus matchup against the Rams' 24th-ranked scoring defense; unfortunately the only 49ers skill-position players who need to be in starting lineups are WR Jauan Jennings and TE George Kittle at the moment.
Speaking of good matchups…
I've put together the best and worst schedules in terms average PPR points allowed to each position on a few occasions this year, so why not one more before the biggest home stretch of the season?
Feel free to click the hyperlink on each position for a full chart.
DST:
The following players ripped off sterling top-12 PPR performances last week, but that doesn't mean the production is here to stay. Presenting: Fraud check, where we (me) decide if last week's biggest stars are here to stay, or if we simply just witnessed a one-off boom.
Lions QB Jared Goff (QB5): Obviously, Goff is not a real-life fraud by any stretch, but last week's top-5 finish marked just his second time finishing better than QB15 in his last seven games. While volume is usually the primary issue for Goff, he's tossed 41, 34, and 36 passes over the past three weeks—due in part to the Lions defense starting to ride the struggle bus a bit recently due to injures. The Bills are indeed one of the league's better defenses, but as we saw last week, they can certainly be had by an elite offense, and the Lions certainly qualify. I'm not expecting another top-5 performance from Goff; just realize he's always capable of top-12 numbers when Detroit decides to air it out, which will probably be a necessity this week.
Cardinals RB James Conner (RB7): Hasn't been bad this season by any stretch of the imagination, but last week was just the second time in 11 tries that Conner finished better than the PPR RB15! Don't be surprised if that was just the start of a STRONG finish to 2024: Conner is set up better than almost anyone down the stretch with one of the position's single-coziest schedules during the fantasy playoffs. First up is a Patriots defense that has been better vs. the run than pass in recent weeks, but the expected positive game script in this one still locks Conner in as a top-15 play and recommended start.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison (WR3): Has posted PPR WR81, WR18, WR61, WR24, WR1, WR45, and now WR3 finishes in his last seven games. Consider: Addison has outproduced teammate Justin Jefferson in PPR points (115 vs. 99.3) and air yards (546 vs. 507) during this stretch, while only narrowly losing the target battle (45 vs. 47). Both have posted top-10 numbers at the WR position; we might simply be looking at a Ja'Marr Chase-Tee Higgins situation here where both need to be started on a weekly basis. I'm inclined to ride the hot streak and prefer Addison ahead of guys like Marvin Harrison, Jayden Reed, and BrIan Thomas, among others.
Saints TE Juwan Johnson (TE3): Has a pair of top-10 finishes in his last three games after previously finishing as the TE19 or worse in every game since Week 1. While we can anticipate the enhanced role staying with Taysom Hill (knee) done for the season, it's tough to be overly excited about the upside for anyone involved here without Derek Carr (hand, concussion) under center. I'm pushing Johnson back down the ranks; Alvin Kamara is the only member of this offense who should be anywhere close to a starting fantasy lineup.
Every week I put together a group of charts meant to provide easy-to-decipher matchup advantages on both sides of the ball in a handful of categories. This includes combined explosive pass/run-play rates, pressure, yards before contact, pass yards per dropback, and EPA per play. The idea is to have one metric to show a mismatch instead of always going, "Offense ranks X, defense ranks Y."
Without further adieu: The week's biggest mismatches in these ever-important categories. Feel free to click on any of the below categories for a full chart.
I remain steadfast in the idea that no NFL game is inherently "bad." Complaining about specific matchups is ignoring the reality that relatively *meh* football is so much better than *no* football; we should NEVER dismiss any given 60 minutes of professional action on the gridiron.
With that said: Some matchups are indeed more awesome than others, so let's take a quick second to rank every matchup of the week in terms of what I'm looking forward to most through my own biased lenses:
Every week I'll put my reputation on the line regarding a handful of players I believe could outperform their general fantasy-related expectations. The majority will NOT work out—they wouldn't be bold otherwise—but will that stop me? Hell, no!
Without further adieu: Let's get weird.
Players highlighted last week and results: Tyrone Tracy (83 yards, 1 TD), Christian Watson (4-114-0), Khalil Shakir (5-106-1).



