It is time to set our fantasy lineups for the fantasy playoffs in Week 15, and with that in mind, let's follow the data to analyze some of the biggest risers and fallers in the ranks to help you make those start-sit decisions.

Risers In My Week 15 Fantasy Football Rankings

See below for the biggest upgrades in my Week 15 rankings, sorted positionally.

Lamar Jackson rejoins the top-six QBs for Week 15.

Jackson rejoined the land of the fantasy living with 22.1 points in Week 14 against the Steelers. He notched seven rushing attempts, tying his second-highest mark of the season, totaling 46 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Ravens are in must-win mode to keep their playoff hopes alive, which could push the veteran quarterback to leave everything on the field against the Bengals in Week 15.

The Bengals have provided the No. 2 fantasy boost to QBs this year at 5.2 points per game. Opposing signal callers have thrown for an additional 46 yards and 0.7 TDs per contest. It will be cold in Cincinnati this weekend, but we have already accounted for that in the game and projection models. The Ravens offer the fourth-highest team total in Matthew Freedman's NFL Betting Game Model as 2.3-point favorites in what could be a shootout against Joe Burrow.

Projection Model (using my PPR projections):

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 25.8
• Median: 19.3
• Floor: 15.0

Jackson carries more risk than we are used to, but on a slate with multiple other high-end quarterbacks drawing tough matchups, he is a strong option. Jackson is my QB6. Freedman agrees, while Ian Hartitz and Rob Waziak have him QB7.

QB Rapid Fire: Week 15 Rankings Upgrades & Pending News

• Jaxson Dart | Giants: Dart has averaged 21.5 points in the seven games where he played at least 75% of the snaps. In those contests, he has handled 14% of the designed rushing attempts. However, in his last game, he posted a 0% share. That could be a mandate from the top of the Giants organization, so there is some risk. I docked his designed attempts by 5% for this weekend. Despite the deduction, he still projects for 17.9 points with a 24.3 Xfinity Best ceiling against a Commanders defense that has sanctioned the fifth-best fantasy boost to QBs at 3.3 points per game. Dart is my QB8, matching his consensus FantasyLife ranking.
   
• Brock Purdy | 49ers: Purdy opened the season with 277- and 309-yard passing, but has cooled since returning from injury with 200, 193, and 168. Since his return, the 49ers have leaned into their run game with a -4% dropback rate over expected (DBOE). However, this weekend Purdy has some encouraging things going for him. First, the 49ers offer the second-highest team total (29) in Freedman's model. Second, the Titans have been a funnel defense over the last four outings. Tennessee has snuffed out opposing rushing attacks with a -5.0-point fantasy boost, but passing attacks have thrived with a 5.2-point fantasy boost. Purdy projects for 16.6 fantasy points with a 21.4 Xfinity Best ceiling. He is a borderline QB1.

Travis Etienne Jr. is a borderline RB1 against the Jets.

The Jaguars changed their identity during their Week 8 bye. Since then, they have leaned into their run game with a -3% DBOE. In six games since then, Etienne has averaged 16.1 points and has operated as the RB11. He has had only one dud performance, securing top-13 finishes in every other week.

Etienne has averaged 17.2 rushing attempts and 2.7 targets with a 74 Utilization Score over that span.

The Jaguars are 11.5-point favorites with a 26.6-point team total in Freedman's model this weekend. That is an excellent combination for RB1s. The Jets have boosted opposing rushing attacks by a mouth-watering 9.4 points over the last four games. The impact of losing Quinnen Williams has taken hold. 

Additionally, Bhayshul Tuten fumbled twice last weekend, which could have a lingering impact on his playing time. I don't have that projected in the model, but additional upside is on the table.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 22.7
• Median: 14.4
• Floor: 10.7

Etienne is my RB12. He would project as a mid-range RB1 with one of the best ceilings on the slate if we assumed a diminished role for Tuten.

RB Rapid Fire: Week 15 Rankings Upgrades & Pending News  

• Derrick Henry | Ravens: Henry isn't an autolock to crush in smash spots like yesteryear due to the unpredictability of the Ravens as a team. However, he gets the No. 1 matchup for RBs. The Bengals have empowered opposing RB units to post a 6.6-point fantasy boost. Henry falls out of favor in trailing scripts—which is a risk—keeping him outside the top three, but he still projects as a mid-range RB1 due to the matchup and high team total (27.2) in Freedman's model. Henry is my RB6, slightly behind the rest of our rankers. He projects for 16.3 points with a 24.6 Xfinity Best ceiling. 
   
• Saquon Barkley | Eagles: Barkley has disappointed fantasy managers with 14.4 points per game. However, he is still getting his opportunities. He has dominated the Eagles' backfield with a 71% rush share and a 12% target share. He popped for 18.2 points against the Chargers in Week 14 and has a chance to do significant damage against the Raiders this weekend. Philadelphia is a 12.5-point favorite (second-largest) with a 25.5 team total (eighth-highest). Barkley projects for 16 points with a 24.7-point Xfinity Best ceiling—he is my RB7. 
   
• Woody Marks | Texans: Marks' inefficiency as a runner has been well documented, but he is the top dog in the Houston backfield. He has handled 72% of the snaps and 73% of the rushing attempts over the last five games. In Week 14, with Nick Chubb (rib) exiting early, he monopolized 89% of the snaps. With a whole week to game plan, I am projecting Dare Ogunbowale to ease the burden if Chubb is out, but Marks is still in a good spot. The Texans are 10-point favorites with a 25.1 team total in Freedman's model. Marks projects for 12.1 points with a 20.2 Xfinity Best ceiling, making him a mid-range RB2.
   
• Devin Neal | Saints: Alvin Kamara has missed the last two games with an MCL injury, and his status is in question again for Week 15. With Kamara out, Neal has commandeered a 77% snap share, 62% rush share, 71% route participation rate, and an 8% target share. The Panthers have sanctioned an 8.9-point fantasy boost to opposing rushing attacks over the last four weeks. Neal is a high-end RB3 with an 18.3-point Xfinity Best ceiling.
   
• Rhamondre Stevenson | Patriots: Disclaimer: I am not a Mike Vrabel mind reader. All I can tell you is that Stevenson was the No. 1 RB for the Patriots in his second game back from injury in Week 13. I still have Henderson ranked ahead this weekend, but Stevenson is in play. Freedman's model has the Patriots as a four-star bet to cover against the Bills, and they offer a healthy team total (25.7). Buffalo has delivered the sixth-best fantasy boost to RB units with 2.4 points per game. Stevenson is a mid-range RB3 with upside if New England sticks with him as the RB1 after a bye week. He projects for 9.5 points with a 16.4 Xfinity Best ceiling.
   
• Kareem Hunt | Chiefs: Despite the return of Isiah Pacheco to the lineup, Hunt has held onto the lead role over the last two contests. Over that span, the veteran RB has accounted for 63% of snaps, 62% of attempts and led the team with a 59% route participation rate. The Chiefs are 4.5-point favorites over the Chargers, who have struggled in recent weeks against the run. The Bolts have provided a 7.0-point boost to opposing rushing attacks. Hunt is a mid-range RB3 with a 17.3-point Xfinity Best ceiling.

Terry McLaurin climbs to mid-range WR2 territory in Week 15.

It has been a terrible injury-riddled year for McLaurin, but he is finally healthy. In the two games since his return, McLaurin has dominated with 9.5 targets, two endzone targets and 134.5 air yards per contest. Over that span, he has a 79 Utilization Score with 14.9 points per game.

With Zach Ertz (ACL) out for the season, McLaurin and Deebo Samuel are clearly the top two targets remaining. That could be a recipe for success against the Giants in Week 15. New York has provided the No. 9 fantasy boost (2.6) to WR rooms. They have given up 2.5 passing TDs per contest over the last four weeks.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 20.2
• Median: 13.3
• Floor: 9.8

McLaurin is my WR16 against the Giants.

WR Rapid Fire: Week 15 Rankings Upgrades & Pending News

• Nico Collins | Texans: Collins has averaged 17.6 fantasy points with a juicy 27% target share over the last six games—the No. 4 WR in fantasy over that span. This weekend, he faces a Cardinals defense that has boosted opposing passing attacks by 0.7 touchdowns over the last four weeks. The Texans have the seventh-highest team total (26.0) in Week 15. Collins projects for 15.4 points with a 23.4 Xfinity Best ceiling—he is my WR6.
   
• Davante Adams | Rams: Adams crapped out with only 6.9 fantasy points in Week 14, but is in a great bounce-back spot. Los Angeles projects for a shootout with the Lions as a 5.5-point favorite with a 30.5 team total. Adams leads all WRs with 1.9 endzone targets per game, and the Lions have green-lighted a 6.3-point per game fantasy boost—the second-best matchup for WRs. Adams projects for 14.2 points with a 21.3-point Xfinity Best ceiling. He is my WR9.
   
• A.J. Brown | Eagles: Brown is on a heater since complaining about his role on Twitch after a Week 10 victory over the Packers. In the four games, he has target shares of 44%, 29%, 44%, and 37%. Over that stretch, he has a ridiculous 97 Utilization Score with 22 fantasy points per contest—the No. 2 WR. Brown is my WR10 and projects for 14.9 points with a 22.2-point Xfinity Best ceiling against the Raiders.
   
• Michael Wilson | Cardinals: Wilson faces the Texans, who have been the third-hardest matchup for WR rooms (-5.5) this season. While that is a reason for concern, there is only so much you can do to push down a WR who has averaged 30.8 points in three games without Marvin Harrison (heel). He simply has a large cushion thanks to 16 targets and 190 air yards per game. If the Texans take away 30% of those targets and limit him to a 50% catch rate, that would still be 5.6 receptions. Wilson projects for 14.0 PPR points with a 10.5 floor and a 20.7 Xfinity Best ceiling. He is a borderline WR1.
   
• Mike Evans | Buccaneers: Evans has been activated from IR (collarbone) and should return to action against the Falcons. Due to injuries, Evans has only posted a 70%-plus route participation rate in three contests in 2025. He has averaged only 11.3 points, but has a gaudy 29% target share (9.0 per game) and 113 air yards per game. Atlanta was a stingy pass defense early in the year. However, over the last four weeks, they have boosted opposing pass attacks by 65 yards and 0.4 TDs per contest. They are now the seventh-best WR matchup on the season with a 3.4 fantasy boost. Evans is my WR23. He projects for 11.7 points with an 18.2 Xfinity Best ceiling.
   
• Jakobi Meyers | Jaguars: In four full games with the Jaguars, Meyers leads the team in route participation (90%), target share (27%), end zone targets (38%) and fantasy points with 15.6 per contest. The Jaguars boast the fourth-highest team total in Freedman's model (26.6). Meyers is a low-end WR2.
   
• Jauan Jennings | 49ers: Jennings is tied with George Kittle for the team lead in target share (25%) over the last four contests. He has averaged 13.9 fantasy points. The Titans have boosted opposing pass catchers' yardage by 52.5 yards and 0.6 TDs per contest over the last four outings. Jennings is finally looking healthy and is a borderline WR2 with a 10.9 projection and 17.2 Xfinity Best ceiling in Week 15.
   
• Jerry Jeudy | Browns: Jeudy has a heartbeat with Shedeur Sanders reintroducing spike-game potential to the equation. He scored 16.6 points in Week 14 against the Titans thanks to a long catch-and-run TD over the middle. The Bears have conceded the No. 3 boost to opposing WR rooms at 5.2 points per game. Jeudy is a boom-bust WR4 in deep leagues.

TE Rapid Fire: Week 15 Rankings Upgrades & Pending News

• Harold Fannin Jr. | Browns: Fannin has taken over a full-time role over the last four games. Over that span, he has an 87% route participation rate with a 28% target share. Cleveland might have hit a home run with their third-round pick in 2025. He is the ninth-best TE prospect in the history of the Rookie Super Model. His 100 production rating ranks first. Now he is producing at the next level. Fannin is my TE4 and No. 56 flex player. He projects for 12.2 points with an 18.2-point Xfinity Best ceiling.
   
• Kyle Pitts | Falcons: Drake London (PCL) is out again in Week 15. Pitts is questionable after practicing in a limited fashion with a knee injury. If Pitts is active, he is a strong TE option. In three games without London, he has a 28% target share. He is the TE7 in fantasy points per game (11.6) and Utilization Score (81) over that span. The Buccaneers have given up 259 yards and two TDs per contest over the last month. Pitts is a mid-range TE1 with a projection of 12.1 points and an Xfinity Best ceiling of 17.4 points.
   
• Mark Andrews | Ravens: Andrews let fantasy managers down with only 1.9 points in Week 14. However, he saw his highest route participation rate of the season at 86%. The veteran is still the TE1 and the No. 2 target behind Zay Flowers in Baltimore. This week, he gets the best matchup in fantasy for TEs against the Bengals. Cincinnati has bolstered opposing TE unit production by a whopping 9.2 points per contest. That is six points better than the No. 2 matchup (Commanders 3.2). Andrews is a low-end TE1

Sicko Starts From My Week 15 Rankings For Fantasy Football

I want to throw in a few names for all my fellow fantasy managers who are in a SICKO league. If you are in a 12-team league with three starting WRs and two flexes, these are for you! Or you are in a more typical setup, but need a name to help get you through injuries; these are for you!

We are looking for players with a rostership under 50% who aren't in many starting lineups.

Let's go, you sickos.

• Week 1: Daniel Jones (hit), Jerome Ford (miss), Rashod Bateman (miss), Hunter Henry (hit)
• Week 2: Trevor Lawrence (hit), Tyrone Tracy Jr. (miss), Kayshon Boutte (hit), Juwan Johnson (hit)
• Week 3: Tyrod Taylor (hit), Tyler Allgeier (miss), Wan'Dale Robinson (miss), Cole Kmet (hit)
• Week 4: Jaxson Dart (hit), TreVeyon Henderson (hit), Troy Franklin (hit), Cade Otton (miss)
• Week 5: Jaxson Dart (hit), Rhamondre Stevenson (hit), Malik Washington (miss), Mason Taylor (hit)
• Week 6: Trevor Lawrence (hit), Kimani Vidal (hit), Isiah Bond (miss), Mason Taylor (miss)
• Week 7: C.J. Stroud (miss), Kendre Miller (injury), Tez Johson (hit), Oronde Gadsden II (hit)
• Week 8: Joe Flacco (hit), Kyle Monangai (miss), Troy Franklin (hit), Colston Loveland (miss)
• Week 9: J.J. McCarthy (hit), Brashard Smith (miss), Chimere Dike (miss), Colston Loveland (hit)
• Week 10: J.J. McCarthy (miss), Devin Singletary (miss), Darius Slayton (hit), Luke Musgrave (miss)
• Week 11: Aaron Rodgers (inj), Emanuel Wilson (hit), Tez Johnson (miss), Theo Johnson (miss)
• Week 12: Jacoby Brissett (hit), Brian Robinson Jr. (miss), Luther Burden (miss), Dalton Schultz (miss)
• Week 13: Tyler Shough (hit), Keaton Mitchell (hit), Jayden Higgins (hit), Brenton Strange (hit)
• Week 14: Tyrod Taylor (inj), Blake Corum (oh baby), Isaac TeSlaa (hit), Harold Fannin Jr. (oh baby)

Marcus Mariota | QB | Commanders

Mariota is rostered in 8% of Yahoo leagues and is in 1% of starting lineups.

With Jayden Daniels out, Mariota steps back into the starting lineup for Washington. In his six starts in 2025, he has delivered 20.3 (QB6), 15.2 (QB17), 11.3 (QB20), 18.7 (QB12), 16.4 (QB8) and 22.3 (QB4) points. In those games, he has handled 15% of the designed rushing attempts with 3.7 per contest.

Mariota gives fantasy managers multiple outs and the upside to spike as a passer and a rusher. He gets a solid matchup against the Giants, who have boosted QBs by 2.0 points per game—the seventh-best matchup.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 23.4
• Median: 17.0
• Floor: 13.2

That is the eighth-highest Xfinity Best mark on the slate. Mariota is a borderline QB1 against the Giants in Week 15.

Devin Singletary | RB | Giants

Singletary is rostered in 29% of leagues and in less than 4% of lineups.

The Giants have turned to the run game in three contests under Mike Kafka. Over that span, they have a DBOE of -13%, making them the most run-heavy unit. While they deploy a two-headed backfield, their extreme run-heavy approach has created plenty of opportunities for both backs. 

Singletary has averaged 14 rushing attempts and 1.3 targets per game under Kafka. The veteran back has averaged 13.9 points per game.

Singletary has accounted for 88% of the short yardage carries and 63% of the totes inside the five-yard line since Kafka took over. While Tyrone Tracy gets more of the passing-down reps, Singetary is the better bet to score a rushing TD if the trend holds.

The Commanders have sanctioned a 5.3-point-per-game boost to opposing rushing attacks over the last four weeks. The Giants are 2.5-point underdogs, but we could see a close game.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 15.6
• Median: 8.8
• Floor: 6.3

Singletary is a low-end RB3 who would offer RB2 value if Tracy were to miss time in future weeks.

Jayden Higgins | WR | Texans

Higgins is rostered in 42% of Yahoo leagues and is in only 19% of starting lineups.

Higgins remains in a rotation opposite of Nico Collins, but he is the WR2 in route participation rate over the last five games (59%). Over that time frame, he has averaged 11.3 fantasy points with a 20% target share. He disappointed in Week 14 with only 6.4 fantasy points, but still collected a 23% target share.

The Texans own the seventh-highest team total (26.0), and Arizona has coughed up a 0.7 passing TD per game boost over the last four games.

Projection Model:

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 14.9
• Median: 9.2
• Floor: 6.7

Higgins has a solid projection for a SICKO start, plus his role could blossom into a full-time route participation rate without notice. He is a mid-range WR4 who still carries WR2 upside the rest of the way.

Mike Gesicki | TE | Bengals

Gesicki is rostered in 3% of Yahoo leagues and starts in 2% of lineups.

Gesicki boomed for 20.6 fantasy points despite a limited role (47% route participation rate) in Week 14. Ultimately, we want more playing time, but Gesicki has a history of scoring fantasy points in games without Tee Higgins, who is questionable due to a concussion.

• Week 1 of 2024: 4.8 points
• Week 2 of 2024: 16.1
• Week 8 of 2024: 12.3
• Week 9 of 2024: 27.0
• Week 10 of 2024: 7.0
• Week 13 of 2025: 3.9
   

Gesicki is far from a sure thing, but 11.9 points per game is solid production at the TE position.

The Bengals carry a healthy 25.0 team total against the Ravens.

Projection Model: 

• Xfinity Best (ceiling): 14.7
• Median: 9.4
• Floor: 6.9

Gesicki is a mid-range TE2 with TE1 upside if you are hurting and need a SICKO prayer in Round 1 of the fantasy playoffs.

Pivot if Tee Higgins is active: Theo Johnson vs. Commanders (6.3 floor, 8.9 median, 14.1 Xfinity Best ceiling); available in 45% of Yahoo leagues.

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