Week 15 start/sit picks: Texans focus on run with Lamar Miller
For all of those difficult decisions setting lineups in season-long leagues – or putting together the best roster in daily fantasy contests – Bruno Boys Fantasy Football presents our weekly collections of players to consider starting and sitting.
START
WR Kenny Britt, Los Angeles Rams (Thursday)
Britt continues to be the Rams’ most consistent offensive player. He had seven receptions for 82 yards in Week 14 and has 63 receptions for 937 yards and five touchdowns this season. QB Jared Goff's favorite target should produce against a Seattle Seahawks secondary that has stumbled of late.
RB Bilal Powell, New York Jets (Saturday)
Powell took over as the Jets’ primary ballcarrier when Matt Forte was hurt early in Week 14. Powell burned the San Francisco 49ers for 179 total yards and two TDs. With Forte likely out, Powell should be a workhorse against the Miami Dolphins. He’s averaging 5.8 yards a carry and has 42 receptions.
RB Lamar Miller, Houston Texans
Miller rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and had 15 receiving yards in Week 14. He had 83 rushing yards on 15 carries in Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars but should produce better results this time. The Jaguars have given up four rushing touchdowns over their last three games.
TE Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals
Eifert has scored a touchdown in three consecutive games (four total). In seven games this season, Eifert has 28 receptions for 385 yards and five scores. The Pittsburgh Steelers allowed tight ends 64 receiving yards and a touchdown last weekend and don’t have anyone who can defend Eifert’s size and speed.
WR Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
Thielen continues to get more involved in the Vikings’ offense. He had 101 receiving yards on four receptions against the Jacksonville Jaguars last weekend and has 24 receptions for 305 yards and a touchdown over his last four games. The Indianapolis Colts rank 26th in the NFL against the pass.
RB/WR Ty Montgomery, Green Bay Packers
Montgomery played 30 snaps out of the backfield and finished with 12 touches for 86 total yards and a touchdown during the Packers’ victory against the Seattle Seahawks. He had a field day against the Chicago Bears in Week 7 with 60 rushing yards on nine carries attempts and 66 receiving yards.
WR Taylor Gabriel, Atlanta Falcons
He filled in nicely as the Falcons’ No. 1 receiver with Julio Jones inactive, getting 82 yards and a touchdown in Week 14. Gabriel has five touchdowns over his last six games and is in line for another big game against the 49ers, who allow a league-high 30.2 points per game.
QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
Rivers has 27 touchdown passes and has turned the ball over 24 times (17 interceptions, seven fumbles). But he has a history of torching the Oakland Raiders. Rivers had 359 passing yards and four touchdowns against them in Week 5 and will look to pick apart the NFL’s 27th-ranked secondary.
WR Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos
Sanders had 11 receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Tennessee Titans and has 21 receptions for 290 yards and two touchdowns over his last three games. With the Broncos’ running game being non-existent of late, they are leaning heavily on the pass.
RB Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers (Monday)
Stewart has found the end zone four times over his last four games and continues to get fed the football consistently each week. Look for the Panthers to feed Stewart the football in a high-quality matchup against a Washington Redskins defense that has given up 17 rushing touchdowns this season.
SIT
RB Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs
Ware is in the midst of a six-game stretch in which he hasn’t topped 70 rushing yards. Though it looks as if Chiefs coach Andy Reid will continue to run Ware, there is no guarantee that will translate to success, especially against the Tennessee Titans’ third-ranked run defense.
RB Rashad Jennings, New York Giants
Jennings has had 12 or more touches in every game this season, but he was limited to 57 total yards on 17 touches in Week 14. He will find running lanes tough to come by against the Detroit Lions, who have been stout against the run during their last five games.
WR Terrelle Pryor Sr., Cleveland Browns
The converted quarterback has 63 receptions for 858 yards and four touchdowns in his first full season as a wide receiver. But with Robert Griffin III returning as quarterback in Week 14, Pryor had one reception for 3 yards. RG3 went 12-for-28 for 104 passing yards in the game.
RB Ryan Mathews, Philadelphia Eagles
Mathews (knee) returned from a two-game absence and finished with a team-high 15 rushes for 60 yards against the Redskins. A matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 15 isn’t favorable. Entering Week 14, they ranked first in the NFL against the run at 73.8 yards allowed per game.
RB Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Martin continues to carry the load on the ground for the Buccaneers and has scored in back-to-back games. However, the Dallas Cowboys rank second in the league against the run and Jameis Winston could end up throwing the football more.
QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
With the Saints’ playoff hopes on the line, Brees has gone cold with six interceptions and no touchdown passes over the last two games. He was stopped by the Lions’ and Buccaneers’ below-average passing defenses. The Arizona Cardinals’ pass defense ranks second in the league.