Your complete fantasy football guide to Week 15

For the semifinal round of the fantasy football playoffs there sure are an uncomfortable number of horrible quarterback matchups.

Tom Brady overcame the top-rated Baltimore Ravens defense to have a big game on Monday night, but this week he heads to Denver -- where the Broncos harassed him in their last meeting, last season's AFC championship game. This season, the Broncos have the NFL's No. 1 pass defense. But he's Tom Brady ... can you really bench him in the fantasy playoffs? If so, who would you start over him?

Let's begin our weekly roundup by answering that question and more ...

Who should I start?

The most basic question of them all. The best thing to do is check our updated Week 15 rankings, courtesy of FantasySharks.com.

Who’s in?

-- Adrian Peterson. Surprise! After returning to practice, Peterson announced he will play this weekend against the Colts. And yes, the Vikings officially activated him from injured reserve -- where he's been stashed since injuring his knee in Week 2. But here's the thing ... only a truly desperate fantasy owner can afford to put Peterson in an active lineup for a crucial playoff matchup.

The Vikings can't run the ball. Even a healthy Peterson gained a total of 50 yards on 31 carries in his first two games (1.6 ypc). Yes, he may be the fastest healer the NFL has ever seen, but asking Peterson, in his first game back, to do anything behind that offensive line is just wishful thinking.

– Alshon Jeffery. Back from a four-game suspension, the Chicago Bears wideout has to work his way back into fantasy owners' good graces. He was a borderline first-round pick in drafts, but has only caught 40 passes for 630 yards and one (ONE!) touchdown. Throw in bitter cold weather in Green Bay and Jeffery's chances for success seem slim.

-- Chris Ivory. The Jacksonville Jaguars running back has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, but he's back practicing in full. That means he'll share touches with T.J. Yeldon on Sunday against the Houston Texans. That's not great news, unless you need a warm body to fill in for an injured running back who won't play. Such as ...

Who’s out?

– Melvin Gordon. He hasn't yet been declared out for Sunday's game vs. Oakland, but it's only a formality at this point. The Chargers have nothing to play for, so expect a heavy dose of Kenneth Farrow, who had 55 yards on 16 carries last week after Gordon departed with hip and knee injuries.

– Ryan Tannehill. There's a special Saturday game on tap this week, but fantasy owners can be forgiven if they happen to overlook it. The Dolphins and Jets don't inspire a lot of excitement, especially with a pair of backup quarterbacks getting the start. For the Dolphins, veteran Matt Moore did a capable job when Tannehill exited last week with a knee injury. Jarvis Landry could still see his usual number of targets.

-- Julio Jones. After missing last week's game with turf toe, Jones still hasn't returned to full practice. With a nice matchup at home vs. San Francisco, the Falcons have decided they don't need to push their star wideout.

Who’s questionable?

-- Matthew Stafford. There's little doubt he'll play at the New York Giants, but he'll do so with a special glove on his passing hand to protect his dislocated middle finger. Downgrade all Lions receivers as a result.

– A.J. Green. Although he expressed hope that he'd be able to return this week from a hamstring injury, that's looking like a low-percentage play. Green was limited in practice both Wednesday and Thursday, but it will be hard for fantasy owners to trust him at home vs. Pittsburgh.

Every week, we highlight the top injury concerns fantasy owners are facing. But remember, everything is subject to change, so be sure to make one final check before kickoff.

The best thing to do is keep an eye on Paste BN Sports' NFL home page and follow Paste BN Fantasy Sports on Twitter.

Where’s the extra edge?

– Still torn over which borderline players to sit or start? Marc Caviglia of Bruno Boys Fantasy Football examines some of this week’s tough calls.

– For The Win's Steven Ruiz has this week’s fantasy studs, duds and sleepers.

-- If you're looking for some players who could emerge unexpectedly this week and be worth starting in deep leagues ... or who could put you over the top in daily fantasy, check out these deep sleepers from TheFantasyGreek.com.

-- We'll also answer your questions on Sunday morning before the games start in our weekly chat.

How's the weather? 

The conditions can have a major impact on how each game unfolds, especially with bitter cold temperatures expected for Packers-Bears in Chicago and Titans-Chiefs in Kansas City. Keep up-to-date in real time with NFLWeather.com.

What about the matchups?

Here are the NFL rankings in average yards gained and allowed through the first 14 weeks of the season.