Fantasy football start/sit: Alex Collins peaking at right time
Every week, our friends at Bruno Boys Fantasy Football take a look at every NFL game on the slate and offer up their recommendations of players to start or sit, based on that week's matchups.
(Some picks may not agree with — or may run counter to — the rankings and other opinions expressed elsewhere on this site. As always, fantasy owners are encouraged to absorb as much information as possible to make an informed decision for their teams.)
Fantasy rankings: How the players stack up at each position in Week 15
Start
Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas. Thomas came back to life last weekend with eight receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown. With Emmanuel Sanders absent from the game plan in recent weeks, Thomas should have another nice day against the Colts, who allow 268 receiving yards per game.
Bears RB Jordan Howard. Howard dominated the Bengals last weekend for 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Lions defense is one of two that has managed to allow one rushing touchdown per game on average.
Chargers QB Philip Rivers. Rivers has notched three consecutive games with at least 300 yards and a touchdown. The good times will keep rolling as he gets a Chiefs defense that has been one of the most generous in the league against opposing quarterbacks.
Ravens RB Alex Collins. Collins has five touchdowns in his last four games and notched his second game of more than 100 rushing yards. Though the Browns have been decent against running backs this season, Collins just ripped apart a tough Steelers defense.
Redskins QB Kirk Cousins. Cousins threw for only 151 yards with a touchdown and an interception in Week 14. With new feature running back Samaje Perine looking banged up, the Redskins likely will throw often. The Cardinals defense ranks inside the top eight for most fantasy points allowed to QBs.
Eagles RB Jay Ajayi. The loss of Carson Wentz should cause a serious shake-up for the Eagles offense. Ajayi has looked like the best back in Philadelphia and is coming off his highest touch total as an Eagle. The Giants have allowed 130 rushing yards per game, setting Ajayi up for a breakout.
Dolphins RB Kenyan Drake. Drake has enjoyed tremendous success with Damien Williams out of the picture at the moment. Even if Williams were to return this week, Drake should be the heavy favorite for touches going forward. The Bills have given up the most fantasy points to running backs this season.
Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey had a down game last weekend as Jonathan Stewart destroyed the Vikings defense. The passing-down specialist faces a poor Packers defense in what could be a shootout marked by Aaron Rodgers’ return.
Jaguars QB Blake Bortles. Bortles played surprisingly well against the Seahawks, totaling 268 yards and two touchdowns. He now has a plus matchup against a Texans defense that has given up the fifth most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
Vikings RB Latavius Murray. Murray fell out of the game plan last weekend against a tough Panthers run defense but is in a great spot to bounce back this week. The Vikings have a good shot at jumping ahead early and riding the running game.
Saints QB Drew Brees. Brees gets a home game against a Jets defense that is only one of four teams to average two passing touchdowns allowed per game. Alvin Kamara is working his way back from a concussion and Mark Ingram is playing through a toe injury, which should slow the running game.
Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin. Baldwin impressed with three catches for 78 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars’ league-best pass defense. This gives him great momentum heading into another tough spot against a stout Rams defense. Baldwin will at least have home-field advantage, too.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben is coming off 506 passing yards. He might need to throw as much as possible again to keep up with the high-powered Patriots. Roethlisberger also gets the friendly confines of Heinz Field.
49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo. His Bradyesque leadership, pocket awareness and success throwing under pressure has lit a fire under this 49ers offense. He threw for more than 300 yards last weekend, and the Titans defense has proved vulnerable this season.
Raiders WR Michael Crabtree. Crabtree might find himself as the lead wideout again this week with Amari Cooper nowhere near full health. The Cowboys defense has given up the most touchdowns to wideouts this season. Crabtree should see plenty of volume and could sneak into the WR1 rankings.
Falcons QB Matt Ryan. Ryan is in a great bounce-back spot this week against a Buccaneers defense that has allowed an average of 276 passing yards per game.
Sit
Colts WR T.Y. Hilton. Hilton is playing on a short week and going up against one of the toughest pass defenses in the league. Plus, there continue to be no offensive threats around him.
Lions RB Theo Riddick. Riddick has had success with Ameer Abdullah absent. But his usage is still heavily reliant on passing down work. Things won’t be quite as easy for him against a unit that ranks in the top five for least receiving yards allowed to running backs.
Chiefs QB Alex Smith. Smith was close to a big game last weekend but fell short, logging no passing touchdowns. He has been up and down of late, and now Smith gets a team that ranks among the top five pass defenses, allowing only 200 passing yards per game.
Browns WR Josh Gordon. Though Gordon has fared well in the last two weeks, he likely won’t find things quite as easy against a tough Ravens defense. Gordon is still tied to the worst offense in the league, making him very hard to trust in the fantasy playoffs.
Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald. He has a history of slowing down toward the end of the season. The combination of Blaine Gabbert at quarterback and having to face Josh Norman is too much.
Giants RB Orleans Darkwa. Darkwa has started to lose work to Wayne Gallman. No Giants running back can be considered a factor vs. an Eagles run defense that has allowed only 71 rushing yards per game.
Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin. Playing last weekend in a blizzard probably didn’t do him any favors as he dealt with a setback to his knee injury. Benjamin might suit up, but his health is uncertain.
Packers RB Jamaal Williams. The likely return of Rodgers will shift the Packers back into a pass-heavy offense, leaving less of a workload for the running game. The Panthers have also been one of the best defenses in the league against the run.
Texans RB Lamar Miller. Miller struggled to produce 53 yards on 17 carries in a prime matchup against the 49ers. The Texans offensive line is banged up, and the switch to T.J. Yates at quarterback won’t be doing Miller any favors, either.
Bengals QB Andy Dalton. Fantasy owners aren’t the only ones sitting Andy Dalton as he was benched toward the end of last weekend’s game because of his poor performance. Dalton won’t find the turf much greener in Minnesota against a tough Vikings defense.
Jets TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins. He hit rock bottom with one catch for 1 yard. The Saints have also shut down tight ends all season, allowing an average of only 39 yards per game to the position.
Rams QB Jared Goff. Goff threw for just 199 yards against the Eagles. The Seahawks defense has been solid against opposing quarterbacks and will have the 12th man on its side at home.
Patriots RB Dion Lewis. Lewis has been a steady contributor, but there here are still a lot of mouths to feed in this offense. In a game with plenty of shootout potential, the running game could fall out of the game plan.
Titans TE Delanie Walker. Walker has been a little hit or miss this season. The Titans offense as a whole hasn’t looked right lately and might find things tougher than expected against the rejuvenated 49ers. The Niners have been tough on tight ends, too.
Cowboys TE Jason Witten. Witten has managed only one reception each in four of his last six games. That provides a scary floor you don’t want in your lineups during fantasy playoffs.
Buccaneers RB Doug Martin. Martin has been bad this season, and things don’t look like they’re about to get any better. He is starting to lose work in the backfield to Peyton Barber, and the Buccaneers offense as a whole just doesn’t look right. He faces a Falcons run defense that ranks in the top half of the league.