Uncover the Fantasy Football Insights for Week 15!
New Orleans Saints' Quarterback Situation
Derek Carr fractured his non-throwing hand last week in the game. He hasn't been placed on IR yet, but it's likely he'll be out for the rest of the season. Spencer Rattler will take over, unless the Saints decide to give Jake Haener a chance. The Saints have a great defense matchup with either of these quarterbacks.
With Carr's low sack rate, he was a tough matchup for defenses. In 10 games, he never took more than one sack. But now, the Saints' quarterback situation is in flux.
Las Vegas Raiders' Quarterback Situation
Aidan O'Connell was carted off the field last week with a knee injury that turned out to be a bone bruise. He is questionable for Week 15, and Desmond Ridder is likely to take his place. The Raiders have a good defense matchup either way.
Last week's injury was a relief as it was just a bone bruise and not a more serious ligament injury. Now, the Raiders' quarterback situation adds an element of uncertainty to their games.
Streaming Defenses: Waiver Wire & Start/Sit Advice (Week 15)
Byes are finally over, and all 32 teams are playing this week. It looks like a solid week for streaming, with a couple of low-rostership teams ranked highly. Rostership numbers are from Yahoo. You can find me on Bluesky.
Let's take a look at some of the week 15 matchups. In the BAL @ NYG matchup, Giants QB Drew Lock is undergoing an MRI for an undisclosed issue. Coach Daboll said Lock will start if he is able. But we really don't know for sure. There's a chance we could see Tommy DeVito instead. For the Ravens' Defense, it doesn't matter too much as both quarterbacks are good matchups. The Vegas-derived point projection of 14.25 is very low, which is quite unusual.
In the WAS @ NO matchup, Saints QB Derek Carr fractured his non-throwing hand. He hasn't been placed on IR yet, but Spencer Rattler will likely start going forward. Rattler had three starts earlier in the season and wasn't very good in tough matchups. In those three games, he accumulated 14 sacks and 4 turnovers and only took the team over 10 points in one game. But as long as Carr is sidelined, the Saints are an excellent matchup.
In the MIN vs CHI matchup, Caleb Williams has been playing well but still leads a team in crisis and takes a lot of sacks. Last week, the Bears failed to show a traditional fired-coach-bounce and only scored 13 points against the 49ers despite Nick Bosa being out. This week, they face a good Vikings defense that is 4th in the NFL with 40 sacks.
In the KC @ CLE matchup, Jameis Winston is a risk-taker who will put up points but also creates interception opportunities. In four recent games against the Chargers, Broncos and Steelers (twice), he has 9 interceptions. The Chiefs' defense is as good as any of the previous teams and has the added benefit of devil magic on their side. The Chiefs have a lot of upside this week.
In the ARI vs NE matchup, the Cardinals were roughed up by the Seahawks' run game last week but had been looking good before that. They displayed a good pass rush in the previous four games, totaling 19 sacks. The Patriots don't have a strong run game, and Drake Maye is vulnerable to sacks behind one of the worst offensive lines. Maye had 3+ sacks in 4 of his last 5 games and turned the ball over 9 times. These trends are likely to continue in Arizona.
In the NYJ @ JAC matchup, Mac Jones made his first start for the Jaguars since Trevor Lawrence's season-ending shoulder injury. He threw two interceptions and led the team to 10 points, which was enough for the win. Jones only took one sack in that game, which is in line with his previous performance. This is a good matchup for the Jets with moderate sack expectations.
In the PHI vs PIT matchup, Russell Wilson has been good for the Steelers but has taken a lot of sacks. Now he has to face an Eagles defense that has been excellent lately. They have held some of the best offenses to 20 points or less. Last week, they allowed only 16 points to the Panthers. Steelers WR George Pickens missed last week's game with a hamstring strain, which takes away a significant part of their big play potential.
In the CIN @ TEN matchup, it's a very interesting matchup. The Bengals have one of the worst real-world defenses but held the Cowboys to 20 points last week. The Titans aren't the worst scoring offense but are one of the best fantasy defense matchups because Will Levis has a tendency to throw interceptions. By starting the Bengals, you're betting on their offense creating a game script that leads to more turnover opportunities for the Titans.
In the DEN vs IND matchup, Colts QB Anthony Richardson is good at avoiding sacks but has a habit of throwing interceptions and doesn't lead a very effective offense. The excellent Broncos defense should be able to keep the scoring down and take advantage of turnover opportunities, even with only one or two sacks.
Rest of Season
To help you plan for the fantasy playoffs, I've created a Google sheet with my matchup ratings for every offense and a schedule grid for the rest of the season. Here are some defenses that I think will be usable in at least two of the next three weeks:
The Jacksonville Jaguars have the Raiders in Week 16 and the Titans in Week 17. They held the Titans to just a pair of field goals last week, so they should be a good matchup at home in the fantasy finals.
The Buffalo Bills have the Patriots in Week 16 and the Jets in Week 17. The Jets are usually a decent matchup due to Aaron Rodgers' sack and turnover avoidance, but there's a chance he won't be playing by Week 17 if the Jets are eliminated from the playoffs.
The Indianapolis Colts get the Titans in Week 16 and the Giants in Week 17. They also play the Jaguars in Week 18 if you're in one of those leagues.
The Las Vegas Raiders play the Jaguars in Week 16 and the Saints in Week 17. If Derek Carr goes on IR for his broken hand, the Saints will be a good matchup. But if Carr is able to play, I wouldn't start the Raiders.
The New York Giants have a pair of good-but-not-great matchups with the Falcons in Week 16 and the Colts in Week 17.
The Tennessee Titans have a decent matchup against the Colts in Week 16 and a very good matchup against the Jaguars in Week 17.
The Atlanta Falcons get the Raiders in Week 15 and then the Giants in Week 16.