Congratulations if you're one of four teams — in traditional fantasy football leagues — to have made it to the postseason. More than ever, Week 15's semifinals winner is likely to come down to a mix of tabbing the consistent players that got you here and riding the upswing on players who are sizzling at just the right time. It's all about momentum! Follow these tips to wind up reaching paydirt in the form of a spot in the championship game!
If You Had Andy Dalton ... Try Claiming These Quarterbacks Off Waivers Now: Kirk Cousins, T.J. Yates, AJ McCarron
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton breaking his thumb in Week 14 right before the start of fantasy playoffs is as brutal as it gets, considering he was one of the more consistent performers at the position all year and owners knew exactly what they were getting week to week with the vet.
But that being said, injuries are a part of football and if you've made it to the playoffs with Dalton, you have to do your best job to pick a capable stretch-run QB. Here are your best options:
Only on 40 percent of fantasy rosters in CBS Sportsline leagues, Kirk Cousins could be your Week 15 solution. The Washington Redskins quarterback has played well at home, where they host the Buffalo Bills this Sunday. Although one would be hard-pressed to see Cousins rack up numbers like Dalton did, he could be a nice stop-gap option. Riding momentum, Cousins has rung up at least 23 fantasy points in four of his past five home games with the Redskins vying for the NFC East crown. Adding to that is the fact that the Bills have allowed multiple-touchdown games to five of the past eight QBs they have faced.
Why roll the dice with T.J. Yates as a starter in the place of Dalton for Week 15? Well, because the Houston Texans don't run the ball well and Yates will be airing it out often in the place of Brian Hoyer, especially against the Indianapolis Colts. With both teams vying to win the AFC South division and punch a ticket to the postseason, Yates' best work has to come this weekend ... and it might just happen, considering the Colts' opponent last week, in the Jacksonville Jaguars, racked up 51 points against them.
For any owners who lost Dalton, they could always opt to replace him with Cincinnati Bengals back-up QB AJ McCarron. Not only is he a capable quarterback on a good team, but the Bengals' Week 15 opponent in the dismal San Francisco 49ers seemingly paves the way for a nice outing by McCarron.
Lost Thomas Rawls or LeGarrette Blount? Claim These Running Backs Off Waivers Now: Brandon Bolden, Denard Robinson, Bryce Brown, Tim Hightower
Like losing Andy Dalton, losing running backs Thomas Rawls and LeGarrette Blount for the season could leave your fantasy squad reeling at the worst time possible. Well, stop the bleeding by plucking these rushers off waivers:
It's crazy to me that Brandon Bolden is only on 46 percent of fantasy rosters as of Wednesday morning, but that's the current case in CBS Sportsline leagues. So, if you're in the 54 percent of leagues where the New England Patriots' bruising running back is available, jump at the chance to snatch him off waivers. It's really a no-brainer. With Blount out for the season, Boldon will see an increased workload out of the backfield. That means more carries and targets for receptions.
Nursing an injured ankle, Jacksonville Jaguars' featured running back T.J. Yeldon is expected to miss Week 15's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. That should mean an uptick in production for Denard Robinson, especially considering the Falcons have allowed opposing rushers to run for double digits in fantasy points for four consecutive games now.
Like Bolden is a no-brainer to scoop up in free agency in relief of the injured Blount, Bryce Brown is the answer for the injured Rawls for the Seattle Seahawks. Not only are the Seahawks heating up at the right time, but they have back-to-back favorable matchups with the Cleveland Browns this week and St. Louis Rams next week. Brown could forseeably turn in back-to-back double-digit outings, even though St. Louis does play Seattle tough. Hey, but one step at a time, right?
With Mark Ingram gone for the season, too, the New Orleans Saints will work their backfield by committee with C.J. Spiller and Tim Hightower. Only if you're desperate and limited with options, should you tab Hightower, though.
Top 3 Priorities at Wide Receiver: Tyler Lockett, Julian Edelman, Ted Ginn Jr.
Tyler Lockett is coming off the biggest game of his career last week, hauling in six receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns for 22 fantasy points in non-points-per-reception (PPR) leagues. The Seattle Seahawks' rookie wide receiver could be due for another big game in Week 15, considering the Seahawks are playing the Cleveland Browns and they may lean towards passing more now that Thomas Rawls is out for the season. Start Lockett.
Sneaky, sneaky. If you're in a league, in which fantasy owners didn't hold onto Julian Edelman when he got injured in Week 10, add him promptly. Although he is listed as questionable for Week 15 and will need monitoring right until game time, the New England Patriots desperately need some healthy bodies back for a change. Although the chances may be slim, as Sportsline reports he's owned in 72 percent of leagues, the benefits of starting him speak for themselves ... especially with the Patriots hosting the Tennessee Titans this week
Can Ted Ginn Jr. get some respect around here? Why he's not owned in 100 percent of leagues doesn't make much sense at this point. He's put up back-to-back games of at least 20 fantasy points the last two weeks, hauling in catches from MVP front-runner Cam Newton. That and ... oh, yeah, Ginn will be up against the New York Giants this week — owners of a Swiss-cheese secondary. The Carolina Panthers wideout will put up points this week ... a lot of them.
Anticipated Letdowns: Dez Bryant, Amari Cooper, Antonio Brown
It's the worst time of year to have your stud wide receiver suffer a letdown and I hate to be the bearer of (impending) bad news, but I just don't see Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown or Amari Cooper turning in big games this week and will explain why.
Starting with Bryant, the Dallas Cowboys wideout has put up eight fantasy points in the past three games, including being held scoreless against the Green Bay Packers last week. The Cowboys' Week 15 opponent, in the New York Jets, still feature one of the better secondaries in the league, so you tell me why Bryant will suddenly be able to turn things around?
I mentioned the Packers there and if that defense held Bryant scoreless last week, they might be able to limit rookie Amari Cooper this week, too. Different receiver, I know, but Cooper is also coming off a zero-point outing, failing to deliver on eight targets against the Denver Broncos last week. Wouldn't be surprised if the Packers defense holds him to well under 10 points this week.
I segued a conversation about Bryant to Cooper and now Brown. Antonio Brown, as dynamic as he is, might be held in check against the Broncos secondary — arguably the best in the NFL. If they shut down Cooper so effectively, can they do the same with Brown? Tougher task for sure, but an under-10-point game is possible.
