You’ve heard it time and time again. Play your studs.
The fantasy football semifinals and finals have arrived for many in Week 15.
So, remember to play your studs.
It’s easy to say, harder to practice especially with the Cleveland Browns removing the rest of Johnny Manziel's shrink wrap, Jonathan Stewart rewinding the fantasy clock to 2010 and guys like Kerwynn Williams reminding us that depth charts do not matter.
Start your studs we preach, but occasionally the statistical anomaly presents itself at the most inopportune time. Take for instance in Week 14 …
It boggles my mind that in Week 14, Gordon, Thomas and Allen ranked between WR76 – WR100 in points scored (PPR).
It’s with great hesitancy I share the following five waiver wire playoff fliers for owners to consider starting the next two weeks, but it’s fair to say with Andre Ellington and Brandon Marshall hitting the shelf, there are spots to be filled.
Johnny Manziel – available in 92 percent of leagues
Did you lose Nick Foles for the season and have been scrambling for a quarterback to place your trust in over the last month? It’s one of the few scenarios I could understand claiming Manziel off the waiver wire and inserting him into the starting lineup against Cincinnati.
In order to earn QB1 honors, one would have to expect at least 20-25 fantasy points out of their fantasy quarterback. Can Manziel get you that against the Bengals and Panthers in each of the next two games? Maybe. However, I think it’s safe to say 200 passing yards, 60 rushing yards and one–to-two touchdowns will be required and that’s asking a lot out of the rookie thrown into the late-season fire.
In leagues which start two quarterbacks, without hesitation I’m rolling dem dice on Manziel in most cases. Then again, I’ve been known to enjoy that type of gamble in the past.
Chris Johnson – available in 52 percent of leagues
The Tennessee Titans rush defense has allowed the following rush totals over the past four games:
Over the last two games, Johnson has rushed the ball 33 times for 158 yards, while Chris Ivory has rushed the ball 32 times for 135 yards. Both backs will have ample opportunity to warrant a FLEX start in Week 15.
Note: Percy Harvin (ankle) isn’t looking good for Week 15, which helps solidify CJ’s fantasy value against the Titans.
Andre Williams – available in 60 percent of leagues
Rashad Jennings (ankle) played the role of ACTIVE, yet INACTIVE running back for the Giants in Week 14. Williams picked up the slack running over the Titans for 131 yards on 24 carries. As discussed on John Halpin’s Fantasy 15 podcast, Andre Williams could be in store for a workload timeshare against the Redskins in Week 15. With the waiver picked over, to have an opportunity to add a potential RB2 in Week 15 is too hard to pass up even with the chance he splits time with Jennings.
Williams has scored a touchdown in six out of the eight games in which he’s carried the ball 10-or-more times this season.
Jonathan Stewart – available in 52 percent of leagues
Cam Newton’s car accident and resulting fractured back throws the Panthers’ Week 15 projections up in the air. DeAngelo Williams has a banged up finger and we play the wait-and-see game for his Week 15 status. With those two variables known, I still think Stewart is worthy of a FLEX play against the 20th-ranked rush defense in the league.
During their current three-game skid, the Buccaneers have yielded 105 yards per game with four touchdowns to opposing backfields (includes A. Dalton rush TD). Stewart should fall somewhere between RB28-RB33 in most PPR rankings.
Marquess Wilson – available in most leagues
Brandon Marshall is done for the year and Wilson slides into the Bears WR2 slot.
Say what you will about Jay Cutler’s NFL season and any “buyer’s remorse” the organization may be experiencing, but from a fantasy football standpoint, Cutler vs. the Saints’ 29th-ranked pass defense in Week 15 has all the makings of a big night. I assume Alshon Jeffery will see in the neighborhood of 15 targets, Matt Forte around 20 touches, Martellus Bennett eight-to-10 looks, but with so much attention on Jeffery and Forte, I’d be willing to bet Wilson has a 75 percent chance of finding the end zone against the Saints paired with 60 or so receiving yards.
