We’ve finally made it through the bye week and into the fantasy playoffs! With six teams bye last week, we relied on shifty players down low and hoped they could take advantage of good matchups. This week there are no limits and you are faced with difficult choices and trust issues. Will celebrities succeed?
Can a flash of talent put up weekly winning stats in a good matchup?
Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers
I honestly never thought we would get to a point where we would win or lose with Reed. But it seems we have been in denial. We easily recognize players like Amari Cooper as boom-or-bust players by nature, but we overlook Reed, who is one of the most mercurial receivers in the league. At this point, he has both the talent and the quarterback presence to finish as the overall WR1 on any given week, even in tough matchups.
On the other hand, he also has absolutely nothing to offer.
Reed started the game fresh with zero fantasy points. There is no reception for a single goal. We knew the potential pitfalls of the Packers’ receiving corps to start the season and were hoping Reed would escape and separate himself from the pack. He’s clearly a WR1, but from a fantasy standpoint, he doesn’t have the amount of consistent impact or top-tier options. Reid has only had one game this season with six or more goals.
He can create great yards and make big plays in limited opportunities, but he is very dependent on touchdowns. Reed had three 100-yard games. That’s a reasonable total, especially considering they were without Jordan Love for two of those games. But he also had eight games with 50 yards or less.
will reed make or break down What is the lineup for week 15?
This week, Reed faced a Seattle defense that was inconsistent against the pass. As a group, they don’t give up significant points to the wide receivers they face, but usually at least one receiver has a strong fantasy performance against them. Reed could definitely be the one leaving. However, the Packers can still rely heavily on Josh Jacobs. Lead is still a very risky option.
If you start with him, understand that there is no middle ground.
Keenan Allen, WR, Chicago Bears
Week 14 was a very disappointing time for Keenan Allen. He managed just three receptions for 30 yards and finished as the WR55 in half PPR. This was a huge disappointment after two consecutive top 10 finishes. Now fantasy managers have no choice but to ask the big questions. Two top 10 finishes. Or was any of last week’s disastrous performance an exception?
We’ve seen more WR55-type performances than Allen’s top 10s this year. But if you blame these boom games on random game scripts, that’s where this week’s conflict lies. If his success depends solely on the game script, this week’s game against Minnesota will be in his favor. In Week 12 against Minnesota, Allen had a top-10 performance, hitting 9 of 15 targets (a season high) for 86 yards and a touchdown. DJ Moore was a top 10 receiver for that game.
will allen make or break down What is the lineup for week 15?
Looking at previous matchups, the games were competitive. Chicago played from behind for most of the game, but stayed out of reach and eventually forced overtime. Although the game was held in Chicago, weather was not a factor. With Caleb Williams’ offensive improvement, it’s reasonable to expect similar results.
It’s hard to trust Allen. I am currently debating starting him in the Scott Fish Bowl. But this matchup presents a high ceiling opportunity. Considering the success Allen has had in previous matchups, we could reasonably expect a similar approach and potentially lean on Allen in this matchup.
Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
Denver is coming off a bye, and Week 13 was the last week we saw Javonte Williams. Given that his stat line is 4 carries for 1 yard, you might have forgotten he even played. Yes, averaging 0.25 yards per carry. He scored a touchdown, but there was little relief on the day as those touchdowns accounted for nearly all of his fantasy points.
The Broncos’ running game has been completely inconsistent in terms of usage over the past month. In Week 13, it was Jaleel McLaughlin who unexpectedly led the backfield with 14 carries. In Week 12, Williams was the lead back but managed just 8 carries for -2 yards. In week 11, Williams appeared to be the leader, but in week 10, Audric Estimé took over the leading role.
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Out of their entire backfield, the Broncos have given just two RB1 performances all season.
will williams make or break down What is the lineup for week 15?
This week’s matchup against Indianapolis looks promising for the running back. The Colts have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing RBs, making them the defense we’ve been targeting all season. But it’s almost impossible to trust Williams when you can’t even guarantee he’ll be the lead back.
This is more of a Hail Mary, fingers crossed and hope situation. Williams has a legitimate floor of 1 fantasy point. At this point, I could list a few backup running backs I trust more than Williams, and ironically, none of them are on his team.
Sincere McCormick, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
It’s official! McCormick is the Raiders’ new lead back. If you follow our Early Waiver Wire series that airs every Sunday afternoon, you were ahead of the game by catching McCormick before this week and speculating that he would eventually be named the lead back.
Unfortunately, McCormick has not yet met the minimum attempt for next-generation statistics, so we can’t directly compare him to the rest of the Raiders’ backfield. However, Alexander Mattison has one of the worst rush yards in the league exceeding expectations per attempt and has not recorded a single RB1 finish in 2024. He’s averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, the worst mark of his career. Meanwhile, McCormick has shined as the team’s best back this season, and that possibility is not far off.
McCormick has been outstanding on the ground, but has yet to find the end zone. It’s not entirely his fault. Last week, Aiden O’Connell scored the Raiders’ first rushing touchdown since Week 9. The bigger problem is that the Raiders’ offense doesn’t move the ball well enough to generate consistent red zone opportunities.
Will McCormick make or break down What is the lineup for week 15?
We know McCormick is the lead back and the odds are stacked against him this week against Atlanta. The Falcons tend to allow run volume, as evidenced by their game against Denver. Even that dysfunctional Broncos backfield managed 17 fantasy points from Javonte Williams, one of his two RB1 completions this season.
McCormick’s lack of receiving work limits his ceiling, but he’s a very interesting option this week. He’s a safe, low-cost RB2 with upside if he can finally score his first touchdown of the season.
Injury Bonus: Cedric Tillman, WR, Cleveland Browns
Usually when we talk about injury situations with players, we’re talking about someone benefiting from increased volume due to a teammate’s absence. This week, I want to get a quick glimpse into Tillman’s potential. if He plays.
Tillman’s last full game came in Week 11, when he recorded three receptions on eight targets for 47 yards. He served as the Browns’ WR1 for three games following Amari Cooper’s exit. Jerry Jeudy has seen a consistent role on the stable floor, but Tillman has seen great upside in that stretch. His breakout performance in Week 11 included six receptions on 11 targets for 142 yards and a touchdown. That game started a hot streak that saw Tillman finish as WR4, WR21, WR1, and WR17 over the next few weeks.
Will Tillman make or break down What is the lineup for week 15?
When Tillman returns this week, Jeudy will likely remain the presumptive WR1. However, the game against Kansas City is very favorable to passing. Cleveland’s defense is struggling and Kansas City needs to capitalize on those weaknesses. With Nick Chubb still struggling with volume issues, Cleveland will likely take another pass-centric approach, creating ample opportunities for Tillman to provide strong flex value.
