Fantasy Football Studs and Duds: Week 15 (Playoff Edition)

Fantasy Football Studs and Duds: Week 15 (Playoff Edition)

Written by Mike Johnson

Congratulations, you have made it your fantasy playoffs. Now is the time to either go big or go home. Here are a few Week 15 studs and duds to consider as you fight your way to fantasy victory.

Studs

• Matt Ryan, QB vs. San Francisco:

Ryan’s MVP caliber season continues into the late games of the season, especially this week against a soft 49er’s secondary. He leads the league with his 9.1 yards per attempt and he’s poised to bounce back from his lowest passing yardage of the year last week (237 yards).

• Carlos Hyde, RB vs. Atlanta:

No one could have predicted the outing that Hyde had last week against a decent Jets run defense. Nonetheless, the 49ers have been feeding Hyde the ball healthily and he has been running well. Atlanta has not been playing the best against opposing backs, especially against goal-line and power backs allowing 10 touchdowns in 13 games to running-backs.

• Jordy Nelson, WR vs. Chicago:

Nelson notched 2 touchdowns against Seattle a week ago and is still playing at a high caliber. He and Aaron Rodgers are fine-tuned back into arguably the deadliest QB-WR combo in the league. Chicago is ranked 21^st against wide-receivers, leading to a tasty match-up.

Duds

• Andy Dalton, QB vs. Pittsburgh:

This mediocre quarterback threw for a disappointing 180 yards last week against Cleveland’s last ranked pass defense. Without his top target in A.J. Green in the game, don’t expect much production this week against an improving Pittsburgh defense.

• Ryan Mathews, RB vs. Baltimore:

A struggling offensive unit against the top run defense in the league? No thanks. Many may argue that Mathews may see an increase in usage with Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles injured, but Ryan Mathews is not at his healthiest state either, causing him to be a risk in Week 15.

• Allen Robinson, WR vs. Houston:

Robinson has been one of the most inefficient starting wideouts this season, catching less than 50% of his 119 targets. He has only caught six passes in the past three weeks, and his woes will continue against a surprisingly solid Houston unit.

Deep sleepers

• Kenneth Farrow, RB: The backup tailback Farrow is no Melvin Gordon, but should see some increased usage this week with the Chargers in dire need of a running game.

• Robbie Anderson, WR: This speedy wideout has slowly become Bryce Petty’s favorite target and is a key sleeper in deeper leagues.

• Adrian Peterson, RB: Adrian Peterson, simply said, is not human. He has bounced back from a torn meniscus faster than many have ever seen and may be a factor this week. Don’t expect much yardage, but he may see some goal-line work with Matt Asiata injured.