Our article was cursed last week! We had three of our nine recommendations get injured, and that’s simply something you cannot predict. It’s one of the brutal natures of fantasy football and undoubtedly the most significant factor when looking at season-long leagues. Typically, the fantasy teams that stay the healthiest end up winning fantasy titles. We’re hoping to avoid some of those injuries here, so let’s look at the Week 15 flex players we love!
The premise behind this article is simple. Identifying fantasy football smash plays that are on the fringe of your starting lineup. We rarely recommend a Top 10 player at any position, but we want to help you fill those critical flex spots!
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Smash Starts for Week 15
Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford (LAR) vs. WAS
I’m so excited about using Stafford this week! This guy has always been a stud whenever this team has been healthy, and that appears to be the case for the first time since the opening month. That health has led to Stafford scoring at least 26 fantasy points in three straight games! More importantly, he’s back to attempting 30-40 passes per game while posting elite air yardage rates. If that happens against Washington, Stafford could have his best game of the year. The Commanders have allowed the most passing yards and second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.
Running Backs
Tony Pollard (DAL) at BUF
Most fantasy managers have been frustrated with Pollard, but he’s had a better season than one might expect. The Dallas rusher is still a Top 10 back this season, scoring at least 13 fantasy points in four consecutive fixtures. That’s the type of run we’ve been waiting to see, especially since he’s averaging 15.3 carries and 5.8 targets in that span. That kind of usage on the best offense is a godsend for fantasy, and he should keep it rolling against Buffalo. The Bills allow 4.7 yards per carry, the third-worst mark in the NFL.
David Montgomery (DET) vs. DEN
Many people are worried about Montgomery with Jahmyr Gibbs breaking out, but we don’t want to fade him in this matchup. The Broncos are surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season, and we expect both Detroit backs to go off. Montgomery has been the better back for most of the year, scoring at least 10 fantasy points in all nine games he’s finished. He’s also averaging 17 fantasy points per game and could get 20 totes, plus a handful of goal-line carries against the worst run defense in the league.
D’Andre Swift (PHI) at SEA
Swift is scaring people away with some recent duds, but this is not the game to fade him. The Seahawks are surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing rushers. That’s scary against a breakout back like Swift, who averaged 15 fantasy points per game between Weeks 2 and 10. He has just 6.9 combined fantasy points over the last two outings, but that’s a blip on an otherwise-clean radar. Those were two tough matchups against two of the best teams in the NFL, but look for Philly to re-establish their running game as the favorite in a favorable matchup.
Wide Receivers
Cooper Kupp (LAR) vs. WAS
Kupp is almost too high-end to recommend for this article, but I saw him on some fantasy benches last week. It’s easy to understand why with how injured he looked out there, but his Week 14 performance has us encouraged. Kupp collected eight catches for 115 yards in that game, scoring a touchdown in back-to-back weeks. We’re talking about a guy who was the clear-cut number-one receiver for a few years, and it’s unbelievable to leave that sort of potential on your bench in this matchup! Washington is surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season.
Garrett Wilson (NYJ) at MIA
It’s sad that Wilson has been forced to play with these Jets quarterbacks because he’s genuinely one of the most gifted receivers in the NFL. Despite the nightmarish passing game, Wilson is still third in the NFL with a 32% team target share. He’s also scored at least 11 fantasy points in nine of 13 games, which is a miracle since these quarterbacks have similar fantasy numbers. Wilson is a flex option as long as he gets 10 to 15 targets and 6 to 8 receptions a game. We could see NY attempt 40 passes in a game where they’ll be trailing against Miami, and that would equate to nearly 15 targets if he sustains his 32% team target share.
DK Metcalf (SEA) vs. PHI
Metcalf was shut out for most of the game last week, but he still scored a long touchdown against an elite San Fran defense. That’s his second straight week doing that, and he’s scored at least 13 fantasy points in four of his last five fixtures. That form should carry over in this fantastic matchup with Philly, the team that is allowing the most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season. It’s also a game where Seattle could be trailing, and Metcalf could see double-digit targets with Geno Smith potentially attempting 40 passes. In his last game against the Eagles, DK had 10 catches for 177 yards.
Tight Ends
Dalton Schultz (HOU) at TEN
After sitting last week, this is risky, but it sounds like Schultz will return to action here. That’s massive for Houston because they’ve lost Tank Dell and Nico Collins to injuries over the last two weeks. That could make Schultz the top target in this offense, and he was close to that when this team was at full health. In fact, Schultz scored at least 9.1 fantasy points in five of six games before getting injured. That’s a fabulous floor from a tight end, and we’re not worried about him facing a 25th-ranked Tennessee secondary.
D/STs
New Orleans Saints D/ST (vs. NYG)
New Orleans was dropped in a ton of leagues two weeks ago, but that’s looking like a mistake now. The Saints have been a Top 10 defense for most of the year, and they continue to play easy opponents every week. This might be their best matchup, with the Giants surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing D/STs. That’s horrifying since the Saints scored 22 fantasy points last week. The oddsmakers agree with our assessment, making New Orleans a 6.5-point favorite in a game with a 37-point total. That means NY is barely projected to crack 14 points!
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
