#Fantasy Football Week 15 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Brandon Aiyuk, Tyler Lockett

Welcome to the fantasy football semifinals and congratulations to all teams who have made it this far.

With first-round byes over, the top teams will be in the mix, which means your toughest matchups are yet to come.

Set your lineups for Week 15 and check out some good plays at each position below, as well as some other players you should consider avoiding.

If you need a streaming option, check out Week 15 waiver wire pickups here. 

Who to Start in Week 15

Jalen Hurts (QB), Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals

Hurts looked fantastic in his first NFL start for the Eagles. He completed 17 of 30 attempts for 167 yards and a touchdown and saw 18 rushes for 106 yards against a Saints defense, which has allowed the fourth-fewest points this season. The Cardinals are a middle-of-the-road matchup for Hurts, who provides a safe floor with his guaranteed rushing stats. He vaults himself into QB1 territory after just one start.

Cam Akers (RB), Los Angeles Rams vs. New York Jets

Akers delivered for the third week in a row as the featured back for the Rams on Thursday night. He saw a whopping 29 attempts for 171 yards and caught two of three targets for 23 yards. The Rams have a mouthwatering matchup on deck in Week 15 against the Jets, who rank near the bottom in almost everything. Akers is a locked-and-loaded RB1 this week.

David Montgomery (RB), Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings

Montgomery has been on fire ever since the Bears’ Week 11 bye. In that three-game span, he has scored four times and averaged 17 touches for 136 scrimmage yards per game. He has a cupcake schedule over the next three games in Minnesota for Week 15, in Jacksonville for Week 16 and versus Green Bay in Week 17. He should be a safe RB1 play in each of those games, especially with the Bears offense seemingly firing on all cylinders.

Brandon Aiyuk (WR), San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys

Aiyuk was targeted 16 times in San Francisco’s Week 14 loss to Washington. He made ten catches for a season-high 119 yards and should continue to see a nice target share with Deebo Samuel presumably out for the season. The 49ers face the Cowboys on the road this week, whose defense is allowing a NFL-worst 30.8 points per game. Aiyuk should light up the Dallas secondary as a high-end WR2 with upside.

T.Y. Hilton (WR), Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

After a very shaky start to the season adjusting to new quarterback Philip Rivers, Hilton has turned a corner over the last three games. He finished as WR14 vs. Tennessee, WR6 at Houston and WR3 at Las Vegas and scored four times in that span. He gets to feast on a Bradley Roby-less Houston secondary again this week, against whom he reeled in eight of 11 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown in Week 13. Start him with confidence in your fantasy semifinals as a WR2 with upside.

Evan Engram (TE), New York Giants vs. Cleveland Browns

Engram has been a disappointment over the last couple of weeks amid shaky quarterback play. He caught four of eight targets for 32 yards in Week 13 and two of four targets for 18 yards in Week 14 and finished as TE24 and TE37 in that span. That said, he’s in a fantastic bounce-back spot this week against the Browns, who give up the second-most fantasy points to tight ends. Slot him in as a TE1 in this juicy Week 15 matchup.

Who to Sit in Week 15

Matt Ryan (QB), Atlanta Falcons vs.Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ryan was a dud in Week 14 against the Chargers and completed 21 of 32 attempts for 224 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. It’s his second multi-interception game in four weeks, and he has not finished as a top-12 quarterback since Week 9 before the Falcons’ bye. In fact, he’s finished as a QB1 in just five outings all season and cannot be trusted in the fantasy semifinals against the Buccaneers’ defense.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB), Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints

Edwards-Helaire has struggled since the addition of Le’Veon Bell and is widely regarded as the biggest rookie bust this year for fantasy. He was expected to slide right into a RB1 role, but has failed to post top-12 numbers in nine of 13 games this season. The Chiefs face the Saints in Week 15, who allow the second-fewest rushing yards and fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. Edwards-Helaire falls outside the RB2 conversation in this brutal matchup.

Peyton Barber (RB), Washington Football Team vs. Seattle Seahawks

Barber saw 12 rushing attempts for 37 yards and showcased his signature three yards per carry in Week 14 against the 49ers. He’s an inefficient rusher to say the least, and was eclipsed by J.D. McKissic, who saw 11 carries for 68 yards and caught two of four targets for 18 yards with Antonio Gibson out. The Seahawks are allowing under 96 total rushing yards per game this year, which ranks fourth in the NFL behind the Buccaneers, Saints and Rams. Barber isn’t the Washington rusher you want to count on this week (or ever).

Tyler Lockett (WR), Seattle Seahawks at Washington Football Team

It’s been a disappointing stretch for Lockett managers, as the veteran receiver has fallen shy of the top-30 mark in eight of the last ten games. He caught five of five passes for 52 yards against the hapless Jets last week, who rank 31st in passing yards allowed. Lockett faces a much more formidable adversary in Week 15 in Washington, whose secondary has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to receivers this year. You might not be in a position to sit Lockett heading into the semifinals, but there’s a good chance you wish you were.

D.J. Chark (WR), Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens

Chark had an abysmal catch rate against the Titans in Week 14, reeling in just two of nine targets for 16 yards. He tied for sixth in receiving yards for the Jaguars in a game where Mike Glennon and Gardner Minshew combined for 54 total pass attempts. Keelan Cole (7-12-67-1) and Laviska Shenault Jr. (6-11-49-0) posted much better stat lines in the favorable matchup. Chark is a low-end flex this week against the Ravens’ veteran secondary, which can be lights out.

Dalton Schultz (TE), Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers

Schultz caught three of three targets (tied with a season-low) for 34 yards against the Bengals. Like many at the position, he is a touchdown-dependent play for fantasy and has seen his targets decline over the past five games, making him an inherently riskier choice. He has a brutal Week 15 matchup on deck against the 49ers, who, in spite of missing many pieces of their defense due to injury, have given up the second-fewest fantasy points to tight ends all season. Take Schultz out of your lineups this week.