NFL Week 15 Fantasy Football Rankings

Tom Brady is the front-runner for MVP at age 44, and the New England Patriots are in first place in the AFC. However, Brady plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just goes to show the NFL never ceases to amaze.

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And that amazement has distracted me from the fact that the fantasy playoffs have arrived. I continue to tweak my fantasy football player rankings and adjust who the best waiver wire targets are based on new information and trends, but at this point, we know each player’s role and how defenses can be attacked.

Therefore, don’t get cute and bench a stud after a bad game if the peripheral usage is still present, especially with boom-or-bust wide receivers such as D.K. Metcalf. The Seattle Seahawks No. 1 wide receiver saw a 34% target share in Week 14 and has recorded a boatload of end-zone/deep targets over the past few weeks, foreshadowing a massive showing in the near future.

With plenty of other PFF premium stats available to adjust rankings based on a player’s high-value opportunities, expected fantasy point output and route participation, it will be easy to highlight the ideal waiver-wire pickups, optimal starts/sits, under-the-radar DFS plays and beatable player prop bets.

Those key data points — along with PFF player grades, implied team totals, PFF fantasy projections and strength of schedule — are all factored into my position-by-position Week 15 fantasy football rankings.

2021 WEEK 15 QB FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS

JALEN HURTS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Fresh off the bye week, Hurts should be all systems go for the team’s divisional matchup against the Washington Football Team after missing the last game with an ankle injury.

Fantasy football managers missed the QB6 in fantasy points per game, but they get him back just in time for the fantasy postseason. He should comfortably slide back into the starting lineups while not being viewed as a top-five option despite what the matchup on paper looks like, as the Football Team defense is playing much better than it did to start the season.

Washington’s defense has not allowed over 250 yards passing or more than two passing touchdowns to any quarterback since Week 7. So it’s not the same smash spot as it appeared when fantasy managers were scouting Hurts’ playoff schedule.

However, the tough matchup is not enough to justify sitting Hurts, as his rushing ability is the reason fantasy managers start him in the first place. If Cam Newton could score 26 fantasy points versus the Football Team, Hurts can be a fine backend fantasy QB1 option for Week 15.

DEREK CARR, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Derek Carr has come crashing back down to Earth after a hot start to the season. Since the team’s bye week, the Raiders quarterback has finished outside the top-19 quarterbacks in four of six games. To make matters worse, he draws a tough road matchup versus the Cleveland Browns, which PFF has graded as the second-worst matchup for QBs on the week.

The Browns have stifled opposing passing games, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks in their last four games. And since Week 7, no signal-caller has scored 20 fantasy points against them.

CARSON WENTZ, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Carson Wentz can stay on the waiver wire folks. The New England Patriots are the No. 1 defense against quarterbacks in fantasy points per game over the last four weeks and the No. 2 defense against QBs this season.

2021 WEEK 15 RB FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS