The first week of the 2025 fantasy football playoffs has arrived! It’s win-or-go-home time, making every lineup decision imperative. After 14 weeks, workloads, target shares, and other general trends have been established across the league. With all of that in mind, let’s break down my start/sit Week 15 fantasy football picks.
Quarterbacks
Start ‘Em: Jaxson Dart (New York Giants) vs. Washington Commanders
New York Giants fans and fantasy managers with Dart alike were eager to see if the rookie would come out of the gates a little more tentative after yet another concussion this early in his NFL career.
He did not.
With a little more than four minutes left in the first quarter, Dart escaped the pocket and scrambled up the right side of the field. With a first down in sight but little potential yardage beyond that, the Ole Miss product could have simply stepped out of bounds.
He did not.
Dart continued tiptoeing up the sideline and was met by a screaming 6’2, 231-pound Christian Ellis, who hit him so hard the QB spun in the air like a helicopter rotor. It was at that moment that Dart declared, he is going to put his body on the line every single play. The rookie confirmed that in his post game press conference, claiming that he’s not playing soccer out there.
That’s not a great strategy for longevity in the league, but it should instill confidence that Dart’s rushing upside will be maintained against the Commanders this week. Washington allows the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, giving Dart high-end QB1 upside in the first round of the fantasy playoffs.
Sit ‘Em: Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears) vs. Cleveland Browns
It’s been a strange second season for Caleb Williams.
The Bears are 9-4, yet their young quarterback hasn’t exactly played well. Williams flashes virtually unparalleled upside almost every game, but he’s wildly inconsistence. Hence the 57.8 completion rate, which is lower than the likes of Justin Fields, Cam Ward and Dillon Gabriel.
From a fantasy perspective, Williams has been equally infuriating. He has five games over 20 fantasy points this year, but just as many under 13. His ceiling is just as high as his floor is low. The USC product has failed to score more than 16 points in three of his last four outings, inspiring little confidence ahead of a tough tilt with the Browns. Cleveland is allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing signal callers, putting Williams firmly in sit territory.
Running Backs
Start ‘Em: Devin Neal (New Orleans Saints) vs. Carolina Panthers
With Alvin Kamara sidelined, Devin Neal has looked like the future of the New Orleans Saints’ backfield.
The rookie has done it all over the last three weeks, showcasing elite receiving upside, and most recently taking on a bellcow’s workload. Neal rushed 19 times for 70 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers, playing a massive role in their improbable upset over Baker Mayfield and company.
Neal will now turn his attention to Carolina. The Panthers have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs through 14 weeks. As long as Kamara remains sidelined with his knee and ankle ailments, Neal will hold solid RB2 value.
Sit ‘Em: Aaron Jones (Minnesota Vikings) at Dallas Cowboys
Jordan Mason is making it very hard to justify starting Aaron Jones in most fantasy leagues at the moment. The general state of the Vikings’ offense is also playing a role in those frustrations, to say the least.
Jones saw 14 touches against the Commanders in arguably J.J. McCarthy’s best outing as a pro, and yet he managed just 7.6 fantasy points. It was Mason who found the end zone. This was the third straight contest with fewer than 10 points for the veteran.
Over their last three games, the Cowboys have allowed the eighth-fewest rushing yards per contest. Across their last four, they are surrendering the fewest fantasy points to opposing backfields. This is a unit that has turned things around and now looks like a matchup you should entirely avoid unless an elite running back is suiting up against them. Unfortunately for Jones, that label just doesn’t apply to him anymore.
Check out the rest of my Week 15 start/sit RB picks here!
Wide Receivers
Start ‘Em: Christian Watson (Green Bay Packers) at Denver Broncos
Watson was the headliner among my Week 14 WR start selections, and we’re going to continue riding that positive momentum for at least another week.
The big play threat has hauled in just 17 balls over his last four weeks, yet in three of those matchups he finished with at least 18 fantasy points. The reason for that, as you may assume, is the ridiculous five touchdowns he scored over that span. Coming back from a torn ACL, Watson slowly but surely reestablished himself as the top receiver for Jordan Love.
That continued last week in Green Bay’s huge win over the Bears, as the fourth-year wideout caught four balls for 89 yards and a pair of scores. The matchup is tough this week, as Denver boasts one of the best secondaries in football. However, it’s impossible to fade someone as hot as Watson is at the moment.
Sit ‘Em: Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings) at Dallas Cowboys
Sigh.
I almost don’t even want to lay out the numbers for Justin Jefferson as of late. If you have him on you’re team, you know them. They’re bad.
After somehow scoring double-digit fantasy points in eight straight games to open the season while dealing with shaky QB play, Jefferson has failed to hit that mark in four of his last five outings.
Arguably the best receiver in football has amassed 5.5 points over his last two matchups. To make matters worse, the Vikings aren’t even getting him involved. Jefferson’s target share has been shockingly low over this recent stretch. Even in an objectively successful performance from J.J. McCarthy, the superstar receiver only caught two balls for 11 yards.
The Cowboys’ secondary has been atrocious all year long, but that doesn’t really matter. In the first round of the fantasy playoffs, you need to roll with a more consistently productive option at WR.
Check out the rest of my WR start/sit picks for this week here!
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Tight Ends
Start ‘Em: Kyle Pitts (Atlanta Falcons) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kyle Pitts has earned himself quite the payday this offseason. Through 14 weeks, the fifth-year tight end has already recorded the most receptions since his rookie campaign with 62.
Beyond the drastic statistical improvements, Pitts has finally looked the part of an elite tight end consistently. Big runs after the catch, broken tackles, highlight-reel grabs. This is the potential Atlanta saw when making him the highest-drafted tight end ever.
The 25-year-old is fresh off back-to-back outings with 15 fantasy points. He should add another tally to that hot streak against the Bucs, who have surrendered the sixth-most passing yards this year.
Sit ‘Em: Mark Andrews (Baltimore Ravens) at Cincinnati Bengals
In Lamar Jackson’s best performance since Week 10, Mark Andrews put up his worst numbers since… Week 2.
After stringing together a strong stretch to give fantasy managers confidence from Weeks 9-11, Andrews has now failed to hit the double-digit mark in three consecutive contests. After inking a surprising extension to lock in his future with the Ravens, one would expect him to play more of a factor in the passing attack. Yet, Andrews hasn’t caught more than four balls in a game since Week 4.
The touchdown upside is obvious, but the veteran has only found the end zone five times so far this year. With Cincinnati sending pressure on virtually every snap, it’s fair to have doubts about the Ravens’ passing attack heading into this matchup. There are better options at tight end this week.
Those are my start/sit Week 15 fantasy football picks! Stay tuned for more start/sit Week 15 positional analysis over the coming days.
