Admin December 12, 2024
NFL Overreactions Week 14
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the biggest NFL storylines from Week 14.
Sports Seriously
Congratulations to the skilled (and lucky) fantasy football managers who have made it to the playoffs in 2024. Week 15 will mark the beginning of the real hunt for fantasy football titles, and owners everywhere will be faced with their most difficult lineup decisions yet.
Bye weeks are over, so fantasy football managers will have all of their healthy players available in Week 15. That will create some difficult start ’em, sit ’em decisions, especially at positions as deep and talented as quarterback.
There are must-starts at quarterback that fantasy owners should never consider sitting. Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow are anchors who have gotten you this far; don’t be afraid to continue backing them now. Even Jalen Hurts, in a tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, can’t be sat at this stage of the season.
For teams that have been streaming quarterbacks throughout the 2024 NFL season, things get trickier. Can you trust a top fantasy producer like Baker Mayfield in a less-than-favorable matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, or are you better off pivoting to his counterpart for that game, Justin Herbert?
The decisions will not be easy, but fantasy managers must ultimately trust their guts.
Who are the best quarterbacks to start and sit in Week 15? Here’s a breakdown of the signal-callers to trust and fade during the thinnest week remaining on the 2024 fantasy football calendar.
Fantasy football start ’em: Week 15 QBs
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Los Angeles Rams)
Purdy broke out of a mini-slump with a 325-yard, two-touchdown game against the hapless Chicago Bears. The Rams have more to play for in their “Thursday Night Football” matchup in Week 15 than the Bears did last week, but Los Angeles has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks and is fresh off allowing six touchdowns to Josh Allen.
With Isaac Guerendo and the rest of the San Francisco backfield banged up, the 49ers may have to count on Purdy more than usual to keep them in the NFC West race.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
The Buccaneers have allowed the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks during the 2024 NFL season. They are one of just two teams league-wide to allow at least 20 passing touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns to the position this season, along with the Dallas Cowboys.
Herbert has just one touchdown pass in his last three games, but this favorable matchup should allow him more scoring opportunities. The Chargers running game has struggled the last few weeks without J.K. Dobbins anyway, so expect Herbert to be the team’s top fantasy producer in Week 15.
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Chicago Bears)
Darnold extended his streak of multi-touchdown games to four with his five-touchdown outburst against the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears may offer slightly more resistance than the Falcons, but Chicago has allowed multiple passing touchdowns in three straight games and an average of 286.7 passing yards per game over that span. Feel free to fire up Darnold as long as the Vikings continue to struggle to run the ball in the red zone.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (at Houston Texans)
The Texans defense can generate plenty of pressure when things go right. However, they also give up plenty of big passing plays, which is why they are tied with the Falcons for the most passing touchdowns allowed to quarterbacks during the 2024 NFL season (26).
Tagovailoa is averaging 325.3 passing yards over his last four games and has 11 touchdowns with no interceptions in that span. Fire him up as a QB1 in a favorable matchup.
Fantasy football sit ’em: Week 15 QBs
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Los Angeles Chargers)
Mayfield is coming off a strong three-touchdown showing against the Las Vegas Raiders, but he had just one total touchdown in each of his previous three games. The Chargers allow the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks and are easier to run on than pass. That may make it hard for Mayfield to replicate his success and claw his way into the QB1 range this week.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (vs. Buffalo Bills)
Fading Goff may seem risky after Matthew Stafford‘s three-touchdown game against the Bills last week, but Buffalo’s defense tends to have more trouble stopping the run than the pass. The Bills have allowed a whopping 11 rushing touchdowns over the last four games compared to just six passing touchdowns in that same span.
Goff may still be able to post some solid passing numbers, but this seems like a game during which David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs will be asked to do more of the scoring. Goff still has a decent ceiling given the explosive playmaking ability of guys like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, but his floor this week is much lower than usual.
Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets (at Jacksonville Jaguars)
Rodgers is coming off his first 300-yard passing game since Week 12 of the 2021 NFL season, but it’s hard to recommend starting him. The Jaguars are allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, but they have been better of late, allowing one or fewer passing touchdowns in three of their last four games.
Rodgers has just five touchdowns over his last four games and is averaging 214.8 passing yards during that span despite his 339-yard performance in Week 14. Like Goff, Rodgers is a boom-or-bust option this week that could significantly backfire, so save him for DFS contests as a lower-budget sleeper.
Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’ems, Week 15
Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:
→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here’s who to start and who to sit in Week 15.
→ Kickers are people, too. Here are the most clutch kickers to start, and some to sit, for Week 15.
→ The wide receiver position has been decimated this season. Protect yourself in Week 15 with start ’em, sit ’em advice for wideouts.
→ Tight ends can be the perfect X-factor for any fantasy team. Here’s who you should start and sit in Week 15.
→ A good defense can shut down your fantasy opponent’s offense. Here are some D/ST options to start and sit for Week 15.