7 Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 15
Congratulations to those who survived the rash of injuries in Week 14 to advance to the next round of the fantasy football playoffs. Your reward is likely a deep dive into the waiver wire to piece together a roster for the rest of your playoff run.
If you are among those replacing injured stars this week, fortunately, there are some strong options. Some will be obvious direct replacements, while others may benefit more indirectly based on a combination of injuries and favorable matchups.
For the purposes of this list, we'll limit sleeper selections to any player with less than 75 percent ownership on Yahoo's fantasy football platform. Additionally, I'll select two super-sleepers, with under 10 percent ownership, to help out those of you who may be playing in deeper leagues. All references to betting totals and spreads are from the NCAAF odds.
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans
Yahoo Ownership: 59 percent
Since taking over as the Tennessee Titans starting quarterback in Week 7, Ryan Tannehill is averaging 22.03 fantasy points per game, which trails only Lamar Jackson in that span. This week Tannehill draws the Houston Texans, who have surrendered at least 20 fantasy points to seven different starting quarterbacks -- including each of the last two weeks to Tom Brady and Drew Lock. Unless you own one of the elite fantasy quarterbacks such as Jackson, Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes, Tannehill is worth considering in this matchup.
Patrick Laird, RB, Miami Dolphins
Yahoo Ownership: 33 percent
Rookie Patrick Laird was unimpressive in his first career start, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry against the New York Jets in Week 14. However, he's still worth a look on Sunday based on a favorable opponent (New York Giants) and his role in the passing game. Over the last two weeks, during which Laird has been the primary running back since Kalen Ballage's injury early in Week 13, Laird has eight receptions on 10 targets. You can probably avoid Laird in standard leagues, but his pass game usage makes him a safe play in PPR leagues.
DeAndre Washington, RB, Oakland Raiders
Yahoo Ownership: 31 percent
In Josh Jacobs' absence, DeAndre Washington stepped up to carry the load in Week 14 and demonstrated considerable value as a PPR weapon. Washington finished with just 53 yards on the ground but added another 43 yards on six receptions, racking up 21.6 fantasy points against a solid Titans defense. Washington's targets may have been slightly elevated last week as the Oakland Raiders were trailing for the majority of the game. However, he also doubled Jalen Richard's carries (14 to seven) so he should see a strong workload even if the game script is flipped against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans
Yahoo Ownership: 51 percent
Since Tannehill took over as the Titans quarterback in Week 7, A.J. Brown ranks 22nd among all wide receivers in PPR scoring. That level of production should put him on your radar on a weekly basis. This week Brown draws a Texans defense that has allowed 12 different receivers to reach at least 15 fantasy points this season. Brown still has a low floor -- he's just four weeks removed from posting 2.7 fantasy points against the Kansas City Chiefs -- but he appears to be trending upwards and has a high ceiling in this game with shootout potential.
Danny Amendola, WR, Detroit Lions
Yahoo Ownership: 24 percent
The Detroit Lions have placed Marvin Jones on injured reserve leaving them with a severely depleted receiving corps. Jones commanded a 20 percent target share this year and there isn't an obvious option on the roster to replace that workload. As a result, those targets will likely be spread around, giving Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola a slight uptick in their usage. The Lions also face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, who have allowed six different pairs of receivers to top 15 fantasy points in the same game. So while Golladay is a must-start against the Bucs, this looks like a great opportunity for Amendola as well.
O.J. Howard, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yahoo Ownership: 36 percent
The Buccaneers will be without Mike Evans this week, freeing up 23.8 percent of the targets in Tampa's offense. Even though O.J. Howard has been an afterthought in the Bucs offense this season, some of Evans' targets could come his way, especially against the Lions. According to Sports Info Solutions, opposing tight ends are averaging 8.82 yards per target against Detroit, the third-highest rate in the league.
Super Sleeper: Breshad Perriman, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yahoo Ownership: 4 percent
With Evans out for the foreseeable future, a massive hole in the Buccaneers offense has opened up. Fortunately, Breshad Perriman is perfectly suited to step in. Evans has been the Bucs' primary deep threat this season, with 23 percent of his targets coming at least 20 yards downfield, according to Sports Info Solutions. While Perriman has played a smaller role in the offense, he's been used in a similar way with 30 percent of his targets coming downfield. The Lions' 30th-ranked passing defense is likely to surrender enough big plays to Perriman to make him fantasy relevant in Evans' absence.
