This article takes a look at players from each of the positions in your starting lineup who have interesting matchups. Not all players covered are your classic sleepers who might outperform expectations. Some are nominal starters with tricky matchups or players who might be starters in smaller leagues, but deep sleepers in larger leagues. Realizing that leagues and roster sizes vary wildly; your mileage could vary, too.
QUARTERBACKS
Colin Kaepernick, SF at TB
Kaepernick has undoubtedly faced a tough schedule this year, but he has generally come through against weaker opponents and the Buccaneers are allowing the 7th most points to opposing QBs. Save for EJ Manuel’s struggles last week, Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, Ryan Tannehill, Russell Wilson, and Nick Foles strung together eight games in a row with 217+ yards and 2+ TDs against the Bucs. Manuel and Carson Palmer are the only two that fell short of 18 fantasy points against them. If you don’t have one of the top stud QBs, Kaepernick is among the best options remaining.
Alex Smith, KC at Oak
Smith has been rolling over the last month with 9 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions in his last four games. He should be a safe play again this week against a Raider defense allowing the 8th most points in large part because of the 7 TD bomb laid on them by Nick Foles, but Smith had one of his worst games of the year against them in Kansas City. The Chiefs rolled and Smith only completed 14-of-31 for 128 yards and no touchdowns. Barring another blowout with Jamaal Charles and the defense doing all the scoring, Smith should continue to be a solid low QB1.
Ryan Tannehill, Mia vs. NE
If there’s an award for consistency, give it to Ryan Tannehill. His second worst game of the season came against the Patriots in New England when he finished with 192 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions for 17 fantasy points. Tannehill has continued to improve since, developing better rapport with Mike Wallace, and using his weapons wisely each week on his way to 841 yards, 6 TDs and 3 interceptions the last three weeks to go with 114 rushing yards. The Patriots pass defense has allowed the fourth most points in the last month. Last week, Jason Campbell lit them up for 391 yards and 3 TDs on his way to 34 points. In the playoffs, you want a safe play with upside and Tannehill is that, and a bag of chips.
Joe Flacco, Bal vs. Det
One cannot underestimate the impact that Dennis Pitta’s return has on the Ravens offense and Joe Flacco in particular. Flacco’s improvement of late has a lot to do with the improved health of the weapons surrounding him. Ray Rice struggled all year, but has looked better of late. Marlon Brown and Jacoby Jones are both healthy again, too, but Pitta is Flacco’s go to guy and security blanket. Flacco has gone over 245 yards in the last three games with 5 TDs and he faces a Lions defense allowing over 270 passing yards per game. Ben Roethlisberger dropped 367 yards and 4 TDs on them. Andy Dalton threw for 372 yards and 3 TDs. Even Brandon Weeden had 292, 2 and 2. Let the AFC North parade continue on the Lions secondary this week. Flacco could sneak into the top 10 or 12 quarterbacks this week making him a viable option if you’re sitting on Aaron Rodgers or playing matchups from week to week.
Matt Ryan, Atl vs. Was
In a hugely disappointing season for the Falcons, Matt Ryan’s fantasy value has settled well into the low QB2 range, but with Roddy White rounding back into shape the last two weeks and a matchup on tap against a team that has allowed the fourth most points to opposing QBs, Ryan is back in the saddle this week as a potential top 10 play.
Jay Cutler, Chi at Cle
The Bears offense has taken flight under the guidance of Josh McCown, but if Cutler is healthy and able to go this week, he’ll be the starting quarterback against a Browns team that has given up the 9th most points since week 6 – a span in which they’ve allowed 20 TDs compared to just 6 INTs and an average of 238 yards allowed. The question is whether Cutler can keep everything rolling along in McCown’s stead.
RUNNING BACKS
Steven Jackson, Atl vs. Was
It only took three months, but Jackson is finally performing close to the level that owners expected when drafting him in the second round back in August. He’s still on the wrong side of 30 and Jacquizz Rodgers is the defacto back in the Falcons hurry-up, play-from-behind offense, but Jackson is running with better power and he’s getting 15-to-20 carries a week plus the important goal-line touches. Washington’s defense has allowed a league-high 19 rushing touchdowns and the seventh most points to opposing RBs which makes Jackson a solid RB2 play this weekend.
Ben Tate, Hou at Ind
Tate’s uneven production from week to week should give potential free agent suitors room for pause this offseason. He blew up for 102 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Patriots, but sandwiched his 28 point boom with a pair of bombs against a poor Jaguars run defense that has played much better of late. Tate failed to produce more than 5 fantasy points in either game. Tate has a chance to redeem himself against a Colts defense allowing the 8th most points over the last five games. Tate performed well against the Colts in Week 9 with 22 carries for 81 yards and with free agency looming he has plenty of built-in motivation to finish the season strong even though the Texans are playing out the string with a good shot at the number one overall pick in the draft.
Bobby Rainey, TB vs. SF
Rainey is a tricky player to have in your lineup for your fantasy league’s playoffs after coming up short in the previous two weeks against the good run defenses of Detroit and Carolina. Last week, he broke loose against a softer Bills defense with an 80-yard touchdown early en route to 22-127-1 and an 18 point game. This week the matchup is tougher again making Rainey a riskier proposition, but he is averaging nearly 25 touches per game. If you have a better option, avoid him. If not, Rainey has volume on his side, but the matchup suggests he could have a difficult time producing double digits.
Jordan Todman, Jac vs. Buf
Maurice Jones-Drew hopes to play in Sunday’s game against the Bills 26th ranked run defense, but as of Wednesday he’s looking mighty questionable and he is not expected to practice until Friday, if at all. If Jones-Drew is unable to go, Todman would get the starting nod and likely the majority of the carries with Denard Robinson likely serving as a change of pace option. Todman has shown flashes of ability during the preseason and he looks like a solid RB2 play if Jones-Drew ends up being inactive. Owners in need of a running back should stash Todman just in case, especially after Bobby Rainey gashed the Bills for an 80-yard TD and 127 yards on Sunday.
Toby Gerhart, Min vs. Phi
Adrian Peterson continues to say that he thinks he’ll be able to play on Sunday, but he’s not expected to practice until Friday and Head Coach Leslie Frazier has stated that if he doesn’t practice, he won’t play. Expect the Vikings to be cautious with their Pro Bowl and future Hall of Fame running back, which takes us to Gerhart, who also won’t practice until Friday either as he rests his ailing hamstring. If neither of them are able to go, then No. 3 back Matt Asiata is a potential waiver wire pluck and play option. The Eagles are solid against the run, but not necessarily a matchup to avoid for running backs. As of Wednesday night, Frazier said he’s more optimistic with Gerhart’s status than he of Peterson’s. If Gerhart is active and gets the start, he’s definitely worth a RB2 play.
Rashard Mendenhall & Andre Ellington, Ari at Ten
Andre Ellington (knee) was limited in Wednesday’s practice, but the coaches are likely resting him after he performed well in his return to action on Sunday. The Titans have allowed the third most points to opposing RBs. The Cardinals ground game isn’t nearly as formidable as the Broncos is, but as a comparison, Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball both produced 75+ yards rushing and a TD against the Titans. I wouldn’t entrust either player as anything more than a RB3/flex option in 12-team leagues, but Mendenhall has a good chance to find the end zone and Ellington’s speed and big play ability make him a viable upside play in PPR leagues.
Lamar Miller/Daniel Thomas, Mia vs. NE
Miller practiced fully on Wednesday, but he’s not out of the woods yet after suffering a concussion on Sunday. Thomas returned to action and performed far better than anyone could’ve possibly anticipated, so even if Miller is cleared the two will continue along in a time sharing scenario. The Patriots No. 31 run defense makes for a plus matchup as they’re allowing a healthy 4.5 YPC and over 30 rushing attempts per game. Back in Week 8, both Dolphin backs finished with 11 fantasy points against the Patriots as Miller ran for 89 yards and caught 3 passes for another 23 yards while Thomas caught a 5-yard TD and ran for another 47 yards on 9 carries.
Chris Ogbonnaya, Cle vs. Chi
With Willis McGahee (concussion) looking very doubtful for Week 15 against the Bears, Ogbonnaya looks like he could get the starting nod in his place. Fozzy Whittaker also becomes an intriguing player for owners in much deeper, PPR leagues. It would be hard to stomach putting a Browns RB into your starting lineup during the playoffs if it weren’t for a matchup against a Bears defense that is softer than the Christmas cookies my wife just took out of the oven. The Bears rank dead last with 157 rushing yards per game allowed to go along with an average of 5.2 YPC and 16 TDs allowed.
Another back worth monitoring this week isJames Starks if Eddie Lacy continues to be slow to heal from the ankle injury he aggravated on Sunday. The Cowboys are one of the best matchups going for RBs, so if Lacy winds up inactive, Starks easily jumps into the RB2 range.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Riley Cooper, Phi at Min
Cooper is the definition of a boom or bust receiver with three games of 18 fantasy points or more and the other ten yielding 8 points or less (seven of which were less than 5 points). But he’s back on the WR2 radar this week against a Viking defense that has allowed a league-high 29 TD receptions and 297 yards per game through the air. Beyond Alshon Jeffery’s monstrous 12-249-2 breakout performance, the Vikings yielded 60+ yards and a TD to Marlon Brown, Doug Baldwin and Jarrett Boykin over the last month.
Julian Edelman, NE at Mia
With Rob Gronkowski out for the year and Aaron Dobson without a timetable to return, the only possible threat to Edelman playing every possible offensive snap is the very questionable Kenbrell Thompkins and fellow rookie Josh Boyce. Edelman has been on the field just about every snap the last couple of weeks and that’s unlikely to change against a Dolphins secondary that gave up receiving touchdowns to Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery on Sunday. He has the trust of Tom Brady and an expanded role over the last few weeks making him a solid WR2 with Shane Vereen and Danny Amendola the only real competitorsfor targets this week.
Michael Crabtree, SF at TB
If Darrelle Revis stays put at his left corner spot he’ll spend most of the game in a physical battle with Anquan Boldin leaving Crabtree once against as a favorite target for Colin Kaepernick. The Bucs have allowed the ninth most points to receivers over the last five weeks. With Revis often shadowing the opposition’s top receiver, Ted Ginn Jr, Brandon LaFell, Nate Burleson, Harry Douglas, Rishard Matthews, Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin form a long line of other receivers that caught touchdowns over the last six games against the Bucs.
Cordarrelle Patterson, Min vs. Phi
Patterson’s role has grown steadily over the last few weeks and with Adrian Peterson either limited or sidelined this week, his role could grow even further. Patterson’s side and elite speed practically beg for the Vikings to feed him the rock as a receiver, occasional runner and on special teams. He has surpassed Greg Jennings as the top threat in the passing game and he faces an Eagle defense allowing more points to opposing receivers than any defense in the NFL.
Rod Streator, Oak vs. KC
Streator has produced 80 yards or more in four of his last six games and in three of the four games with Matt McGloin as the starting quarterback. McGloin gets the start again this Sunday although Denarius Moore is on target to return after missing the last three games with a shoulder injury. Moore’s return could cut into Streator’s production and targets, but Streator seems to have built a nice rapport with McGloin keeping him in the WR3/WR4/flex range for standard sized leagues.
Jarett Boykin, GB at Dal
It would certainly be a boon to Boykin’s fantasy value if Aaron Rodgers is able to return to the lineup this week, but that’s looking increasingly unlikely by the day. Even with Matt Flynn behind center, Boykin could have a solid game despite being a non-factor against the Lions and Falcons the last two weeks. The Cowboys have allowed the ninth most points to opposing receivers and seven receivers in their last four games have either caught a touchdown or produced 80 or more yards against them.
Emmanuel Sanders, Pit vs. Cin
Sanders is on a three-game touchdown scoring streak against the Dolphins, Ravens and Browns and this week he and the Steelers draw a tough, resilient Bengals defense that was already without their top corner Leon Hall and is now without their next best corner Terence Newman for the next few games. Sanders produced a healthy 5-78-0 in Week 2 against them. The Bengals also allowed a pair of touchdown catches to Da’Rick Rogers and LaVon Brazil last week. Sanders should continue to be firmly on your WR3/flex radar in 12 team leagues.
Da’Rick Rogers & LaVon Brazill, Ind vs. Hou
The last time these two teams met in Week 9 it was TY Hilton that exploded for 7-121-3 against the Texans. Since then, teams have locked down on Hilton forcing Andrew Luck to leverage his other receivers. The result has been career-best games for Coby Fleener, LaVon Brazil and Da’Rick Rogers. The latter two, of course, combined for 9 catches, 160 yards and 4 TDs on Sunday. Maybe the Colts have finally turned the page on Darrius Heyward Bey’s unreliable hands in favor of the immensely talented, but undrafted Rogers. The Texans aren’t necessarily a good matchup, but Luck proved in their last game that he can beat them with his arm and this time around Hilton, Rogers and Brazil are on somewhat equal footing in terms of snaps played and potential targets. Both are better WR4/flex plays than they are reliable WR3s at this stage of their careers, but they are both solid options if you’re reaching for players with upside outside of the usual suspects.
Marlon Brown, Bal at Det
The Lions pass defense has allowed the second most points to opposing receivers and Marlon Brown is back to health following a knee injury that limited his effectiveness for the last month. Jacoby Jones is also back in the mix, but Brown’s size and talent make him a much better option for deep league owners and Joe Flacco alike. He was peppered with 11 targets on Sunday against a similarly bad Viking pass defense putting him right back into the pool of receivers outside the top 35-to-40 with red zone potential and upside worth reaching for.
There are several other boom/bust receivers that are worth a reach this week starting with Brandon LaFell against a poor Jets defense. With defenses paying more attention to Steve Smith and TE Greg Olsen, LaFell has become a consistent red zone threat for Cam Newton. DeAndre Hopkins has been highly inconsistent with Case Keenum at quarterback, but with a matchup against a Colts defense allowing the most points to WRs over the last nine weeks, he looks like a solid WR3/flex option this week once again. Ace Sanders has been a target sponge for Chad Henne since Justin Blackmon was suspended. The Bills have also allowed the third most points to opposing receivers, so keep him in mind in deeper PPR leagues along with Mike Brown if you’re really, really desperate. Finally, Stedman Bailey is someone to consider since he started last week for the Rams opposite Chris Givens. Bailey is arguably the team’s best route runner already and keep in mind that he was even more productive than Tavon Austin was at West Virginia with Geno Smith. If you’re left searching the waiver wire for a last minute option, Bailey is your man.
TIGHT ENDS
Delanie Walker, Ten vs. Ari
Walker practiced in full on Wednesday and he’s on track to return to the lineup this week against the league’s best matchup for tight ends – Arizona. For your Gronkowski owners, hopefully you can grab Walker and play him this week. The Cardinals have been consistently beaten by tight ends all year long by tight ends, allowing more points than any other NFL defense. With Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, Walker should be a busy man in the short passing game with low-to-middle TE1 value likely.
Dennis Pitta, Bal at Det
Detroit is actually a tough matchup for tight ends allowing the second fewest points in the league, but Pitta’s return means he’s right back in the picture as a mid-to-low TE1 option and Joe Flacco’s security blanket and favorite red zone target. The Lions effectively shut down the Eagles tight ends last week, but it’s hard to put much weight on that given the conditions and the Packers without Jermichael Finley or Aaron Rodgers aren’t a good measuring stick either. Prior to that, Tim Wright (8-75-0) and Heath Miller (8-67-0) seem like much better barometers for what we might expect out of Flacco and Pitta on Monday night.
Coby Fleener, Ind at Hou
Fleener has been a fairly reliable TE1/TE2 tweener for the second half of the season (since Reggie Wayne went down) and he has produced 50+ yards in three of his last four games as well as in Week 9 – his last game against the Texans when he caught 3 balls for 64 yards. Since the last time they met, the Texans have allowed the fourth most points to opposing TEs as guys like Marcedes Lewis, Mychal Rivera and Rob Housler all went for 40+ yards and a TD for double digit fantasy points against them.
Martellus Bennett, Chi at Cle
With Jay Cutler likely returning to the Bears this week, perhaps he’ll go right back to the Black Unicorn against a Browns defense allowing the sixth most points to TEs over the last four weeks. Keep in mind that Marcedes Lewis, Clay Harbor, Jermaine Gresham and Alex Smith all reeled in touchdowns against the Browns in that span. With Joe Haden locking down Brandon Marshall or Alshon Jeffery, Bennett could see plenty of targets this week as he and Cutler look to rekindle their early season magic.
Jacob Tamme, Den vs. SD
Owners looking for a waiver wire special should look at Tamme this week with Wes Welker ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Chargers. Tamme emerged in the slot on Sunday with 4 catches for 47 yards on 5 targets after Welker was concussed. You could do far worse than gamble on Tamme as a plug-n-play tight end with Peyton Manning throwing touchdowns at an unprecedented clip.
Scott Chandler, Buf at Jac
Chandler is worth a shot as a consistent, but underwhelming,low-upside TE2. He faces a rapidly improving Jaguar defense that has allowed the 2nd most points to tight ends this year. Chandler has topped 50 yards only three times and has only 2 scores this year, so he’s not the first guy you to reach for, but he’s a decent gamble non-PPR deep league owners.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Arizona at Tennessee
Beyond the defenses you’ve been starting on a regular basis all year (Kansas City, Seattle, Carolina, San Francisco and Denver) the Cardinals have as much upside as any defense this week on the road against a turnover-happy Titans team lead by Ryan Fitzpatrick, who averages almost 1 ½ turnovers per start for his career.
Jacksonville vs. Buffalo
The Jaguars defense has improved steadily in Gus Bradley’s first season. They’re at home against a Bills offense led by struggling rookie EJ Manuel that was sacked 7 times as they coughed up 5 turnovers to the Bucs on Sunday. The Jaguars have 11 sacks in their last four games and five turnovers forced in their last two games. The downside is the Jags have allowed over 400 yards in three of their last four games.
Buffalo at Jacksonville
The Bills have at least four sacks in four of their last six games. They held the Buccaneers to 246 yards on the road and intercepted Mike Glennon twice last week. The Jaguars have allowed 41 sacks (tied for 5th most) and committed 20 turnovers while averaging only 285 yards a game. The Bills are a solid start as a top 10 option with top-5ish upside.
Atlanta vs. Washington
Here’s a defense that you can’t trust but the strong matchup against a Washington team limping down the stretch is enticing. Washington has allowed 37 sacks, four or more in five straight games, and they haven’t scored more than 17 points in a month. Kirk Cousins could be an improvement, but he’s just as likely to flop and the Falcons just might want this game a bit more playing at home.In super deep leagues, the Falcons might be your defensive Hail Mary if you think their five sacks and two takeaways against the Packers last week wasn’t a fluke.
Indianapolis vs. Houston
The Texans rolled up 483 yards, allowed only 1 sack and had one turnover against the Colts in Houston back in Week 9. They are definitely a defense that generally can’t be trusted, much less in the playoffs, but the upside of the matchup shouldn’t be overlooked if you’re first or second options stink. The Texans have allowed 34 sacks and turned it over 23 times for 7 TDs. You’d think the Colts defense will show up at home in the noisy Lucas Oil Stadium against Case Keenum and a slightly banged up Ben Tate.
