Replacements: Week 15

The Way This Works...

To see this article's purpose, please refer to the intro from Week 2.

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The Running List of Past Recommendations

I'll update this throughout the season so you have a wealth of considerations beyond my weekly recommendations. I change their standing as developments occur.

Scroll past these running lists for new suggestions.

Add Nows 

Most of these players will not be available, but you'll get a sense of who has been recommended and who to snap up if they become available. 

• Bryce Young
• Isaac Guerendo
• Alec Pierce
• Jameis Winston
• Kayshon Boutte
• Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
• Devaughn Vele
• Noah Gray

Preemptive

These players may not give you production this weekend, but they are worth considering because there's potential for them to deliver due to injuries or personnel changes. 

• Sterling Shepard
• Darius Slayton
• KaVontae Turpin
• Ray Davis
• Cam Akers
• Sean Tucker
• Jalen Nailor
• Chris Brooks
• Noah Brown
• Demarcus Robinson
• Mike Williams
• Dylan Laube
• Drew Lock 
• Audric Estime
• Kimani Vidal
• Noah Gray

Preemptive/Monitor

You can probably wait until a compelling event creates a potential need for these players. 

• Andrei Iosivas
• Tyler Goodson
• Xavier Hutchinson
• Cordarrelle Patterson
• Brenton Strange
• Ameer Abdullah
• Michael Penix Jr.
• David Moore

Monitor

These players have the talent to contribute to your lineup immediately if elevated to a starting role. If you can't find any talent with playing opportunities to have at the end of your roster, it's worth adding 1-2 of these options in case injury strikes, and you can beat the demand on the waiver wire. 

• Julius Chestnut
• Tre Tucker
• Brenton Strange
• Dawson Knox
• Nelson Agholor
• Allen Lazard
• Jalin Hyatt
• Cade Stover
• Ricky Pearsall
• Theo Johnson
• Dylan Laube

Forget (For Now...)

They have too many players ahead of them on their depth charts to earn an impact anytime soon. Or they suffered an injury. 

• Tyler Badie
• Dalvin Cook
• Rakim Jarrett 
• Blake Watson
• Trey Palmer
• Evan Hull
• Dareke Young
• Bub Means
• Chris Rodriguez Jr.
• Adam Trautman
• Jordan Mason (IR)
• Travis Homer
• Jordan Mims

Add Now: TE Michael Mayer, Raiders

The Skinny on Mayer: The 56th-ranked tight end in PPR formats heading into Week 15, Mayer led the Raiders in receiving in Week 14. You can attribute this to a combination of Mayer's role in the offense and turnover due to injuries. 

Mayer is a good underneath receiver who excels against zone coverage. He also makes difficult plays in tight coverage and has some skill after the catch. He's not an elite ball carrier or downfield receiver, but with the likes of Jakobi Meyers, Brock Bowers, and Tre Tucker running off coverage, Mayer is a great safety blanket for young quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Data-wise, Atlanta is a neutral match-up against tight ends. They have given up the most points to tight ends who work the underneath zones instead of the seams and boundaries. 

Cade Otton, Jake Ferguson, and Ja'Tavion Sanders are good examples this year. 

Recommendation: Do you know who else was a good safety blanket for young quarterback Desmond Ridder last year? Jonnu Smith. Although Smith was TE17 at this point last year, he had 50 catches, 582 yards, and 3 scores -- including six games with at least 5 catches, and 50 yards. He also had a pair of 100-yard efforts. If you're looking for points in a pinch, Ridder will be checking down -- and staring down -- Mayer.