We have one game left to go in Week 14, a non-divisional grudge match between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens. Once these two teams are finished battering each other on Monday night, it’ll be time to officially move on to Week 15.
If you’re still participating in meaningful fantasy competition this time of year, there’s a good chance you’re deep into your fantasy postseason. We will certainly wish you luck for the coming week, but we all know that preparation is just as important for fantasy success.
Well, we’re here to help you on the preparation front as well. We’ll be running down the top 25 fantasy flex options and providing statistical projections for each. In addition, we’ll be examining some top waiver-wire options—players available in at least 50 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues—you might want to consider.
All of our choices are based on factors like past performances, player and team matchups, health and projected role. Rankings are based on PPR scoring.
Week 15 Fantasy Projections
Waiver-Wire Picks
Ty Montgomery, RB/WR, Green Bay Packers
After a few weeks of being an afterthought in the Green Bay Packers offense, running back and receiver Ty Montgomery appears to have found a major role once again.
Against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Montgomery rushed nine times for 41 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 45 more yards. While Montgomery has spent much of his Packers career as a receiver, the team utilized him as a running back earlier this season and showed interest in running him more heading into this past week.
“We need to roll them in there better,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy explained last week, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “James [Starks] had a lot of opportunities last week. But Ty Montgomery deserves more opportunities, and I definitely want to get Christine [Michael] more opportunities”
Realistically, it makes sense for the Packers to keep running the ball with the Stanford product. Montgomery is averaging 5.2 yards per carry this season.
In Week 15, Montgomery and the Packers will do battle with the Chicago Bears. The last time these two teams met, Montgomery went off for 60 yards rushing, 10 receptions and 66 yards receiving.
Montgomery is currently owned in just 34.9 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.
Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have brought rookie receiver Tyler Boyd along slowly for much of the season. However, he has been thrust into a pretty significant role since star wideout A.J. Green went down with a hamstring injury a few weeks ago.
Since Green’s injury, Boyd has been a regular contributor on the Cincinnati offense. This past Sunday, he racked up six receptions for 49 yards while rushing twice for 40 more. Over the past three weeks, Boyd has hauled in 15 passes for 177 yards.
We can likely expect Boyd to remain one of quarterback Andy Dalton‘s top targets so long as Green remains sidelined. This week, he and the Bengals will face the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are allowing an average of 252.6 yards passing per game, 21st in the NFL.
The decision on whether or not to play Green again this season could hinge on Cincinnati’s ability to remain in the playoff race. Though the team is still technically alive, a loss to Pittsburgh next week would essentially end the team’s hopes and render Green’s risk of re-injury unnecessary. Consider Boyd a viable option for the remainder of the year.
Boyd is currently available in 68 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.
Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets
New York Jets running back Bilal Powell is worth adding to your lineup this week because there’s a realistic chance that starting back Matt Forte could miss some extended time. The longtime Bears star suffered a knee injury early in New York’s game against the San Francisco 49ers and did not return.
It remains unclear just how extensive the injury actually is. Forte is expected to undergo an MRI on Monday.
“My ligaments are good,” Forte said, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “It’s something to do with the clicking and popping that’s going on in there. I don’t know what it is, but my ligaments are intact.”
What is clear is the fact that Powell took over the rushing duties and exploded. He finished Sunday’s game with 145 yards rushing, five receptions, 34 yards receiving and two touchdowns. If not for his performance, the Jets probably wouldn’t have won.
This should ensure that Powell sees an extensive workload again this week, and the matchup is enticing. The Jets host the Miami Dolphins, who are currently rated 19th in run defense by Pro Football Focus and allow an average of 133.8 yards rushing per game (30th in the NFL).
If Forte is forced to miss a significant amount of time, then Powell’s fantasy value increases through the remainder of the season.
Powell is currently owned in just 37.1 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.
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