Even if you had the perfect lineup set up for your fantasy football playoffs, injuries and other factors could have easily ruined your plans. This isn’t reason to give up, but you might have to look deeper down the list for new options.
As new information continues to pour out during the week, better fantasy targets could become available, but at the moment it seems Tim Hightower and Ryan Fitzpatrick are the best pickups this week. Denard Robinson and Brandon Bolden are also worth a try.
If these players are unavailable, however, check on these sleepers with the ability to help you immediately in Week 15.
Note: All players available in more than 70 percent of ESPN leagues.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
Inconsistency has been a major issue for Kirk Cousins this year, something he hasn’t failed to notice. He explained his perception after the latest win over the Chicago Bears, per Stephen Czarda of Redskins.com:
I have had games where people want to run me out of town, the next week we win and I am the best thing since sliced bread. I think it’s week-to-week but I keep trying to grow and build on each experience that I have whether it is positive or negative and trust that if I do that, good things will happen.
The good news is when he is on, he is a great fantasy option. He has topped 20 fantasy points in standard leagues in four of the past seven games, thanks in part to rushing touchdowns in two of the past three weeks.
Meanwhile, his bad weeks lately haven’t been inefficient, they just lack scores. In fact he has completed at least 69 percent of his passes in five straight games with only one game seeing a quarterback rating of less than 100. This shows he has been playing well, just a bit unlucky when it comes to fantasy.
This should give fantasy football owners confidence in using him against a Buffalo Bills defense that is much better against the run than the pass. With Cousins finally having all his weapons around him healthy in Jordan Reed, DeSean Jackson and others, the quarterback can continue put together strong performances on a regular basis.
Bryce Brown, RB, Seattle Seahawks
There isn’t a lot of certainty in the Seattle Seahawks backfield these days, but with Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Rawls out with injuries, someone has to be the starting running back. We do know it won’t be DuJuan Harris, who was released Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
This leaves the newly signed Bryce Brown as the top option in an offense that knows how to run the ball.
While Brown hasn’t had a single carry for any team this season, he is a good fit in this system thanks to his style as a downfield runner. The 6’0″, 223-pound running back can step in as a bruising type of rusher like Lynch and Rawls and get the tough yards that aren’t provided by the offensive line.
Even without many starts in his career, fans should remember his breakout with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012 when he had 347 rushing yards and four touchdowns in two games.
Evan Silva of Rotoworld has faith in Brown putting up big numbers:
It will be a risk to start him without knowing the breakdown of carries, but the upside is certainly there for a big week against a terrible Cleveland Browns run defense.
Malcom Floyd, WR, San Diego Chargers
There aren’t a lot of great receiver options this low down the list, but Malcom Floyd can post quality fantasy numbers.
The San Diego Chargers have struggled to move the football over the last two games, totaling only six offensive points, although a lot of that has to do with the work of the defense between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. A matchup against the Miami Dolphins, who just got torched through the air by the New York Giants, should create some more opportunity for big plays.
This is a good thing for Floyd, who remains one of the only trustworthy weapons for Philip Rivers in this offense. He led the team with nine targets last game, although he was only able to come down with three catches. He was also on the field for 67 of 71 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, proving injuries are no longer an issue.
Even with some bad drops, Floyd still has a lot of upside and remains a top target in a pass-heavy attack. With the Dolphins allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season, per ESPN, the veteran could come back with a huge showing in Week 15.
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