Who to start and sit in your fantasy playoffs

Week 15 Fantasy Football Rankings

Chiefs Pat Mahomes and Texans Deshaun Watson
Watson comes in at No. 9 this week. Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

QB

  1. Patrick Mahomes vs. LAC
  2. Philip Rivers @ KC
  3. Ben Roethlisberger vs. NE
  4. Jared Goff vs. PHI
  5. Drew Brees @ CAR
  6. Andrew Luck vs. DAL
  7. Tom Brady @ PIT
  8. Russell Wilson @ SF
  9. Deshaun Watson @ NYJ
  10. Josh Allen vs. DET
  11. Cam Newton vs. NO
  12. Dak Prescott @ IND
  13. Lamar Jackson vs. TB
  14. Matt Ryan vs. ARI
  15. Kirk Cousins vs. MIA

RB (Standard)

  1. Todd Gurley vs. PHI
  2. Ezekiel Elliott @ IND
  3. Saquon Barkley vs. TEN
  4. Christian McCaffrey vs. NO
  5. Phillip Lindsay vs. CLE
  6. Joe Mixon vs. OAK
  7. Alvin Kamara @ CAR
  8. Nick Chubb vs. DEN
  9. Leonard Fournette vs. WAS
  10. Tarik Cohen vs. GB
  11. Chris Carson @ SF
  12. Dalvin Cook vs. MIA
  13. Lamar Miller @ NYJ
  14. David Johnson @ ATL
  15. Sony Michel @ PIT
  16. Mark Ingram @ CAR
  17. James White @ PIT
  18. Aaron Jones @ CHI
  19. Justin Jackson @ KC
  20. Jaylen Samuels vs. NE
  21. Damien Williams vs. LAC
  22. Derrick Henry @ NYG
  23. Marlon Mack vs. DAL
  24. Gus Edwards vs. TB
  25. Jeff Wilson vs. SEA
  26. Doug Martin @ CIN
  27. Josh Adams @ LAR
  28. Adrian Peterson @ JAX
  29. Dion Lewis @ NYG
  30. Tevin Coleman vs. ARI

WR (Standard)

  1. Antonio Brown vs. NE
  2. Michael Thomas @ CAR
  3. Keenan Allen @ KC
  4. DeAndre Hopkins @ NYJ
  5. JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. NE
  6. Adam Thielen vs. MIA
  7. Julio Jones vs. ARI
  8. Davante Adams @ CHI
  9. Amari Cooper @ IND
  10. Odell Beckham Jr. vs. TEN
  11. TY Hilton vs. DAL
  12. Tyreek Hill vs. LAC
  13. Robert Woods vs. PHI
  14. Stefon Diggs vs. MIA
  15. Julian Edelman @ PIT
  16. Brandin Cooks vs. PHI
  17. Jarvis Landry @ DEN
  18. Mike Evans @ BAL
  19. Tyler Lockett @ SF
  20. DJ Moore vs. NO
  21. Corey Davis @ NYG
  22. Josh Gordon @ PIT
  23. Tyler Boyd vs. OAK
  24. Curtis Samuel vs. NO
  25. Allen Robinson vs. GB
  26. Alshon Jeffery @ LAR
  27. Kenny Golladay @ BUF
  28. Larry Fitzgerald @ ATL
  29. Calvin Ridley vs. ARI
  30. Josh Reynolds vs. PHI
  31. Golden Tate @ LAR
  32. Courtland Sutton vs. CLE
  33. Adam Humphries @ BAL
  34. Mike Williams @ KC
  35. Dante Pettis vs. SEA
  36. Demaryius Thomas @ NYJ
  37. Dede Westbrook vs. WAS
  38. Chris Godwin @ BAL
  39. Anthony Miller vs. GB
  40. Doug Baldwin @ SF

TE (Standard)

  1. Travis Kelce vs. LAC
  2. Zach Ertz @ LAR
  3. Eric Ebron vs. DAL
  4. George Kittle vs. SEA
  5. Jaylen Samuels vs. NE
  6. Rob Gronkowski @ PIT
  7. Jared Cook @ CIN
  8. Cameron Brate @ BAL
  9. David Njoku @ DEN
  10. Austin Hooper vs. ARI
  11. Ian Thomas vs. NO
  12. Vance McDonald vs. NE
  13. Kyle Rudolph vs. MIA
  14. Evan Engram vs. TEN
  15. Trey Burton vs. GB

D/ST

  1. Jaguars vs. WAS
  2. Texans @ NYJ
  3. Bears vs. GB
  4. Ravens vs. TB
  5. Seahawks @ SF
  6. Rams vs. PHI
  7. Vikings vs. MIA
  8. Bills vs. DET
  9. Titans @ NYG
  10. Falcons vs. ARI
  11. Redskins @ JAX
  12. Broncos vs. CLE
  13. Lions @ BUF
  14. Saints @ CAR
  15. Packers @ CHI

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The Texans are back in action next week against the Dolphins. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.

But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.

“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”

Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.

Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.

“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”

The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.

They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.

Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.

Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.

Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.

“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”

While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.

He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.

Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.

Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.

“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”

The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.

“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”

The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.

Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.

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