FANTASY PLAYOFFS

Week 15 fantasy football rankings: In it to win it

Week 15 fantasy football rankings: In it to win it
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These are my very early ranks, so keep in mind I post these on Thursday. Make sure you check the injury report on Sunday for players that have missed practice. If it doesn't look like a player will play this week, I typically won't rank him. Keep in mind, these are PPR rankings, and don't forget to set your lineup for Thursday Night Football.

If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter. Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo on ESPN 97.5 FM. We're on every Sunday morning from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling getting you ready for kickoff every Sunday.

@JoshJordan975

@Moneyline975

@JerryBoKnowz

QB

Photo by:Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

1 Lamar Jackson

2 Drew Brees

3 Patrick Mahomes

4 Deshaun Watson

5 Ryan Tannehill

6 Jimmy Garoppolo

7 Russell Wilson

8 Jared Goff

9 Dak Prescott

10 Aaron Rodgers

11 Jameis Winston

12 Derek Carr

13 Kyler Murray

14 Kirk Cousins

15 Matt Ryan

RB

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1 Christian McCaffrey

2 Chris Carson

3 Ezekiel Elliott

4 Dalvin Cook

5 Derrick Henry

6 Leonard Fournette

7 Saquon Barkley

8 Alvin Kamara

9 Austin Ekeler

10 DeAndre Washington *This will change if Jacobs plays.

11 Nick Chubb

12 Melvin Gordon

13 Aaron Jones

14 Todd Gurley

15 Mark Ingram

16 James White

17 Phillip Lindsay

18 Miles Sanders

19 Joe Mixon

20 Raheem Mostert

21 Devin Singletary

22 Kareem Hunt

23 David Montgomery

24 Le'Veon Bell

25 Devonta Freeman

26 Marlon Mack

27 Kenyan Drake

28 Patrick Laird

29 Adrian Peterson

30 Duke Johnson

WR

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

1 Michael Thomas

2 DeAndre Hopkins

3 Julian Edelman

4 Julio Jones

5 Tyreek Hill

6 Robert Woods

7 Chris Godwin

8 D.J. Moore

9 Davante Adams

10 Keenan Allen

11 Allen Robinson

12 Kenny Golladay

13 Stefon Diggs

14 Cooper Kupp

15 Jarvis Landry

16 Amari Cooper

17 Courtland Sutton

18 Michael Gallup

19 Emmanuel Sanders

20 A.J. Brown

21 Dede Westbrook

22 Odell Beckham

23 Deebo Samuel

24 Darius Slayton

25 Christian Kirk

26 D.K. Metcalf

27 Tyler Lockett

28 Mike Williams

29 John Brown

30 Zach Pascal

31 Tyler Boyd

32 Sterling Shepard

33 Terry McLaurin

34 Marquise Brown

35 Cole Beasley

36 Curtis Samuel

TE

1 Travis Kelce

2 Zach Ertz

3 George Kittle

4 Darren Waller

5 Hunter Henry

6 Austin Hooper

7 OJ Howard

8 Tyler Higbee

9 Ian Thomas

10 Jack Doyle

11 Mike Gesicki

12 Jacob Hollister

DEF

1 Ravens

2 Patriots

3 Steelers

4 49ers

5 Bills

6 Chiefs

7 Packers

8 Seahawks

9 Saints

10 Vikings

11 Chargers

12 Bears

Kicker

1 Justin Tucker

2 Wil Lutz

3 Greg Zuerlein

4 Harrison Butker

5 Robbie Gould

6 Mason Crosby

7 Matt Gay

8 Jake Elliott

9 Jason Myers

10 Ka'imi Fairbairn

11 Younghoe Koo

12 Michael Badgley


That will do it. Good luck this week and when in doubt, start your studs.

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Could the Yusei Kikuchi trade backfire?Composite Getty Image.

As we're waiting for the top dominoes like Juan Soto to fall in free agency, the market is in a bit of a holding pattern. But we are seeing reports about some possible landing spots for players like Alex Bregman and Yusei Kikuchi.

With Kikuchi specifically, his agent Scott Boras is letting it be known that the market for him is very strong. Not only did he pitch at an All-Star level once joining the Astros, but he also brings something else to the table that many other free agents don't.

Because Kikuchi was traded at the deadline, he wasn't eligible to receive a qualifying offer. Which means any team that signs him won't have to give up any draft capital, thereby increasing his value on the market.

We noted an article by Eric Cole on Climbing Tal's Hill that made some interesting points on this situation. In a way, the Astros “unlocked” Kikuchi, helping him reach his full potential, and now he may sign with one of Houston's top competitors.

According to the article, the Rangers, Orioles, Red Sox, Twins, and Tigers have reportedly shown interest in signing him.

Plus, the 'Stros had to pay a steep price for him, trading away three prospects from an already depleted farm system. And with the benefit of hindsight, Kikuchi didn't even pitch in the postseason and the Astros were swept in the Wild Card round.

To be fair, one could argue the club may not have made the postseason without him. But at the end of the day, the organization is down three prospects and didn't win a single playoff game.

The trade market

Chandler Rome of The Athletic recently reported that the Astros have discussed the possibility (in-house) of trading Ryan Pressly, who is due $14 million this season. The team could certainly use the salary relief, but moving him could be tricky, as Pressly has a full no-trade clause.

If a team is willing to pay the majority of his contract, Houston shouldn't expect much in return when it comes to prospects. However, if the Astros are willing to eat a good portion of his salary, that could change.

But the problem is, moving Pressly is mostly about shedding money from the payroll. So it doesn't make a lot of sense to trade him without any significant salary relief.

To be clear, it's not as if the team wants to kick Pressly to the curb, but they could use that $14 million to add to the Bregman fund, or upgrade another spot on the roster.

Updates on Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis Garcia

GM Dana Brown shared some thoughts on the outlook for both pitchers last week. Garcia is expected to be ready to pitch this spring after recovering from Tommy John surgery.

With McCullers, it's more of a wait and see. Lance is playing catch, and Brown said his return this spring is still a possibility. But at this point, the fact that his recovery is taking so long isn't a good sign. And it seems like every time he ramps up, another setback occurs.

Where does Roki Sasaki land?

Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is generating a lot of interest on the market. But according to reports, it doesn't sound like the Astros are in the mix as possible suitors.

It won't be from lack of trying, we're sure they've made the necessary phone calls. But it does make us wonder, do free agents still see Houston as a destination where they can compete for championships each and every year? And let's be real, moving on from Bregman won't help with that perception.

You know the deal! Be sure to watch the video above as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros (Brandon Strange, Charlie Pallilo, and Josh Jordan) break it all down! Also, we recorded a video about the Astros' offense earlier this week. Click here if you missed it!


For Astros’ conversation, catch Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo on our Stone Cold 'Stros podcasts!Episodes drop on Mondays and bonus episodes are released on Wednesdays when the news cycle dictates.

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