Congratulations if you made the fantasy football playoffs, and if yours haven’t started yet, hopefully you’re set and ready for next week. Continuing with the Christmas theme for fun ranks in the Week 15 fantasy football rankings, Nicole and I went on a holiday lights walk this past weekend. After a supremely disappointing Richmond Raceway show the week before, we had looked at fun Christmas light shows online. So, this week I’m showcasing the best 10 I found. Maybe you found/saw others, so please share them if you have ’em.
#CheckTheLink-age
Waivers | Week 15 and Playoff SOS Ranks
Fantasy Football 101 (weather, lineups, trading, more)
All in Football (video pod)
2022 Week 15 Fantasy Football Sleepers
🚨 HEADS UP 🚨 These are sleepers. They will not mimic my rankings 100%. This is chasing upside and often carries more risk.
QUARTERBACK
POSSIBLY START: Desmond Ridder, ATL — In his first game?! Are you mad?! Well, let’s consider Ridder the runner, because his ability gives him a Daniel Jones-like fantasy outlook. He can run, but he’s not going to take off every time. Ridder is actually a good pocket passer, and a game of 225 passing yards with 1-2 touchdowns is doable, even against the Saints, and then an added 40 yards on the ground with a hope for a rushing touchdown gives Ridder floor and upside. And that upside would be in the fringe QB1 range.
RUNNING BACK
POSSIBLY START: Gus Edwards, BAL — Tyler Huntley sounds likely for Week 15, but it’s not going to change the Ravens’ game plan of running, running and running some more. Yes, the Steelers defense is vulnerable, but 28 combined attempts for J.K. Dobbins and Edwards is enough volume to make Edwards a decent flier versus the Browns and their lack of a run defense.
HAIL MARY START: Cam Akers, LAR — This is why I drafted Akers in Rounds 4-5 — miss the playoffs and win my consolation bracket on his shoulders! It’s still extremely dicey to trust this offense, the broken offensive line, Sean McVay or even Akers himself. Nevertheless, Akers gets a favorable matchup (Packers) and is RB10 the past two weeks.
WIDE RECEIVER
POSSIBLY START: Alec Pierce, IND — It was a long wait from Pierce’s third double-digit score to his fourth (six games), but he returned to relevancy with 8-4-86-1 against the Cowboys in Week 13. As mentioned in waivers, I lean Pierce slightly over Parris Campbell, as Pierce is the potential future No. 2 solution for the Colts. Campbell is a free agent — yes, he’s already that old — and Pierce has the bigger play, and higher touchdown, potential, especially against the porous Vikings defense.
POSSIBLY START: Elijah Moore, NYJ — With Corey Davis sidelined, Moore steps up in the target share pecking order, and boy is the matchup ripe for a big game. For the year, the Raiders are the only team worse against slot receivers, and since Week 8, they “jump” to 27th, while the Lions are dead last. As long as the weather stays out of the sub-30s and with no precipitation, fire up Moore in Week 15.
HAIL MARY START: Chris Moore, HOU — Speaking of the Moops (Seinfeld fans understand), if Nico Collins remains sidelined, you can take a flier on Moore if you’re thin at wide receiver. No matter what the Texans do at quarterback, the Chiefs are a favorable matchup for wideouts, especially as they push opponents to play keep-up. Moore is WR37 since Week 7 with 8.6 FPPG and is now pushing for the team lead in receiving yards (sad, I know).
TIGHT END
HAIL MARY START: Dawson Knox, BUF — If you’re on Yahoo, the answer is Jeff Driskel, who the team listed as a tight end last year, giving him eligibility there this year. Knox has been way more miss than hit this year, and especially compared to 2021, but the Bills face the Dolphins in Week 15. This is another “watch the weather” game, but if things aren’t bad, the Dolphins are seventh in tight end APA, which isn’t to the level of the Cardinals or Seahawks, but with Gabe Davis being mostly disappointing and the frustrations surrounding Isaiah McKenzie (they signed Cole Beasley), Knox is worthy of a start.
Fun with Rankings!
Best Christmas Light Shows
As mentioned, this week I’m showcasing the best 10 I found. Maybe you found/saw others, so please share them if you have ’em.
- Carol of the Bells — Big ups for the timing of the instruments.
- Holly Jolly Christmas — Fun song, fun lights, including a screen with the snowman (Burl Ives).
- Winter Wonderland/Here Comes Santa Claus — Snoop Dogg Christmas music?!
- Pirates of the Caribbean — I don’t care that it’s not a Christmas song… I love this theme, and the lights are great.
- Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy — Pretty cool even though it’s techno-y/dubstep. Also, imagine the electric bill!
- Star Wars Christmas — Another one that’s not Christmas music, but who’s complaining?
- Christmas Light Show — Compilation with a good mix and bulbs singing.
- All I Want for Christmas — The trees and bulbs singing are fun.
- Little Drummer Boy — Don’t mind this version of the Little Dummer Boy, even with it also being dubstep.
- Most Wonderful Time of the Year — Loses a bit of its novelty when you already saw this house, but still impressive work to build it originally and then time this out. Still, can I get a still shot?
OTHERS
More Star Wars lights!
And more!
A 32-minute show!
Another LONG show (nearly an hour)
Another Carol of the Bells
Cool drone shot of big field/grove, but not Christmas-y… I think.
Week 15 Fantasy Football Projections
🚨 HEADS UP 🚨 These can differ from my rankings, and my ranks are the order I’d start players outside of added context, such as, “Need highest upside, even if risky.” Also, based on 4-point TDs for QB, 6-point rest, and Half-PPR
Projections Download Link
***These are NOT updated Sunday morning, FYI***
Week 15 Fantasy Football Rankings
🚨 HEADS UP 🚨
- We might have found a solution to the rankings widget issue by using Fantasy Nation (via Football Diehards). All three scorings work and are editable by me (unlike before), and the widget will let you scroll on Android (browser) without using two fingers! YAY!
- Updated regularly, so check all the way up to lineups locking.
NOTES
- SF/SEA — The replacements performed poorly, and the 49ers defense had been terrific. Ken Walker could finish as an RB1 but has a floor of near-zero. Ranked where I risk it, but your call on that upside/risk.
- BAL/CLE — Weather: Mild concern as of now (low-30s with some wind) but no real “must-sits” yet given value of passing game options here already.
- MIA/BUF — Weather: Possible snow showers, which decent passing game downgrade. Still, you’re not benching Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill. The others in the passing game are up for discussion… if snowing. Jeff Wilson is back in for now, moving Raheem Mostert down a bit.
- PHI/CHI — Weather: Nearly no concern; just sub-30 temps. Dallas Goedert in for now, which is a downgrade to DeVonta Smith.
- DET/NYJ — Weather: No real concern as upper-30s… except fade the heck out of Jared Goff outdoors. Also, D’Andre Swift has no injury designation (as of now) and only twice has seen that (Week 1 and 13, when he had huge games). Updated for Zach Wilson, hurting most Jets.
- NE/LV — Rhamondre Stevenson sounds like he could play and is back in with Damien Harris, which is what the rankings reflect.
- CIN/TB — Risky to wait on Tee Higgins even with his practicing (Tyler Boyd too) given 1) last week and 2) it’s a 4pm game.
- NYG/WSH — Saquon Barkley practicing, but still few backup options for Sunday Night Football, and the Commanders run defense is strong.
(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)