Welcome back to Week 15 of Keeping it Real With Fantasy! Congratulations on putting together a great season, and making it to the first round of the Fantasy Football playoffs. The last week of regulation produced some great games for fantasy players.  Dalvin Cook tallied two touchdowns and 205 yards in the Vikings’ win against the Steelers. George Kittle hauled in 13 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers overtime win against the Bengals. As we step forward into the first round of the fantasy playoffs, there are many great games to look forward to, like a potential Super Bowl matchup when the Packers and Ravens face off against each other. On top of that, we have many divisional rivals facing off against each other. The Cowboys and Giants, Eagles and The Washington Football Team, as well as the Seahawks and Rams are three divisional games being played this week— many great matchups to help you set yourself ahead of the competition this week.

News/Injuries:

Lamar Jackson (QB) – Despite their laundry list of injuries, the Ravens managed to hold onto the one seed in the AFC North. We believe that this is credited to the heroics of Lamar Jackson as he’s had an excellent season despite his lack of resources. The former MVP went down with an ankle injury during the Ravens loss against the Browns. Look to backup Tyler Huntlry to take his snaps. 

Kareem Hunt (RB) – Hunt also suffered an ankle injury against the Ravens. Hunt has been missing since Week 7 and finally made his return for the Brown’s two games against the Ravens. Look to D’Ernest Johnson (again) to take up Hunt’s snaps. 

Terry McLaurin (WR) – The Washington Football Team’s speedy receiver entered the NFL’s concussion protocol list  during their loss against the Cowboys. He didn’t return, so he is currently still being watched. If McLaurin isn’t back by next week, Washington’s targets could end up dispersing all over the place. 

Starts:

Hunter Renfrow (WR) – Renfrow had a phenomenal performance, having a career-high 14 targets. He was able to haul in 13 of the 14 targets for 117 yards and a touchdown, finishing as the WR2 for fantasy receivers. With the loss of Henry Ruggs and the lingering injuries for Darren Waller, Renfrow has been crucial to the Raiders passing offense  as he has seen seven or more targets in 10 games, a great number to look at for fantasy owners. In five of his six games, Renfrow finished within the top 12 of receivers,  scoring a minimum of 18 PPR points per game. Although Cleveland’s passing defense is durable and reliable, Renfrow’s usage will keep him in the WR2 range making him a must start.   

Mike Gesicki (TE) – With the Dolphins coming fresh off a bye, players and staff should be excited to see the Jets on the schedule— especially Gesicki. Before entering the team’s bye, Gesicki played a big role in the Dolphin’s Week 13 passing game, catching seven of 11 targets for 46 yards and finishing as a top tight end in the league for the sixth time this year. Gesicki is a must start this week, going against a Jets’ defense that is No. 28 in points allowed to tight ends (15.5).    

Sits: 

Cam Newton (QB) – Early on in Week 14, it seemed like the old Cam was back— Superman himself. Beyond Newton’s rushing ability, he has struggled in the air, only completing 15 of 23 passes for 178 yards and an interception. It seems like you can only start Newton if you are banking on him running a touchdown in. Head coach of the Panthers, Matt Rhule, stated that there would continue to be a rotation of Cam Newton and P.J. Walker at quarterback, further complicating matters. This all gets worse as the Panthers face the league’s best defense. Cam Newton should be a must sit this week, especially with the playoffs on the line. 

James Robinson (RB) –  Last year, Robinson finished as top five fantasy running back. With the early loss of starting running back, Travis Eitienne, Robinson returned to last year’s form and went on a tear. With a full workload, Robinson is a must-start RB1. However, over the past two weeks, Robinson has seen his role in the offense diminish as head coach Urban Meyer benched him due to negative game-scripts among other unknown reasons. Last week, Robinson saw just six carries for four total yards. With this in mind, it will be hard to trust him in a must-win matchup for lots of fantasy managers, and for that reason we are choosing to bench Robinson this week. 

Waiver Wires – 

Tyler Huntley (QB) – This past week, Lamar Jackson went down with a bad injury. This caused backup Trevor Huntley to step up. Huntley is a very similar player to Jackson, often rushing the ball which is a quarterback cheat code in fantasy football. He will need to have a big game if the Ravens want to beat the Packers on Sunday. It is very possible Huntley breaks out in a big way this week.

Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR) –  In each of the last two games, St. Brown has seen 12 targets. He turned that into a combined 41.1 fantasy points during that timespan. The Lions will be down a lot as they have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Therefore, they will need to throw the ball a lot more, which can lead to more opportunities for St. Brown.