NFL Week 15 Fantasy Football PPR Rankings: Playoffs Begin, COVID-19 Spike Causing Issues

This is the most challenging week I’ve had with creating the fantasy football rankings as COVID-19 has surged across the country and left NFL rosters decimated with several expected absences. I’ll be doing my best to come back and update these rankings as we head into Week 15 matchups, and always make sure you’re reading the injury reports before you make your final lineup decisions. I’m going to keep a running list of all of the notable fantasy players placed on the COVID-19 IR on this rankings page. As always, feel free to hit me up on Twitter for further clarification on the start/sit decisions.

COVID-19 List

• Chicago Bears: QB Andy Dalton, WR Allen Robinson
• Cleveland Browns: QB Baker Mayfield, QB Case Keenum, WR Jarvis Landry, TE Austin Hooper, TE David Njoku
• Detroit Lions: RB Jamaal Williams
• Los Angeles Rams: RB Darrell Henderson, WR Odell Beckham Jr., TE Tyler Higbee
• Miami Dolphins: RB Myles Gaskin, RB Salvon Ahmed, RB Philip Lindsay, WR Jaylen Waddle
• Minnesota Vikings: RB Alexander Mattison, WR Dede Westbrook
• New Orleans Saints: RB Mark Ingram
• New York Giants: WR Kadarius Toney
• Philadelphia Eagles: WR Quez Watkins
• Seattle Seahawks: RB Alex Collins, WR Tyler Lockett, RB Alex Collins
• Washington Football Team: QB Taylor Heinecke, QB Kyle Allen, WR Cam Sims

NFL Week 15 Quarterback Rankings

• Jalen Hurts: Keep an eye on the injury reports, as Hurts is still dealing with an ankle injury, and Gardner Minshew has reportedly taken half of the first-team reps in practice. Even if Hurts plays, we shouldn’t expect his dual-threat capabilities to be at their most profound.
• Kyler Murray: It’s good to have the Arizona quarterback back in the lineup, although his upside is reduced somewhat by the expected absence of DeAndre Hopkins for the remainder of the regular season. Still, the Cardinals have enough pass-catching talent to maintain Murray as a top-three fantasy QB even without Hopkins.
• Lamar Jackson: For several weeks now, Jackson has been dealing with an ankle issue that has limited his fantasy upside. Even if he can take the field this week, which is not a given, don’t expect him to be putting your fantasy team on his back in a matchup against a tough Green Bay defense.

NFL Week 15 Running Back Rankings

• Alvin Kamara: The Saints’ offense is far from its best at the moment, but Kamara needs to be started in every fantasy format. The Buccaneers’ run defense hasn’t been as elite lately as it has in recent years, and Kamara has put up 16+ PPR points in every career matchup against Tampa.
• James Robinson: With the firing of Urban Meyer, James Robinson should finally be freed, and I’m expecting him to have a big role in the Jacksonville offense this week against a poor Houston defense.
• Javonte Williams: While he was out-touched by Melvin Gordon last week, Williams should have a large enough role in the rushing and passing game to maintain fantasy value despite sharing touches with Gordon. Keep an eye on injury reports, though, as he popped up with a knee injury late in the week.

NFL Week 15 Wide Receiver Rankings

• Hunter Renfrow: Hunter Renfrow has scored the fifth-most PPR points at the wide receiver position over the past five weeks. If you have him in your lineup, consider yourself lucky – he’s a top-ten WR until further notice and should take advantage of an injured Cleveland secondary.
• DK Metcalf: It’s been a while since we’ve seen a ceiling game from Metcalf, but this could be the week with Tyler Lockett potentially out after popping up on the COVID-19 protocols. It’s hard to imagine benching Metcalf, despite his recent performances not being what you have hoped for.
• Christian Kirk: With DeAndre Hopkins out this week, Kirk should have a good chance to put up a big game against Detroit. It’s hard to know whether Kirk, A.J. Green, or Rondale Moore will deliver the big game, but my money would be on Kirk, and I’m firing him up in the lineups I have him this week.

NFL Week 15 Tight End Rankings

• George Kittle: Over the past five weeks, Kittle has scored 21.1 PPR points per game, and he’s truly been dominant at the tight end position. Atlanta has nobody on their roster who has a chance to cover him, and I’m expecting a big game from Kittle as he’s been one of the best offensive weapons in the NFL.
• Foster Moreau: With Darren Waller out, we expected to be able to trust Foster Moreau in fantasy, but he has combined for just 18.9 PPR points over the past month. I’m not playing Moreau in the deepest leagues this week.
• Ricky Seals-Jones: Washington could be without Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, J.D. McKissic, Logan Thomas, and Cam Sims this week, which would make Seals-Jones incredibly necessary to the offense. Seals-Jones is a top streaming candidate and an excellent low-cost option for DFS lineups.