Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Week 15 Start Sits: Darius Slayton, Cooper Kupp

Fantasy Football Week 15 Start Sits: Darius Slayton should continue his hot stretch of play while Cooper Kupp simply isn't worth the risk.

Week 15 of the NFL season is right around the corner, and fantasy football owners everywhere are trying to optimize their lineups. Deciding on who to start and sit isn’t easy, especially when a rookie like Darius Slayton hits a hot stretch. Let’s take a dive into all of the best start em’, sit em’ matchups of the week to put together the best possible lineup.

Week 15 Running Back Start Sits
Week 15 Quarterback Start Sits

Darius Slayton, Dede Westbrook Highlight Fantasy Football Week 15 Wide Receiver Start Sits

Start: Darius Slayton

Darius Slayton is good. Like, really good. The fifth-round pick looks like one of the steals of the draft and proved he can be relevant with Eli Manning or Daniel Jones under center. Last week, the rookie went off to the tune of five receptions, 154 yards, and two touchdowns. This marks the fourth straight week in which he eclipsed seven targets and he could very well be the top option in the passing game. Slayton has the workload to be productive and the talent to tear apart the Miami Dolphins defense.

Sit: Cooper Kupp

Full disclaimer: Cooper Kupp has the ability to make me look like an idiot for this one. Everyone knows Kupp is a great player and has the potential to deliver a week-winning performance. However, his Week 14 usage makes him too dangerous to trust in the fantasy playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams haven’t looked right for the vast majority of the season but finally got something going over the past two weeks. The Rams are using two tight end sets, which means that Kupp is spending more and more time on the bench. Last week, the star wideout played in just 29% of the offensive snaps. This could be a gameplan-specific thing, but it’s too much of a risk to take in the fantasy playoffs.

Start: Dede Westbrook (If D.J. Chark Doesn’t Play)

D.J. Chark suffered an ankle injury in Week 14 and could easily miss Week 15’s contest. If he’s out, Dede Westbrook is going to be a must-start. For those who don’t remember, Westbrook had one of the biggest offseason hype trains going, and with good reason. Westbrook is a highly talented receiver and is essentially the only proven option on the team if Chark is sidelined. Westbrook is clearly Gardner Minshew’s second favorite target and will see the majority of the work without Chark. The Jacksonville Jaguars take on a pathetic Oakland Raiders secondary in Week 15, so Westbrook should go crazy in this one.

Sit: Tyler Lockett

Similar to Cooper Kupp, you just cannot trust Tyler Lockett in the fantasy playoffs. Even though Seattle’s receiver boasts ridiculous talent, the production just hasn’t been there in recent weeks. Over the past four weeks, Lockett has accumulated just eight receptions for 107 yards. That’s simply abysmal production that you cannot count on moving forward.

Start: Nelson Agholor

Say what you will about Nelson Agholor as a player, but his opportunity is just too good in this one. Alshon Jeffery is done for the season, which means Nelson Agholor is the closest thing to a quality wide receiver left on the roster. Agholor isn’t the most efficient player by any means, but he’s actually done well in games where Jeffery didn’t play. With a favorable matchup against the New York Giants, Nelson Agholor should be a solid flex play.

Update: Nelson Agholor is questionable to play on Sunday and didn’t practice all week. If you’re looking for a last-second high-upside stream, go for Breshad Perriman.

Another Update: Nelson Agholor is ruled out for Week 15. Don’t start him.

Sit: Tyler Boyd

Andy Dalton is back, which is good news for Tyler Boyd. Unfortunately for Boyd, he’s going up against the New England Patriots. Boyd is the top passing option for the Bengals and will probably spend most of the day shadowed by Jonathan Jones or Stephon Gilmore. This is terrible news for Boyd, as both cornerbacks are among the best in the league. This low-powered offense won’t be able to beat this defense, so make sure to leave Boyd on your bench.