Fantasy Football Running Back Week 15 Start Sits: Patrick Laird, Boston Scott, More

Fantasy Football Week 15 Running Back Start Sits: Patrick Laird and Boston Scott are both smart starts, but you should leave Sony Michel on your bench.

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 Patrick Laird receives a great opportunity. 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 Wide Receiver Start Sits
Week 15 Quarterback Start Sits

Patrick Laird, Sony Michel Highlight Fantasy Football Running Back Week 15 Start Sits

Start: Patrick Laird

Patrick Laird is not a talented running back, but opportunity matters more than talent in fantasy football. Last week, Laird played in 82% of the offensive snaps and recorded 48 rushing yards on 15 attempts. This stat line on its own isn’t anything to write home about, but he carries a decent amount of value in the passing game. Over the past two weeks, Laird recorded eight receptions for a combined 91 yards. With DeVante Parker in concussion protocol, Laird could see an increase in targets and should be able to be somewhat efficient against the New York Giants. Don’t expect elite production by any means, but he should be a solid flex play.

Keep your eye on the injury report. If Conner continues to practice in full throughout the week, then you can probably start him. However, if he’s limited or missing practices entirely, you’re better off going for a safer pivot.

Sit: Sony Michel

Sony Michel, like most running backs, is entirely a product of his surroundings. Last year, he had the fortune of playing behind a top-three offensive line with Rob Gronkowski, Dwayne Allen, and James Develin serving as additional blocking support. This year, New England’s offensive line is one of the worst, the tight ends can’t block, Develin in hurt, and the offense isn’t as good as it was in 2018. Michel is splitting time with Rex Burkhead and James White, doesn’t have the blocking to consistently make positive plays, and doesn’t have the explosiveness to rip off a big play. The only way he has any sort of fantasy relevance is if he finds his way into the endzone, which he hasn’t done since Week 7.

Start: Boston Scott

Boston Scott came out of nowhere to help the Philadelphia Eagles pull off a last-second win against the New York Giants. The second-year running back finished his night with 10 carries for 59 yards and a score to go along with six receptions for 69 yards. This was easily his best game of the season, and he should have similar success in Week 15. Miles Sanders is still going to be a part of the backfield, but Scott should receive enough opportunities to be fantasy-relevant. The Eagles should be able to move the ball against the Washington Redskins, and Scott should see plenty of targets with Alshon Jeffery on the injured reserve.

Sit: James Conner

I reserve the right to change my mind on this one, but right now, there’s simply no way you can trust James Conner. The oft-injured running back missed the past couple of games and appears to be ready to return in Week 15. At his best, Conner is one of the better running backs in fantasy football. However, you simply cannot trust him coming back from injury. Last time Conner forced his way back into the lineup, he recorded only five carries before re-aggravating his injury.

Start: Adrian Peterson

Derrius Guice is gone, which means Adrian Peterson has full command of one of the most run-heavy backfields in football. Peterson is a far cry from the player he once was, but he’s still capable of putting up solid production when given a full workload. Surprisingly enough, Peterson is averaging 4.3 yards-per-carry on the season and is a safe bet to record 15-20 carries. He obviously won’t do anything in the passing game but he’s still a safe flex play with RB2 upside.

Sit: Tevin Coleman

Remember when Tevin Coleman recorded four touchdowns in one game? Those days are long gone, as Coleman is currently buried on the San Francisco 49ers depth chart. Raheem Mostert is the star of the show and should be the feature back with Matt Breida as the first man off the bench. This leaves Coleman with a minimal workload, making him completely unreliable for fantasy football. Forget starting him, you can probably cut Coleman without suffering any negative repercussions.