The second week of playoff games starts tomorrow and points are at a premium. Matchups and trends now take the place of "start your studs" in the week 15 high upside picks. Get these guys in your lineup, because they are about to light up the scoreboards and carry owners to the final fantasy game of the year.
Quarterback
Blake Bortles JAC
If you told me in the preseason that I would recommend Bortles I the playoffs I would have said that you were crazy. Nevertheless, here is that recommendation and I feel good about it. The Jaguars young talent has really stepped up on offense. The receiving corps of Marqise Lee, Dede Westbrook, and Keelan Cole look great. In week 15, they get to face the beaten up and understaffed Texans defense.
Over the past three weeks, Bortles has been over 20 fantasy points in every matchup. The third game in that string came against Seattle. This is normally an assignment where fantasy players would expect about three picks from Bortles. The much maligned Jags QB is in a groove and fantasy owners should start him with confidence.
Running Back
Jay Ajayi PHI
Last week felt like doomsday for Philadelphia, when Carson Wentz was lost for the season. In the playoffs, the Eagles will likely feel the effects of that loss. Odds are they will be fine for week 15 against the Giants, though. Nick Foles knows the offense and should fill in capably against a bad defense. It is also likely that the offense will be more conservative, however.
The game plan should include a lot more of the ground game in New York. That should bode well for the fantasy prospects of Jay Ajayi. He is averaging seven yards per carry since joining the Eagles. With an increased workload, that would push Ajayi firmly into the ranks of RB1. He may be rotting away on the bench of your fantasy team, and now is the time to change that. Week 15 is going to be the rebirth of Jay Ajayi as a fantasy force.
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Wide Receiver
Jordy Nelson GB
It has been a tough season for Jordy Nelson, with no Aaron Rodgers to force him the ball. With Brett Hundley under center, Nelson has been virtually invisible for 8 weeks. It looks like Rodgers is set to return for week 15, just in time for a middling Panthers pass defense. I cannot say it better than Davante Adams tweeted yesterday, so I'll let him do the talking.
Da King.....has returrrnnn *Rafiki voice*
— Davante Adams (@tae15adams) December 13, 2017
While Adams is excited for the return of Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson must be beside himself with joy. When Rodgers is under center, Nelson is a top tier elite wide receiver. Without him, Jordy is barely worthy of a roster spot. That is all in the past now; the Rodgers to Nelson connection is almost impossible to defend. Get Jordy back into your lineup right away.
Tight End
Jack Doyle IND
Things have been a bit slow for Doyle lately. He has topped 20 receiving yards just once in the past four games. He did manage a touchdown in one of those games, making is fantasy score more palatable. Most of that lack of production was due to facing Jacksonville and Pittsburgh. Now he has a much friendlier matchup with the Denver Broncos. That sounds strange, but the Broncos have been bad versus opposing tight ends.
There is every reason to believe that Jacoby Brissett will be looking to Doyle early and often. The Broncos can still defend wide receivers with the best of them. That will leave the talented tight end free to operate in the middle of the field. Denver allows just over 63 yards per game to opposing tight ends. That sets a pretty high floor for Doyle. If he can sneak into the end zone that should put him in top-5 tight end territory.
Good luck in the fantasy playoffs and be sure to check out the rest of our content. If you want some extras, follow us on Twitter as well: @_knuckleheads, @BrendanCole16, @JakeTrowbridge, and @UndisputedLogic
