Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 15: Reviewing Fantasy Football's Top Fringe Starters

No pressure or anything, but the outcome of your Week 15 start-or-sit decisions may decide the outcome of your fantasy football playoff matchups.

Don't overthink things and do something ill-advised like sitting a star. Also, don't expect a waiver-wire pickup to play the role of savior.

Chances are your postseason collisions will be decided by the middle ground of your rosters—those not quite good enough to be no-doubt locks for your starting lineup but intriguing enough to warrant weekly consideration.

We'll help navigate the margins with a few of our favorite sit-or-bench calls for the upcoming slate.

Justin Herbert immediately rocketed to relevance with a 311-yard debut and never looked back—until lately.

The former darling of the fantasy community has caught a cold spell at the worst possible time, managing just three touchdown passes over four interceptions his last three times out.

But want to know a great medicine for a slumping signal-caller? A date with a Raiders defense that has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to the position, per Yahoo.

Las Vegas has surrendered 300 passing yards and multiple touchdown passes in four different games this season, including in Week 9 when Herbert went for 326 yards (and 24 rushing) and two scores.

Between Weeks 4 and 11, the Chargers quarterback was the second-highest scorer in fantasy, per FantasyPros. His upside is enormous, and the matchup is tremendous. Give him a start and trust that he'll snap out of this mini slump with a big performance.

Remember when playing Matt Ryan used to mean playing it safe? He was usually reliable for good numbers and would occasionally be great, and he'd often avoid the donuts that could derail an entire team's performance.

Well, that safety net is gone, and donuts are dropping at an alarming rate in Atlanta. The 35-year-old has 13 starts under his belt this season and multiple touchdown passes in just five of them. In his past four outings, he has more than erased his four touchdown throws with five interceptions and completed more than 57 percent of his passes just once.

While the Bucs aren't an especially threatening pass defense—14th-most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks—it's impossible to trust Ryan in such a big spot.

Fantasy football doesn't need to be complicated, folks. Take an ascending performer, add an exploitable matchup, and you have an easy start 'em recommendation.

On that note, J.K. Dobbins is on a three-game scoring streak. He's a top-20 performer at his position over that stretch, even though he missed a contest in that span. His Week 15 opponent, Jacksonville, has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs this season.

See where this is going? Even if Dobbins splits carries with Gus Edwards and Lamar Jackson, there should be enough fantasy production to go around against a Jaguars defense allowing just under 30 points per game.

There are several different vessels that can successfully carry you across the often turbulent waters of the fantasy football playoffs, but we'd advise against giving the sinking ship that is Todd Gurley a shot.

The 26-year-old has two 70-yard rushing efforts all season. The most recent was in Week 5. He has rushed for fewer than 3.0 yards per carry in five of his last seven outings and hasn't sniffed the end zone his last three times out.

Gurley is worth avoiding in virtually all matchups at this point, and he shouldn't even be a consideration outside of the deepest leagues in Week 15. That's when he'll lock horns with a Buccaneers defense that allows the fewest yards per carry, fewest rushing yards per game and seventh-fewest fantasy points to the running back position.