Fantasy Football Week 15: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position

As fantasy football managers approach Week 15 with the playoffs in mind, they should pay attention to games between division rivals. 

A few of these sleepers have already posted solid fantasy lines against division foes earlier in the season. 

Two veterans who used to rack up points as fantasy gems don't have that spunk anymore, but they're primed to turn back the clock with a top-10 or top-20 scoring performance at their respective positions this week.

With some leagues already in playoff mode and other managers pushing for a win to punch their ticket for the postseason, we didn't go too far deep into the sleeper pool, but we're highlighting names that may slip past your opponents' radar. 

All of the selections below are rostered in 60 percent or fewer of Yahoo leagues.

DK DFS Price: $5,700

Managers can confidently plug Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into their starting lineups this week.

Between Weeks 11 and 13, Tagovailoa threw for five touchdowns and only one interception while completing at least 73 percent of his passes in all three games. In Week 13, he had wideout DeVante Parker back on the field after his four-game absence with a hamstring injury.

Though the Dolphins placed wideout Jaylen Waddle on the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tagovailoa still has Parker and tight end Mike Gesicki, which is enough to carve up the New York Jets' 27th-ranked pass defense. Gang Green is also tied for 10th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. 

In Week 11 on the road against the Jets, Tagovailoa threw for 273 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, finishing with 18.5 fantasy points. With an extra week to prepare and Parker in action, he could match or top those numbers on Sunday at home.

DK DFS Price: $5,600

Our first call to start Ben Roethlisberger didn't pan out because the Pittsburgh Steelers placed him on the reserve/COVID-19 list a day before the game. Let's try this again.

Roethlisberger has produced QB1 numbers in three of his last four games, racking up at least 19.3 fantasy points in those outings. Between Weeks 11-14, the 39-year-old quarterback was the QB5 in fantasy points.

Following Roethlisberger's best fantasy performance in Week 14, managers should give him another shot against the Tennessee Titans, who rank 22nd in passing yards allowed and give up the 12th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. 

Despite Roethlisberger's age, the Steelers still rely heavily on his arm to move the ball. He's tied for ninth leaguewide in pass attempts.

The Titans allowed 298-plus passing yards to New England Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones and now-benched New Orleans Saints signal-caller Trevor Siemian. If those two can move the ball against Tennessee's defense, so can Roethlisberger while on a hot streak.

DK DFS Price: $4,900

Houston Texans running back Rex Burkhead left Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks with a hip injury. Head coach David Culley made a statement during Monday's press conference that raises questions about the 31-year-old ball-carrier's status for Sunday's game.

"He always says he's alright, but he's not," Culley said. "But we'll see, day-to-day with him."

On Monday, Texans activated David Johnson from the reserve/COVID-19 list. After missing two games (one with a non-COVID illness), he could handle the bulk of the carries over Royce Freeman, who logged 11 rushing attempts for only 15 yards last week. 

Before Johnson missed consecutive games, he recorded double-digit carries in back-to-back contests. On top of that, he has a role in the short passing game, which makes him appealing to managers in point-per-reception leagues. The seventh-year veteran has commanded at least four targets in six out of 11 outings.

Johnson will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who allow the 11th-most fantasy points to running backs, give up the fourth-most rushing touchdowns and rank 21st against the run. He's a decent flex option.

DK DFS Price: $4,600

In Week 15, the Cleveland Browns may take the field with a depleted roster missing key offensive playmakers.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, said that running back Kareem Hunt is "week to week" and "unlikely" to suit up on Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders because of an ankle injury that he suffered last week against the Baltimore Ravens.

In addition, the team has placed quarterback Baker Mayfield, wideout Jarvis Landry, and tight end Austin Hooper on the reserve/COVID-19 list over the past few days. Tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. and guard Wyatt Teller could miss the game for the same reason, dealing a blow to the team's run blocking, but D'Ernest Johnson has a chance to take on a heavy workload in a cold-weather contest with a high chance of precipitation.

Despite his role as the No. 2 running back behind Nick Chubb, Johnson can still rack up fantasy points in a matchup that will likely feature a lot of handoffs because of the weather. He's also a capable receiver in the short passing game, recording seven receptions for 58 yards against the New England Patriots in Week 10.

As the starting ball-carrier, Johnson logged 146- and 99-yard rushing performances against the Denver Broncos and Patriots, respectively. If the Browns play without their starting quarterback and key pass-catchers, he should have several opportunities to run over the Raiders defense, which gives up the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs and ranks 26th in rushing yards allowed.

DK DFS Price: $5,800

Until wideout Calvin Ridley rejoins the Atlanta Falcons (personal reasons), Russell Gage can provide a boost in the WR2 or flex spots. He's logged 18.2-plus fantasy points in two of the last three weeks in PPR leagues.

Gage had a tough matchup last Sunday against the Carolina Panthers' No. 1-ranked pass defense, but the fourth-year pro could feast on the San Francisco 49ers' depleted secondary in Week 15.

Last week, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said cornerback Emmanuel Moseley will miss "several weeks" with a high ankle sprain. Fellow cornerback Dontae Johnson didn't suit up for the previous game (personal reasons), and he's yet to rejoin the team for practice. Rookie cornerback Ambry Thomas, who started on the boundary in Week 14, is currently in the league's concussion protocol.

In two of the last three weeks, San Francisco has surrendered 256-plus passing yards. With question marks around Johnson and Thomas, Gage could have a big day. The 49ers are tied for eighth in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.

DK DFS Price: $3,700

This sleeper option comes with important injury news. Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott called quarterback Josh Allen "day-to-day" with a foot sprain and sees wideout Emmanuel Sanders as "week-to-week" because of an ankle injury, which sounds more significant. 

While Allen's injury doesn't raise concerns yet, managers should keep an eye on practice reports. Regardless, anyone in need of wide receiver help should add Gabriel Davis, who played a season-high 83 percent of the Bills' offensive snaps last week.

Davis filled a void on the perimeter after Sanders exited the game with an ankle injury. McDermott said he realized the "upside" in the second-year wideout, and fantasy managers should see it as well.

Davis has scored in consecutive games going into Sunday's contest. The Carolina Panthers field the top-ranked pass defense, but they've allowed an average of 29.7 points per game over the last three weeks. 

Furthermore, Bills wideout Stefon Diggs will likely draw a matchup with All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Davis may get more looks in the passing game because of a better matchup against Donte Jackson, who's allowing 11.4 yards per completion in coverage.

DK DFS Price: $3,400

Some managers will choose tight end John Bates or avoid the Washington Football Team's tight ends, but Ricky Seals-Jones should draw your attention.

In Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys, Bates played 71 percent of the offensive snaps while Seals-Jones took the field for 46 percent of the plays. Managers shouldn't allow those numbers to sway them, though.

Though Bates played more snaps, Seals-Jones had more targets (four to two). They both finished with only one reception, but the latter had a sizable role while tight end Logan Thomas sat out with a hamstring injury earlier in the season. Seals-Jones caught 15 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown between Weeks 5 and 7.

With Thomas sidelined for the season because of a torn ACL and wideout Terry McLaurin in concussion protocol, Seals-Jones could have a big role in the passing game. He has a highly favorable matchup with the Eagles, who are tied for second in fantasy points allowed to tight ends.

DK DFS Price: $3,200

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence has thrown only one touchdown pass over the last six games, but he's developed a connection with tight end James O'Shaughnessy nevertheless.

Lawrence targeted O'Shaughnessy at least five times in each of the Jaguars' last three games. Other than a catch for a two-point conversion, the tight end hasn't quite moved the needle in the passing game, but that could change in a matchup with the Houston Texans, who allow the 10th-most fantasy points to tight ends. 

O'Shaughnessy had his best game of the season in Week 1 against the Texans, hauling in six passes for 48 yards. Unfortunately, he went down with an ankle injury the following week and missed eight games. 

Now back on the field with a steady number of targets, O'Shaughnessy could make another fantasy splash going against the Texans' 15th-ranked pass defense. Furthermore, the Jaguars fired Urban Meyer on Thursday night, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, so their 28th-ranked passing attack might trend up with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell as the interim head coach.

Fantasy scoring and points allowed provided by FantasyPros.

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Maurice Moton is an NFL and Fantasy Football columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.