Week 15 Fantasy Football Matchups

To prepare you as best we can for your week of Fantasy Football, we've devised this series of previews for each NFL game. We'll give you a taste of what to expect, then rank each significant Fantasy contributor on a scale from 0-5 stars (with five stars suggesting can't-miss; a player or unit without any stars suggests you probably shouldn't start him under any circumstances). The rankings take the matchup into account, but injuries and other significant factors also contribute. You should be able to compare the ratings for the players on your team and make an educated pick on who should start -- and sit -- in your lineup.

Updated: Dec. 12, 2008

San Francisco 49ers at Miami Dolphins Sunday, 1:00 pm, Dolphin Stadium

The Niners were prepared for their last cross-country trip, beating the Bills. True, they didn't score many points then, but they weren't playing in great conditions, either. They'll love Miami this time of year -- it's expected to be breezy with a shower and 75 degrees. Obviously, the Niners' game plan hinges on Frank Gore and his availability. My guess is that Gore will be out and the offense will revolve around Shaun Hill and a pass-oriented approach. That will work for the Niners as the Dolphins are weak against the pass and will have a hard time matching up with San Francisco's deep receiving corps, including DeShaun Foster as a receiver out of the backfield. The Dolphins will react with the same approach they've used of late, attacking with both the run and the pass, but especially working the outside edges against the 49ers and their 3-4 defense. They may have to throw more than they'd like if the 49ers can score some points, which seems likely.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Shaun Hill	***	QB	Chad Pennington	**
DeShaun Foster	*	RB	Ronnie Brown	**
Michael Robinson		RB	Ricky Williams	*
Isaac Bruce	***	WR	Davone Bess	**
Bryant Johnson	*	WR	Ted Ginn Jr.	*
Vernon Davis		TE	Anthony Fasano
Joe Nedney	**	K	Dan Carpenter	****
49ers	**	DST	Dolphins	***

Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, 1:00 pm, Paul Brown Stadium

The Redskins should do a 180 against a Bengals defense that currently rivals the Lions as worst in the league. It's a no-brainer that Clinton Portis will be a big part of the Redskins' plan -- pulling him last week against Baltimore is proof of it. True, the Redskins offensive line has been shattered with left tackle Chris Samuels done for the year and right tackle Jon Jansen's knee hurting (he's expected to miss the game), but the Bengals defensive line is just as beaten up and Portis has a lot to prove. The Redskins can run their offense their way and play off of Portis with downfield throws. Santana Moss should be able to score on a long pass -- Jason Campbell is sleeper material this week. As for the Bengals, there's little to like. Washington's been good against the pass and no defense is worried about slowing down Cedric Benson. Am I stating the obvious by saying bench all Bengals?

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Jason Campbell	***	QB	Ryan Fitzpatrick	*
Clinton Portis	*****	RB	Cedric Benson	*
Ladell Betts		RB	Chris Perry
Santana Moss	***	WR	Chad Johnson	**
Antwaan Randle El	*	WR	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	**
Chris Cooley	**	TE	Reggie Kelly
Shaun Suisham	*	K	Shayne Graham	*
Redskins	***	DST	Bengals	*

Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, 1:00 pm, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium

The Packers might be struggling, but you can't pin it on the offense. They've scored at least 21 points in all but two games this season and find themselves with a good matchup against a half-hearted Jaguars defense. Expect the Packers to find success anywhere they look as the Jaguars haven't slowed anyone down in the last few weeks and coach Jack Del Rio has lost his connection with his players. Moreover, the Jacksonville offense is struggling -- they haven't scored 21 or more points in six of their last seven games. Maurice Jones-Drew is the only usable guy here as the Packers' run defense is as worn down as Jacksonville's. He'll get all the rushing work with Fred Taylor sidelined for the season with a thumb problem, and David Garrard will have trouble connecting on his passes without Matt Jones (suspension) and Jerry Porter (groin).

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Aaron Rodgers	*****	QB	David Garrard	*
Ryan Grant	****	RB	Maurice Jones-Drew	****
Brandon Jackson		RB	Montell Owens
Greg Jennings	*****	WR	Reggie Williams	*
Donald Driver	***	WR	Dennis Northcutt
Donald Lee	**	TE	Marcedes Lewis	*
Mason Crosby	****	K	Josh Scobee	*
Packers	***	DST	Jaguars	*

Buffalo Bills at N.Y. Jets Sunday, 1:00 pm, Giants Stadium

As long as J.P. Losman is running the show for Buffalo, the offense will struggle. It's too easy for teams to stack the box against Marshawn Lynch and dare Losman to throw. The Jets can not only do that, but really get away with seven in the box since they're so good against the run. Outside of Lee Evans hauling in a deep ball or two, the Bills will have a hard time offensively. The Jets should be able to dink-and-dunk their way to the end zone with Thomas Jones leading the way. He's a safe bet, but it's hard to be confident in the rest of the Jets. Not only has the passing game gone ice cold, but it's gotten away from Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery as Dustin Keller has turned into a regular contributor, and Chansi Stuckey stepped up last week. Tack on the Bills playing well against the pass over their last two games and their dominance over Favre in Week 9, and you've got plenty to be worried about if you're starting any of these guys in Week 15.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
J.P. Losman		QB	Brett Favre	**
Marshawn Lynch	**	RB	Thomas Jones	****
Fred Jackson		RB	Leon Washington	*
Lee Evans	**	WR	Laveranues Coles	*
Josh Reed	*	WR	Jerricho Cotchery	*
Robert Royal		TE	Dustin Keller	***
Rian Lindell	*	K	Jay Feely	**
Bills	*	DST	Jets	****

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, 1:00 pm, Arrowhead Stadium

Expected windy conditions could force both teams to run more than they initially plan to. The Chargers should enlist in LaDainian Tomlinson much like they did last week against Oakland. He's got a shot to do well considering the matchup and the nine days of taking it easy after beating up the Raiders last Thursday, but he also was coming off a bye when he played against the Chiefs at home earlier this year and was held out of the end zone (he did total 100 yards). If Tomlinson is effective, Philip Rivers won't need to throw much. If the winds are blustery, Rivers will struggle with anything deep, and that's how he made his bones in Week 14. Even with this easy matchup, it's worth checking the game day weather report before finalizing your lineup on Sunday. The same thing can be said for Tyler Thigpen, though he's done well with short-area passing and only a couple of deep throws per game. Obviously, Thigpen has the dream matchup against the Chargers' poor pass defense, so if the wind interferes, his numbers will suffer. And while we'd like to see another 20-carry game for Larry Johnson, last week's mindless play calling against the Broncos proved that you can't trust the Chiefs to run the ball. The weather could force them to do so.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Philip Rivers	***	QB	Tyler Thigpen	***
LaDainian Tomlinson	****	RB	Larry Johnson	***
Darren Sproles	*	RB	Jamaal Charles
Vincent Jackson	**	WR	Dwayne Bowe	***
Chris Chambers		WR	Devard Darling
Antonio Gates	***	TE	Tony Gonzalez	****
Nate Kaeding	***	K	Connor Barth
Chargers	**	DST	Chiefs

Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts Sunday, 1:00 pm, Lucas Oil Stadium

Only two Lions are showing up on the Fantasy radar, so let's zoom in on them: Kevin Smith has a nice matchup on paper, but I'm convinced that the Colts' run defense has improved after stuffing on Jamal Lewis and Cedric Benson in recent weeks. Smith might be a better runner than they are, but his offensive line isn't any better than theirs. I don't like his chances for a big game, and Calvin Johnson should continue to see lots of targets and potential for big catches with Dan Orlovsky starting. The Colts primary motive will be to stay healthy. That said, there's a chance they'll build a big lead and pull some starters in the fourth quarter. Look for Peyton Manning to continue using games against soft defenses as "get-well games," connecting with Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark, getting them ready for the playoffs. As for Wayne, he could try to work with Manning and find the end zone, but his play has been so bad for much of the last eight weeks that it's hard to trust him. Plus, Reggie Wayne 's knee could be giving him fits, so any time away from the field might be good for him. It appears that Dominic Rhodes will see the bulk of the action for the Colts, which puts him in line as a No. 2 Fantasy runner -- so long as Joseph Addai stays away.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Dan Orlovsky	*	QB	Peyton Manning	*****
Kevin Smith	**	RB	Dominic Rhodes	***
Rudi Johnson		RB	Joseph Addai	*
Calvin Johnson	***	WR	Marvin Harrison	***
Keary Colbert		WR	Reggie Wayne	**
John Standeford		WR	Anthony Gonzalez	**
Michael Gaines	*	TE	Dallas Clark	*****
Jason Hanson		K	Adam Vinatieri	****
Lions		DST	Colts	*****

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons Sunday, 1:00 pm, Georgia Dome

Don't expect this game to resemble the Week 2 matchup where the Bucs won easy. The Buccaneers have bad timing -- a week after getting steamrolled by the Panthers, they'll play against a Falcons team that loves to run. Moreover, Atlanta's defense has steadily improved against the pass over the last four weeks and will create problems for a Buccaneers team that hasn't run the ball very well of late. Cadillac Williams could be in line to see more carries since Warrick Dunn has struggled and Williams' legs are obviously fresher, though his rushing average is still ugly. It could all add up to a long game for the Bucs. Meanwhile, Michael Turner will see a lot of work. He'll be easier for the Bucs to wrap up than DeAngelo Williams, but he'll still top 20 touches. The Buccaneers might also struggle on medium- and long-range passes from Matt Ryan to Roddy White; White's been playing well for much of the year and the Bucs couldn't contain Steve Smith a week prior. It definitely helps the Falcons that the home team in every NFC South game to date has won.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Jeff Garcia	**	QB	Matt Ryan	***
Cadillac Williams	**	RB	Michael Turner	****
Warrick Dunn	*	RB	Jerious Norwood
Antonio Bryant	***	WR	Roddy White	***
Ike Hilliard		WR	Harry Douglas	*
Jerramy Stevens		TE	Justin Peelle
Matt Bryant	***	K	Jason Elam	*****
Buccaneers	***	DST	Falcons	**

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans Sunday, 1:00 pm, Reliant Stadium

I think the Titans tried to re-establish their passing game last week vs. Cleveland, and when it sputtered, they went back to running wild. I understand that they want to put their passing game on film, but they're clearly better off running the ball. Houston is not good at defending the run, so look for LenDale White to have another big game against the Texans while Chris Johnson makes amends for his pitiful 74-yard effort against them in Week 3. You can't really go with any other Titans players other than the running backs even with Kerry Collins facing a good matchup against the Houston secondary. Now the last time these teams met, Steve Slaton stunned the Titans with his first 100-yard game of his career. This time, the Titans will be ready for him, but they'll be stretched thin also accounting for Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter. It's going to come down to Matt Schaub making good decisions with the football, and with the talent he's been working with, he should be successful, albeit with some turnovers. The only knock on Schaub is that he's either gotten hurt or picked apart in his three starts against the Titans, so it's not the most optimal matchup for him.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Kerry Collins	**	QB	Matt Schaub	***
Chris Johnson	*****	RB	Steve Slaton	****
LenDale White	***	RB	Ryan Moats
Justin Gage	*	WR	Andre Johnson	****
Brandon Jones		WR	Kevin Walter	***
Bo Scaife	*	TE	Owen Daniels	***
Rob Bironas	*****	K	Kris Brown	**
Titans	****	DST	Texans	*

Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams Sunday, 1:00 pm, Edward Jones Dome

Remember when Fantasy Football wasn't a part of our Sunday ritual? Who in their right mind would have watched this game back then?! With Fantasy, at least there are some interesting angles to watch. Seneca Wallace is expected to start for Seattle and after last week, he should have the confidence of Fantasy owners in leagues that start two quarterbacks. Wallace uses his mobility to get out and make plays, and with Deion Branch healthy, John Carlson playing well, Seattle's run game grounded and the Rams defense an atrocious mess, Wallace could toss another two touchdowns. I'm not a fan of Maurice Morris or Julius Jones here as the Seattle O-line is down to backups and the Rams D-line, while not great, can handle the matchup. However, it is worth noting that the Seahawks rumbled all over the Rams (three touchdowns) in their earlier meeting. The Rams should deliver a big dose of Steven Jackson, especially since Marc Bulger has been stunningly rotten at home. The former lock for 300-yard games at The Ed hasn't had even a 200-yard outing there yet this season. If you want to trust any part of the Rams passing game, you're on your own -- even against the Seahawks' poor pass defense.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Seneca Wallace	**	QB	Marc Bulger	*
Maurice Morris	**	RB	Steven Jackson	****
Julius Jones		RB	Antonio Pittman
Deion Branch	**	WR	Torry Holt	*
Bobby Engram	**	WR	Dane Looker	*
John Carlson	*****	TE	Joe Klopfenstein
Olindo Mare	**	K	Josh Brown	**
Seahawks	*	DST	Rams

Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals Sunday, 4:05 pm, University of Phoenix Stadium

Signs point to Tarvaris Jackson starting at quarterback for the Vikings, and that changes the look of their offense. Jackson isn't a deep-ball passer to the extent of Gus Frerotte but can work the short-area game and take off on a run. He'll be effective for the Vikings, who will run as much as they can anyway to take some heat off of Jackson. Of course, the Cardinals will know this and try to stuff the run. If Jackson can hit Bernard Berrian for one deep ball early, it will change the mentality of how the Cards defend Minnesota. The only question is, can Jackson make it happen? The Cardinals will make it happen through the air, much to the dismay of the Vikings pass defense. Do not be surprised to see Arizona throw 45 times as they've got the obvious firepower to score on the Vikings without running the ball much (Tim Hightower hasn't given them the confidence to run much in the first place). This could end up being one of Warner's best games of the season.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Tarvaris Jackson	*	QB	Kurt Warner	*****
Adrian Peterson	*****	RB	Tim Hightower	**
Chester Taylor	*	RB	J.J. Arrington
Bernard Berrian	***	WR	Larry Fitzgerald	*****
Bobby Wade		WR	Anquan Boldin	*****
Sidney Rice		WR	Steve Breaston	***
Visanthe Shiancoe	*	TE	Leonard Pope
Ryan Longwell	*****	K	Neil Rackers	*****
Vikings	***	DST	Cardinals	**

New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders Sunday, 4:15 pm, Oakland Coliseum

I know the Patriots love to throw the ball, and they'll do a fair share of it here, but don't be surprised to see them run more than they have in the past few weeks. As you know, the Patriots love to attack the weaknesses of their opponents, so with that in mind, expect them to hammer the outside edges away from linebacker Kirk Morrison with Sammy Morris. A lot of people are focusing on Randy Moss getting revenge on the Raiders, but this is a better matchup for Wes Welker since he won't be covered by cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and gets a lot of work routinely in the short-area passing game. The Raiders will test the new front seven of the Patriots, a unit that will likely be without Ty Warren and Tedy Bruschi. Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden should post good numbers, as might Zach Miller as a mid-range target, with the rest of the Raiders offense not worth your consideration.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Matt Cassel	***	QB	JaMarcus Russell
Sammy Morris	***	RB	Justin Fargas	**
Kevin Faulk	**	RB	Darren McFadden	**
Wes Welker	****	WR	Ronald Curry
Randy Moss	***	WR	Ashley Lelie
Benjamin Watson	*	TE	Zach Miller	*
Stephen Gostkowski	*****	K	Sebastian Janikowski	**
Patriots	***	DST	Raiders	*

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens Sunday, 4:15 pm, M&T Bank Stadium

The Steelers typically don't play well at Baltimore -- they've lost their last five there, and they have lost four of their last five second-game-in-a-season meetings with the Ravens. Baltimore also played them close earlier this year. Logic points to a low-scoring game, but these teams are so familiar with each other that both are going to find ways to score, and the Steelers will have to do so through the air. Ben Roethlisberger ought to revert to his passing ways, but he'll have to employ his tight ends more in an effort to negate the pass rush that he'll face thanks to his offensive line getting exposed a week earlier. With that being the case, Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward and Heath Miller are decent starts, with Holmes the likely candidate to do well as he's owned the Ravens for much of his career (three straight games with a TD against them). Willie Parker has never played well against Baltimore and is hurt now; Mewelde Moore is the better option from where I sit since he can catch the ball out of the backfield, but neither guy can be trusted. The Ravens did a decent job throwing at Pittsburgh earlier this year, but the key to their success revolves around rookie Joe Flacco evading the Steelers' pass rush. He was sacked five times in their earlier matchup and needs to do a better job of making something happen when he gets flushed out of the pocket. Expect the Ravens to also throw more than run, utilizing LeRon McClain with less regularity than normal. It would not be a surprise to see the Ravens throw in a trick play or two with Mark Clayton, either.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Ben Roethlisberger	***	QB	Joe Flacco	*
Mewelde Moore	**	RB	LeRon McClain	**
Willie Parker	*	RB	Willis McGahee
Santonio Holmes	***	WR	Derrick Mason	**
Hines Ward	**	WR	Mark Clayton	*
Heath Miller	***	TE	Todd Heap	*
Jeff Reed	**	K	Matt Stover	**
Steelers	*****	DST	Ravens	****

Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers Sunday, 4:15 pm, Bank of America Stadium

The Broncos' O-line has been a huge key to the consistent success of their running game this year, but Tatum Bell doesn't strike me as someone Fantasy owners should count on this late into the season. Let's not forget that he hasn't scored or had a 100-yard game since Week 1 last year at Oakland. Let's also not forget that the Broncos' passing game continues to be one of the better units in the league, and they're going to have to throw in order to stay in the game against the Panthers. All the usual suspects for the Broncos should do well. The problem is that the Panthers are going to have a field day running the ball against Denver's awful run defense. Not only is DeAngelo Williams a must-start, but Jonathan Stewart should factor into Fantasy lineups as a productive player as well. But with the Panthers running the ball, expect Jake Delhomme to throw less. Steve Smith should get his -- Denver's secondary isn't that improved -- but the rest of the receiving corps is either too sloppy (Dwayne Jarrett, Jeff King) or too old (Muhsin Muhammad).

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Jay Cutler	*****	QB	Jake Delhomme	**
Tatum Bell	**	RB	DeAngelo Williams	*****
P.J. Pope		RB	Jonathan Stewart	***
Brandon Marshall	*****	WR	Steve Smith	*****
Eddie Royal	**	WR	Muhsin Muhammad	*
Tony Scheffler	***	TE	Jeff King
Matt Prater	***	K	John Kasay	***
Broncos	*	DST	Panthers	**

N.Y. Giants at Dallas Cowboys Sunday, 8:15 pm, Texas Stadium

Believe it or not, the Giants don't absolutely need to win this game. It will help them get the No. 1 seed if they do, but any combination other than the Giants winning and Panthers losing won't end the race for the top NFC playoff spot. Dallas can handle Derrick Ward as a full-time back assuming they properly attack the Giants' offensive line. Eli Manning's spread-the-ball style will continue, so it's on him to find the mismatches in the Dallas defense and attack. I like Kevin Boss against Dallas' safeties, but that's really about it unless Domenik Hixon can atone for that drop he had last week. Manning's recent track record against Dallas is very good (two-plus touchdowns in four of his last five against them). The Cowboys will battle back with a good dose of Marion Barber (if healthy) and plenty of deep passes to Terrell Owens and Jason Witten to shake things up. Romo tends to play well against the Giants (eight TDs in two regular-season matchups last year; one TD in the playoff meeting) and there isn't a mismatch he'll have to deal with from his offensive line -- especially if Barber makes the game, and my guess is he will after Jerry Jones called him out.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Eli Manning	**	QB	Tony Romo	****
Derrick Ward	***	RB	Marion Barber	***
Ahmad Bradshaw	*	RB	Tashard Choice	*
Domenik Hixon	**	WR	Terrell Owens	****
Amani Toomer	*	WR	Roy E. Williams	*
Kevin Boss	**	TE	Jason Witten	****
John Carney	*****	K	Nick Folk	****
Giants	****	DST	Cowboys	**

Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles Monday, 8:30 pm, Lincoln Financial Field

It's pretty clear that the Browns offense can't be trusted at this point. They haven't scored a touchdown in three games. And, the Eagles defense has been playing well of late. Steer clear of all Browns regardless of whatever game plan they come up with. The Eagles should roll with Brian Westbrook again while getting Donovan McNabb more opportunities to throw. Look for DeSean Jackson to make good use of his speed, and don't be concerned about the weather as early forecasts are calling for decent conditions. This could be a big week for all Eagles starters.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Ken Dorsey		QB	Donovan McNabb	*****
Jamal Lewis	*	RB	Brian Westbrook	*****
Jason Wright		RB	Lorenzo Booker
Braylon Edwards	*	WR	DeSean Jackson	***
Josh Cribbs		WR	Hank Baskett
Steve Heiden		TE	L.J. Smith
Phil Dawson	**	K	David Akers	****
Browns		DST	Eagles	*****

New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears Thursday, 8:15 pm, Soldier Field

The Saints aren't as potent outdoors on grass as they are indoors on FieldTurf, but something has happened to this team. With Pierre Thomas proving to be a consistent, effective runner, the team has shown some offensive balance over the last couple of weeks. It's taken the strain off of Reggie Bush and Drew Brees to force the action, and it's made the Saints offense more effective, albeit slightly less productive through the air. Thomas has seen at least 15 touches in each of the Saints' last three wins and the Bears haven't been great vs. the run. Expect Thomas to see a decent amount of work with Brees & Co. also working against a Bears secondary that's been good but not great. The Bears should battle back the same way they have all season: A whole bunch of Matt Forte. As one e-mailer wrote, the Bears have abused him. Through 13 games, Forte has accounted for 39 percent of the offensive snaps and nearly 37 percent of the offensive yardage. That's unbelievable. So as always, Forte should carry the load and gash a Saints run defense that hasn't played consistently well all season. Kyle Orton should put up numbers similar to what he had last week against the Jaguars as the Saints aren't very good against the pass either. Devin Hester has been stepping up on offense (over 55 yards receiving in each of his last three games) and has the speed to get past the Saints' secondary. Weather note: Snow flurries are expected late Thursday night, which could impact a portion of the game.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Drew Brees	*****	QB	Kyle Orton	**
Pierre Thomas	***	RB	Matt Forte	*****
Reggie Bush	***	RB	Adrian Peterson
Marques Colston	***	WR	Devin Hester	**
Lance Moore	***	WR	Rashied Davis
Jeremy Shockey	**	TE	Greg Olsen	*
Garrett Hartley	***	K	Robbie Gould	***
Saints	*	DST	Bears	**