The fantasy football playoffs begin this week, turning our weekly buy/sell guide into more of a confidence meter. The players you choose to start every week from now until the title game have to be ones you can trust with your season on the line.
Of course, with fantasy football being as unpredictable as it often is, trust is not something that comes easily. So let’s see if we can find some diamonds in the rough or get rid of some fool’s gold.
Here are some players who are trending upward (or downward) as a result of their performances in Week 14 of the NFL:
Fantasy football players to buy in Week 15
∎ RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks: Charbonnet received the starting nod in Week 14 with Kenneth Walker III out with ankle and calf injuries. He stepped up with a career-high 134 yards while posting two touchdowns, including a 51-yard scoring scamper late in the second quarter.
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∎ QB Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets: Rodgers turned back the clock in Miami, giving Jets fans and fantasy managers a glimpse of what could have been. He completed 27 of 39 passes for 339 yards and a touchdown, with both WRs Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson topping 100 yards.
∎ RB Sincere McCormick, Las Vegas Raiders: The former UTSA standout has been very active with Alexander Mattison and Zamir White on the shelf. McCormick averaged a healthy 5.2 yards per carry Sunday, finishing with 78 rushing yards. With the Silver and Black out of it, he could get a long audition down the stretch to see if he fits into their long-term plans.
∎ WR Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills: Shakir has taken advantage of the absence of Keon Coleman to become QB Josh Allen’s favorite target. He has four or more receptions in seven consecutive games, and he had his first 100-yard game with a touchdown against the Rams in Week 14.
∎ RB Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: White was used heavily against the Raiders once Bucky Irving left with a back issue. White averaged 5.3 yards per attempt, going for season highs with 17 carries and 90 rushing yards. He also added a rushing and receiving TD. If Irving is forced to miss time, White might yet make good on his lofty ADP.
Fantasy football players to sell in Week 15
∎ RB De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins: Achane has seen his rushing average decrease in each of his past three games, going from a respectable 4.3 yards per carry in Week 11 to just 1.7 against the Jets. He has 32 or fewer yards in each of the past three games despite nobody really pushing him. Not good.
∎ RB Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns: Chubb has averaged a paltry 3.1 yards a carry since returning from a gruesome injury in October. Save for two rushing scores in the snow against Pittsburgh, he hasn’t shown a ton of burst. Don’t look now but backfield mate Jerome Ford is getting an increasing share of the workload.
∎ WR Calvin Austin, Pittsburgh Steelers: Austin had a chance to step up and be the No. 1 receiver with George Pickens cautiously held out due to a hamstring injury. However, Scotty Miller and Mike Williams got the volume, while Van Jefferson scored a touchdown. Austin managed just one catch for 4 yards despite four targets.
∎ TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons: If you’ve waited this long, you might as well just stick it out now. But Pitts has two catches for just 23 yards on 11 targets in the past three games. He shows glimpses of promise, then does another disappearing act, which is maddening for fantasy managers.
∎ RB Devin Singletary, New York Giants: Things were going swimmingly with the Giants until the injury bug hit, and now he just can’t leapfrog rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. Singletary had a total of just two touches this past Sunday.