- Week 15 Sunday Preview for Start/Sit | THE FULL SLATE
- Positional Matchups | Week 15 CheatChart | Find the Best Fantasy Performers
- Quarterback Start/Sit Advice | Week 15 of THE AUDIBLE
- Running Back Start/Sit Advice | Week 15 of THE CUTBACK
- Wide Receiver Start/Sit Advice | Week 15 of The SLANT PATTERN
- Tight End Start/Sit Advice | Week 15 of THE 12 FORMATION
- IDP Fantasy Start/Sit Advice | Week 15 of THE BLINDSIDE
Welcome back, IDP Nerds! The blindside returns in postseason form for your Week 15 IDP start and sit recommendations. As fun as the regular season has been, that was all to prepare us for the most critical time of the year: The Fantasy Football Playoffs. Whether attempting to win your first IDP fantasy football championship or playing in a consolation bracket for an extra draft pick, this IDP Nerd is here to help. We put in the work all season long to put ourselves in this position, so it’s time to lock in and get our lineups set for the opening round of the playoffs!
Win Your Week 15 | QB | RB | WR | TE | IDP | CheatChart | Full Slate
WEEK 15 IDP START/SIT
DL | START | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
Nik Bonitto | DL | Denver Broncos
It’s only fair to start with the hottest player in IDP fantasy Football, Denver’s Nik Bonitto. Unless you live under a rock, you know how remarkably consistent the Broncos’ EDGE rusher has been this season. The former Oklahoma Sooner is already having a breakout season for fantasy managers, setting career highs in fantasy points and sacks this season. Bonitto has had 11 sacks in his last 11 games; over his previous 3 games, he has collected 11 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception, and 1 defensive touchdown.
It is an IDP manager’s dream scenario to have a player this hot heading into the playoffs. The Denver Broncos defensive line has a plus matchup this week against the Indianapolis Colts, who rank as a top-10 matchup for DL this season. I love the chances for Nik Bonitto to continue his hot streak after the bye week and turn in another solid performance.
LB | START | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
Terrel Bernard | LB | Buffalo Bills
After a breakout season in 2023 where he finished with 143 tackles, Terrel Bernard has flown under the radar in IDP fantasy football in 2024. That can largely be attributed to an early-season injury which took him out for a month. Although his availability has been inconsistent this season, in games he has started and finished, Bernard has recorded double-digit fantasy points in each game. The Buffalo linebacker ranks as the LB26 in fantasy points per game (FPPG).
Opposing teams are trying to run the ball against the Buffalo defense, which ranks 19th in the NFL in rush yards allowed (TeamRankings). This is a weakness for the Bills and it also helps keep Josh Allen off the field. The Buffalo linebackers will have their work cut out against the Detroit Lions rushing offense, which ranks 4th in the NFL. This is a good matchup for Terrel Bernard, who has recorded 8 tackles or more in 6-straight games. The Detroit offense has allowed 22 tackles per game to opposing linebackers over their past 3 games, the 3rd-most of any team. Terrel Bernard should be a top option for you in Week 15.
DB | START | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
Tre’von Moehrig | DB | Las Vegas Raiders
We are going with Las Vegas Raiders safety Tre’von Moehrig in a prominent spot in the playoffs. The Raiders’ defensive back has been exceptional this season; he’s been a top-12 option in the safety position and the DB15 in FPPG. Tre’von Moehrig has graded very well this season as he ranks 11th among qualifying safeties in both run defense and overall grade (Pro Football Focus).
IDP Week 15 sets the stage for Moehrig in a favorable matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in a ‘Monday Night Miracle’ scenario for fantasy managers. This season, the Atlanta offense is the top option for opposing safeties, allowing 16.1 tackles per game. The Falcons are one of only five teams this season to allow 200 tackles to the position through 13 games. He leads the Raiders’ defense in snaps (842) this season and will continue to be a reliable fantasy producer.
DT | START | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
Calijah Kancey | DT | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There’s no better time to stay ‘on brand’ than the IDP fantasy playoffs. Calijah Kancey has been a favorite of the IDP Nerds this season since he was listed as a start recommendation ahead of Week 9. The Buccaneers defensive tackle has finished with double-digit points in 75% of his games this season. The Los Angeles Chargers are a top-10 matchup for opposing defensive linemen this season, allowing 15.8 tackles per game. Calijah Kancey should continue his consistent play and give good fantasy performances to IDP managers as the playoffs begin.
Streaming Options | Week 15 IDP START/sit
This week’s streaming options include Adam Butler from the Las Vegas Raiders. He has a great matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, who have surrendered the 3rd-most tackles (20.7) to DL over the past 3 games. Butler has been the DT16 in FPPG this season, and he should be trusted in a big game like this in Week 15.
Poona Ford is another strong streaming option this week. Ford has 17 tackles and 2 sacks over his last 5 games. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have allowed over 20 tackles per game to defensive linemen over the past month. IDP managers searching for help at the DT position should benefit from these players who are still available in deeper leagues ahead of the playoffs.
CB | START | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
Ugo Amadi | CB | New Orleans Saints
If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. That applies perfectly to the New Orleans cornerback position this season. The top three CBs in FPPG this season are all Saints defenders. Ugo Amadi has been magnificent after replacing Paulson Adebo, who will miss the remainder of the season with a lower-body injury.
Ugo Amadi has been one of the best fantasy options at the CB position since taking over a starting role. Amadi was mentioned in the Week 11 waiver wire article. He’s finished with 20 fantasy points or more in 3 of his last 4 games. There is a strong chance that Ugo Amadi will be on a high percentage of your league’s fantasy championship rosters by season’s end.
Check out Data Nerd Brad Custer‘s (@MonCalFF) CheatChart for more streaming options:
Week 15 IDP START/SIT
DL | SIT | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
Za’Darius Smith | DL | Detroit Lions
Za’Darius Smith was traded ahead of the deadline to help boost the Detroit pass rush after losing star EDGE rusher Aidan Hutchinson to injury. The veteran pass rusher has been productive with 3 sacks since joining the team. He’s coming off his best stretch of the season with 5 tackles and 2.5 sacks over his last two games.
The Detroit Lions defensive line will face a tough matchup this week against the Buffalo Bills, who have allowed a league-leading 1 sack per game this season. The Bills offense also allows the 11th-fewest tackles per game to the DL position. Za’Darius Smith is not a high-volume tackler, so I fear he will be a sack-dependent IDP this week. The matchup is not strong enough to trust him in the playoffs.
LB | SIT | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
Devin Lloyd | LB | Jacksonville Jaguars
Devin Lloyd has been a consistent tackler this season. The former Utah Utes linebacker is on pace for his third consecutive 100-tackle season to start his career. We are in IDP Week 15, and data is everything now.
Despite the safe tackle floor, Lloyd doesn’t give us much else. He has failed to register an impact play since week 7. Over 90% of his production is coming from his tackle numbers, and this week, he has a matchup with the New York Jets, who allow the 6th-fewest tackles this season to linebackers. I don’t love leaning on this matchup with your season on the line. Lloyd will produce this week but won’t swing a matchup in your favor.
DB | SIT | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
Minkah Fitzpatrick | DB | Pittsburgh Steelers
IDP managers know what they are getting in Minkah Fitzpatrick. The former Alabama defensive back recorded 200 fantasy points in four consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2022. Since then, he’s dealt with some injuries and failed to record 100 tackles and an interception in the same season since 2022. While he’s still one of the best deep safeties in the NFL, his fantasy production has been inconsistent.
The Philadelphia Eagles lead the NFL in rushing attempts per game, and Minkah Fitzpatrick plays less than 14% of his snaps as a box safety. I’m fearful this week will be an ugly, run-heavy game between two of the NFL’s top rushing offenses. IDP managers should look for better options and not get stuck on the name value of a player like Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Six Pack of Facts | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
- Through 14 weeks, 19 players have recorded 100 tackles or more; Zaire Franklin leads the league with 135 tackles.
- The Indianapolis Colts are the only team with 4 different IDPs (Zaire Franklin, Nick Cross, DeForest Buckner, and E.J. Speed) averaging 20 FPPG this season.
- Myles Garrett has recorded double-digit sacks in 7 consecutive seasons – the longest active streak.
- Bobby Wagner completes his 13th season of 100 tackles or more – tying London Fletcher for most all-time.
- The Rams strike gold with rookie IDPs. Braden Fiske and Jared Verse combined for 11 sacks, and Jaylen McCollough and Kamren Kinchens combined for 7 interceptions and 2 defensive touchdowns.
- Andrew Van Ginkel (DL), Zack Baun (LB), and Budda Baker (DB) are all in the top 12 of FPPG, including offensive players in Superflex TE-premium scoring leagues.
Roster Management | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
Well, IDP Nerds! It’s the playoffs, so what better tip to give you than to not overthink it? Far too often, we look for a boom-or-bust player who can swing a matchup. I’m in favor of this at times during the season, but it’s important to remember how you got here, and making gut decisions can cost you at this time of year. Looking at your weekly matchup and deciding on a strategy based on that is essential.
At this point of the season, if you found your team limping into the playoffs with key contributors on IR, then more than likely, you’ll need a swing-for-the-fences approach to win. On the flip side, if you’ve been a front-runner all season, you don’t want to make any questionable lineup decisions that could limit your chances of continuing your quest for a championship.
It’s about the adjustments you can make to ensure you advance to the following week. Don’t be afraid to pick up a player on waivers and play them if the data backs it up. Lastly, when making these last-minute lineup decisions, come to terms with living with the result; there’s no more immense pain than questioning a decision all off-season.
Final Thoughts | Week 15 IDP Start/Sit
As we wrap up the IDP Week 15 content, the entire team at Dynasty Nerds owes you all a heartfelt thank you for your support. We put our all into the free weekly content and love the feedback when someone tells us we helped them this season. We want you all to take home your league championship, and we will stop at nothing to keep providing you with all the tools you need to make that happen. As always, please contact me on Twitter (X) @Glosser13. I look forward to being available for any IDP advice you may need. Good luck this week, Nerds!
Win Your Week 15 | QB | RB | WR | TE | IDP | CheatChart | Full Slate
If you haven’t yet, get familiar with the next wave of IDP rookies. Check out the Nerds IDP only Rookie Mock Draft released earlier this season:
