Favorable QB & TE Matchups for Week 15 (2021)
Every week this season, Fantasy In Frames is going to help you at the quarterback and tight end position by providing you with some of the best favorable matchups of the week. This week, let’s discuss the favorable QB & TE Matchups for Week 15!
First, congratulations to everyone who made the playoffs! Now it feels like the pressure cranks up another notch to advance to the next round. Do not try to get “too cute” with your roster decisions. You managed your roster well to make the playoffs, so stick with your process. The most important thing to remember: have fun! Only one person in your league can win the championship and I hope it is you, but either way just enjoy the journey and have fun no matter what place you finish.
Normally, this article strictly focuses on quarterbacks and tight ends that are rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN league that you can stream for the week. The bye weeks are over, so unless there are significant injuries then there will be fewer people that need to stream in the playoffs. I will still recommend some QB and TE streamers but will highlight some QBs and TEs on the fringe of starting that have good matchups too.
Note: there have been a lot of COVID positive tests in the NFL this week, so pay attention to the news and be ready to pivot.
Now let’s do our best to earn a win and advance to the next round of the playoffs!
How Did We Do?
For the season we have recommended streaming a QB1 38% of the time, and for Week 13 we did great going 2 for 3 with Taysom Hill (7), Jimmy Garoppolo (11), and Cam Newton (22).
For the season, we have recommended streaming a TE1 41% and a TE2 62% of the time, and for Week 13 we were 2 for 3 for TE1. Austin Hooper (5) and Gerald Everett (10) came through for us with a touchdown each, but Tyler Conklin (31) did not help us win last week.
Quarterbacks to Stream – Week 15
Tua Tagovailoa (NYJ) – 44.9% rostered in ESPN:
Tua Tagovailoa has been a streamer multiple times this season. He is coming off a bye, which dropped his roster percentage down. He has an amazing matchup against the New York Jets while at home. The Jets defense gives up 19.3 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, which is 8th best for quarterbacks. In two of his last three games, Tua has scored at least 21.52 points and was the QB8 during that span. Tua does not have the most “boom” potential on this list, but he feels like the safest quarterback. He is a quality fill-in if your starting quarterback is dealing with an injury or out due to COVID.
Justin Fields (vs MIN) – 18.1% rostered in ESPN:
Justin Fields gets it right back 😅 pic.twitter.com/vppfnRfom6
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) December 13, 2021
It feels like we have been waiting for Justin Fields to reach this point since we were drafting Fields near the end of our drafts to have an upside-QB on the bench. Last week was his first start after sitting for two weeks with an injury. Field’s passing stats were just fine, but the exciting part was his 9 rushes for 74 yards. Over the last three games that he finished, he has averaged 9 rushes per game. Those points from rushing give him a higher floor, and if he can throw a couple of touchdowns then he has “boom” potential. It helps that plays the Vikings, who give up the 3rd most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
Jimmy Garoppolo (vs ATL) – 16.1% rostered in ESPN:
Jimmy Garoppolo will be on this list every week of the playoffs because he has great matchups for all three weeks of the playoffs. He may be benefiting from George Kittle blowing up the last two weeks, but Garoppolo is the QB10 during that span. Over his last six games, Garoppolo threw at least two touchdowns in five games. Atlanta gives up the 2nd most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Even if you do not want to stream Garoppolo this week you should stash him on your bench in case your starter gets injured or tests positive for COVID because he has a great matchup in Week 16 and 17 too.
Quarterbacks to Start – Week 15
Taysom Hill (@ TB) – currently starting in 35% of ESPN leagues:
You may be concerned with Hill’s tough matchup or his injured fingered, and those are both fair. However, his high rushing usage (11 rushes per game over the last 2 weeks) gives him a high floor. He has not played that well and still has averaged 25.48 fantasy points per game. This could be the week the fairytale comes crashing down, but if you think you need a big game from your QB then stay in the flames with Hill.
Jalen Hurts (vs WSH) – currently starting in 32.9% of ESPN leagues:
The current reports are optimistic that Jalen Hurts will play this week despite his ankle injury. If Hurts plays then he should be in your starting lineup. Hurts leads the league with the most QB1 games this season with 10. He is the QB8 for the season and averages 23.4 fantasy points per game. The WFT has given up the most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, but the defense has been better against the quarterback the last few weeks.
Tight Ends to Stream – Week 15
Tyler Conklin (@ CHI) – 45.4% rostered in ESPN:
I thought Tyler Conklin was the safest tight end streamer last week, but he put up a dud. He only saw two targets compared to nine from the game before. The Bears were a bad matchup for tight ends earlier in the season, but over their last five games they have given up 11.58 fantasy points to tight ends. It is tough to trust Conklin as your streamer after his performance last week, but I do not expect the Vikings to run so effectively against the Bears compared to last week against the hapless Steelers.
Cole Kmet (vs MIN) – 22.8% rostered in ESPN:
This may be surprising, but over the last three games, Cole Kmet leads the team in target share (21.1%). It is frustrating watching Jimmy Graham come in near the goal-line and steal endzone targets from Kmet, but Kmet is getting a lot of opportunities. He has not scored a touchdown all season, but it is coming. The Vikings have not been a great matchup for tight ends, but over the last four games they have given up 12.1 fantasy points to tight ends. At this point, you cannot expect a touchdown this week from Kmet but his target share is encouraging for a solid PPR performance.
Ricky Seals-Jones (@ PHI) – 14% rostered in ESPN:
Ricky Seals-Jones is playing against the Eagles this week. That is all you need to know. They are the best matchup for tight ends in the entire league giving up 14.8 fantasy points per game to tight ends. Earlier in the season when RSJ was healthy and Thomas was out, he saw close to 100% of snaps every week. RSJ returned from injury last week was on the field for 45.6% of the snaps. John Bates had 70.6% of the snaps, but RSJ still had double the target share. There is a good chance that the WFT was just easing RSJ back in his first week back from injury. It is hard to pass up the BEST tight end matchup in the league, and RSJ gets to play the Eagles again in Week 17. If you do not want to trust him this week then stash him now in case you play in Week 17 and get to watch him smash the Eagles while you win the championship.
Tight Ends to Start – Week 15
Dalton Schultz (@ NYG) – currently in 50.6% of ESPN leagues:
Dalton Schultz had four weeks earlier in the season (Weeks 3-6) when he was the TE2 and averaged 17.7 ppg. He is the TE6 for the season right now, but he has only scored one touchdown since Week 4 (Week 11 versus the Raiders). Schultz is averaging five targets per game over his last three games, and the Giants defense has given up 9.92 fantasy points per game to tight ends over their last five games.
Pat Freiermuth (vs TEN) – currently starting in 40.1% of ESPN leagues:
MUUUUUUTH!#ProBowlVote | @_BigBen7 | @pat_fry5 | 📺: NFLN/FOX/PRIME VIDEO pic.twitter.com/HJkC9O7EgV
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 10, 2021
Typically, rookie tight ends do not perform well, but Pat Freiermuth is an exception to that rule as the TE12 for the season. Since the bye week in Week 7, Freiermuth has scored six touchdowns in seven games and is the TE3. He has averaged 12.2 fantasy points per game during that span. Freiermuth is a touchdown-dependent tight end like almost all tight ends and he has seen his targets dip the last few weeks. However, if I have to pick a touchdown-dependent tight end then I want to pick one that has been scoring a lot of touchdowns. The Titans are an averaged matchup for tight ends, so if I do not roster one of the elite tight ends then I would start Freiermuth and hope the touchdown hot streak continues in Week 15.