Fantasy Football: 5 must-start wide receivers for Week 15

The fantasy football playoffs is the best of the best going up against each other, and hopefully the top players are in the winners bracket. Wide receivers like DJ Moore, Deebo Samuel and even Cooper Krupp who had a rough stretch the last couple of weeks went off for fantasy owners.

If you find yourself in the playoffs are competing for the top spot at the end of the season, it has to be business decisions that you make rather than personal decisions.

Here are the five must-start wide receivers for Week 15 in fantasy football.

5.) Stefon Diggs vs. Dallas Cowboys

It has been tough for Stefon Diggs up in Buffalo in terms of production since Week 10. In the first nine weeks of the season, he was scoring double digit points every week but has not scored over 6 points once in the last four games. Despite getting no less than 5 targets since Week 10, Diggs has not been the same receiver he was in the first half of the season. He has had no more than 6 catches in the last four games. However, this week feels different going up against the Cowboys.

This is the biggest game of the year for the Bills and when you have Josh Allen as your quarterback, you are due for a breakout game. Diggs is still getting his targets (has been targeted 11 times each in the last two games). It is unlikely that this is a low-scoring game, putting Diggs in a great position in terms of fantasy and it will be up to Joe Brady to get Diggs the ball in the crucial moments. Diggs is ready for a bounce back week.

4.) Brandon Aiyuk vs. Arizona Cardinals

Believe it or not, the 49ers star wideouts has only scored over 20+ fantasy points three times this season. However, Brandon Aiyuk has managed to score double digit points in every game except for two this year.

Another fact about Aiyuk is that he only has one game where he had 10 or more targets. In his last five games, Aiyuk has reached the end zone four out of five games and only two games where he had north of 100 receiving yards. Even though his numbers are not outstanding, he is consistent that is something that a lot of players are not.

The 49ers will take on the Cardinals for the second time this season. In their first matchup, Aiyuk had six catches off of six targets for 148 yards. He should still very well get the long completions to build up his points and last week was the first time since Week 8 where he did not get into the end zone. If you have Aiyuk, put him in your lineup this week.

3.) DeAndre Hopkins vs. Houston Texans

The last two games, DeAndre Hopkins has been targeted 24 times and has brought in two receiving touchdowns. He eclipsed over 100 receiving yards for just the third time this season against the Miami Dolphins.

He played a crucial role in the Titans comeback win against Miami and it seems like him and rookie quarterback Will Levis are on the same page. The Titans’ offense seems to have a better flow since Levis took over the under-center duties.

The Titans take on the Houston Texans for the first time this season in which the Texans have been in high scoring battles throughout this season. With rookie quarterbacks in Will Levis and C.J. Stroud, this could be in for a high scoring game and Hopkins should be looked at as a main option as he goes up against his old team.

Hopkins is starting to provide a little more consistency. Now heading into a divisional game, DeAndre Hopkins is a great play this week.

2.) A.J. Brown vs. Seattle Seahawks

The Philadelphia Eagles are riding a two game losing streak after their 33-13 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. However, in these two losses, wideout A.J. Brown has not been a disappointment for fantasy owners.

In the two losses against the San Francisco 49ers and Cowboys, Brown has been targeted 13 times in each game and has recorded 208 receiving yards (but failed to get a score in both games). The Eagles overall need to turn their ship around if they want to secure the number one seed in the NFC as they turn their attention to Seattle for a game against the Seahawks. 

Seattle has been on the losing end of four consecutive games, in which they just gave up 354 yards through the air to the San Francisco 49ers. Brown will have the opportunity to have his shot against the Seahawks secondary, a unit that has suffered the last two weeks and the Eagles need to bounce back from the last two weeks. Brown is an excellent player to start this week up in the northwest

1.) Amari Cooper vs. Chicago Bears

The Cleveland Browns find themselves in the playoff picture after a close 31-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wideout Amari Cooper found himself getting 14 targets with Joe Flacco under center, in which Cooper brought in 7 catches for 77 yards. Cooper was on a three game streak of less than ten fantasy points until last week but the targets that he received should give fantasy owners hope for his continued production into this week.

The Browns will host the Chicago Bears who are riding a two game win streak for the first time this season and limited the Detroit Lions to just 127 passing yards. However, with the Browns still having a good chance at making the playoffs, Cooper can serve as that go-to target for Flacco to keep the Browns’ playoff chances alive.

This is not to say that Cooper has the best chance at being the best receiver to start, but the Browns showed to be a more stable offense under Flacco which could very well benefit Cooper