Fantasy Football Week 15 Wide Receiver Start/Sit: Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and More

The fantasy football playoffs start this week (tonight, in fact). This is what the entire season has been building toward, so it's more important than ever to make sure you start the best possible team. This article is here to help you do that by breaking down some of the toughest start/sit decisions at the wide receiver position for Week 15.

First, however, I'd like to take a look back at my results from Week 14. I started strong with two hits in Alec Pierce (10.5 half-PPR points despite Daniel Jones' early exit) and Michael Wilson (31.7 points because he is a fantasy god). However, my final start pick, Adonai Mitchell, didn't follow Pierce's lead by surviving his quarterback's early injury — he finished with just 2.9 points catching passes from Brady Cook.

Things went from bad to worse from there, as all three of my sit picks had productive days. In my defense, none of Jordan Addison (8.2 points), Khalil Shakir (8.6), or Brian Thomas Jr. (10.2) truly exploded, but they all finished as top-36 options for the week.

However, the bar for what counts as a good fantasy performance at WR has been lower than you might think this season. Even with all 32 NFL teams in action today, there are only roughly 25 wide receivers I feel truly confident in. This article will focus on the potentially surprising names in that list, the potentially surprising names not in that list, and a few other interesting players on the borderline of startability. Let's get started.  

For more help with your toughest Week 15 start/sit decisions, check out FantasySP's start/sit tool!

Wide Receivers to Start Week 15

Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals

Marvin Harrison Jr. has yet to practice this week. Chances are, he's going to be out on Sunday, and that makes Wilson a must-start fantasy receiver. 

To play devil's advocate against my own pick, I am a little skeptical that the Cardinals will keep racking up stats this week. They have mostly done their work in garbage time and/or against bad defenses. The Texans' offense isn't quite explosive enough to create as much garbage time as Jacoby Brissett and Co. have relied on in recent weeks, and their defense is genuinely elite. 

With that said, we simply can't fade what Wilson has done in recent weeks with MHJ out. We're talking 24.8 half-PPR points and 148 receiving yards on average per game. His underlying usage isn't quite that good because it's essentially impossible for it to be, but a 33% target share and 55% air yards share is elite. If you've got Wilson, roll him out with confidence despite the tough matchup.

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers

In three games since Brock Purdy's return, Jennings has averaged a solid 10.6 half-PPR points. Although he has run three fewer routes than Ricky Pearsall, he is the 49ers' WR1 in the stats that matter, with a 21% target share and a 34% air yards share.

This week, the 49ers have a great matchup with the woeful Titans. Tennessee's defense allows the ninth-most points per game to opposing wideouts, and San Francisco's 28.5-point team total is the second-highest of the week.

There's really very little not to like about Kyle Shanahan's WR1 in a spot where the 49ers should score early and often. 

Jakobi Meyers, Jacksonville Jaguars

For a full breakdown, check out this week's usage report, but here's the short version: Meyers is the Jaguars' WR1. He's racking up targets, especially in the red zone, and he's making the most of them.

While their number isn't quite as high as the Niners', the Jaguars aren't far behind with a 27.5-point total against the likely Brady Cook-led Jets. Trevor Lawrence has played better of late, and Meyers has established himself as the offense's top target even with Brian Thomas back. He is a solid option and should be started unless you have an absolutely stacked roster. 

Wide Receivers to Sit Week 15

Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots

This is a revenge spot for Diggs, who exploded for 10 catches and 146 yards against his old team back in Week 5. With that in mind, the veteran is by no means a must-sit. But I'm seeing him being treated as a must-start WR1, and he's not that, either.

The issue with Diggs is that he simply isn't running enough routes. Since Kayshon Boutte returned in Week 12, the 32-year-old has posted route participation rates of just 51% and 56%. It's essentially impossible to be a consistent fantasy option at the WR position with participation rates that low.

Diggs has been excellent on a per-route basis this season; he's actually made me look stupid for fading him based on low route volume a couple of times already. But the numbers don't lie. Not being on the field for nearly half of the Patriots' passing plays massively lowers Diggs' ceiling and his floor.

If you have other viable options, think twice before plugging him back into your lineup coming off New England's Week 14 bye. 

Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts

This one really hurts. I was in on Pittman coming into the season, and I have happily reaped the rewards all year. But it doesn't take a fantasy genius to see that a large part of Pittman's success was thanks to Jones' excellent work orchestrating Shane Steichen's offense. Jones suffered a tragic Achilles tear last week, ending his season.

In Jones' absence (and with Anthony Richardson Sr. already on IR), the Colts will be starting either Riley Leonard or Philip Rivers this week. Leonard is a sixth-round rookie who struggled mightily after taking over for Jones last Sunday. Rivers is a 44-year-old fresh off the couch who has more grandkids (one) than NFL games played since 2020 (zero).  

Adding insult to injury, the Colts have a brutal matchup this week with an elite Seahawks' defense. Their implied total is an embarrassingly low 14.5, and I wouldn't be surprised if they fail to even hit that. Pittman has been excellent this season, but I'd look for other options now if you rode him to the fantasy playoffs.

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers

Watson is not a must-bench, as he's capable of hitting a big play every time he touches the ball. But it's looking more and more like he'll have to do that as the rest of Green Bay's WRs get healthy. 

With everyone active last week, Watson still led the Packers with an 81% route participation rate. But he saw just four targets, posting a 16% target share and a 14% air yards share that were easily his lowest marks of the last month. Jordan Love spread the ball around, targeting 10 different players.

There's a chance that things get even messier going forward, too, as Matt LaFleur said after Week 14 that Matthew Golden and Dontayvion Wicks (both of whom barely played) were still dealing with their respective injuries. Any expansion of their roles will likely come at least partially at Watson's expense.

For the cherry on top, the Packers are heading into a tough matchup this week with the Broncos. Denver's defense has allowed the fourth-fewest points per game to opposing wideouts this season; Watson in particular will likely see his fair share of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II.

There are simply a lot of factors pointing to the chance that Watson's hot streak comes to an end this week.