NFL Week 15 inactives and fantasy picks: Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III out for SNF

Welcome to Week 15 NFL inactive and fantasy cheat sheets, a one-stop shop for Athletics‘s game previews, injury and weather updates and expert analysis. Bookmark this page and check back often as we offer regular updates to help with fantasy lineups and betting decisions.
Player rankings referenced in this article are current as of December 15. For updated rankings, see the “Fantasy Football Player Rankings” section.

The latest NFL news and headlines

Last updated: 6:55 p.m. ET, Dec. 15

News about injuries | Forecast
Selected games | Market share report
Flex flyers | Fantasy football player rankings

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News about injuries

Updated to 6:55 PM ET on December 15th

Sunday night football

Romeo Doubs, WR, GB (concussion) — Active
Doubs is active. It’s nearly impossible to predict which Green Bay Packers WR will score meaningful fantasy points in a week, but Doubs leads the pack in goals per game. match.

Kenneth Walker III, RB, SEA (calf) — Out
Walker has been ruled out for Week 15. Zach Charbonnet had a massive Week 14 (38.3 PPR points) in Walker’s absence and should be started again.

Monday night football

Zamir White, RB, LV (quadriceps) — Injury reserve
Alexander Mattison RB, LV (ankle) — Expected to play
White was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, and Mattison is expected to play. Head coach Antonio Pierce said Mattison will fill a backup role in Week 15, according to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. Upright McCormick has been far more effective than Mattison, White and Ameer Abdullah and looks to be the new starter going forward.

Aidan O’Connell, QB, LV (knee) — Doubtful
O’Connell didn’t practice Friday and is questionable for Week 15. If he can’t play, Desmond Ridder is next. Brock Bowers plays every week regardless of who is under center, but Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker’s numbers could be affected by a QB change. Jake Ciely has Meyers at WR25 this week.

Roschon Johnson, RB, CHI (knee) — Out
D’Andre Swift, RB, CHI (groin) — Doubtful
Johnson is out while Swift remains questionable for Week 15. If Swift can’t play, the Chicago Bears’ depth at RB is non-existent. If he does play, Swift could see high usage, even though he’s only averaging 3.8 yards per carry. carry. He is averaging 13.21 PPR points per game. fight and can be bent if necessary. Travis Homer could be a decent flex option with Johnson out and Swift in less than optimal health.

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Forecast

Outdoor games only

According to Rotowires total NFL-related forecasts, no remaining matchups come with weather issues. For a complete guide to how weather affects gameplay, see “Jake Ciely’s Fantasy Football Strategy Guide to Weather.”

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Selected games

Game-specific previews and live updates are available on game day.

Sunday evening

Green Bay Packers (9-4) vs. Seattle Seahawks (8-5)

• Meeting place: Lumen Field – Seattle, Washington.
• Time: 8:20 PM ET
• TV: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock

The Green Bay Packers are field-goal favorites on the road against Geno Smith and the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks, who are riding a four-game winning streak that has defeated the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals (twice) and San Francisco 49ers. Zach Charbonnet excelled in Week 14 (38.3 PPR points), rushing for 134 yards on 6.1 yards per carry. rush and two touchdowns while adding 59 receiving yards with Kenneth Walker III inactive. If Walker is out again, Charbonnet may find less space against a Green Bay rush defense top-10 in yards per carry. plays and yards per allowed carry. But that paves the way for the resurgence of DK Metcalf, who hasn’t scored more than 10 PPR points since Week 11. Meanwhile, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has performed well with four 19-plus PPR point performances in the past five weeks and 7 .85 goals per match throughout the season.

In Green Bay’s offense, RB Josh Jacobs (fantasy’s season-long RB7) and QB Jordan Love (QB12 on a per-game basis) are the only clear-cut fantasy starters. Christian Watson had 114 yards against the Detroit Lions in Week 14, but the target distribution among receivers is thin, with Romeo Doubs (out of Week 14) leading with 5.3 targets per carry. match. Watson averages just 4.09, below TE Tucker Kraft (4.15). Seattle’s defense is better against the pass (10th in opponent passing yards per game) than the run, allowing 4.7 yards per carry. carry and ranks 22nd in defensive rush success percentage (60.4 percent). Jacobs can exploit this weakness; however, relying on WRs from this team is still a gamble.

Read the full preview.

Monday evening

Chicago Bears (4-9) vs. Minnesota Vikings (11-2)

• Meeting place: US Bank Stadium — Minneapolis, Minn.
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC
• Streaming: ESPN+

The Minnesota Vikings are touchdown favorites at home against the struggling Chicago Bears as Sam Darnold, the third overall draft pick in 2018, faces 2024 top pick Caleb Williams. Darnold knows Williams’ struggles intimately, but is having a career year under head coach Kevin O’Connell as fantasy’s QB7 with a 108.1 passer rating (T-3rd), throws for 3,299 yards (6th) and 28 TDs (T-3rd). ). His performance is bolstered by star WR Justin Jefferson (fantasy’s WR2) and Jordan Addison (WR20). Addison takes advantage when the defense focuses heavily on Jefferson. RB Aaron Jones adds stability averaging 14.35 PPR points per game game, giving O’Connell the flexibility to game plan against a vulnerable Bears defense.

Williams has been under scrutiny but is showing some promise with 16 touchdowns, just five interceptions and nearly 3,000 yards passing, which he could accomplish with 254 yards in this game. Although his completion percentage and passer rating are low, he has scored over 26 fantasy points in two of his last four games. His inconsistency affects receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze; However, Moore and Allen have had two 20-plus PPR point outings in the past three weeks, while Odunze put up 20.2 points in Week 14. Williams’ challenges are RB D’Andre Swift, whose 3.8 yards per carry. carry and rush EPA of -31.95 pertains. By comparison, league-leading Saquon Barkley’s rush EPA is 49.3. Additionally, Minnesota’s defense leads the league in defensive total rush EPA and is second in yards per carry. carry allowed, making Swift a bench candidate this week.

Read the full preview (coming Monday)

Atlanta Falcons (6-7) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)

• Meeting place: Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas, Nev.
• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN

In a potential “Monday Night Football” matchup with low ratings, the Atlanta Falcons are favored over the struggling Las Vegas Raiders, who are eyeing the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The fantasy implications are murky, especially with Kirk Cousins’ recent struggles, averaging just 6.8 fantasy points per game. game (FPPG) since Week 10 with a 62.0 passer rating. However, a game against the Raiders could mean redemption, especially if Maxx Crosby can’t get to Cousins, who struggles under pressure. (Meanwhile, could a poor performance lead to a Michael Penix Jr. appearance?) Darnell Mooney remains a boom-or-bust flex option with 20.2 PPR points in Week 14 but just 5.0 in Week 13 .Drake London offers a good floor with 15.18 PPR points per game. game this season, with a rare ceiling of around 30 points. Bijan Robinson is fantasy’s RB4, limiting Tyler Allgeier’s appeal.

On the Raiders side, Aidan O’Connell’s MRI (after a Week 14 exit) revealed a minor bone bruise, leaving his availability in doubt. If he can’t play, Desmond Ridder could start, creating uncertainty for the Raiders receivers. Jakobi Meyers has a solid floor averaging 15.1 PPR points per game. game, while Tre Tucker is a bench candidate with just 7.9 PPR points per game. match. Upright McCormick is the most exciting fantasy prospect for Las Vegas, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. carry, more efficiently than any other Las Vegas back. Zamir White was placed on injured reserve, and even if Alexander Mattison returns, McCormick should lead this backfield against a weak Atlanta rush defense.

Can anyone believe this is a MNF matchup?

Read the full preview (coming Monday).

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Market share report

Michael Salfino looks at usage around the league to provide fantasy insight.

Zach Charbonnet was a beast – no. 1 in the rankings – but the party will probably end if Kenneth Walker (calf) is back this week. Charbonnet is playable, but he’s expected to be 50/50 in touches, albeit with more expected value than Walker given his involvement in the passing game.

Jordan Addison was second and will play this week, with Sam Darnold on pace for nearly 40 TD passes. The Minnesota Vikings have a narrow passing tree. Addison had 17 more market share points than Justin Jefferson. Darnold has success passing where the defense isn’t, and that’s often away from Jefferson.

Amari Cooper was no. 5. I would start him against Detroit. There will be a two-TD game at some point.

– Salfino

Read Salfino’s full report.

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Flex flyers

Scott Engel discusses last-minute free agency opportunities to fill roster gaps.

Keon Coleman, WR, BUF (64 percent listed): The Bills rookie was cut in some leagues after going down with a wrist injury. Check your league’s free-agent list to see if he’s available because you want every fantasy involvement possible in a Buffalo Bills-Detroit Lions game with an over/under of 54.5 points. Coleman started showing signs of breaking out in Weeks 7 and 8 (195 yards and a touchdown in two games) before going down. Detroit ranks 28th in fantasy points per plays (FPPG) allowed for wide receivers.

Joshua Palmer, WR, LAC (32 percent): Palmer caught six passes on nine targets for 78 yards last week. If Ladd McConkey (knee) is out again or limited this week, Palmer will be a quality play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 30th-ranked pass defense.

– Angel

See all week 13 flex-folders.

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Jake Ciely’s Week 15 fantasy football player rankings

Find out Jake’s top QB, RB, WR and TE of the week!

• There is no perfect widget out there, unfortunately still. I know many are viewing this on your phone, but 1) use the ranking widget on a PC/laptop/etc. if possible or 2) open in your phone’s browser, especially for Android users, to get the scroll to work (or Android people can try a two-finger scroll).
• ECR = “Expert” consensus rating (which is not updated consistently by everyone, so take with a grain of salt).
• Updated regularly, so check back for lineup lock.

Get Ciely’s full Week 15 analysis. Plus sleepers and protrusions.

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)