Sit/Start 2023 Week 15: Reviewing All Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Game Info

Kickoff: Thursday, December 17th, 1:00 PM ET

Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens Florida

Betting Odds: MIA -9, 39.5 total via Odds Shark

Network: CBS

Writer: Justin Mello (@JustinMelloNE on Twitter)

New York Jets

Quarterbacks

Zach Wilson (Sit)

I have to give credit where credit is due. Zach Wilson looked pretty good last week. He not only allowed his team to win by avoiding big mistakes, but he actually helped them win by playing the best ball of his career. He did suffer a late knee injury in the victory, but it doesn’t sound like something that Robert Saleh and the Jets are too concerned about going into Week 15. Now that I’ve given the former second overall pick his flowers, let’s be realistic going into next week. It’s difficult to trust a quarterback who just had his first 300-yard game of the season and has thrown just eight touchdowns to seven interceptions through eleven games. The Dolphins’ secondary has been very impressive, especially since adding a healthy Jalen Ramsey to the lineup. In fact, they are PFF’s eighth-highest-ranked defense in pass coverage. Despite his commendable performance last week, Wilson is a better fit for your bench than your starting lineup in Week 15.

Running Backs

Breece Hall (Start, RB2), Dalvin Cook (Sit)

It was another monster game for Breece Hall in Week 14, especially in PPR formats. The second-year back looked like Zach Wilson’s best friend while logging eight receptions for 86 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air. His 40 rushing yards were just icing on the cake. Week 15 presents a new challenge though. The Dolphins have allowed the twelfth fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs this season and are PFF’s second-highest-ranked run defense. It also doesn’t help that the Dolphins are heavy favorites and the Jets may have to get pass-happy to try to stay in the contest. There are certainly concerns, but Hall is an extremely talented dual-threat workhorse which warrants RB2 consideration at the very least. In case it wasn’t already obvious, Dalvin Cook has been reduced to nothing more than a backup at his point and should remain far away from your starting lineup.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Garrett Wilson (Start, WR2), Xavier Gibson (Sit), Tyler Conklin (Sit)

Few wide receivers can overcome the struggles of being in a sluggish offense and still put up production. Garrett Wilson is one of them. The Jets offense may inflict physical pain on the eyes of those who watch them, but Wilson still has found a way to log 76 receptions for 853 yards so far this year. Those numbers don’t quite reach the levels we were hoping for when we thought he’d have Aaron Rodgers all season, but they are impressive all things considered. Volume has really been the key for Wilson who boasts a 31% target share and has earned at least ten targets in seven of his last ten games. The Dolphins are a formidable opponent, but they don’t scare me too much. Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard are great, but they haven’t done all that well at limiting the opposing teams’ top receivers. Just last week, DeAndre Hopkins exploded for seven receptions and 124 yards. Two weeks before that, Garrett Wilson himself hauled in seven catches and a touchdown against Miami. With all of that said, I still expect solid WR2 production from Wilson this week which has become the standard for him.

I’m not even sure who the next best bet for targets would be at wide receiver. It’s probably undrafted rookie Xavier Gibson who’s been impressive in his own right, but it doesn’t really matter. No other receiver on this offense sees even close to enough volume to be deemed a viable fantasy starter.

The same can be said for their tight ends. Tyler Conklin has been involved, but he’s only reached five receptions in a game once all season. The Dolphins have been decent against tight ends, so there is no reason to believe this is the breakout week for Conklin.

Miami Dolphins

Quarterback

Tua Tagovailoa  (Start, QB2)

It’s been a great year for Tua Tagovailoa, but I’m not so sure about this being a great week. The last time these two teams met, the former Alabama quarterback had his worst game of the season. He only threw one touchdown and turned the ball over three times. The only game that rivaled it as his worst was this past week when Tagovialoa failed to throw a single touchdown in a loss to Tennessee. In that game, he was forced to play without Tyreek Hill for a large portion of the night as he battled an ankle injury. Hill is day-to-day and still working through that injury which adds additional concern for Tagovailoa. This offense is too explosive to limit the quarterback to anything less than a high-end QB2, but this perfect storm does remove him from QB1 territory for me.

Running Backs

Raheem Mostert (Start, RB2), De’Von Achane (Start, Flex)

The Dolphins are certainly lucky to have such a great running back tandem. Rookie De’Von Achane looks like the more electric playmaker, but I still think Raheem Mostert is the better asset for the time being. Last week, Mostert out-snapped Achane 46 to 37 while playing in a close contest. Achane got slightly more work the week prior, but most of his usage came in the fourth quarter when the Dolphins had already built a commanding lead. More importantly, Mostert has been getting the bulk of the goal line work which is so valuable in this high-powered offense. For as good as the Jets’ defense has been as a whole, they’ve actually allowed the ninth most fantasy points to running backs this season. The matchup is enticing enough for both backs to be worth the start. Mostert is a great RB2 option, and Achane is more of a flex play with an upside.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Tyreek Hill (Start, WR1), Jaylen Waddle (Start, WR3), Braxton Berrios (Sit), Durham Smythe (Sit)

I’ll be quick and to the point with Tyreek Hill. If he’s active, he’s a WR1. The matchup doesn’t matter. Even while playing against Sauce Gardner and the Jets three weeks ago, Hill logged 9 receptions for 102 yards. The ankle injury is somewhat concerning, but not concerning enough to remove him from your WR1 spot as long as he plays through it.

Jaylen Waddle is the receiver I’m a little bit more concerned about. The matchup is a very difficult one given the Jets have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season and are PFF’s top-rated defense in pass coverage. PFF ranked Waddle’s matchup advantage as the 41st most favorable of all receivers this week. In other words, the matchup isn’t in his favor. He was able to overcome this tough test three weeks ago when he caught eight passes against the Jets, but I wouldn’t count on that level of production again. He is still a solid WR3, but I wouldn’t expect much more than that against such an elite defense.

All other Miami pass catchers including Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr., and Durham Smythe aren’t nearly involved enough in the offense to warrant starting consideration.