Fantasy football advice, Week 15: Who to start/sit for New Orleans Saints vs. Arizona Cardinals

With only four teams remaining in each fantasy league across the board, it’s not exactly a news flash to say that fantasy owners have to be at the top of their game. Several factors present themselves for the matchup between the Cardinals and Saints on Sunday, and fantasy owners will absolutely have to examine them closely to get the upper hand on their opponent. Let’s take a look:

It would be difficult for fantasy owners to hate Carson Palmer’s matchup this week, even without Michael Floyd and with John Brown being a shell of his playmaking 2015 form. Palmer draws a Saints defense that is ranked 29th in pass defense and will be without top cornerback Delvin Breaux, putting Palmer on the map as a low-end QB1. He, Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson can all be started as usual.

A lot of buzz has been made for J.J. Nelson, who continues to make big plays and no longer has a crowded depth chart ahead of him. However, he’s been in this situation before in the wake of catching eight passes against the Panthers. Nelson responded to his career high in receptions with just five catches in three ensuing games against the 49ers, Vikings and Falcons. While there is still a lot to like about Nelson’s matchup, he is anything but a slam dunk in Week 15. Nelson can be considered a boom-or-bust flex option instead.

Brown and Jermaine Gresham can remain on fantasy benches for the fantasy playoff semifinals and beyond.

The narrative of Drew Brees on the road continues after tossing three interceptions in his latest clunker against the Buccaneers in Week 14. Fantasy owners may not even have the luxury of playing for a league title after Brees’ 0:6 touchdown to interception ratio over his last two outings, and now Brees has to do battle with the NFL’s No. 2 ranked pass defense. Despite that, Brees will be getting Michael Thomas back into action, and the Saints remain a high volume passing attack with a ceiling that few other quarterbacks could rival even in tough spots. Fantasy owners will have a tough time stomaching it, but Brees is a QB1 for Week 15, albeit one with volatility.

Mark Ingram can also be penned in as a RB2 against a Cardinals defense that has allowed 14 rushing touchdowns, a total that only five NFL teams have surpassed in 2016.

It’s to be determined which of Thomas or Brandin Cooks gets the Patrick Peterson treatment, but fantasy owners understand the risk involved in starting either of them even in favorable matchups. Thomas and Cooks deserve to be WR2s in fantasy lineups due to their upside, and fantasy owners can take comfort in knowing that Thomas is no longer even listed on the injury report despite missing Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.

There just may not be enough fantasy wealth to trickle down to the rest of the Saints’ lineup in a tough road matchup, so fantasy owners would be bold to put Coby Fleener, Tim Hightower or Willie Snead into their lineups during the fantasy playoff semifinals.