Fantasy football advice, Week 15: Who to start/sit for Indianapolis Colts vs. Oakland Raiders

Fantasy owners know what’s at stake at this point of the season, and when the Colts take on the Raiders, there are lots of volatile options that won’t sit well in the nervous stomachs of those competing for fantasy league championships. Let’s take a look at the options for one of Saturday’s games:

It’s hard to find reasons to hate Andrew Luck’s matchup against the Raiders after seeing what he did against a vaunted Vikings pass defense in Week 15. Luck was efficient, completing 21 of 28 passes, and now has the benefit of facing a Raiders team that ranks 25th in pass defense. Luck and T.Y. Hilton remain top-flight options at their respective positions, and the high-floor output of Frank Gore keeps him in RB2 territory.

Though there is plenty of room for upside in a game that could quickly turn into a shootout, fantasy owners would be bold to count on the likes of the touchdown-or-bust Donte Moncrief, who hasn’t topped 64 receiving yards in a game all season. The emergence of complementary players such as Erik Swoope, Chester Rogers, Jack Doyle, and Dwayne Allen has diminished Moncrief’s target share, and fantasy owners would be advised to steer clear of a diluted Colts passing game.

Though Amari Cooper has been invisible in recent weeks, the benefit of facing a leaky pass defense, as well as an opponent with a potent offense, may give the sophomore receiver a chance to bounce back in fantasy’s most important week. Derek Carr and Michael Crabtree remain must-starts against the Colts’ 27th-ranked pass defense, and if Indianapolis is forced to key in on Oakland’s capable air attack then Latavius Murray could be in store for another big week on the ground. Murray remains in the conversation as an RB2, but faces a Colts defense that has allowed just nine rushing touchdowns.

The Raiders’ complementary threats such as Clive Walford and Seth Roberts remain afterthoughts even in a matchup that oozes potential fantasy value.