The fantasy playoffs are in full swing and now every game you play is the most important game of the season. Having the right players in your lineup has never been as important as it is right now. If you’re having trouble finding somebody to fill a slot on your starting lineup, here are some sleeper picks that could help you out.
Fantasy Football Week 15: Sleepers Include Matt Hasselbeck, Marion Barber
Here’s a list of some sleepers that could help your fantasy football team in Week 15 of the 2011 NFL season.
Quarterbacks:
Matt Hasselbeck has surprised many by his turnaround in Tennessee. The Titans are in position to make a run at the playoffs and they owe a lot of thanks to Hasselbeck. This week they're going up against the worst team in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts and even though the Titans are more likely to lean on Chris Johnson to beat the Colts but Hasselbeck will still get his fair share of points against the league's 23rd-ranked pass defense.
| Andy Dalton QB Cincinnati Bengals |
Andy Dalton has been solid so far this year. He hasn't put up amazing fantasy numbers but he has had a few big games this season. On Sunday the Bengals start their three-game playoff push in St. Louis against the banged-up Rams. Even though the Rams have the eighth-ranked pass defense, their last-ranked run defense will allow the Bengals to set up play action. With guys like A.J. Green and Jermaine Gresham, Dalton could have a big game.
Running Backs:
With Matt Forte out for the Bears, it seems that Marion Barber is the new bell-cow back. Last week he carried the ball 27 times for 108 yards and a touchdown, and even though he had a costly fumble that lost them the game against the Broncos, he'll still get the bulk of the carries today. Even when Forte was in the game Barber got the goal line carries and now that he's getting all the rest of them, you should definitely start him.
DeMarco Murray is on Injured Reserve for the Cowboys which means the running back job has gone back to Felix Jones. In the last two weeks, Jones has been held out of the end zone on the ground but he has rushed for over 100 yards in each game. As long as he keeps that up, finding the end zone is inevitable. He's still available in quite a few fantasy leagues.
Wide Receivers:
Even though Greg Jennings is one of the Packers' best wide receivers and one of Aaron Rodgers' favorite targets, his injury isn't likely going to stop the Packers from winning football games. That's because the Packers have guys like James Jones. He has caught five touchdown passes so far this season and with Jennings out, his production is likely going to spike.
The Chiefs are playing the Packers which means they don't have a great chance to win. However, since they'll have to pass non stop to keep up with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense and since the Packers have the second worst secondary in the NFL, Steve Breaston could have a big game along with his partner Dwayne Bowe.
Tight Ends:
| Jermaine Gresham TE Cincinnati Bengals |
Jermaine Gresham is Andy Dalton's second-most reliable receiver after A.J. Green. He hasn't been used the way most fantasy owners wish he would have but he's a red-zone matchup nightmare and he has the potential to be used to stretch the field. If the Bengals set up the play action against the league's worst run defense, Gresham could benefit.
With Benjamin Watson on Injured Reserve, the Browns' best tight end is now Evan Moore. He's very talented and has the potential to have a big game and now that he's the main guy and not just one of two good tight ends, he could have a big couple games to finish out the season.
Defenses:
The Rams have been good at creating turnovers and sacking the quarterback so far this season and the Bengals have turned the ball over 10 times in the last five games. If they can stop Cedric Benson and the running game, they can put up a lot of points.
That’s a big if, though.
The Browns are bad and without Colt McCoy, they're even worse. The Browns are traveling all the way to Arizona to play the Cardinals and the Cardinals defense should be able to take advantage of the Browns' 29th-ranked offense. If your defense is facing one of the best offenses in the league this week, look the Cardinals' way.











