And so it begins.
The fantasy playoffs are upon us. That went fast, no? It seemed like one minute we were hot-taking about whether Saquon Barkley was a first-round pick. The next, we were praying Saquon could just find the end zone one more time to help us squeeze into the playoffs.
(The answers to those existential queries were "no" and "yes".)
There now just three kinds of people. Those with a bye, those in the consolation bracket. And you. Because you, dear reader, are still lucky enough to have games ahead of you but not fortunate enough to get the week off. No matter. The Sleepers column is back with its first postseason edition of 2025. If you're just tuning in, well ... that would be weird. It's Week 15. Where have you been?
As always, I've got some alternative options to help you through a pinch. Don't worry, I'm not going to make a case for Philip Rivers. Although if the vibes around quarterback streamers continue to look this dour, I don't rule anything out.
Let's not think about that right now. Let's focus on the present. At present, your job is to survive and advance. That might mean some creative lineup management. And to help with that ... here are some names.
QUARTERBACK
It’s a tough week for streaming quarterbacks. Guys like Tyler Shough or Shedeur Sanders, who appeared in this column last week, have far tougher matchups in Week 15. Anyone hoping to slot in Riley Leonard in place of the injured Daniel Jones will need to keep an eye on this week’s injury reports. So it is with much trepidation that I present to you Mr. Jonathan James McCarthy.
Last week, he crept into the top 12 thanks to three touchdown passes. But there have been more tricks than treats in his fantasy bag this year. However, Michael F. Florio pointed out on the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast that McCarthy’s worst games have come against either elite defenses or defenses seeing him for a second time. The Dallas Cowboys are neither. While the 'Boys are improved, they’re still prone to giving up big passing days. I wouldn’t recommend starting McCarthy outside of two-QB formats, but there is QB2 upside -- especially if the Vikings are chasing points in the second half.
Did I mention it’s a rough week for streaming quarterbacks? Because yeah. Cousins’ return to starter status has been snooze-worthy at best, stomach-churning at worst. His 2.48 fantasy points in Week 14 aren’t inspiring. Nor is the prospect of Atlanta enduring another week without Drake London. Above the protestations of many Falcons fans, the team is required by NFL bylaws to suit up and play this week. And so it goes.
Also struggling is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass defense. The Bucs have allowed the sixth-most passing yards in the NFL. In Weeks 10-13, they gave up an average of 290 yards per game. That feels like a tall bar for Cousins to reach at this point. But he could become the 10th quarterback to reach 15 fantasy points against Tampa this season. That’s enough to make him a QB2 in most formats this week.
RUNNING BACK
Mitchell left last week’s loss to Pittsburgh with a knee injury. That’s the bad news. The good news is he is listed as day-to-day and has practiced this week. The better news is that Mitchell is coming off his best game since suffering a torn ACL in 2023. The best news is that he and the Ravens are facing the Bengals this week.
Mitchell did the most with his two carries, scoring a touchdown, when these teams met on Thanksgiving night, though game script forced Baltimore to throw more than it might have liked to. While the young back isn’t playing a ton of snaps, when he is on the field, he’s usually touching the ball. He’s also regained his explosive form, averaging 6.3 yards per carry (he averaged 6.5 yards per carry in his breakout rookie performances). Cincinnati continues to be the best matchup for running backs this season. Even with limited opportunities, Mitchell could have some flex appeal in deeper leagues.
First, let me start by saying that you can drop Jacory Croskey-Merritt. He’s still rostered in more than 50 percent of NFL.com leagues. Stop that. It was fun for a couple of weeks. But it’s over. The Commanders have turned to Rodriguez to lead their backfield and while that level of responsibility is a bridge too far for most fantasy managers, giving Rodriguez a spot in your lineup might not be.
Since Week 9, C-Rod (can we call him that?) leads Washington’s backfield in snaps and rush attempts. He also has a healthy 28 percent route participation -- even if the target share is woefully low. More importantly, he’s getting half of the team’s goal-line work. This week, he takes that up against the Giants and their 31st-ranked run defense. Big Blue is giving up the second-most fantasy points per game to running backs. Rodriguez doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but the matchup is favorable enough to make him a deep league flex this week.
We may have seen the rise of TreVeyon Henderson in recent weeks, but that doesn’t mean Stevenson has gone away. In the two games since returning from a toe injury, Stevenson has commanded nearly half of the rushing attempts and 75 percent of snaps in the two-minute offense.
Those numbers could come down a tick after the Patriots’ bye, but it keeps the veteran in play against the woeful Buffalo run stoppers. The Bills have looked better the past two weeks, but their 28th-ranked run defense has led to the seventh-most favorable matchups to RBs. Add Stevenson’s role in the passing game and he has flex value.
Despite leaving New York’s last game with a hip injury, Tracy appears on track to play after Big Blue’s bye week. Since the Giants lost Cam Skattebo, Tracy has maintained a healthy snap share and nearly 50 percent of the team’s rushing attempts. He’s also managed to carve out a meager target share as well. He topped 20 touches in Weeks 11 and 12 and was on his way before the injury in Week 13.
If styles make fights, then New York’s run-heavy offense should find the underbelly of the Commanders' 29th-ranked run defense. Washington has allowed a top-24 running back in four straight games. Tracy doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but he tops as a high-end RB2 in this week’s positive matchup.
WIDE RECEIVER
What might have been for Pearsall in 2025. He started hot, leading the Niners in receiving yards through the first four weeks. Then a PCL sprain kept him out for six games. His return has been disappointing, to say the least. In three games, Pearsall has nine targets, five catches and 20 yards. Oof.
Whatever postseason aspirations the 49ers have will need to include Pearsall in some way. His snap share and route participation have been solid. The target share has been lacking. This is a good week to change that. The Titans are in the bottom seven in passing yards allowed to wideouts. The Niners offense has been disjointed this season, but if Brock Purdy and company can find a rhythm, Pearsall is in line for a big play or two. For managers in deeper leagues, he’s an upside flex.
The Titans offense is still a work in progress. But there have been some bright spots. Among them has been Dike. The rookie has made more of a name for himself as a return specialist, but he’s also flashed at times as a receiver. Dike has four weekly finishes inside the top 24 wide receivers. In three of those four, he tallied more than 16 points.
He matches up well against the 49ers this week. Dike spends more than half of his snaps from the slot. San Francisco has been one of the friendliest defenses to players in that alignment. Expect the Titans to be in the familiar position of chasing points in the second half. There should be plenty of targets to be had. Another top-24 finish for Dike wouldn’t be surprising.
TIGHT END
It’s a rough week on the tight end front. The best matchups belong to guys who are bona fide starters and don’t belong in this column. George Kittle against the Titans. Tyler Warren against the Seahawks. Isaiah Likely against the Bengals. Or there are guys who are too much of a stretch to consider them in any situation. Are you really trusting your playoff life to AJ Barner, Chigoziem Okonkwo or T.J. Hockenson?
That brings us to Freiermuth. He resides in the center of the Venn diagram with categories such as good matchup, decent usage and quality talent. The Dolphins have been tight end friendly this season, giving up the third-most points to the position. With Darnell Washington in concussion protocol, there’s an opportunity for Freiermuth to absorb some of his snaps and targets. Freiermuth isn’t a must-start but he could be a low-end TE1 in the right situation.
DEFENSE
This hasn’t been a great year defensively for the 49ers. You’ve heard about it ad nauseum by now, but they’ve played much of the season without their two best defensive players in Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Nonetheless, Robert Saleh has cobbled together a top-10 stop unit without a front four that causes many quarterbacks any distress.
The good news for San Francisco is that every defense has caused Cam Ward distress this year. The rookie is tied with Geno Smith as the quarterbacks who have been sacked the most in 2025 -- a mark Ward is likely to own by himself with Smith unlikely to play this week. One thing the Niners have done well lately is force turnovers. Saleh’s group has nabbed seven takeaways in its past three games. That jibes well against an offense that is above league average in giving the ball away. San Francisco is a solid streaming option for the opening of the fantasy playoffs.
Marcas Grant is a fantasy analyst for NFL.com and a man who is ahead of the game on his holiday shopping. Please clap. Or send fantasy football questions on X @MarcasG or Bluesky @marcasg.bsky.social.
