Week 15 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Candidates: Wide Receivers

Wondering whom to start and sit at wide receiver this week? Below are two top-notch start and two sit options at the wide receiver position for Week 15 of the 2022 NFL season.

More Start/Sits: QB | RB | TE

Week 14 Review – half-PPR scoring

Starts

• WR D.J. Chark (Detroit Lions) vs. Minnesota Vikings – 18.4 fantasy points (WR5)
• WR Joshua Palmer (Los Angeles Chargers) – 7.3 fantasy points (WR43)

Sits

• WR George Pickens (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Baltimore Ravens – 9.3 fantasy points (WR35)
• WR Nico Collins (Houston Texans) @ Dallas Cowboys – 0.0 fantasy points (N/A)

Wide Receiver – Starts

Garrett Wilson (New York Jets) vs. Detroit Lions

New York Jets No. 1 wide receiver Garrett Wilson has an eruption spot on tap versus the Detroit Lions, who are currently allowing 32.4 half-PPR points per game to opposing wide receivers, the fourth most in the NFL. New York boasts a fantasy-friendly 22.75-point implied team total.

The table below ranks Wilson’s receiving data among 51 NFL wide receivers with at least 15 targets since Week 12, when Mike White supplanted Zach Wilson as New York’s starter. The receiving data comes from 4for4's NFL Player Stats Explorer.

Detroit’s 262.9 passing yards allowed per game are the third most in the NFL and their 11.3% explosive pass play rate leads the league by 0.5%. No team is allowing more touchdowns per game (3.3) than Detroit, per 4for4's NFL Team Stats Explorer.

Chris Olave (New Orleans Saints) vs. Atlanta Falcons

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave has not offered a boom week since Week 11, but Week 15 brings get-right potential for the promising rookie. New Orleans received a fantasy-friendly 23.5-point implied team total versus the Atlanta Falcons.

Olave’s 28.0% targets per route run rate and 2.50 yards per route run rate both rank top 10 among 66 NFL wide receivers with at least 50 targets. His 25.9% team target share leads New Orleans' pass catchers by 5.3%.

Atlanta’s defense has cratered since a momentarily hot start. Both their 31.2 half-PPR points per game allowed to opposing wide receivers, per 4for4's Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed, as well as their 248.3 passing yards allowed per game rank seventh most in the NFL.

Michael Pittman Jr. (Indianapolis Colts) @ Minnesota Vikings

Indianapolis Colts No. 1 wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. gets the premier matchup in fantasy football; the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota’s 37.4 half-PPR points per game allowed to opposing wide receivers leads the league by 3.9 points. This Sunday morning game features a mouthwatering 48.5-point over/under, indicating high-scoring fantasy potential for all involved.

The table below ranks Pittman Jr.’s receiving data among Indianapolis Colts' pass-catchers since Jeff Saturday took over as head coach in Week 10.

Minnesota ranks bottom two in both passing yards allowed per game (284.6) and explosive pass plays allowed rate (10.8%).

*Check out our WR rankings here.

Wide Receiver – Sits

Chase Claypool (Chicago Bears) vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Chicago Bears are implied to score just 19.75 points against the Philadelphia Eagles this week.

De facto No. 1 wide receiver Chase Claypool has averaged just 1.41 yards per route run since joining Chicago in Week 9, tied for 59^th among 89 wide receivers with at least 15 targets during that span. His 13.6% drop rate is tied for the third highest.

This week, head coach Matt Eberflus publicly called out Claypool's unfamiliarity with the team's offensive playbook.

Philadelphia’s lockdown defense is allowing just 178.0 passing yards per game, the fewest in the NFL.