Welcome to injury hell. For many of you, Week 15 is the semifinals of your Fantasy playoffs, and your rosters might be in trouble with so many injuries around the NFL. It's ugly.
Here are the injuries we're monitoring this week. At quarterback, we have Lamar Jackson (quadriceps), Patrick Mahomes (hand), Jameis Winston (thumb), Dak Prescott (hand) and Tom Brady (elbow). As of Tuesday morning, all of them are expected to play, but keep an eye on Jackson and Winston during practice, especially since Jackson plays Thursday night against the Jets.
The running back injuries include Derrick Henry (hamstring), Josh Jacobs (shoulder), James Conner (shoulder), Derrius Guice (knee), Jordan Howard (shoulder), Rashaad Penny (ACL), Damien Williams (ribs), Bo Scarbrough (ribs) and Bilal Powell (ankle). Penny is out for the season, and Guice has already been ruled out for Week 15. We're hoping to get Conner back this week, and Henry should be fine.
Le'Veon Bell should be able to return in Week 15 after being out with the flu in Week 14, and we'll see what's going on with Williams. Howard's absence has been good for Miles Sanders, and if Jacobs is out, DeAndre Washington could be a Fantasy star in Week 15 against the Jaguars. More on him below.
At receiver, the main injuries are Mike Evans (hamstring), D.J. Chark (ankle), Alshon Jeffery (foot), Calvin Ridley (abdomen), DeVante Parker (concussion), Adam Thielen (hamstring), JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), T.Y. Hilton (calf) and Will Fuller (hamstring). Smith-Schuster and Thielen could return in Week 15, but Ridley is out for the season. We also don't expect to have Evans or Chark this week, which is frustrating.
Jeffery is likely out also after getting hurt Monday night, and we'll wait to see what's happening with Parker. Early reports indicate that Hilton and Fuller could also be out again in Week 15.
The tight ends dealing with injuries are Mark Andrews (knee), Jared Cook (concussion), Evan Engram (foot), Greg Olsen (concussion), Ryan Griffin (ankle), Noah Fant (foot), Vance McDonald (concussion) and Gerald Everett (knee). Andrews might be able to play Thursday night, and Fant seems to be OK for Week 15 at Kansas City.
Engram might be shut down for the Giants, and the Panthers might be cautious with Olsen. We'll see what happens with Cook for Week 15, but you can probably move on from Griffin, McDonald and Everett if you still plan on starting them. Tyler Higbee has been great in place of Everett, and Ian Thomas is a good replacement option for Olsen.
If there is good news, it's that we have some quality injury replacements for you available on waivers. Ryan Tannehill is the top quarterback to add, but Eli Manning, Derek Carr and Gardner Minshew all have great matchups. You can also start to buy into Mitchell Trubisky.
Washington is my favorite running back and top player to add at any position if Jacobs is out, but Raheem Mostert and even Adrian Peterson can be good options in Week 15. And the best receiver to add is Zach Pascal, but A.J. Brown and Anthony Miller should also build on their recent success.
Higbee and Thomas should be considered starting Fantasy tight ends in Week 15. But don't be surprised if Hayden Hurst and O.J. Howard step up this week as injury replacements, and Mike Gesicki has a great matchup against the Giants.
It's far from ideal to be in the semifinals of the Fantasy playoffs and not have your stars. But guys like Tannehill, Washington, Pascal and Higbee could be league winners, among others, so hopefully they deliver if you are able to add them off waivers this week.
Editor's note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players owned in less than 65% of CBS Sports leagues.
Week 15 Waivers
Quarterbacks
- Injuries of note: Lamar Jackson (quadriceps), Patrick Mahomes (hand), Jameis Winston (thumb), Dak Prescott (hand), Tom Brady (elbow), Daniel Jones (ankle), Matthew Stafford (back)
- Priority list: Ryan Tannehill (62 percent ownership), Derek Carr (65 percent), Eli Manning (8 percent), Gardner Minshew (23 percent), Ryan Fitzpatrick (36 percent), Mitchell Trubisky (25 percent), Drew Lock (6 percent)
- Check to see if available: Philip Rivers (72 percent) and Jacoby Brissett (71 percent). Rivers might surprise you this week against a Vikings defense that allows an average of 18.0 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and he's scored at least 20 points in each of his past two outing against Denver and Jacksonville on the road. And Brissett will likely be chasing points at the Saints, who have allowed three quarterbacks in a row to score at least 20 Fantasy points.
- Drop candidates: Josh Allen (91 percent) and Sam Darnold (67 percent). Both quarterbacks have been solid Fantasy options of late, but their matchups in Week 15 are awful. Allen gets the Steelers, who have only allowed two quarterbacks to score more than 18 Fantasy points since Week 2. And Darnold faces the Ravens, who have allowed one quarterback to score more than 17 Fantasy points all season. Allen also plays New England in Week 16, and Darnold faces the Steelers.
Tannehill has been a fixture in this column since taking over for Marcus Mariota as the starter in Tennessee in Week 7. All he's done is score at least 22 Fantasy points in six of seven starts, and his low over that span is 17 points. The Titans are playing the Texans for the AFC South division lead this week, and Houston allows an average of 24.0 Fantasy points per game, including Tom Brady and Lock scoring at least 29 points against this defense in each of the past two weeks. I like Tannehill as a top five Fantasy quarterback in Week 15.
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Carr has been all over the place as a Fantasy quarterback of late, scoring 23 points in Week 14 against the Titans after combining for 14 points in his previous two outings against the Jets and Chiefs on the road. I'll buy into him in Week 15 as a low-end starter for a couple of reasons, starting with his matchup against the Jaguars, who have allowed three of their past five opposing quarterbacks to score at least 23 Fantasy points. It's also the final game ever in Oakland with the Raiders moving to Las Vegas next year, so I expect Carr to go out on a high note for the home crowd.
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Manning is expected to start in Week 15 against Miami with Jones still hurt, and this could be the final home start of his career. It would not be a surprise to see him go out with a stellar performance since he's facing the Dolphins. Miami allows an averaging of 24.6 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, and four quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 20 Fantasy points against this defense. Manning just scored 20 Fantasy points Monday night at the Eagles, and he could replicate that outing -- if not exceed it -- against the Dolphins this week.
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Minshew was awful as expected in Week 14 against the Chargers, and it's been a while since he's looked like a quality NFL or Fantasy quarterback. But I'll take a chance on him this week as a low-end starter given the matchup with the Raiders. It stinks that Chark is likely out, but I expect Minshew to be fine with the rest of his receiving corps since Oakland allows an average of 25.4 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks for the season, including three quarterbacks in a row scoring at least 21 points. Hopefully, Minshew Mania and not Minshew Disaster shows up in Week 15.
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I'll stick with Fitzpatrick this week given his matchup with the Giants, and hopefully Parker is healthy enough to play. The Giants are awful against opposing quarterbacks, allowing an average of 23.5 Fantasy points for the season, including six guys in a row scoring at least 20 points. Fitzpatrick couldn't get in the end zone in Week 14 against the Jets and scored just 13 Fantasy points, but he had at least 26 points in each of the previous two weeks. Hopefully, that's the Fitzpatrick who shows up in Week 15.
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Trubisky could easily struggle at Green Bay in Week 15, and I might make him a sit in Start 'Em & Sit 'Em by the end of the week, so take that into account. But for now, let's give him some credit for the way he's playing, and he's someone to consider as a low-end starter in all leagues. He's scored at least 20 Fantasy points in four of his past five games, including at least 29 points in his past two outings. The problem with that is three of those games were against Detroit twice and the Giants once, and only the Lions game in Week 13 was on the road. The Packers have allowed just one quarterback to score more than 15 Fantasy points in their past five games and give up an average of 14.8 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks for the season. In four career games against Green Bay, Trubisky is averaging 15.0 Fantasy points, including an eight-point outing against the Packers in Week 1. And in his lone trip to Lambeau Field, Trubisky scored 13 Fantasy points in 2018.
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I wish Lock wasn't playing in Arrowhead Stadium this week, but that's the only reason he's down on this list. He's been impressive in two starts against the Chargers and Texans, and it appears like the Broncos have their quarterback heading into 2020. In two starts, Lock has 443 passing yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions, and he's also run for 30 yards. The problem is quarterbacks in Kansas City tend to struggle, and the Chiefs have also held their past three opposing quarterbacks in Rivers, Carr and Tom Brady to 14 Fantasy points or less in three games in a row. I'm not ready to trust Lock in this spot in the Fantasy points, but I am excited about him for next year.
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Running Backs
- Injuries of note: Derrick Henry (hamstring), Josh Jacobs (shoulder), James Conner (shoulder), Derrius Guice (knee), Jordan Howard (shoulder), Rashaad Penny (ACL), Damien Williams (ribs), Bo Scarbrough (ribs) and Bilal Powell (ankle)
- Priority list: DeAndre Washington (4 percent ownership), Raheem Mostert (56 percent), Adrian Peterson (61 percent), Patrick Laird (33 percent), Chris Thompson (21 percent), Boston Scott (0 percent), Darwin Thompson (27 percent), Benny Snell (62 percent)
- Drop candidates: Derrius Guice (93 percent), Jordan Howard (86 percent), Rashaad Penny (86 percent). Guice, Penny and Howard are easy to move on from because of the injuries. Even if Howard comes back in Week 15 against Washington, it would be hard to trust him.
Washington is my favorite player to add this week at any position, and he might be the Start of the Week if Jacobs is out. I love the setup for him against the Jaguars, who have been brutal against opposing running backs in their past five games. Since Week 9, Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson, Marlon Mack, Derrick Henry, Peyton Barber, Austin Ekeler and Melvin Gordon have each scored at least 15 PPR points against Jacksonville. Washington just had 14 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown, as well as six catches for 43 yards on seven targets against Tennessee in Week 14 with Jacobs out. If Jacobs sits again then consider Washington a must-play option in all leagues.
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Mostert built off his strong game in Week 13 at Baltimore with another solid outing in Week 14 at New Orleans. He had 10 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown, as well as two catches for 40 yards and a touchdown at the Saints, and he's now scored at least 13 PPR points in three games in a row. He's still sharing touches with Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida, and Coleman could get some additional opportunities in a revenge game against the Falcons this week. But it's hard to envision the 49ers going away from Mostert with how he's done lately. He's worth starting in all leagues in Week 15.
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The Redskins will go with Peterson and Chris Thompson as their primary running backs with Guice out against the Eagles, and both are worth starting, depending on the format. I like Peterson as a low-end starter in non-PPR leagues, and he has consecutive games with at least 13 PPR points coming into Week 15 against Philadelphia. He now has six games with at least 13 carries on the season, and he's scored at least 11 PPR points in five of them. As for Thompson, he's better in PPR, and he just had seven catches on eight targets in Week 14 at Green Bay. He has six games this season with at least four catches, and he's scored at least 11 PPR points in three of them.
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Laird was the lead running back for the Dolphins in Week 14 at the Jets with Kalen Ballage (Achilles) out, and he had a season-high 15 carries for 48 yards, as well as four catches for 38 yards on five targets. He's now scored at least 11 PPR points in three of his past four games, and I like him as a low-end starter in PPR this week against the Giants, who should be tired from playing an overtime game Monday night.
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Scott looked like Darren Sproles on Monday night against the Giants, and he was the spark the Eagles needed to come back and win the game in overtime. He had 10 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown, as well as six catches for 69 yards on six targets, and he could be needed with Philadelphia's banged up receiving corps this week. Miles Sanders is still the best running back for the Eagles, but Scott could be used as a flex option in PPR in Week 15 at Washington.
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Darwin Thompson should continue to be the No. 2 running back for the Chiefs if Damien Williams remains out, and he's worth using as a potential flex in Week 15. He'll play behind LeSean McCoy against the Broncos, and Thompson has at least eight total touches in each of the past two games. Kansas City has been reluctant to give McCoy a heavy workload, and Thompson could be the one killing the clock if the Chiefs are playing with a lead. He's scored at least seven PPR points in each of the past two games against Oakland and New England.
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Conner is likely going to return for the Steelers this week, but if he remains out then Snell is still in play as a potential flex option against the Bills. He had a miserable game in Week 14 at Arizona with two PPR points, but he still has at least 16 carries in three games in a row. If Conner is back then Snell is droppable in all leagues, but keep an eye on what happens with the Steelers backfield during the week. Snell could still be useful in non-PPR formats if Conner can't return.
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Wide Receivers
- Injuries of note: Mike Evans (hamstring), D.J. Chark (ankle), Alshon Jeffery (foot), Calvin Ridley (abdomen), DeVante Parker (concussion), Adam Thielen (hamstring), JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), T.Y. Hilton (calf), Will Fuller (hamstring), A.J. Green (ankle), Taylor Gabriel (concussion), Nelson Agholor (knee)
- Priority list: Zach Pascal (62 percent ownership), A.J. Brown (54 percent), Anthony Miller (25 percent), Dede Westbrook (62 percent), Cole Beasley (45 percent), Nelson Agholor (18 percent), Justin Watson (0 percent), Marcus Johnson (0 percent), Breshad Perriman (0 percent), Allen Hurns (1 percent), Chris Conley (13 percent), Isaiah Ford (0 percent), Russell Gage (5 percent)
- Check to see if available: Terry McLaurin (78 percent), Mike Williams (72 percent), Darius Slayton (68 percent). McLaurin scored in Week 14 at Green Bay, and he now has at least 12 PPR points in two of his past three games. He has a great matchup against the Eagles this week and is worth using as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver. Williams finally found the end zone for the first time in Week 14 at Jacksonville, and he has at least 14 PPR points in two games in a row. He's also a good No. 3 receiver in Week 15 against Minnesota. And Slayton was awesome Monday night against the Eagles with 32 PPR points, and he's scored at least 10 PPR points in four games in a row. He has a dream matchup in Week 15 against Miami.
- Drop candidates: Jamison Crowder (87 percent), Sammy Watkins (81 percent), Brandin Cooks (78 percent), A.J. Green (66 percent). Crowder has combined for 11 PPR points in three games in a row, and he faces the Ravens in Week 15 and Pittsburgh in Week 16, so it's time to move on. Watkins has single digits in PPR in seven of his past eight games and hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1. Cooks has combined for nine PPR points in his past three games and hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 2, and he has just eight targets in his past three outings. And Green is, well, what's the point at this point in the season?
The Colts will go with Pascal and Johnson as the top two receivers until Hilton returns, and both are worth using in Week 15 at New Orleans. Pascal is a must-start receiver after his performance the past two weeks with Hilton out, scoring a combined 37 PPR points against the Titans and Buccaneers. He has 19 targets over that span for 12 catches, 183 yards and a touchdown, and I expect him to remain productive against the Saints with the Colts likely chasing points. Johnson benefits with Parris Campbell (foot) out, and he has at least 13 PPR points in two of his past four games. Johnson is worth using as a No. 3 receiver in deeper leagues this week.
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Brown is a boom-or-bust kind of receiver, but I like his matchup against the Texans in Week 15. In seven starts with Tannehill, he has at least 12 PPR points in four of them, and two games with seven points or less. The four games where he did well he had at least five targets, so hopefully that's the case this week against Houston, and the Texans are in the top 10 of most touchdowns allowed to receivers this year with 15. I like Brown as a top 20 Fantasy receiver this week.
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We've been talking about Miller for the past few weeks, and he's scored at least 11 PPR points in four games in a row coming into Week 15 at Green Bay. He has at least nine targets and six catches in three of those games, and Trubisky should continue to lean on him, especially against the Packers on the road. I like Miller as a low-end starter in PPR and a No. 3 receiver in non-PPR leagues.
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The Jaguars likely have to replace Chark in Week 15 at Oakland, and Westbrook and Conley are worth a look in all leagues, with Westbrook the priority. He has at least seven targets in three games in a row, and he's scored at least 14 PPR points in two of those outings. Chark was averaging just over eight targets per game, so Westbrook should be the No. 1 target for Minshew. I like him as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week, with his value higher in PPR. Conley won't be far behind, and he has at least seven targets in five of his past seven games. He's scored at least 11 PPR points in three of those outings, and he's someone to consider in deeper leagues this week against the Raiders, who are No. 6 in Fantasy points allowed to receivers this year.
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Agholor could return in Week 15 after being out Monday night, and the Eagles could desperately use him if Jeffery is out. We've seen it before already this season when Agholor is featured in the offense he does a nice job with his Fantasy production, and it happened in Week 2 at Atlanta and Week 3 against Detroit. He had at least 11 targets in each game, and he scored at least 23 PPR points in each outing. Keep an eye on Agholor's status, as well as Jeffery, and Agholor could be a sneaky starting option if he's active against Washington this week.
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Beasley doesn't have an easy matchup against the Steelers in Week 15, but he's scored at least 19 PPR points three weeks in a row and has been better than John Brown over that stretch. The Steelers have struggled with inside receivers of late with guys like Robert Woods, Jarvis Landry, Tyler Boyd and Christian Kirk all having productive games against Pittsburgh in the past five weeks. I'd shy away from Brown in Week 15, but I still like Beasley as a No. 3 PPR receiver.
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Evans is likely out for the rest of the season, which means Tampa Bay will need someone to step up opposite Chris Godwin. Watson and Perriman will vie for more targets, as well as O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate, but I like Watson the most at receiver. In Week 14 against Indianapolis in the game where Evans was hurt, Watson had five catches for 59 yards and a touchdown on eight targets, and Perriman had three catches for 70 yards and a touchdown on five targets. Both are worth using as No. 3 Fantasy receivers in Week 15 against the Lions.
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The Dolphins could use some help at receiver with Parker and Albert Wilson (concussion) both hurt. Hurns and Ford could be the top options in the passing game, along with Gesicki, and I would give a slight nod to Hurns as an option at receiver in deeper leagues. He has at least 11 PPR points in two of his past three games, and he just had five catches for 68 yards on eight targets against the Jets in Week 14 when Parker got hurt. Ford had six catches for 92 yards on nine targets against the Jets, and I would take a look at him in deeper leagues against the Giants, which is a great matchup.
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Gage is worth a look in deeper leagues with Ridley out, and he's done a nice job of late stepping up for the Falcons after Mohamed Sanu was traded and then injuries to Julio Jones and Austin Hooper. Gage has at least 12 PPR points in three of his past six games, and we'll see if Matt Ryan leans on him or just focuses more on Jones, Hooper and Devonta Freeman to help replace Ridley. I'd take a look at Gage as an option in deeper leagues for Week 15 at San Francisco.
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TIGHT ENDS
- Injuries of note: Mark Andrews (knee), Jared Cook (concussion), Evan Engram (foot), Greg Olsen (concussion), Ryan Griffin (ankle), Noah Fant (foot), Vance McDonald (concussion), Gerald Everett (knee)
- Priority list: Tyler Higbee (37 percent ownership), Mike Gesicki (54 percent), Ian Thomas (2 percent), O.J. Howard (37 percent), Hayden Hurst (2 percent), Jacob Hollister (48 percent), Kaden Smith (4 percent), Cameron Brate (20 percent), Noah Fant (50 percent), Josh Hill (2 percent), David Njoku (29 percent), Nick Boyle (1 percent)
- Drop candidates: Evan Engram (83 percent), Greg Olsen (74 percent), Ryan Griffin (57 percent). All three of these tight ends are injured, and Engram might not play again this season. You should move on, and it would be hard to trust Griffin in Week 15 against Baltimore even if he plays.
Higbee has been awesome for the past two games, and hopefully his production doesn't slow down if Everett is back. In the past two weeks against Arizona and Seattle, Higbee has 14 catches for 223 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets, and he should stay hot against the Cowboys. Dallas hasn't allowed a tight end to score since Week 10, but I'm counting on Higbee to remain a focal point for Jared Goff, which makes him trustworthy in Week 15.
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Gesicki was a dud in Week 14 at the Jets with one catch for 6 yards on five targets, but I'm going right back to him this week at the Giants. He should benefit if Parker is out, and he scored at least 11 PPR points in two games prior to facing the Jets. The Giants also just got abused by Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert on Monday night with 12 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns on 19 targets, and hopefully the Dolphins follow a similar game plan in Week 15.
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Thomas should be considered a starting Fantasy tight end in Week 15 if Olsen is out, and he had five catches for 57 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets in Week 14 at Atlanta in place of Olsen. He was good to close 2018 when Olsen was out with a foot injury, and the same thing appears to be happening again in 2019. It's no guarantee that Olsen will miss this week, but Thomas would have a great matchup against the Seahawks, who are No. 3 in Fantasy points allowed to tight ends for the season.
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Howard and Brate should benefit with Evans out, and Howard has quietly played well in the past two games, scoring 11 PPR points in both outings. He has nine catches for 134 yards on 11 targets over that span, and he should see an uptick in targets with Evans hurt. Brate had four catches for 30 yards and a touchdown on four targets in Week 14 against the Colts when Evans was hurt, and he could be a red-zone option for Winston moving forward. I like Howard as a starter in Week 15 against Detroit, and Brate is a streamer if needed.
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The Ravens could use Hurst and Boyle if Andrews is out, and I like Hurst better, although it's close. In Week 14 at Buffalo in the game where Andrews was hurt, Hurst had three catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Boyle had two catches for 10 yards and a touchdown. Lamar Jackson would lean on both since the tight end is heavily featured in this offense, but it's not a guarantee that Andrews is out. And while the Jets are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to tight ends, I would still look at either option in deeper leagues with Jamal Adams (ankle) still hurt.
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Hollister is still worth trusting even though he hasn't scored since Week 10. He still has at least 10 PPR points in three of his past five games, and he has 14 targets in his past two outings against Minnesota and the Rams. He's facing the Panthers this week, and Carolina has been good against tight ends. But I still like Hollister as a low-end starter in all leagues given his role in Seattle's offense.
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Smith is worth a look in deeper leagues with the chance of Engram and Rhett Ellison (concussion) still being out. Smith didn't play well in Week 14 at Philadelphia with two PPR points, but he scored at least 12 PPR points in each of his previous two games. He gets Miami this week, and the Dolphins secondary is always a matchup to target. I like Smith as a low-end starter in deeper formats.
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Fant was awesome in Week 14 at Houston with four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown on four targets, but he's dealing with a hip injury and a foot ailment. Keep an eye on his status, and he could be worth using as a low-end starter in deeper leagues. He has three games with at least 10 PPR points in his past five outings, but he also has four points or less over that span. The Chiefs are No. 8 in Fantasy points allowed to tight ends, and Fant would be more attractive as a Fantasy option this week if he was 100 percent.
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Hill could be a sneaky starter in deeper leagues if Cook is out for the Saints. He scored in Week 14 against San Francisco but had just two catches for 4 yards on three targets. Still, Drew Brees would likely lean on him if Cook can't go against the Colts, who just got beat up by the Tampa Bay tight ends in Week 14 for eight catches, 103 yards and a touchdown on nine targets.
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