This weekly series looks at two fantasy sleepers outside of the consensus top-24 that I am the highest on and why. I will break down the case for both players, giving my view as to what makes them strong flex spot starts. Also, I will compare their consensus rank to my own rank. Without any further ado, let’s get to the NFL Week 15 sleeper candidates!
Week 15 Sleeper RB
Devonta Freeman — Consensus Rank: 26 My Rank: 20
Freeman is going against the third-best defense against running backs. He was a limited participant in practice as recently as Thursday with a knee injury. He’s also on a team that has struggled, at best, to get the running game going. How in the world do I possibly spin this into a suggested move in the fantasy semi-final week?
After missing two games with an injury, Freeman has come back the last two weeks and had 17 carries with four catches. He’s also seen his snap percentage dip from a peak of 90 percent before the injury to just 66 percent the last two weeks. The 49ers defense might be starting to wear down a bit too. In five of their last seven games, they’ve allowed over 130 yards rushing to their opponents. With Freeman’s prowess in the receiving game, he offers a nice safe floor for the flex.
Week 15 Sleeper WR
Darius Slayton — Consensus Rank: 30 My Rank: 25
All Slayton did last week was go out and prove that it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is. He torched the Eagles defense to the tune of five catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns. This week, he gets an even more favorable match-up. Plus, a second week of work with QB Eli Manning. Slayton has had two games over 100 yards in his last four. Going against the Dolphins, who are giving up the second-most points to fantasy WRs, sets him up for another big game. Especially as an underdog, I would put Slayton into the flex and watch the scoreboard get lit up.
That is it for our two favorite NFL Week 15 sleeper candidates! Make sure to lock these guys into your flex spot and hopefully win your week!
