What's up RotoBallers. Below you will find part two of our Week 15 NFL matchups & fantasy football start/sit analysis for the 2016 NFL football season. Ben Ruppert breaks down the second half of the Week 15 matchups to help you prepare your lineups to win this week. Be sure to also check out part one of this week's matchups analysis by Pierre Camus (@pfunk00).

Each week of the NFL season, we will be breaking down individual matchups and providing you with some fantasy football advice and lineup recommendations based on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and some high-risk/high-reward players, as well. It’s essential to analyze the weekly NFL match-ups to find lineup sleepers and gems, while also avoiding those players who may turn out to be busts.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

Week 14 Matchup Analysis Recap

Greatest Hits: Tyler Eifert (TE, CIN), Terrelle Pryor (WR, CLE), Demaryius Thomas (WR, DEN)

As predicted, Eifert went off against a weak Browns defense. He caught five passes for 48 yards with two touchdowns, one from 14 yards out and one from five yards. Even with the return of A.J. green, expect Eifert to be a monster for Cincinnati in the red zone the rest of the season. With RGIII under center, Terrelle Pryor was limited to one catch for three yards. You know its a tough day when your leading receiver has three catches for 27 yards. This is a passing offense to avoid the rest of the season if you can, or at least until Griffin can shake off the rust. DT had a huge day against the Titans, securing 10 passes for 126 yards in the loss. Emmanuel Sanders also had a huge performance, with 11 receptions for 100 yards and a TD. With the run game shot, Trevor Siemian turned to his favorite receivers for production. It worked, but the Broncos lost the game.

Greatest Misses: LeSean McCoy (RB, BUF), Lamar Miller (RB, HOU), Donte Moncrief (WR, IND)

Shady was unable to get anything going on the ground, rushing 12 times for 27 yards and a TD. He did secure six passes for 81 yards through the air, but against a Steelers run defense that wasn't doing so well of late more than 27 rushing yards was expected for McCoy. Expect a big bounce back this week against Cleveland. Lamar Miller carried the Houston offense, rushing 21 times for 107 yards and a TD. He was the only member of the offense able to get anything done, with Brock Osweiler throwing for only 147 yards on the day with no scores. Donte Moncrief finished last week without a reception, but to no fault of his own. He pulled a hamstring and was removed from the game, putting up a big goose egg in the first week of the playoffs for anyone who started him.

Browns @ Bills - Sunday 12/18 @1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love

Isaiah Crowell (RB, CLE)

It would be an understatement to say the Bills struggled against the run last week. Le’Veon Bell’s 236 rushing yards were the most in Steelers history, and the most allowed by the Bills in their history. It was the second 200-yard game they’ve allowed this season; Jay Ajayi rushed for 214 yards back in Week 7. Since the team’s Week 10 bye, they have allowed 4.7 YPC to opposing backs. This run defense has been putrid of late, opening the door for Crowell to have his second straight 100-yard showing. Last week he ran 10 times for 113 yards, which was his best rushing performance since Week 4. Fire up Crowell against this Bills defense, especially with more snow expected on Sunday. He won’t put up another Bell performance, but he will be a solid start.

Sammy Watkins (WR, BUF)

Watkins hauled in his long-awaited first touchdown of the 2016 season last week, catching an eight-yard Tyrod Taylor pass in the middle of the end zone. He ended the day catching 4-of-6 targets for 54 yards. He has been targeted a team-leading 15 times over the past two weeks. Taylor will continue looking for his most talented receiver often the rest of the year, with the Bills still technically in the playoff hunt. Cleveland presents a great matchup for these two; it has given up the ninth-most fantasy points to the WR position this season. There is expected to be snow in Orchard Park on Sunday, but there was snow last week, as well, when Watkins caught his lone TD. He will be a WR2 with big upside this week.

Matchups We Hate

Terrelle Pryor (WR, CLE)

Terrelle Pryor has been fantastic in his first full season as a receiver, especially when you consider the QB carousel he has dealt with in Cleveland. Robert Griffin III is now back in under center, which last week did not go well for Pryor. Griffin completed only 43% of his passes for 104 yards, and gave his best receiver only three targets. Corey Coleman led the day with 11 targets, but he caught only three of them for 26 yards. Griffin seemed to shake off some rust in the second half, but still did not look good overall. Buffalo has given up the 12^th-fewest fantasy points to the WR position, and has not allowed any receiver since their Week 10 bye to reach 80 yards receiving. With RGIII not yet playing up to snuff and snow expected in Buffalo, expect to see more of the run game and less plays for Pryor.

Notable Players

LeSean McCoy (RB, BUF)

While Bell dominated this Bills' defense, Shady could not do the same to the Steelers' run defense. He ended the day rushing 12 times for only 27 yards and a TD. He was able to save his fantasy day thanks to a big performance in the receiving department; he caught 6-of-7 targets for a team-leading 81 yards. The Bills' inability to set up the run led to a long day offensively, with plenty of three-and-outs. Shady is a safe bet to bounce back this week against Cleveland, who has given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing backs this season. Jeremy Hill gashed this defense last week for 111 yards and a TD. Shady is a sure-fire RB1 at home this week.

Robert Woods (WR, BUF)

Robert Woods returned last week in limited fashion, playing 27-of-52 offensive snaps (52%). He played a minor role in the game, with one reception on three targets for 29 yards on the day. The snow last week made everything a little more difficult in the passing game, but more important than his box score, Woods looked healthy running around the field after suffering a knee injury. With Watkins and Goodwin also both healthy, Woods will return to his WR2 role in this offense, which means WR4 production in fantasy. If you still own Woods from when he was the main guy with Watkins out, he can be safely dropped in most leagues if he wasn’t already. His production from this point on will have a low ceiling and a low floor.

Lions @ Giants - Sunday 12/18 @1:00 PM EST

Matchups We Love

Eric Ebron (TE, DET)

After two games with a high number of targets before the bye week, Ebron has only averaged about four targets per game over the past four weeks. He ranks fourth among receivers in targets with 17 since their Week 10 bye-- one behind Marvin Jones for third. What Ebron has going for him this week is a great matchup; the Giants have been among the worst teams in the league at defending the TE position of late. Over the past five weeks, Tyler Eifert, Zach Miller and Ladarius Green have all had solid fantasy days against New York. Matthew Stafford knows how to hit his targets if they get open, so if Ebron can be as effective as those other tight ends, he has a great shot to put up TE1 numbers.

Matchups We Hate

Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, NYG)

The Lions have done well against opposing wideouts this season, limiting them to the ninth-fewest fantasy points this season, and have not allowed a WR to eclipse 75 receiving yards since their Week 10 bye. Cameron Meredith was able to go for 72 yards and a TD last week, which was the best fantasy performance they’ve allowed since Week 6. All Beckham owners should still be starting him with confidence. The young WR is third in the league in targets this season, and is on pace to post his third consecutive season with at least 90 receptions, 1,300 yards and 10 TD. He is a slam dunk WR1 in every matchup in which he plays.

Golden Tate (WR, DET)

Right there with the Lions in terms of limiting opposing wide receiver production are the Giants, who have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to the position. They had been showing some weaknesses before last week, when they limited Dez Bryant to only one catch for 10 yards. Like Beckham he should still be a good play given his targets; his 32 since Detroit's bye week lead the team. As long as Tate can keep up his 67% catch rate, he should have a solid floor at the very least.

Notable Players

Dwayne Washington (RB, DET)

Theo Riddick was unable to play last week while dealing with ankle and wrist problems. He remained sidelined from practice on Thursday after doing so on Wednesday, meaning his outlook for the game on Sunday right now is bleak. Last week, Washington and Zach Zenner filled in, with Washington out snapping Zenner 44-to-27 and out touching him 17-to-9. Zenner sustained a concussion in the game, and is in the early stages of concussion protocol at this point. His status for Sunday is unknown. Either way, it looks like Washington will be a bigger part of the offense once again this week. The Giants have given up the 11^th-fewest fantasy points to the RB position this season, but have allowed a 100-yard rusher in two straight weeks. Washington is shaping up as a decent RB2 play this week.

Rashad Jennings (RB, NYG)

Both Rashad Jennings and rookie Paul Perkins received 15 carries last week, yet neither was able to separate himself from the other. Both players rushed for 45 yards, and Jennings continued to dominate work in the passing game. This is a backfield split right down the middle with the Giants waiting for someone to take charge. Jennings being an excellent blocker will always keep him on the field, but until he starts getting more consistent TD production or starts getting the bulk of the carries, this is a backfield to avoid. The Lions are no pushover against the run, either; they have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing backs this season. As it has been for most of the season, this is a backfield to avoid on Sunday.

Saints @ Cardinals - Sunday 12/18 @4:05 PM EST

Matchups We Love

David Johnson (RB, ARI)

This matchup is perfect for David Johnson to show off his skills as a runner and receiver. The Saints have given up the seventh-most fantasy points and the fourth-most receiving yards to the RB position. Johnson currently leads the league with 1,830 all-purpose yards, fueled by his league-leading 69 receptions among running backs. He has been an absolute force all season long, and will continue to do so against a very beatable defense at home.

Matchups We Hate

Brandin Cooks (WR, NO)

Cooks is in the midst of another fine season, even if he didn’t take the next step forward stat-wise that fantasy owners hoped for this season. Over the past four weeks, he leads the team with 27 targets, including one game where he was not targeted at all. Brees will not force the ball to any one receiver, but when Cooks is open, he will look his way more often than any other Saints receiver. Unfortunately for Cooks this week, it looks like Patrick Peterson is going to be shadowing him. Peterson has held Julio Jones, Stefon Diggs, and plenty of other top wideouts to minimal fantasy days. Brees has already shown us once this season that if Cooks isn’t open, he won’t force anything that way and the offense will still be fine. Cooks is a risky play this week in the playoffs, but he is always capable of beating a defense deep. He is a high-ceiling, low-floor dice roll WR2.

Mark Ingram (RB, NO)

After a 146-yard rushing performance against the Rams, Ingram has rushed for a combined 51 yards over the past two weeks. It’s not that Tim Hightower is doing better and taking carries, the Saints just haven’t been in a good position to run the ball. They have lost the past two games while trailing for the majority of the time. Ingram has made a bigger impact in the receiving game than Hightower, but the impact has been minimal. A victim of game flow, Ingram will be a risky play this week. Not to mention Arizona has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards and the fewest receiving yards to running backs, and are fresh off limiting Jay Ajayi to 2.4 YPC last week.

Notable Players

Larry Fitzgerald (WR, ARI)

Carson Palmer struggled mightily against the Dolphins' defense last week, completing only 55% of his passes for 145 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Fitz led the team in targets with nine, but caught only three of them for 12 yards. He is fourth in the league in targets and second with 91 receptions this season. Moving to the slot has done wonders for the veteran over the past two seasons, and is now on pace to catch the most passes in his career. Against a Saints defense who has given up the sixth most receiving yards to WR this season, Fitz should have a huge impact in this game. Michael Floyd being released helps John Brown and J.J. Nelson more than Fitz, so don’t expect his role to change much in this offense. As long as Palmer brings his A game, though, expect a big day from No. 11.

Michael Thomas (WR, NO)

Thomas was a late scratch from the game last week after being limited in practice all week with a foot injury. He would not have played at 100%, so the rest was justified and he should be ready to roll this week. With Patrick Peterson locked in on Cooks, Thomas should receive plenty of looks from Brees as the next-best receiving option. He and Willie Snead won’t have it easy against a tough pass defense, but the Saints will need to pass often to keep up with Arizona. Expect double-digit targets for Thomas and hopefully a touchdown. He will be a strong WR2 play in fantasy this week, even with Brees passing on the road.

49ers @ Falcons - Sunday 12/18 @4:05 PM EST

Matchups We Love

Devonta Freeman (RB, ATL)

After scoring four touchdowns over the previous two games, Freeman put up a hugely disappointing line when fantasy owners needed him most. He rushed six times for six yards in the Falcons' blowout win over the Rams. After getting up early, the starters were rested in the fourth quarter. He was out-touched and out-gained by Tevin Coleman and Terron Ward. Freeman should be able to right the ship against a 49ers defense giving up the most fantasy points to the running back position by a wide margin. Expect Coleman and Ward to be in the mix, but this is still Freeman’s backfield, even after last week’s anomaly.

Carlos Hyde (RB, SF)

Right up there with the 49ers are the Falcons, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. While they have allowed the seventh-fewest rushing yards, they have allowed the most receiving yards to opposing running backs this season. Hyde is one of the few backs in the league who is unaffected by game flow, which is important since the Falcons will likely put up points in abundance against this weak defense. Hyde is coming off of his best game of the season against the Jets, rushing 17 times for an impressive 193 yards, including a seven-yard reception TD. Over the past four weeks he is averaging 6.3 YPC. Shaun Draughn may steal some work in the passing game, but expect Hyde to be heavily involved from beginning to end.

Matchups We Hate

Mohamed Sanu (WR, ATL)

Mohamed Sanu missed last week’s game with a groin injury, but is expected to return this week despite being limited in practice all week. Sanu hasn’t had the season many had hoped when he earned the No. 2 WR spot in Atlanta; he has averaged four receptions for 43 yards per game with only three total touchdowns this season. His biggest game was a nine-reception, 84-yard effort in Week 8 while Julio Jones was absent. Since then, however, Taylor Gabriel has emerged as a bigger offensive threat with his big-play ability. Even with Jones expected to be out once again this week, Sanu is a low-upside WR3 at best.

Notable Players

Taylor Gabriel (WR, ATL)

Gabriel played nicely last week without Jones or Sanu, securing 3-of-6 targets for 82 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown reception for his sixth score in the past six games. He isn’t dominating the targets; he tied his season high with six last week. However, he continues to make the most out of his chances and has quietly been one of the better fantasy wideout options over the past several weeks. Jones will likely be out again this week, meaning there are once again plenty of targets to go around for the other receivers. Sanu is expected to return, but his impact on Gabriel will be minimal. Don’t expect a big reception total, but odds are he will break one loose for a huge gain once again.

Jeremy Kerley (WR, SF)

Kerley has been the top option in the passing game this season, catching 48-of-91 targets for 516 yards. His production has been a huge boost for this team, considering he was brought in two weeks before the start of the season. Outside of Hyde, he is the safest bet for production in San Francisco's offense. The Falcons have allowed the 10^th-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season, and last week allowed both Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin to catch seven passes each. With the 49ers needing to pass to keep up with the Falcons' offense, expect plenty of looks to go Kerley’s way.

Patriots @ Broncos - Sunday 12/18 @4:25 PM EST

Matchups We Love

Emmanuel Sanders (WR, DEN)

Sanders has led the team in targets this season, with 128 across 13 games this season. Since their Week 11 bye, he and Demaryius Thomas have a nearly identical amount of targets; Thomas has 34 compared to Sanders’ 33. New England has done well against opposing receivers this season, allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points to the position. Thomas will draw the coverage of Malcolm Butler for most of the game, who is one of the best corners in the league. No. 2 wideouts have managed to do well against the Patriots this year; Quincy Enunwa, Mike Wallace and even Doug Baldwin playing from the slot were able to have good games against this defense recently. With the run game failing, expect a high number of passing attempts once again. Expect Sanders to out-perform Thomas this week based on the matchup at hand.

LeGarrette Blount (RB, NE)

No one can predict who this Patriots offense will flow through outside of Brady week to week, but one constant this season has been the play of LeGarrette Blount. The veteran has been the most consistent Patriots RB all season, even with his lack of usage in the passing game. He is fifth in the league in rushing with 1,029 yards, along with a league-leading 14 rushing touchdowns. He has shown no signs of slowing down this season, and with the secondary of Denver as elite as it is it could lead to more rushing attempts than normal for Blount. The one area this Broncos defense isn’t elite is their run defense. Last week DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry ran for a combined 4.1 YPC against them, and on the season they have allowed the 11^th-most fantasy points to the RB position.

Matchups We Hate

Devontae Booker (RB, DEN)

The Broncos' running game has fallen off a cliff since C.J. Anderson was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Devontae Booker excelled in a limited role, but since being given the full-time gig, he has failed to live up to the expectations. After a five-week span over which he averaged 2.8 YPC, the team brought in Justin Forsett to help carry the load. Forsett out-touched Booker last week, though neither back was effective behind that poor offensive line. New England has given up the ninth-fewest fantasy points to opposing backs this season, but have allowed the second-most receiving yards to the position. It’s anyone’s guess who will make the bigger impact of the two this week, but regardless this is a situation to avoid if at all possible.

Julian Edelman (WR, NE)

Edelman has seen a huge spike in his production since the loss of Rob Gronkowski. Over the past four weeks, he has seen an average of nearly 14 targets per game, turning those into eight receptions for 84 yards per contest. Even with the Brady-to-Edelman connection firing on all cylinders, this is a matchup to avoid if possible on Sunday. The Broncos have been dominant against opposing wideouts, limiting them to the lowest amount of receptions, yards and touchdowns in the entire league. Their secondary is elite, headlined by Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. One of those elite corners will be covering Edelman, which will force Brady to look elsewhere. Brady has no problem spreading the ball around, so if this secondary can bottle up Edelman like they have plenty of other top receivers this season, then his fantasy impact will be minimal in Week 15.

Notable Players

Martellus Bennett (TE, NE)

Bennett, on the other hand, has not hit his stride yet since the loss of Gronk. Last week, he posted his best performance in the past four games, catching all four of his targets for 70 yards and a TD. In the three games prior, he averaged two receptions for 13 yards per game. Bennett has a crazy high ceiling for a TE, but his floor is also very low given how this offense operates. Denver has allowed the 10^th-fewest fantasy points to the position this season, and just finished limiting Delanie Walker to two catches for 30 yards. Bennett is an unpredictable option this week against a stout defense.

Raiders @ Chargers - Sunday 12/18 @4:25 PM EST

Matchups We Love

Latavius Murray (RB, OAK)

Murray is fresh off his second 100-yard game in his past five games, with 22 rushes for 103 yards and a TD last week against the Chiefs. Over the past three weeks, he is averaging 20 carries for 77 yards and a TD per game against some tough run defenses (Carolina, Buffalo, Kansas City). This Chargers defense is nothing like those teams; they have given up the 10^th-most fantasy points to the RB position this season. Last time these two teams met, Murray was out of the game, but Raiders running backs combined for 23 carries for 76 yards and a TD, along with a whopping 12 receptions for 97 yards. With Murray now locked in as the lead back, expect a huge game with a TD or two in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair.

Amari Cooper (WR, OAK)

When these two teams met in Week 5, Amari Cooper led both teams in receiving, securing 6-of-12 targets for 138 yards and a TD in the Raiders' victory. Since the team’s bye week, however, Cooper has seen his production take a dip. He is second on the team in targets behind Michael Crabtree, and has averaged only four receptions for 42 yards over the past four weeks. He does have two of his four total touchdowns over that span, but more is expected from Cooper. This will be the week he gets back on track. The Chargers have given up the 10^th-fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers this season, and the past two times Cooper has faced them he has been dominant, in Week 5 and Week 6 last season (five catches for 133 yards and a TD). The pass defense has improved of late, but Cooper has their number.

Tyrell Williams (WR, SD)

The most consistent WR in the Chargers' offense will be a great play this week against Oakland. Williams got his four-game TD streak snapped last week, as the offense sputtered in the loss to Carolina. Since their Week 11 bye, he leads the team in targets with 23. When he faced this team in Week 5, he was one of two Chargers wideouts to surpass the century mark, catching 5-of-6 targets for 117 yards and a TD. Expect another big game from Williams against an Oakland defense that gives up the 12^th-most fantasy points to the WR position. Ted Ginn and Tyreek Hill have had big games against this team recently, and Williams is a more talented option than both of those players. Expect WR1 production this week from Williams.

Matchups We Hate

Antonio Gates (TE, SD)

With the touchdown record in sight, the Rivers-to-Gates connection will be in full force over these final three weeks. However, Oakland has been solid at defending opposing tight ends since the bye week. Greg Olsen and Charles Clay were both bottled up for minimal fantasy days in back-to-back weeks, though the red-hot Travis Kelce got them for 101 yards last week. Gates used to be what Kelce is now, but at this stage in his career he needs a ton of targets to have a big game like that. He has only topped 65 receiving yards once this season. Gates will be a TD-dependent TE this week, and will lose some chances to Hunter Henry as usual.

Notable Players

Kenneth Farrow (RB, SD)

With Melvin Gordon unlikely to return this week, it’s going to be the Kenneth Farrow and Ronnie Hillman show on Sunday. Farrow will draw the start and the majority of the snaps, much like he did last week. Filling in for Gordon, Farrow ran 16 times for 55 yards, while catching all six of his targets for 23 yards. While he did miss some of his assignments in pass-protecting situations, he showed he can be an OK fill-in and is capable of doing damage in the receiving game. If he receives a similar number of touches this week against Oakland, he could be in for a solid game. He is no lock for production, but if you own Gordon, Farrow is a great one week fill in in a juicy matchup.

Buccaneers @ Cowboys - Sunday 12/18 @8:30 PM EST

Matchups We Love

Mike Evans (WR, TB)

The league leader in targets is on his least productive two-game stretch of the season. Over the past two weeks, Evans has caught 7-of-14 targets for only 80 yards with no trips to the end zone. Against the Chargers' and Saints' defenses, more was expected from him. He is still a matchup nightmare for defenses given his size and his connection with Jameis Winston. The Cowboys just allowed Odell Beckham to get 94 yards and a TD last week, and before that were dominated by DeSean Jackson. Against a beatable secondary, continue to play Evans with confidence even with the minor slip in production of late.

Matchups We Hate

Doug Martin (RB, TB)

This is going to be a difficult game for these running backs. Martin still hasn’t quite found his groove since returning from injury; he only has one game since his return with a YPC over 2.9. Last week he rushed 23 times for 66 yards, including two receptions for 19 yards. Charles Sims returned last week, and although his impact was minimal initially he is going to take more passing down work from Martin as the weeks go on. Sims is a PPR asset even with a healthy Martin on the field, as we saw last season. With Martin still not running as effectively as he can and losing touches to Sims (and maybe Jacquizz Rodgers this week); he makes for a risky play. He gets enough touches to be relevant, but his ineffectiveness leaves fantasy playoff teams in a tough spot.

Ezekiel Elliott (RB, DAL)

Zeke still leads the league in rushing with a whopping 1,392 yards, over 250 yards more than the next closest rusher. Last week, Elliott ran for 107 yards on 24 carries, but could not reach the end zone in the 10-7 loss to the Giants. The top offensive line in the league will keep Elliott as a top-tier option the rest of the year, but unless Dak Prescott can pick his game back up this offense may be in some trouble. The Buccaneers have done well against the run of late, limiting Melvin Gordon, Thomas Rawls and Mark Ingram to mediocre rushing performances over the past three weeks. Elliott is a near lock for over 90 yards and a score given his offensive line play, making him an RB1 this week. This matchup won’t make things easy for him though this week.

Notable Players

Cameron Brate (TE, TB)

The Buccaneers haven’t had anyone keep up alongside Mike Evans this season, but Brate has done his best job as the next best receiving option. Last week he caught 4-of-5 targets for a team-leading 47 yards in the win over New Orleans. Over the past three weeks he has seen 19 targets, turning those into 14 receptions for 182 yards and a TD. With the Cowboys' secondary focusing in on Evans, Brate should be able to find room to operate against a defense giving up the ninth most fantasy points to the TE position this season. He offers more upside and a higher floor than your average TE, making him a safe fantasy play this weekend.

Dez Bryant (WR, DAL)

Last week Bryant posted his worst game of the season, catching only one of a team-leading nine targets for 10 yards. Dak Prescott played his worst game of the season, looking inaccurate and lost at times against the Giants defense. Prescott will need to pick his game up for Dez to be able to make an impact; he relies on one or two big plays a game for the majority of his fantasy production. The Bucs have limited Tyrell Williams, Brandin Cooks and Doug Baldwin to only decent games over the past three weeks, meaning this game will be no cake walk for Bryant and the gang. He is once again a high-ceiling, low-floor play this week.