SNF Start 'Em Sit 'Em Week 15 Ravens vs Jaguars: Odell Beckham Jr, Calvin Ridley in the spotlight for fantasy football

Week 15 of the 2023 fantasy football season features an important Sunday Night Football showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars. Both teams currently lead their divisions and rank among the top AFC teams in the NFL playoff picture. This outcome will be crucial in determining the No. 1 seed in the conference at the conclusion of the regular-season.

This is also an extremely improtant game for fantasy football with the 2023 playoffs kicking off this week. Managers will need to make sure their lineups are fully maximized this week as a loss will likely end their season instantly. The Jaguars and Ravens have two of the best offenses in the NFL this year, so they each feature plenty of relevant lineup options.

Sunday Night Football Week 15 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em fantasy football

Week 15 SNF RBs

As a result of being two of the top teams in the NFL this season, the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars both feature plenty of useful fantasy football players. Like all options each week, most of them must be carefuly analyzed and weighed against the rest of field before being placed into lineups. With few exceptions, blindly starting any players is often a losing strategy.

Determining which fantasy players to target in any game is based on a large number of variables. Some of these include recent individual performances, injuries to relevant players, potential game scripts, expected offensive roles, direct weekly matchups, and projected team totals. This helps to pinpoint the most favorable lineup options, and in turn, produce the highest possible weekly scores.

This process can be extensive and complicated, but the Start/Sit Optimizer makes it much easier. This useful tool considers all of the factors for any player in a given week to generate line-up suggestions and fantasy projections. Managers who take advantage of it often gain an edge over the rest of their league, which can make a huge difference during the 2023 fantasy football playoffs.

Official injury reports are always another important factor when making lineup decisions for fantasy players in any game. For this particular Sunday Night Football showdown, both teams will enter the contest relatively healthy, with the exception of players who have already been placed on the injured reserve list.

The Ravens have been without JK Dobbins for most of the 2023 NFL season. Therefore, they have already adjusted to featuring Gus Edwards and Keaton Mitchell in their backfield. They also recently lost Mark Andrews, who has been replaced by Isaiah Likely in recent weeks.

The Jaguras recently received devastating news when they were forced to place Christian Kirk on the injured reserve list. This is also terrible timing for managers in the fantasy football playoffs, as he has been a WR2 lineup staple all season long. In his absence, Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones are likely to see an increase in their weekly targets.

Taking all of this and much more into careful consideration, here is a list of potential players to target and avoid in Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season. It can be a useful reference when setting lineups for the first round of the fantasy playoffs.

SNF Week 15 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Picks

#1 Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson is one of the rare quarterbacks who must be started every week, regardless of his matchup. He is a weekly top-five value for the position with his elite dual-threat attack. The fact the Jaguars allow the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks is just another added bonus to his massive upside.

#2 Travis Etienne

Travis Etienne will need to overcome a challenging matchup against the Ravens' top-ranked defense. Among their many impressive rankings, they allow the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. Etienne has still been too good to bench this year, ranking among the top five running backs five times this season.

#3 Odell Beckham Jr

Odell Beckham Jr has seen a recent surge in fantasy football after an extremely slow start to the 2023 season. He has ranked among the top 20 wide receivers in four of his past five games after failing to do so in any of the first eight weeks of the season. His stock is currently on the rise and it is just in time for him to be a useful option during the 2023 fantasy football playoffs.

#4 Zay Flowers

Zay Flowers has received consistently reliable volume all season long, significantly contributing to his overall fantasy football value, especially in PPR leagues. He is averaging five receptions on seven targets per game this year and has also finished among the top eight wide receivers in each of the past two weeks. He is an excellent lineup option against the Jaguars' bottom-ten passing defense.

#5 Calvin Ridley

Calvin Ridley has been a frustrating fantasy football wide receiver this year as he has been dangerously inconsistent. His upside still keeps him in most lineups in most weeks. His last four games demonstrate his polarizing results, including two top-ten finishes and ranking outside of the top 36 in the other two. With his volume expected to increase with Christian Kirk unavailable, he is difficult to leave on the bench, but he also comes with plent of risk against the Ravens' strong defense.

#6 Evan Engram

Evan Engram has quietly been one of the most consistent tight ends during the 2023 fantasy football season in a position that lacks reliable options. He has ranked among the top ten tight ends in seven of his 13 games this year in PPR leagues. Despite the Ravens allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to the position, Engram has proven he can be trusted in fantasy football.

#7 Isaiah Likely

Isaiah Likely demonstrated his massive upside last week filling in for the injured Mark Andrews. He finished as the TE4 in overall fantasy scoring and set season-highs in just about every statistical category. The Jaguars allow the fourth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, making Likely a solid choice.

SNF Week 15 Fantasy Football Sit 'Em Picks

#1 Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence has recently caught fire in fantasy football following a disappointing start to the 2023 season. He has finished among the top 12 quarterbacks in six of his past eight games, making him a QB1 on most rosters. He is still better off faded in Week 15 against a brutal Ravens defense that allows the third-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

#2 Gus Edwards

Gus Edwards emerged as one of the most consistent fantasy running backs a few weeks ago, finishing among the top six in standard scoring four times in a five-game stretch. He has cooled off considerably since then, finishing outside of the top 40 in each of his past two games. The Jaguars rank in the top half of the NFL in limiting fantasy production to running backs, so Edwards should be avoided this week.

#3 Keaton Mitchell

Keaton Mitchell also faces a difficult matchup against the Jaguars' solid run defense. He has flashed his upside this year, finishing among the top 20 running backs in three of his past five games. However, his unreliable volume makes him too risky to start. He has only exceeded ten touches once this season.

#4 Zay Jones

Zay Jones has recorded ten receptions on 22 targets across his past two games, proving he can be a high-volume option without Christian Kirk in the Jaguars' lineup. He can be streamed in the right situations, but Week 15 is not one of them. The Ravens are allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to his position this season.