Footballguys Fantasy Football Show: Week 15 Rankings, Sleepers, and Busts (Fantasy Football 2025)

Date: December 12, 2025
Hosts: Alfredo Brown & Dave Kluge
Episode Focus: Deep dive into Week 15 fantasy football running back and wide receiver rankings, sleepers, potential busts, and must-watch lineup decisions for your playoff run.

Episode Overview

Alfredo and Dave team up in this playoff premium episode to meticulously dissect their running back and wide receiver rankings for Week 15. The duo focuses on critical start/sit decisions, tier-by-tier surprises, and how breaking news and player injuries should impact managers’ lineups heading into the fantasy football semifinals. The show captures both expert analysis and the relatable chaos every fantasy player encounters in December.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Setting the Stage: Playoff Mentality and Decision-Making

• Playoff Rosters Still Have Tough Choices

  • Even the best squads face true dilemmas in high-stakes weeks. Injuries and new information can shake up assumed “safe” lineups.
  • Recording later in the week helps incorporate latest injury news—for example, CeeDee Lamb’s unexpected return to practice makes the WR6–9 range tricky to parse.
    [06:25]

• Flexibility Is the Key

  • “We know you guys have really good rosters. That's why you're in the playoffs. But even teams with really good rosters have some tough decisions to make.” — Alfredo [05:10]

Running Back Tiers: Surprises, Busts, and Critical Starts

Tier 1: RBs 1–13 (Elite/Auto-Starts & Key Question Marks)

• Most are Set-and-Forget: Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, Jameer Gibbs, etc.
• Josh Jacobs Watch—Injury Uncertainty
  • Latest update mirrors the earlier Packers incident: Jacobs said he'd play, but didn't.
  • Upcoming matchup vs. Denver’s D is tough, so Jacobs is downgraded (RB11/RB12 consensus).
• Pivot: Emmanuel Wilson
  • If Jacobs sits, Wilson instantly becomes top-15 RB material:

    “Emmanuel Wilson, for me, would fall in at RB15, right behind Travion Henderson… But if Emmanuel Wilson had to step into this role, then we're looking at a lesser talent still with a tough matchup on the road.” — Dave [08:01]

  • Still, he’s an “auto start” RB2 if volume is there.
  • Action: Watch news up to kickoff; Wilson is a better floor play than a ceiling one this week versus Denver.

Tier 2: RBs 14–21 (Rising Rookies, Workload Shifts, and Risky Starters)

• Caution with Ashton Jeanty
  • Offense is bleak, OL is rough, and now Kenny Pickett under center offers little hope.

    “Why he's so hobbled? It's because the offensive line is terrible. Now you give Kenny Picket that same terrible offensive line. I have to imagine it's actually worse.” — Alfredo [11:33]

  • Managers are losing faith; both hosts rank Jeanty as barely an RB2/3 for playoff matchups.
• Quinshon Judkins Bump
  • With Jerome Ford done for the year, Chicago game shapes as a smash spot for volume on the ground—even with Judkins’ usual pass-game limitations.

    “Now with Jerome Ford on IR, I wonder if we start to see that [passing-down] role expand a little bit… This is a game where they might just want to keep the ball on the ground and just give him 25, 30 touches.” — Dave [14:34]

• Woody Marks: “Sneaky RB1 Case”
  • 28 touches last week, great matchup, no Nick Chubb, and a rookie fresh with legs. Both hosts rank Marks top-20 (Dave: RB16; Alfredo: RB19). [16:55]

Tier 3: RBs 22–29 (Split Backfields, Risky Upside)

• Omarion Hampton & Kamani Vidal
  • Both involved due to injuries & HC/OC tendencies. 70/30 split is likely, capping Hampton’s ceiling. [19:01–21:05]
• Rico Dowdle & Chuba Hubbard (Carolina)
  • Both are RB3-ish desperation starts; neither excites but matchup vs. Saints is forgiving.

    “I'm fine with them because of the fact that it's a good, it's a, it's a decent matchup... probably a guy you have to plug in as an RB2.” — Alfredo [23:52]

• Tyrone Tracy, with near workhorse usage when healthy, sees a volume-driven floor despite only modest “wow” production.

Tier 4 & "Break Glass in Case of Emergency"

• David Montgomery, Blake Corum, and Tony Pollard—all “desperation” starts, with usage the only argument for flexing them.
• Kenneth Gainwell (noted as a surprising safe floor in PPR due to consistent targets and some goal-line work; “RB6 in fantasy over the last month” — Dave [33:08])

Wide Receiver Tiers: Tier-by-Tier Breakdown

Tier 1: WRs 1–9 (Studs + Clarifications)

• CeeDee Lamb Stays Top 6 If Active

  “If he's playing, he's playing. So I've got him one spot ahead of George Pickens… But wide receiver six? I mean, he's a no brainer start if he's active.” — Dave [36:57]

  • No risk of decoy status with concussion protocols—full-go if cleared. [36:45–37:16]

Tier 2: WRs 10–20 (Former Elites with “Trust” Issues)

• Justin Jefferson: Floor is Scary Low
  • WR54 pace without Carson Wentz. One catch for 16 yards is not just a possibility, but has happened. Hosts urge managers to set expectations accordingly—but don’t outright bench him unless you have surging alternatives.

    “The floor is one catch for 16 yards. Like we've seen it this year. You just gotta kind of take your medicine and put them in your lineup and hope for the best.” — Dave [39:17]

  • If you have Jacoby Myers, Michael Wilson? Reasonable to play them over Jefferson. [42:15]
• Jacoby Myers: Chemistry with Lawrence
  • Three TDs in last three games, “everything this offense has needed”, and a must-start PPR Flex with top-20 upside.

Tier 3: WRs 21–30 (Flex Options, Matchup Sleepers)

• Ameka Egbuka: Trending Down with Drops, Usage
  • Reduced slot work, heavy target competition limits upside from earlier in the season; “not a must-start WR2 anymore.” — Alfredo [45:47]
• Christian Watson/Jayden Reed (Packers)
  • Watson has touchdown upside, but faces Pat Surtain (DEN) in shadow coverage—big risk for a dud.
  • Reed a sneaky “slot” buy against Denver; both best viewed as flexes, with Reed more trustworthy in Week 15.

Tier 4 & Beyond: WR31–45 ("Play If Desperate")

• Colts Wideouts—Contingent on QB clarity (Rivers vs. Leonard). Pittman and Tyler Warren are the only trustable options if Rivers starts.

  “If I had to think of who I'm comfortable starting from this Colts offense, it'll still be Jonathan Taylor...and Tyler Warren...” — Alfredo [50:43]

• Ricky Pearsall—Deep league desperation dart. Healthy off bye, coaching staff has had extra time to scheme him in; “If there was a week for it to happen… it's a good matchup.” — Alfredo [55:45]

• Mike Evans, DJ Moore, Jerry Jeudy—Once must-starts, now fading fast; name value shouldn’t dictate playoff lineups.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you're looking to start [Tony Pollard], I simply wouldn't. I know he had himself a big game. I don't love this matchup. Going up against San Francisco... I kind of see that being a game where San Francisco can be up by three touchdowns and it totally game scripts Tony Pollard out of that.” — Alfredo [31:18]
• “Start your studs? There are guys who just on name value alone should probably not be in your starting lineup.” — Alfredo [57:23]
• “I've still got him [Ricky Pearsall] in so many leagues...I want to think that like if he can come out and show a sign of life in this game that maybe we can feel good over the next two weeks.” — Dave [54:45]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Start of Show / Playoff Philosophy — [05:07]
• Top RB Tiers & The Josh Jacobs Dilemma — [06:43]
• Tier 2 RBs: Jeanty, Judkins, Woody Marks — [10:42–18:33]
• Tier 3–4 RBs: Backfield Splits & “Dart Throws” — [19:01–35:28]
• WR Tiers 1–2: “Start Your Studs?” (CeeDee, Jefferson, Myers) — [36:15–43:37]
• Tier 3+ WRs: Egbuka, Packers WRs, Colts Uncertainty — [45:47–53:25]
• Endgame: Ricky Pearsall, Avoiding “Name Value” Traps — [54:13–57:23]

Playoff Takeaways & Final Thoughts

• Depth matters. There are more viable RBs and WRs in unfamiliar uniforms and roles than ever before—the hosts repeatedly urge openness to benching underperformers for hot hands.
• “Trust the trends, not the names”—at this stage, recent opportunity trumps early-season expectations or legacy value.
• Monitor late-breaking news (especially RB injury pivots), and don’t be afraid to make bold, uncomfortable moves in pursuit of the trophy.

Good luck in your fantasy football semifinals! For the latest updates, check the Footballguys rankings and return for the Week 16 Waiver Wire Show next Tuesday.