Week 15 looks extremely appealing from a fantasy perspective, as we have another instance of a five-game schedule, while the majority of the rest of the teams are on four-game weeks. There aren't any teams saddled with two-game ledgers, either, while some noteworthy injuries across the league continue to create opportunities for a number of players.
Each week, we'll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates at each position for your fantasy rosters who may shape up as some tougher calls of the week to make, focusing on players with a start or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues.
Likewise, we'll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position who would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, often focusing on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.
TEAM WITH FIVE GAMES: Chicago Bulls
TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors
Start/Sit Decisions for Week 15
Guards
Start: CJ McCollum, Hawks 
21% start rate
McCollum has quickly adapted to his new Hawks digs, and with Trae Young being shipped off in
Week 15 looks extremely appealing from a fantasy perspective, as we have another instance of a five-game schedule, while the majority of the rest of the teams are on four-game weeks. There aren't any teams saddled with two-game ledgers, either, while some noteworthy injuries across the league continue to create opportunities for a number of players.
Each week, we'll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates at each position for your fantasy rosters who may shape up as some tougher calls of the week to make, focusing on players with a start or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues.
Likewise, we'll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position who would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, often focusing on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.
TEAM WITH FIVE GAMES: Chicago Bulls
TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards
TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors
Start/Sit Decisions for Week 15
Guards
Start: CJ McCollum, Hawks
21% start rate
McCollum has quickly adapted to his new Hawks digs, and with Trae Young being shipped off in the same transaction that brought him to Atlanta, the former is seeing consistent minutes off the bench behind Dyson Daniels. After a modest 12-point showing in his Hawks debut back on Jan. 11, McCollum has averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds across 27 minutes over his subsequent six contests, hitting or eclipsing the 20-point mark on three occasions. He should continue to enjoy a secure role in Week 15, when he'll have a chance to take the floor on four occasions overall.
Start: Cam Spencer, Grizzlies 
24% start rate
Ja Morant is set for another multi-week absence, with an elbow injury the culprit this time around. That once again opens up an extended starting opportunity for Spencer, who's averaged 12.3 points, 9.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds in his first 11 turns with the first unit this season. The second-year guard generated a 21-point, 11-assist double-double that also included five rebounds and a block in the first game of his current run with the starting five Friday, offering a glimpse of what he might be able to offer your roster during Memphis' upcoming four-game schedule.
ALSO CONSIDER: Grayson Allen, Suns (33% start rate)
Sit: Darius Garland, Cavaliers 
48% start rate
Garland enters Week 15 already having missed five consecutive absences due to a toe sprain. The veteran guard could potentially play later into Cleveland's four-game Week 15 schedule, since he's scheduled to be reevaluated during the first half of the week. Nevertheless, at least two more absences appear likely for Garland, making him an unappealing option due to lack of opportunity.
Forwards
Start: Matas Buzelis, Bulls 
33% start rate
Buzelis is our five-game-week player, as the Bulls will embark on a very busy Week 15 that will include three games against the fast-paced Heat to close out the scoring period. The second-year forward is enjoying a breakout season and comes into Week 15 with plenty of momentum, as he's averaging 17.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 blocks across 29.6 minutes per game over the 13 contests he's played since New Year's Eve. There isn't a category the versatile 2024 first-round pick can't help bolster, making him a very appealing proposition with such robust opportunity ahead of him.
Start: Kon Knueppel, Hornets 
30% start rate
Knueppel has been featured in this space before this season, and he once again merits mention as the Hornets get ready to play out a four-game week that includes potential high-scoring matchups against the 76ers, Grizzlies and Mavericks. In addition to his usual scoring contributions, Knueppel has been more active on the glass recently, averaging 7.8 rebounds alongside 17.8 points (on 48.7% shooting, including 39.5% from behind the arc) and 3.0 assists per contest over his last six games. If the recent upswing persists, he has a chance to offer your roster a nice boost in multiple categories in game environments that should be conducive to more robust, well-balanced performances.
ALSO CONSIDER: Andrew Wiggins, Heat (47% start rate)
Sit: Franz Wagner, Magic 
58% start rate
Wagner retains his Sit designation this week, as the talented forward appears to have aggravated the ankle injury that had led to an absence of just over a month. After appearing in both of Orlando's games in Europe against the Grizzlies, Wagner has logged two straight absences and has already been ruled out for Monday's game against Cleveland, so there's already a guarantee of a shortened week and the possibility of multiple absences.
Centers
Start: Onyeka Okongwu, Hawks
32% start rate
Okongwu continues to see a lion's share of minutes at center during the ongoing absence of Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles), who's already confirmed as out for Monday's game against the Pacers. Okongwu's last 15 games offer a representative snapshot of what he's typically capable of offering, as he's averaging 17.6 points (on 40.7% 3-point shooting), 8.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals across 33.3 minutes in his contest. Okongwu has four 20-plus-point efforts and a pair of double-doubles in that sample as well, so his upside on a four-game week that Porzingis could well miss the entirety of is clear.
Start: Jusuf Nurkic, Jazz 
35% start rate
Nurkic has put on several performances that have been reminiscent of his stellar seasons in Portland, churning out a trio of triple-doubles over his last four games while averaging 17.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 10.3 assists across 30.8 minutes over the entirety of that span. The big man has actually been on a longer stretch of productive play that dates back to Dec. 22, and on the season, he's recording a career-high 5.0 assists while also boasting his best figure in steals (1.3) since the 2019-20 campaign. The Jazz are frequently involved in fast-paced, high-scoring games due to their defensive deficiencies, and Nurkic has become a reliable source of scoring rebounding while Lauri Markkanen continues to log plenty of absences due to an assortment of issues.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jock Landale, Grizzlies (22% roster rate)
Sit: Mark Williams, Suns 
49% start rate
Williams has certainly had his moments during his Suns debut campaign, but he's also seen his fair share of downturns that have been hard to predict. Williams has three single-digit scoring performances in his last six games, and he has 15 such tallies overall across 41 contests. The veteran has a quartet of relatively unappealing matchups in the coming week, as the slow-paced Nets, the defensively savvy Pistons, the Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen and the Clippers' Ivica Zubac are on the docket. Williams' minutes also see some drops from time to time, so he's a risky candidate to roll with given all the circumstances.
