RADIO
Week 15 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Matthew Stafford, D'Andre Swift, Bijan Robinson, DK Metcalf, and Isaiah Likely.
Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely outcomes, they are things I believe could happen this week.
Let’s look at my five bold predictions for Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
Matthew Stafford…
Is the QB1 against the Washington Commanders
Fantasy players have seen a drastically different-looking Stafford over the past few weeks. The veteran started the year slow. He was the QB21 over the first 11 weeks, averaging one passing touchdown and 14.4 fantasy points per game. Stafford had more than one passing touchdown in only one contest while scoring fewer than 17 fantasy points in every matchup. However, he has been on fire lately.
The Los Angeles Rams star has been the QB3, averaging 23.7 fantasy points, 267.3 passing yards, and 3.3 touchdowns per game over the past three weeks. He has completed 63.1% of his pass attempts and posted a 10-1 touchdown to interception ratio during his recent hot streak despite facing two of the top pass defenses in the league.
Stafford faces a Washington defense that has been a fantasy goldmine for opposing passing attacks. They have surrendered 21.5 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, the second-most in the NFL. The Commanders have also given up the most passing touchdowns to quarterbacks, allowing 2.3 per contest. The veteran quarterback has had at least three passing touchdowns and 23 fantasy points in three consecutive games. Expect him to make it four straight on Sunday.
D’Andre Swift…
Is a top-five running back
After having one rushing attempt in Week 1, Swift was a fantasy superstar in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings. He had 28 rushing attempts for 175 yards, one touchdown, and 25.6 half-point PPR fantasy points. The star running back set a season-high in every category and hasn’t come close to breaking them. While he has been productive for most of the year, Swift has struggled the past few weeks.
Since the Philadelphia Eagles' Week 10 bye, the running back is the RB29, averaging 8.5 fantasy points per game. He has scored fewer than 9.1 fantasy points in five of the past seven contests, including three straight. The Eagles have faced multiple elite run defenses. Meanwhile, Swift’s role in the passing game has diminished. After averaging 3.3 receptions per game before the bye, he has only six total over the past four contests.
Thankfully, Swift should have a get-right performance on Monday night. The Seattle Seahawks have surrendered 23 fantasy points per game to running backs this season, the fifth-most in the NFL. They have given up 127 rushing yards per game to running backs over the past seven weeks, surrendering 133 or more in over half of those matchups.
Bijan Robinson…
Has over 25 half-point PPR fantasy points
The Atlanta Falcons used a top-10 pick on Robinson in the 2023 NFL Draft. Yet, Arthur Smith hasn’t made him a featured running back. Thankfully, the rookie has earned enough work over the past few weeks to lock him into the RB1 category for fantasy players. When the Falcons and Carolina Panthers met in Week 1, Robinson had 16 touches for 83 scrimmage yards and 17.3 half-point PPR fantasy points in the win.
Meanwhile, he has been the RB5 on a points-per-game basis since Week 10, averaging 17.4 fantasy points per game. The rookie has scored 17 or more in three of four contests, including last week against an elite Tampa Bay Buccaneers run defense. Robinson’s career high in fantasy points came in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints after totaling 123 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 19 opportunities.
After facing multiple talented run defenses over the past few weeks, the former Texas superstar has an excellent fantasy matchup on Sunday against the Panthers. The NFC South division rivals have surrendered 24.8 fantasy points per game to running backs, the third-most in the NFL. They have given up 32.4 or more fantasy points to opposing running backs in nearly a third of their matchups this season, including in Week 1 to the Falcons.
DK Metcalf…
Is the WR1 against the Philadelphia Eagles
Last year, Metcalf was the WR18, averaging 10.7 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, surprising everyone in Geno Smith’s first year as the starting quarterback. The star wide receiver is the WR17 for the season, averaging 12.8 fantasy points per game in 2023. However, he has been an up-and-down wide receiver for fantasy players, scoring fewer than 11 fantasy points in nearly half of the games.
Metcalf had 12.2 fantasy points last week against the San Francisco 49ers, totaling two receptions on five targets for 52 receiving yards and a touchdown before getting ejected from the contest. The star wide receiver has scored 12 or more fantasy points in four of the past five matchups despite facing some talented defenses. He had 134 receiving yards, three touchdowns, and 34.4 fantasy points in Week 13 against the Dallas Cowboys, his last game with Smith under center.
Meanwhile, Metcalf has an outstanding fantasy football matchup on Monday night. The Philadelphia Eagles have surrendered 39.6 fantasy points per game to wide receivers this year, the most in the NFL. Over the past three weeks, wide receivers have averaged 196 receiving yards, 2.7 touchdowns, and 45.4 fantasy points per game against Philadelphia. The last time he faced the Eagles, Metcalf was the WR6 for the week, totaling 177 receiving yards and 22.7 fantasy points.
Isaiah Likely…
Has his second consecutive top-five finish
The Baltimore Ravens will be without superstar tight end Mark Andrews for the foreseeable future because of a leg injury he suffered in the Week 11 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. While Likely had a limited role when Andrews was healthy, the second-year tight end has become a significant part of the team’s offense.
After scoring zero fantasy points against the Bengals, Likely has had nine receptions on 13 targets for 123 receiving yards and a touchdown over the past two contests, totaling 22.8 half-point PPR fantasy points. However, he stepped up for Lamar Jackson in a back-and-forth shootout against the Los Angeles Rams, scoring 16.8 fantasy points, including a 54-yard receiving touchdown.
While some will argue the tight end had a massive fantasy performance because of the touchdown, Likely finished second on the team in routes run (45) and receiving yards market share (26.3%), per Fantasy Points Data. This week, he faces a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that has surrendered 11.2 fantasy points per game to tight ends, the fifth-most in the NFL. Last week, David Njoku ripped apart the Jaguars for 91 receiving yards, two touchdowns, and 24.1 fantasy points in the win.
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
Win More With RotoBaller
Be sure to also check out all of our other daily fantasy football articles and analysis to help you set those winning lineups, including this new RotoBaller YouTube video:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
