MNF Start 'Em Sit 'Em Week 15 Eagles vs Seahawks: DK Metcalf, DeVonta Smith in the spotlight for fantasy football

Week 15 of the 2023 fantasy football season concludes with a Monday Night Football showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks. This represents an important matchup for the NFL playoff picture with both teams having plenty to play for. The Eagles are still trying to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while the Seahawks are battling for a Wild Card spot.

This particular game will also be extremely important in the landscape of the 2023 fantasy football playoffs, which begin this week in most leagues. With this being the final game of the week, managers will need to make sure they start and sit the proper options to solidify a victory and advance to the second round. The following breakdown can help them do so.

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

Week 15 MNF RBs

Monday Night Football will always be one of the most important fantasy football games of every week because it is the last one. Results from this game each each week will often determine the winners and losers from many fantasy matchups. With the playoffs kicking off in Week 15, this will be more important than ever, as a losing team is likely to be officially eliminated from championship contention.

In order to maximize final fantasy scores, managers must assess all of their potential options before finalizing their lineups. The highest-scoring lineups often feature the players in the best weekly situations, not necessarily the best overall players. Each week should be treated independently when deciding who to start, especially during the playoffs.

Determining which players to target and fade from a particular matchup 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.They all play a major role in weekly projections.

This process can sometimes be complicated, but using the Start/Sit Optimizer makes navigating it much easier. This useful tool considers all of the variables for any players in a given week to generate lineup suggestions and fantasy projections. Managers who take full advantage of it often gain an edge over their leagues.

Official injury reports are always another important factor when finalizing lineup decisions for fantasy players in any game. For this particular showdown on Monday Night Football, both teams are currently expected to have all of their usual offensive weapons available. This means that Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles will also be available for fantasy football lineups.

This doesn't necessarily mean that all of them should be started in Week 15, though this MNF contest appears relatively favorable for fantasy scoring. Here are the options that makes the most sense as potential starts and sits for fantasy football lineups this week.

MNF Week 15 Fantasy Football Start 'Em Picks

#1 Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts is one of the rare players who must be started every week in fantasy football, regardless of his individual matchup, due to his elite combination of passing and rushing. He has finished among the top ten quarterbacks in weekly scoring more than any other player this season, making him a lineup lock.

#2 D'Andre Swift

D'Andre Swift has struggled a bit in recent weeks, finishing outside the top 30 running backs in PPR leagues in each of his past three games. Prior to that, he finished inside of the top 15 in seven of his previous nine games. He has a strong chance to get back on track against the Seahawks, who allow the fifth-most fantasy points per game to running backs.

#3 DK Metcalf

DK Metcalf has been the only consistently reliable Seahawks wide receiver in fantasy football this season. While Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have produced varied weekly results, Metcalf leads the team in most receiving categories as their clear WR1. The Eagles allow the most fantasy points per game to his position, so he is an excellent lineup option.

#4 DeVonta Smith

DeVonta Smith has finished among the top 20 wide receivers in PPR leagues in five of his past six games, as well as seven total times during the 2023 fantasy football season. He has an extremely favorable matchup this week against the Seahawks' struggling defensive secondary that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to his position.

#5 AJ Brown

AJ Brown is having a monstrous 2023 fantasy football season, ranking among the top ten wide receivers in most statistical categories on his way to being ranked as the WR4 overall. He is a strong lineup option every week, but could see an additional boost against the Seahawks' weak passing defense.

#6 Tyler Lockett

Tyler Lockett curently ranks as the overall WR32, making him a streaming option at wide receiver when playing in favorable matchups. The Eagles will provide him with exactly that as they are allowing the most fantasy points per game to his position. A potentially high-scoring game is also likely, which could further benefit Lockett.

Dallas Goedert

Dallas Goedert recorded three top-ten finishes among fantasy football tight ends in his last five games before his injury. In his first game back last week, he posted just 30 yards, but should progress forward with another week to fully recover. He is a borderline Week 15 option that can be cautiously started.

MNF Week 15 Fantasy Football Sit 'Em Picks

#1 Geno Smith

Geno Smith exploded for an impressive QB1 finish during his most recent game, but it was only the third time he has ranked among the top ten quarterbacks during the 2023 fantasy football season. This makes him difficult to trust in Week 15 lineups, especially considering the fantasy playoffs are this week.

#2 Kenneth Walker

Kenneth Walker has finished among the top eight running backs four times this year, but has also ranked outside of the top 36 running backs in three of his past four games. His overall fantasy value has decreased now that he shares more of the backfield workload with Zach Charbonnet. He should be faded against the Eagles, who allow the fewest fantasy points per game to his position.

#3 Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba appears to have a bright future in fantasy football, but he hasn't been consistently productive to utilize in Week 15 lineups. He has exceeded four receptions just once in his past six games and hasn't scored a touchdown in any of them.