Bold fantasy football predictions for Week 15

The Yahoo Fantasy Football crew reveals their boldest takes for Week 14. Check out what Scott Pianowski, Matt Harmon, Ray Garvin, Chris Allen, Justin Boone and Joel Smyth have to say.

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Big-name Jaguars deliver in a big way:Travis Etienne Jr. is a top-3 running back in Week 15

Etienne has been the survivor in Jacksonville's backfield. Tank Bigsby, traded, Bhayshul Tuten, fumble jail. And now the leaky Jets come to town at the right time, a run defense that's been trampled all year. Etienne should sail past 20 touches and 100 total yards with ease, and I'm expecting at least one touchdown, perhaps multiple. Etienne goes down as one of the steals of the 2025 draft season. - Scott Pianowski

Brian Thomas Jr. gets back into WR2 discussion vs. Jets

I recognize that Brian Thomas Jr.'s Week 14 result is hard to replicate. The guy was averaging 25.8 air yards per target. No receiver with that deep of an aDOT has caught more than three balls in a single game all season. And it's even hard to get hyped up about 87-scoreless yards. However, I'm focusing on Thomas' deployment.

The vertical routes that we saw him win on earlier in the year. His ability to beat man coverage. Despite losing CB Sauce Gardner, the Jets are still running man concepts on defense at the fourth-highest rate in the league. Thomas is Jacksonville's best receiver in those situations, and he has the QB with the willingness to test secondaries downfield. So, I'm looking for Thomas and Trevor Lawrence to continue to build on what we saw in Week 14, putting Thomas into the end zone and back into the top-24 WRs. - Chris Allen

J.J. McCarthy cracks the top five vs. Dallas

You want bold for the fantasy playoffs? Here it is: "NINE" finishes as a top-five quarterback at Dallas. The matchup is a very favorable one for opposing offenses. Over the last month, the Cowboys have allowed the fifth-most passing fantasy points per game and are second-worst in receiving fantasy points allowed. For the full season, they are surrendering 3.0 more receiving fantasy points per game than the next worst team, the Bengals.

McCarthy does not need 300 yards to smash. With Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison, plus a few designed keepers, he can hit chunk plays, deliver a couple of designed passing touchdowns and give you yards with his legs on the ground. The middle of the Dallas defense is soft, the linebackers are total liabilities right now and Kevin O'Connell will find the layups that put the pressure on the Dallas defense. McCarthy finishes the week as a top-five quarterback.- Ray Garvin

Jayden Reed posts top-15 wide receiver numbers

Christian Watson has established himself as the No. 1 target for the Packers, but you can bet that the Broncos know that, as well. As the top perimeter receiver, Watson likely draws the most routes against Patrick Surtain II on Sunday. Watson can have his moments, but this likely funnels targets elsewhere, including to Jayden Reed. In his return to the field, Reed ran a route on just 65% of the dropbacks but was targeted on 24% of his routes.

The Broncos play man coverage at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL, per Fantasy Points Data, and Reed is an underrated man-beater. He caught all three targets against man coverage for 25 yards against the Bears. He's a sleeper candidate against a team that's ceded the fifth-most air yards and eighth-most targets to slot receivers this season.- Matt Harmon

Giants' top weapons show out:Tyrone Tracy Jr. racks up 120 scrimmage yards and a TD

Despite leaving early in the Giants' last game, Tracy is practicing in full and without limitations this week, leading up to a favorable matchup with the Commanders. Washington gives up the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs, including over 120 scrimmage yards to three of the last four backfields it's faced. Meanwhile, prior to his injury-shortened outing in Week 13, Tracy had posted 139 scrimmage yards in Week 11 and 130 yards in Week 12 - while reaching a season-high 71% of the snaps in the latter. Now healthy and coming off the bye, Tracy is set to resume the lead back role in a potential shootout with the Commanders. He should be considered an RB2 with RB1 upside in this matchup.- Justin Boone

Wan'Dale Robinson has double-digit receptions

With Jaxson Dart back under center, the Giants removed their QB run game as they prioritize protecting their young QB, no longer being in playoff contention. In a matchup with the Commanders' decimated secondary, which ranks 32nd in pass efficiency in the second half of the year, Dart can feed his WR1 in a high-volume day.

The Commanders offense can keep this game close as New York's defense has been just as poor as Washington's. As the Commanders defense shifts their secondary around, look for Robinson to take advantage of his slot matchup against a team that's shifted to an extremely zone-coverage-heavy game plan. Robinson is a WR1 in targets per route this season versus zone coverage, and in a high-volume day, can smash in PPR leagues.- Joel Smyth