Fantasy Football: 3 Bold Predictions for NFL Week 15

There's nothing quite like the NFL.

Football is one of the most intense, exciting sports on the planet. The source of the now-ubiquitous saying "Any Given Sunday," the NFL is a place where even struggling teams have a chance to topple the best in the league. Anything can happen when you play only 17 regular season games a year.

That uncertainty is a huge driver behind the excitement the NFL generates each and every season. What's more fun than watching something totally unexpected unfold before your eyes?

That's why, this year, we'll be bringing you some bold predictions to watch for in each week the 2025 NFL season.

All NFL betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL Bold Predictions for Week 15

Travis Etienne Rushes for 100+ Yards

I think the stage is set for Travis Etienne to have a monster day this week.

The matchup is a big reason why I'm so bullish on him. Etienne is taking on the New York Jets, one of the league's worst defenses. Gang Green ranks 27th in both overall defense and run defense, per our schedule-adjusted numbers. They've permitted the fourth-most rushing yards per game to RBs (112.4) and just let two Miami Dolphins running backs have huge outings a week ago as De'Von Achane ran for 92 yards on just seven carries while Jaylen Wright totaled 107 rushing yards on 24 carries in relief duty.

Game script will likely work in Etienne's favor, too. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 13.5-point home favorites and have incentive to keep their foot on the gas as they try to maintain an edge in the AFC South race. In wins this campaign, Etienne has averaged 79.7 rushing yards per game, compared to an average of 50.0 rushing yards in losses.

The last bit of the equation involves Bhayshul Tuten. Once eating into Etienne's workload, Tuten has played only 20 total snaps combined the past two weeks, including just two a week ago. Tuten was dinged up in the game, came back in, fumbled and didn't play another snap. Whether his benching was due to the injury or fumble, I'm not sure, but with how important every game is the rest of the way for the Jags, I feel confident in Etienne's workload this week.

All the boxes are checked for Etienne to go nuts on the ground, and if he breaks the century mark, it would be just his fifth time doing so since the start of 2023 (a span of 45 games).

Marcus Mariota Finishes as a Top-Five QB

Jayden Daniels is out this week for the Washington Commanders, and that opens the door for Marcus Mariota to start in a sublime matchup against the New York Giants.

There's shootout potential in this NFC East clash. The total is pretty high (46.5) and the spread is tight (2.5). The Giants' offense has been feisty all year, especially with Jaxson Dart at the controls, and Washington's offense now has both Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin out wide, giving Mariota two legit weapons to throw to. Plus, these two defenses occupy the bottom two spots in our schedule-adjusted rankings.

Mariota's matchup is against a Giants defense that ranks 31st overall and 22nd versus the pass. They've conceded the third-most FanDuel points per game to QBs (21.2).

Rushing ability raises Mariota's ceiling. He's run for an average of 35.7 rushing yards per game in his seven starts, and the G-Men are allowing the third-most rushing yards per game to signal-callers (24.2).

Mariota ($6,700) is a fun value option in DFS and a viable streamer in one-quarterback season-long leagues. He has the upside to pop for a big game, and I like him to finish inside the top-five QBs this week.

Jordan Love Doesn't Throw a Passing TD

Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers have been trending up, with Love (+1200) currently holding the third-shortest NFL MVP odds.

He's in for a tough one on Sunday, though, at the Denver Broncos, and I think he comes away without a passing score.

Love owns -490 odds to throw as least one TD, so this is a bold call -- but it's not crazy. He's failed to record a passing touchdown in three of his past six games, although those are his only three TD-less games of the season.

Denver is downright filthy on defense. The Broncos sit fifth in overall defense and fourth in pass D, and that's with star corner Patrick Surtain II missing three games. At home, Denver has allowed a paltry 4.9 adjusted net yards per pass attempt and 197.5 passing yards per game. They've surrendered just five passing TDs across six home games, with three of those coming in one game (Giants).

In a similar type of matchup at the Cleveland Browns in Week 3, Love threw for only 183 yards while the Pack scored 10 points. In that one, he accounted for Green Bay's lone score with a TD pass. I'm envisioning that type of stat line for him this week but no passing score.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.