Week 15 Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Bears vs Vikings

Larry Rupp
Cole Kmet's fantasy outlook points to TE1 upside in Week 15.
Cole Kmet's fantasy outlook points to TE1 upside in Week 15. / Stacy Revere/Getty Images
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Two teams fighting to stay alive in the NFC Wild Card race meet head-to-head in Week 15 as the Chicago Bears (6-7) go on the road to take on the Minnesota Vikings (6-7). This NFC North battle is expected to be close as the Vikings are just 3.5-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL betting odds.

If you need some help with your fantasy lineups, here's some start 'em, sit 'em advice for this Week 15 Bears-Vikings showdown.

Cole Kmet Fantasy

Start Cole Kmet, TE, Chicago Bears: Cole Kmet has seemingly taken over as the Bears' starting tight end, playing in at least 70% of the team's offensive snaps in each of the last four games. In the last two weeks, Kmet has hauled in 9 of 14 targets for 78 yards and a touchdown. He is quickly becoming a starting option at a shallow tight end position in fantasy football. Kmet also draws a decent matchup in Week 15 against the Vikings, who have given up 684 yards to opposing tight ends this season. That total ranks as the 11th-highest mark in the NFL. If you're in need of a streaming tight end this week, look no further than rookie Cole Kmet.

Adam Thielen Fantasy

Start Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings: This is a tough matchup for all of the Vikings' wide receivers as the Bears have given up just 10 touchdowns to the position all season (tied for fourth-fewest in the NFL). However, Adam Thielen has proven he can thrive in any matchup. The veteran has caught 5 touchdowns over his last four games while seeing a total of 33 targets over that span. He remains one of quarterback Kirk Cousins' favorite options in the passing game. The fantasy football playoffs are all about starting your studs and that is no different here.

Darnell Mooney Fantasy

Sit Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears: Darnell Mooney has stepped up this season and become a viable No. 2 receiver in this Bears' offense, but he just isn't fantasy relevant right now. He scored a touchdown last week to salvage his production, but still only caught 2 passes for 22 yards. Prior to Week 14, Mooney hadn't posted double-digit fantasy points since Week 8, showcasing his boom-or-bust potential. While this may seem like a favorable matchup, it is important to remember Mooney only has 3 touchdowns all season. Starting him is basically taking a shot in the dark, and it'd be smart to keep Mooney on your bench for now.

Kirk Cousins Fantasy

Sit Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins was on a hot streak before he came crashing down to earth this past week. He threw for 225 yards and just 1 touchdown in a loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cousins also continues to struggle with turnovers, losing a fumble in four straight games now. The Vikings know these last few games of the season are must-wins if they want any chance of making the playoffs. With that in mind, they will likely stick with what has gotten them this far: their stellar rushing attack. If you need to stream a quarterback this week, there are a lot better options out there than Cousins, who will face a top-10 defense against the pass, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA metric.



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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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