The Washington Commanders and New York Giants face off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, this Sunday in their second of two meetings this season.
Neither the Giants nor the Commanders is having a good season. The Giants have a whole two wins, and the Commanders have three. Both teams have suffered a multitude of injuries, and the Giants even fired their head coach. It’s been rough to watch either of these teams this year, but this game will be different from their first meeting in Week 1.
Not only are the rosters different because of injuries, but the Giants have switched to Jaxson Dart at quarterback, and the Commanders will see Marcus Mariota under center instead of Jayden Daniels. That’s not the only difference, but the change in quarterbacks has a huge impact on the rest of the team, which in turn affects each player’s fantasy value.
Given that fantasy football playoffs start this week, the impact a quarterback has on his teammates is incredibly important.
There are several interesting matchups in this game, so let’s take a look at players you should start and sit in your fantasy football league.
Start: RB Chris Rodriguez
The Giants have been terrible at stopping the run this season, allowing the 2nd-most fantasy points to running backs in the league. Rodriguez has been the Commanders’ most reliable running back over the last several weeks, averaging 5.2 yards per carry in the shutout loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Giants have allowed 17 rushing touchdowns this season and an average of 154.2 rushing yards per game. Rodriguez could have a huge game.
Sit: Both defenses
Let’s face it, both of these defenses aren’t worth carrying on your fantasy roster, let alone starting this week. They are both shaky, they’re facing a division rival, and this is likely to be an offensive game. Don’t start either defense this week; they’ll both be shredded in fantasy.
Start: TE Theo Johnson
The Commanders give up the 2nd-most fantasy points to tight ends in the league, and Johnson has emerged as one of Jaxson Dart’s most reliable targets. He averages nearly 11 yards per reception and has found the end zone five times this season. He’s likely to feast on Sunday against a Commanders’ team that allows over 250 passing yards per game.
Sit: RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt
With Rodriguez emerging as the Commanders’ top running back, Jacory Croskey-Merritt doesn’t have much fantasy value anymore. Washington is still using a committee of running backs, but Chris Rodriguez is getting the bulk of the carries. Croskey-Merritt could have more fantasy value next season as he develops, but he should remain on your bench this week.
Sleeper: WR Terry McLaurin
When Terry McLaurin returned from injury, it was with vengeance. In his first game back, he recorded seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Last week, he had just three receptions for 41 yards, but losing Jayden Daniels in the middle of the game definitely affected that. This week, Mariota will be back under center, and McLaurin could feast against a Giants’ secondary that ranks 29th in the league against wide receivers.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Week 15 fantasy start/sit vs. Giants
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