Fantasy Football Week 15 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Emeka Egbuka vs. Justin Jefferson

Evaluating who to play in fantasy football in week 15 between WR for the Minnesota Vikings, Justin Jefferson, and WR for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Emeka Egbuka.

Nov 30, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) before a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In the last few weeks, two WRs who were once seen as two of the better players in fantasy football at their position,  stocks have now plummeted with their subpar play of late. It could not have come at a worse time, either,  as most fantasy managers are about to enter postseason play this week. Those two WRs being referred to are WR Emeka Egbuka for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and WR Justin Jefferson for the Minnesota Vikings. Here is a breakdown of who to start and who to sit between Egbuka and Jefferson in week 15 in fantasy football.

Justin Jefferson

Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) practices before the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Things for fantasy managers with Vikings WR Justin Jefferson this season have gotten even scarier based on his game from last week. Against the Washington Commanders, who are one of the worst passing defenses in the league, he had just two receptions for 11 yards. This comes a game after he had just four yards receiving, and it extends a streak of six games where he has had less than 70 receiving yards. A positive in this game in week 14 is that the QB play for Minnesota was better in this game, with JJ McCarthy back in the starting role after missing one week with a concussion. He was 16-23 passing for 163 yards and had a 3-0 TD to INT ratio.

The Vikings dominated this game from start to finish, which also had some effect on Minnesota not passing an ample amount. They won this game 31-0. Jefferson will look to carry the positives of this improved QB play, along with hoping for a better game script to help him in fantasy football in week 15 when he and the rest of the Vikings play the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys, like the Commanders, are home to one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. In the year, they are allowing the most passing yards per game out of any team in the NFL. They have been especially poor against teams opposing WR1s. In their last three games, opposing WR1s have 90 or more receiving yards in all three games. Two of them also had TDs in their game against Dallas. 

Emeka Egbuka 

Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) runs with the ball against Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams (31) during the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

In week 14, Emeka Egbuka, who was etching his way to being one of the biggest breakout players at one point this season in fantasy football, recorded his fourth game in a row with less than 50 receiving yards. Against the New Orleans Saints, he had just two receptions for 15 yards. While this is frustrating, QB Baker Mayfield for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this stretch of games has not turned his eyes away from the rookie, as he is still trying to feed him the ball. In all of these four games, Egbuka has been targeted eight or more times. He will try to break this streak of down performances and get back to his breakout year when he and the Bucs play the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night.

The Falcons have a solid passing defense, as they have given up the 10th fewest passing yards per game in the NFL. In the year in PPR fantasy formats, Atlanta is also allowing the 12th most fantasy points per game to the WR position. In each of their last three games, they have given up 70 or more receiving yards to an opposing WR. Two of the top receiving yard WRs in this stretch of games also found the endzone. 

Final Verdict

When it comes to who should start and who should sit in week 15 of fantasy football between Egbuka and Jefferson, Egbuka should sit, and Jefferson should start. Both are still good starts in fantasy football this week, but in this debate, Jefferson has the edge. The main factor that led to this decision is the mix of how Jefferson’s opponent has been in guarding the pass on the season as a whole, and how they have played against WR1s as of late. That, with the combination of Jefferson having better QB play last week, is enough to lean on the superstar WR to break away from his slump and have a big game in week 15.