Week 15: 10 things to watch
The Seahawks, sans Darrell Jackson. Jackson's loss should be felt much more by his fantasy owners than his NFL team, though it'll still hurt the Seahawks, at least to an extent. In their first Jackson-less game, on Thursday night, they'll battle high winds and have to make do with Nate Burleson as a starter, the first time that has happened since Week 3 (at least if you count times he was considered the true No. 2). Third-year WR D.J. Hackett, though, should also see his role increase, and is every bit as appealing a fantasy stand-in as Burleson. If you're desperate for receivers, Burleson and Hackett are worth a look, though Week 15 will ultimately decide which is the better one for the remainder of the regular season, should Jackson remain sidelined. Even in possible 70-mph winds, if one can step up with a big game, he'd likely grab that starting role and be an intriguing sleeper.
The Saints, sans Joe Horn. Like Jackson, Horn (groin) could be held out for the remainder of the regular season in an effort to get him healed in time for the all-important playoffs. For fantasy, that might seem like a frustrating development, though Horn owners really couldn't come to trust the guy all that much this season anyway. Big-play man Devery Henderson had actually emerged as the more interesting high-upside weekly option of late, and now that Horn's likely out the next three weeks, Henderson finally becomes a trusted fantasy starter for your playoff matchups. Of course, Reggie Bush also receives a bump up in the receiving game, almost to the point where he's capable of No. 2/3 WR numbers each week. Henderson and Bush owners should be happy, but the other thing to watch is the performance of Terrance Copper and Jamal Jones. If either one can catch QB Drew Brees' eye, he'd be an interesting stand-in should more injuries strike the New Orleans offense.
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