The season flew by. It’s the first round of the fantasy football playoffs in most leagues, and this week’s seeding decisions could be the difference between a Pittsburgh Steelers-like exit or a championship run. Let’s take a look at Patrick Taylor Jr. with Isaac Guerendo recovering from injury, Kendre Miller and the Seattle Seahawks backfield ahead of the starting position options in Week 15.

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RBs Patrick Taylor Jr. and Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers backfield was once hot, even before Christian McCaffrey landed there. Elijah Mitchell was once their leading rusher (injured in the offseason). Jordan Mason filled in well while McCaffrey was sidelined (Mason is now on IR). Guerendo even represented Mason well in Week 14 (Guerendo is now questionable for Thursday). Whatever is in the water in San Francisco isn’t helping their running backs. There are two different approaches to the backfield for starting sit decisions in Week 15. Either Guerendo is active with limited or no practice, or he isn’t, and it’s Patrick Taylor Jr. and Israel Abanikanda.

Recommendation when Isaac Guerendo is active…

When he’s active, he’s probably the defender worth playing. He’s listed as RB24 in our consensus rankings for good reason. Guerendo has the size, speed and skill to succeed in a Shanahan system. Taylor would step in on the pass and give Guerendo a breather, but Taylor will have no fantasy relevance. Start Guerendo this week with cautious optimism.

Recommendation when Isaac Guerendo is inactive…

If Guerendo is out, this backfield will quickly become chaotic. Patrick Taylor Jr. is a slow-moving special teams specialist who was ranked fifth on the depth chart in May. When making decisions about the starting seat in Week 15, managers will look to Israel Abanikanda rather than Patrick Taylor Jr. with Guerendo out. Shanahan doesn’t sound like he wants to rely on Abanikanda, but if a player wants to break off a long touchdown with just a handful of carries, it’s Abanikanda, not Taylor.

RB Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints

After another brief stint on IR, Kendre Miller worked his way back into action in Week 14. For desperate teams making starting pitching decisions in Week 15, Miller’s 11 options from last week could be beneficial. Don’t be fooled; he was rarely used for the entire offense. His matchup against the New York Giants last week was tantalizing and he still only put up 3.2 PPR points. He was still third in snaps and is a handcuff at best when teams make the fantasy football playoffs.

Recommendation: Sitting

RBs Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

Walker is one of the few running backs in the NFL whose managers were able to start with some confidence. He has seen no less than 12 opportunities in a game this year and has been efficient with his touches in every game. With its status still uncertain, managers will need store plans as they make decisions for the Week 15 launch meeting.

Recommendation if Ken Walker III is active…

Start it. Starting seat decisions in Week 15 are not the time to mess around, and Green Bay has a bottom-10 defense in rushing yards allowed this season. On the other hand, Charbonnet is evolving from a must-start player to a desperate flex for starting-sit options. He hasn’t had much success when Walker has been active, and chasing his RB1 overall pick in Week 14 is a dangerous gamble.

Recommendation when Ken Walker III is inactive…

With Walker out, Charbonnet moves back into RB1 territory. Zach Charbonnet has been a top-ten running back every time Walker has missed time, and I expect more from the game this week. There’s a reason the Seahawks spent so much draft capital on him: He’s a talented defender. For fantasy managers, it’s just unfortunate that he’s relegated to a super handcuff instead of starting for another team in the league.

Final thoughts

As teams advance into the fantasy playoffs, keep these important playoff tips in mind:

• Stow handcuffed running backs (or quarterbacks in superflex leagues).
• For streaming defenses, look two weeks ahead; Don’t let yourself be insulted.
• Use matchups as tiebreakers, not to bench your players.

The fantasy playoffs will be chaotic, but be sure to take advantage of the weekly rankings to stay one step ahead of your league mates. See how Patrick Taylor Jr.Isaac Guerendo and others will move later this week as we receive more information.

Photos provided by Imagn Images