5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 15

1. Top Week 15 fantasy football pickups – Seattle Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny

Running back has been an abject disaster for fantasy owners this season as injuries and the COVID list have taken their toll on the position. Many owners entered do-or-die matchups in Week 14 having to start one or more of Jeff Wilson Jr, Rex Burkhead, Ty Johnson, Jermar Jefferson and anyone from the Buffalo backfield.

Anytime a running back puts together a performance worthy of acclaim and is widely available it is cause for celebration. This week’s top pickup comes from Seattle where Rashaad Penny may have stated his case to be the Seahawks’ feature back for the remainder of the season.

A former first-round pick who was widely considered a bust entering this season, Penny put together a breakout game against the Houston Texans, racking up 137 yards rushing with two touchdowns on just 16 carries. Seattle’s backfield has been a hot mess since Chris Carson got hurt with a cast of thousands campaigning to lead the committee but Penny just left Alex Collins (7 carries for 16 yards), DeeJay Dallas (2 carries for 16 yards) and future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Peterson (inactive due to injury) in the dust.

The best news for fantasy owners is that Penny is rostered in just 18 percent of Yahoo leagues, meaning you should be burning that waiver priority to add him to your roster. Penny should slide in as a solid RB2 down the stretch, making him a potential league-winner with dates against Chicago and Detroit awaiting in Weeks 16 and 17.