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This is perhaps the most important week of the fantasy football season, as nearly every league has concluded regular-season play and entered the playoffs.
Fantasy owners who have made all the right moves and finished in the top four of their respective leagues are preparing for their semifinal matchup this weekend.
A playoff matchup does not mean that the sharp fantasy owner is going to stand pat and avoid any roster moves. There's no loyalty in fantasy football, not if the goal is winning a championship.
There are flex players to be added and waiver-wire pickups who have to be considered strongly.
Here's our look at the top flex projections headed into Week 15.
David Johnson is at the top of the list this week, and it's somewhat ironic that the Cardinals running back has been one of the most consistent players in the league this season, given that his team has been one of the most inconsistent.
Many expected the Cardinals to shoot to the top of the NFC this year after falling in the NFC Championship Game a year ago. They had the big playmakers on offense and the hard-hitting defense to make a run but have not been able to finish games this season.
Head coach Bruce Arians has been able to count on the explosive Johnson, though, who has rushed for 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He is also a sensational receiver with 69 catches for 745 yards with four touchdowns and 11 receptions of 20 or more yards.
Johnson is coming off a 121-yard game against the Miami Dolphins with 80 rushing yards and 41 receiving yards, and the Cardinals should have an explosive offensive game this week when they host the New Orleans Saints.
There's little doubt that the Saints are a better defensive team than they were a year ago, as they currently rank 24th in yards allowed, compared to 31st in 2015. However, when it comes to the speed of that unit and the ability to win battles at the point of attack, the Saints come up short.
Look for Johnson to take advantage.
The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have hit their stride as the season has reached its homestretch, and they may be the team to fear in the AFC playoffs. While the New England Patriots are holding down the No. 1 seed, does any team in the conference have the firepower of the Steelers?
Le'Veon Bell had his signature game with 236 rushing yards and three touchdowns in Week 14 versus the Buffalo Bills, but we don't expect him to match that performance against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers and Bengals are blood rivals, and the Bengals are not about to let the Steelers dominate with their ground game.
We see this as the game where Antonio Brown just takes over for the Steelers. While this is not a shocker, he will be inspired to follow up on Bell's huge game with one of his own.
Brown is almost certainly the best receiver in football. He has caught 93 passes for 1,130 yards and 11 touchdowns and has 19 receptions of 20 or more yards.
The Bengals rank 20th in yards allowed, and while they will use every trick they know to attempt to slow down the Steelers, they lack the weapons in the secondary to prevent Brown from having a huge game.
Just as the Steelers have found their level, there appears to be little doubt that the Green Bay Packers have done the same. They handed the Seattle Seahawks a 38-10 defeat in Week 14; it was the worst beating that Russell Wilson has absorbed during his career.
While the Packers offense appeared to be stuck in neutral in midseason, the team has now won three in a row and is averaging 28.7 points per game during the streak.
The Packers get a chance to assert their dominance against the Chicago Bears once again, and there may be no stopping wideout Jordy Nelson. After working his way back from last year's ACL injury, he appears to be nearing top form.
He has caught 75 passes for 913 yards and 12 touchdowns and has 13 receptions of 20 or more yards. Nelson had two TD receptions in the rout of the Seahawks.
While a calf injury has slowed quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he is the kind of resourceful leader who can make big plays and direct the offense even when he is not at his best. Nelson is far and away his favorite receiver, and the duo should make the hardworking Chicago defense pay quite a bit.
Don't look past Washington wide receiver Jamison Crowder for a huge game in Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers.
Few teams have slumped on defense like the Panthers have, and the Redskins have the receiving weapons to make them pay in a big way.
The Panthers have the 30th-ranked pass defense in the league, so how are they going to stay with the speedy Crowder?
He has 60 receptions this season for 804 yards and seven touchdowns with 11 receptions of 20 or more yards.
Crowder had just two receptions in the Redskins' Week 14 win at Philadelphia but should be able to make up for that against a secondary that lost Josh Norman in the offseason (to the Redskins) and has not shown it can cover speedy wideouts.
Waiver Wire
The most popular pickup this week on the waiver wire was the Detroit Lions defense/special teams.
This strikes us as desperation, because the Lions are not known for producing a ton of turnovers and turning them into touchdowns. Nevertheless, the Lions were added to 47.7 percent of rosters, according to ESPN.com.
The Lions have 10 interceptions on the season and have returned one for a touchdown. The appeal for picking up Detroit is return specialist Andre Roberts, who has taken back two punts for scores. Roberts is a good return man but may not be as explosive as Marcus Sherels of the Minnesota Vikings (when healthy), so we would not look at him as a panacea for what ails your fantasy team.
On the other hand, New England wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell is a good pickup. Mitchell was added to 31.7 percent of fantasy rosters last week and responded with a TD in New England's Monday night victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
The future looks bright for Mitchell because the Patriots have a number of injuries to top pass-catchers like Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola. Mitchell has shown he can make key catches and rise to the occasion.
Tight end Cameron Brate is another key waiver-wire pickup. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on a roll, winning five games in a row. They are fighting for a playoff spot, and quarterback Jameis Winston and wideout Mike Evans are getting the headlines.
Brate does not garner a lot of respect from opposing defenses, but the former Ivy Leaguer (he played his college ball at Harvard) knows how to get open and does not drop the football. Brate was added to 16.2 percent of all rosters last week.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
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