And we have finally made it!  It has been a rough-and-tumble past 14 weeks full of tears and laughter, joy and pain, as we have watched our fantasy teams evolve with each passing week.  For some, it was easy.  You may have drafted DeMarco Murray and run past every opponent. For others, it was struggle as you scrambled to replace your first-round pick of Adrian Peterson with some guy named Asiata and hoped he would be able to hold it together.  Nevertheless though, here we are!  The 2014 Fantasy Football playoffs have arrived and with it, there is no time to think about next week.  The focus is all on Week 15 and for that, I have provided the players whose stock is peaking at the right time as well as a few players who might not be worth the risk.

Rising

/Chris Johnson, RB Jets- I know right? The Jets actually have some players who have fantasy value come playoff time.  As I know you read last week’s Stock Watch article you remember how I stated that, for me, I look for players with a steady floor level of production over a player who is boom or bust and I feel, given the usage of Ivory and Johnson since Geno Smith went back under center, that floor level is present.  Over the past two weeks Ivory and Johnson have each averaged 16 carries per game with Ivory averaging 67.5 yards and Johnson 79 yards.  The Jets have a superb match-up this weekend against a Titans defense that has allowed the fourth most fantasy points to opposing running backs which includes allowing Andre Williams to run for 131 yards and score last week.  This is somewhat of a revenge game for Chris Johnson who spent his first six seasons in the NFL with the Titans and could have added motivation.  Either way if you find yourself with a tough running back match up this week and either Ivory or Johnson are available it would be worth starting them.

, WR ATL- If you’re an owner of Roddy White or Julio Jones then Harry Douglas is a must-add for you going into this week’s playoff match up as both Falcons receivers are considered questionable for Sunday.  Douglas has proven that he is more than capable of producing when called upon and could easily replace that value lost should either White or Jones be forced to sit out.  If you are facing a White or Jones owner it would also be smart to pick up Douglas as a defensive measure to keep him away from them.  Most recently, with Roddy White out of the line up in Week 13 against the Cardinals, Douglas caught nine passes for 116 yards and with both receivers injured last year he stepped into the No.1 receiving role and finished the season with 85 catches for 1,067 yards.

Falling

, RB STL- Keep in mind that we are talking specifically about Week 15 here as it’s do or die in the playoffs.  While Mason put on quite the show against the Raiders in Week 14 he was only able to gain 66 yards on 20 carries last week against a tough Redskins run defense that has allowed the second fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.  Mason draws fantasy football’s third best run defense this week in the Cardinals, a team that held Mason to just 48 yards on 14 carries during Week 10.  If you make it past this week Mason will once again draw a favorable match up but for now I would look on the waiver wire for somebody like a Chris Ivory or Chris Johnson for reasons stated above or see if there are better options available on your current roster as the expected production just might not be there this week.

, WR SF-   Bolden is having another great season for the 49ers as he is on pace to eclipse the 1,000 yard plateau for the seventh time in his 12 year career.  Unfortunately for Boldin owners, he draws the Seahawks in Week 15, a team that has allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.  It is also a safe bet to avoid all 49ers offensive players given how Seattle has shut down their offense in recent meetings which includes a 19-3 victory on Thanksgiving just a few weeks ago.  In that game Boldin was held to three catches for 18 yards which marked a season-low for him in both categories.  The struggles of Colin Kaepernick do not help Boldin’s situation at all as the Seattle defense had their way with the 49ers QB.  In the last three games against the Seahawks, Kaepernick has been picked off eight times and has completed less than 50-percent of his pass attempts.  In all likelihood Boldin will draw the coverage of Richard Sherman who is the owner of three of those eight interceptions, including two in their Thanksgiving Day match up.  If you are a Boldin owner and make it out of Week 15 things don’t get much easier as the 49ers face off against the Chargers defense which will likely pit Boldin up against Brandon Flowers who has been shutting down opposing teams’ top receivers over the past few weeks.