Somehow the Arizona Cardinals are still alive in the NFC playoff race. As surprising as it may sound, the Redbirds have won five of their last six games to head into a Week 15 contest against the Cleveland Browns with something at stake besides your fantasy playoffs. That being said, between Larry Fitzgerald, Beanie Wells, and Peyton Hills, Sunday's game carries a tremendous amount of weight in the virtual realm. So, with the help of numberFire.com, we've put together a comprehensive list of sit/start projections for this anticipated matchup.
START
Larry Fitzgerald
numberFire.com Projections: 4.64 receptions, 66.41 yards, 0.38 touchdowns, 9.03 fantasy points
Analysis: Larry Fitzgerald has 489 yards and five touchdowns over the last six weeks, easily eclipsing his best run since the 2009 season. Cleveland's secondary may rank last in the league in fantasy points allowed to wideouts, but Fitz has proven he has what it takes to get it done, regardless of which quarterback is throwing him the ball.
Arizona Defense
numberFire.com Projections: 20.75 points allowed, 2.53 sacks, 1.77 turnovers, .21 touchdowns, 8.26 fantasy points
Analysis: Cleveland's offense is god-awful, and Seneca Wallace taking Colt McCoy's spot probably won't help matters. Meanwhile, the Cardinals defense is improving by the week and could be poised for a breakout game. Keep an eye on this match-up.
Beanie Wells
numberFire.com Projections: 13.45 rushes, 59.51 yards, .52 touchdowns, 2.39 receptions, 22.09 receiving yards, 12.14 fantasy points
Analysis: Despite his sore knee, Wells appears to have struck fantasy gold this week against a Browns' frontline that's given up double-digit games to eight backs in seven weeks. Unless the Cardinals stray from their gameplan, Beanie should be in for a big workload on Sunday.
SIT
Seneca Wallace
numberFire.com Projections: 182.07 passing yards, 1.04 touchdowns, .86 interceptions, 10.86 fantasy points
Analysis: Seneca Wallace hasn't smelled significant playing time since early 2010, and even then he was unremarkable. If you're depending on the former Cyclone to put you over the top this week, there's a good chance you're not playing for a title.
Peyton Hillis
numberFire.com Projections: 5.90 rushes, 25.55 yards, 0.19 touchdowns, 1.20 receptions, 9.52 receiving yards, 4.82 fantasy points
Analysis: In a season of injuries and disappointments, Peyton Hillis may be the biggest bust of them all. The Madden cover-boy has racked up just 346 yards and two touchdowns on 101 attempts, good for a paltry 3.4 yards per carry. Any fantasy owner that took Hillis in the first few rounds has surely looked elsewhere by now.
John Skelton
numberFire.com Projections: 189.40 passing yards, 1.04 touchdowns, .88 interceptions, 11.24 fantasy points
Analysis: The Browns have been fantasy poison for quarterbacks the entire season, allowing only five signal-callers to cross the ten-point threshold. Expected John Skelton to be the one that breaks the mold would be foolish.