Week 15 Fantasy Football Studs and Duds
The Fantasy Football Semi-Finals, a time when the best your league has to offer come face to face to see who gets a chance to sit at the championship table in Week 16. Unfortunately, NFL offenses did not bring their ‘A game’ for the occasion. In fact, Week 15 saw the fewest number of NFL teams score more than 30 points in any week all season, with just the Falcons and the Vikings exceeding this total. This means fantasy scoring was down when we needed it most. Be prepared for some underwhelming studs and some extra stinky duds.
Editor’s Note: Get the full breakdown on Episode #671 of The Fantasy Footballers Podcast
Studs
Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan vs AZ
231 passing yards, 2 TDs, 18 rushing yards, rushing TD
Matt Ryan took care of business at home, though it is unlikely many championship semi-finalists were using his services.
Deshaun Watson @ NYJ
294 passing yards, 2 TDs, 26 rushing yards
DeAndre Hopkins single-handedly dragged the Texans, and Watson owners to victory this week. The stud wideout accounted for nearly half of Watson’s completions and 57% of his yardage while securing both TDs.
Sam Darnold vs HOU
253 passing yards, 2 TDs, 35 rushing yards
This is a pedestrian fantasy day for any QB, which goes to show how suppressed the scoring was this week. For the player, this was an impressive effort for a rookie QB against a tough defense, but I don’t think many fantasy owners are impressed.
Running Backs
Derrick Henry @ NYG
33 carries, 170 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 1 reception
It’s really a shame that none of Henry’s owners made the playoffs to benefit from these monster performances.
Dalvin Cook vs MIA
19 carries, 136 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 1 reception, 27 receiving yards
I can’t help but wonder if Dalvin Cook is doing enough to make people draft him in the first round in 2019.
Damien Williams vs LAC
10 carries, 49 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 6 receptions, 74 receiving yards
Damien Williams answered the bell for Hunt/Ware/Gordon owners, or really anyone else desperate for a replacement RB. You couldn’t have asked for better. Williams is deserving of an award for being one of the best plug-n-play waiver adds of the season.
Joe Mixon vs OAK
27 carries, 129 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 2 receptions, 1 receiving yard
The only surprise here is that Mixon wasn’t involved more in the passing game for a depleted offense. He only drew 4 targets from Driskel’s 33 passes.
Marlon Mack vs DAL
27 carries, 139 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 1 reception, 10 receiving yards, fumble
When the opposing team puts up a goose egg, it allows for plenty of opportunities in the run game.
Chris Carson @ SF
22 carries, 119 rushing yards, TD, 6 receptions, 29 receiving yards
Carson’s goalline plunge was borderline heroic. The only drawback, they didn’t beat the lowly Niners anyway, not that fantasy players care.
Tevin Coleman vs AZ
11 carries, 145 rushing yards, TD
It’s like Tevin Coleman got a phone call from his agent at halftime, reminding him that he’s in a contract year. After the half, Coleman ripped off not one, but two 40+ yard TD runs (though the second was called back on a penalty).
Todd Gurley vs PHI
12 carries, 48 rushing yards, 2 TDs, 10 receptions, 76 receiving yards
If you start reading Gurley’s stats and you are disappointed by the number of carries and rushing yards just wait for it… BAM! Two scores and a boatload of receptions!
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins @ NYJ
10 receptions, 170 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 11 targets
I can’t believe Hopkins is only making 81 million dollars on his current 5-year contract.
Mike Williams @ KC
7 receptions, 76 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 19 rushing yards, rushing TD, 2 pt conv
My goodness, you’d think Williams was a top 10 pick in the NFL draft or something the way he dominated this game.
Doug Baldwin @ SF
4 receptions, 77 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 6 targets
It’s not easy to make this list with only 4 receptions, but Baldwin made it work.
Robby Anderson vs HOU
7 receptions, 96 receiving yards, TD, 11 targets
If you watched the broadcast for this game, when the Jets offense was on the field, the announcers only had eyes for Robby Anderson, as did Sam Darnold.
Robert Foster vs DET
4 receptions, 108 receiving yards, TD, 5 targets
Full disclosure: I have no idea who this is.
Kenny Golladay @ BUF
7 receptions, 146 receiving yards, 8 targets
So smooth.
Alshon Jeffery @ LAR
8 receptions, 160 receiving yards, 8 targets
Finally, some competent QB play for the Eagles. I kid, but Jeffery is probably pretty happy with the switch to Nick Foles in place of the injured Carson Wentz.
Tight Ends
Pretty much nobody came through from the TE position unless Jaylen Samuels is TE eligible on your platform of choice.
Duds
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott @ IND
206 passing yards, INT
As mentioned above, the Cowboys got shut out by Indianapolis. Dak didn’t even chip in some rushing yards.
Andrew Luck vs DAL
192 passing yards, 20 rushing yards
Luck didn’t fare much better than Prescott but at least he got the W.
Jameis Winston @ BAL
157 passing yards, INT
“@ BAL” was a harbinger of doom in Week 15. Owners should have pivoted from Winston.
Aaron Rodgers @ CHI
274 passing yards, INT, 25 rushing yards, 2 pt conv
Given how the rest of the scoring went for QBs in Week 15, this might not have hurt owners who stuck with Rodgers through his down season.
Running Backs
Phillip Lindsay vs CLE
14 carries, 24 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 20 receiving yards
Listen, Lindsay has been great, but eventually, the carriage was going to turn back into a pumpkin.
Saquon Barkley vs TEN
14 carries, 31 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 25 receiving yards
With 10 targets it is hard to say that Barkley didn’t get an opportunity to perform but then again, this offense is woeful without Odell Beckham on the outside.
Sony Michel @ PIT
13 carries, 59 rushing yards
With James White and Rex Burkhead around, Michel is capped. It’s unfortunate because he looks good with the ball in his hands.
James White @ PIT
2 carries, 12 rushing yards, 5 receptions, 25 receiving yards
With the boost from PPR production, White was slightly better than Michel, but if you want a #FootClanTitle this isn’t going to get it done.
Kenyan Drake @ MIN
1 carry, 6 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 28 receiving yards
What is Adam Gase doing with this RB group? 18 carries went to RBs not named Drake. Outside of Ballage’s monster run, it’s not like Drake deserved to be marginalized.
Wide Receivers
Adam Thielen vs MIA
2 receptions, 19 receiving yards, 2 targets
In recent weeks, Thielen’s targets and points have come in the second half of games. His owners waited patiently this week, but the points never came. The points never came.
Juju Smith-Schuster vs NE
4 receptions, 40 receiving yards, 10 targets
This was a disappointing game all around unless you had Samuels.
Amari Cooper @ IND
4 receptions, 32 receiving yards, 7 targets, 11 rushing yards
Cooper haters will use this an opportunity to cry “I told you so”, but that’s simply not fair. Cooper still managed 8 fantasy points on an offense that couldn’t move the ball.
Tyreek Hill vs LAC
4 receptions, 46 receiving yards, 7 targets
After getting scorched by Hill for 173 total yards and 2 scores earlier in the season, the Chargers learned their lesson.
Josh Gordon @ PIT
1 reception, 19 receiving yards, 2 targets
I didn’t see much of this contest, but I did see a painful drop from Gordon. Not a good look to go with this awful stat line.
Jarvis Landry @ DEN
3 receptions, 37 receiving yards, 8 targets
Somewhat surprisingly, the Browns won the game without Landry for the most part.
Tyler Lockett @ SF
2 receptions, 45 receiving yards, 2 targets, 11 rushing yards
Doug Baldwin and the rushing attack stole the show in San Francisco. Lockett was left out.
Chris Godwin @ BAL
Nothing.
Like I said, “@ BAL” is not a beacon of hope, though nobody deserves to get goosed in Week 15.
Corey Davis @ NYG
3 receptions, 33 receiving yards, 6 targets
Titans offense finally gets rolling and they do it on the ground. Davis owners needed much more from the young wideout.
Sterling Shepard vs TEN
2 receptions, 37 receiving yards, 9 targets
The Titans have a legitimate defense but Shepard (and Eli Manning) need to be better than this. The Giants offense is putrid.
Allen Robinson vs GB
3 receptions, 54 receiving yards, 7 targets
Robinson is averaging 55.75 receiving yards per game this season so just remember, you are the one who started him.
Courtland Sutton vs CLE
5 receptions, 42 receiving yards, 6 targets
Reports are that Sutton was battling through an injury in this game, so I’m tempted to give him a pass. It’s just that the expectations for the rookie were so high coming into this week, we can’t help but be disappointed.
Tight Ends
Just about everyone to be honest. Including, but not limited to:
Eric Ebron vs DAL
1 reception, 3 receiving yards, 3 targets
Rob Gronkowski @ PIT
2 receptions, 21 receiving yards, 5 targets
Jared Cook @ CIN
2 receptions, 23 receiving yards, 5 targets
George Kittle vs SEA
3 receptions, 51 receiving yards, 8 targets
Zach Ertz @ LAR
3 receptions, 22 receiving yards, 7 targets
Cameron Brate @ BAL
1 reception, 9 receiving yards, 2 targets
Jimmy Graham @ CHI
3 receptions, 32 receiving yards, 5 targets
Kyle Rudolph vs MIA
3 receptions, 32 receiving yards, 3 targets
Austin Hooper vs AZ
Nothing.
Hunter Henry @ KC
Nothing.
Comments
That last addition of Hunter Henry a troll of Stephen A. Smith?
If so, I am 100% on board.