Booms and Busts: Week 15's fantasy football playoff heroes and flops
It's Week 15, the fantasy football playoffs. The stakes go up. The stress goes up. It's win-or-go-home time.
Normally, we lead with a spotlight team in this column, but today's slant will be more wide in scope. Let's discuss a bushel of players who did all they could to advance you to the semifinals (in most leagues), and let's spotlight some of the players who might have knocked you out. As always, we'll try to appreciate what just happened and spin things forward, as we can.
Week 15's fantasy playoff heroes
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
The unstoppable Christian McCaffrey is Week 15's top scorer, with a couple of touchdown catches, a rushing score and nearly 200 total yards in an easy win at Arizona. Anyone who passed on McCaffrey in the early part of Round 1 has to be sick over it. The most unfair back in fantasy gets a Ravens challenge next week, then runs over and around the Commanders in Week 17.
Isn't it lovely when the best players play like the best players?
James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
James Cook was an upside pick in the summer and a part-time fantasy starter for several weeks. Now we can change his name to "James Cook, Likely League Winner." Cook was dominant in the romp over Dallas, scoring twice and racking up 221 total yards on a whopping 27 touches. The Bills used to have an average usage-tree width, but it's narrowed considerably in recent weeks. Cook is one of three primary Buffalo players we can trust.
Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield picked a great time for his best fantasy game of the year, a 29.04-point explosion at Green Bay. The Buccaneers have one of the narrowest usage trees in the league, so it's no surprise that Mike Evans (4-57-1) and Rachaad White (139 total yards) had two of the scores. Chris Godwin didn't score, but a 10-155-0 day spends well in most formats. The Buccaneers should score well against Jacksonville next week. New Orleans in Week 17, who the heck knows? NFC South football can scramble your brain.
Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Nobody expects miracles from the Kansas City backfield these days, but somehow Clyde Edwards-Helaire (101 total yards, touchdown) and Jerick McKinnon (one touchdown pass, one touchdown catch) both came through. The Chiefs also have Rashee Rice cooking — he found enough quiet zone spots en route to a 9-91-1 line, cracking the top 10 at wide receiver.
David Njoku (TE) and Amari Cooper (WR), Cleveland Browns
I had no idea a Joe Flacco comeback season was just what everyone needed. Flacco's three games have all been similar — some clutch stick throws downfield, a few turnovers and mistakes — but he has the arm and experience to challenge the whole field, and that's revitalized the Cleveland passing game. Both Amari Cooper and David Njoku cleared 100 yards and scored a touchdown Sunday against Chicago, and Njoku was especially fun in PPR formats, catching 10 passes. Flacco's 374 yards and two touchdowns will sneak him into the QB1 room, though he did have three picks.
Cleveland can keep the fun going at Houston next week. The Week 17 closer with the Jets could be a rock fight, not as fun.
Ty Chandler, RB, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings somehow couldn't finish off the Bengals on Saturday, but Nick Mullens made enough plays to keep the offense on schedule. Ty Chandler (132 rushing yards, touchdown) was excellent as the featured back, and Jordan Addison (6-111-2) pushed to the top of the receiver board. Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell is a quarterback whisperer. The Vikings get Detroit and Green Bay next.
Devin Singletary, RB, Houston Texans
Usually, we think of the Titans as a run-stuffing defense, but they had no answer for Devin Singletary, who was terrific in Houston's overtime win (26-121 rushing, 4-49 receiving). Noah Brown also came through for the Texans (8-82-1), if you needed a deep receiver and weren't spooked by Case Keenum. The scrappy Texans host the Browns next week, then rematch with Tennessee.
Many Detroit Lions
It's amazing what home cooking can do for the psyche of a road-weary traveler. Whip up some mac and cheese, maybe swap the jeans for sweatpants. The Lions did everything but take a nap on the couch Saturday night against Denver, cooking up 42 points and six fantasy-friendly touchdowns for the point-chasers out there. Sam LaPorta (three scores) and Jahmyr Gibbs (two scores) did most of the spiking, though there was one left over for Amon-Ra St. Brown (7-112-1). If you needed Jared Goff, five touchdowns were your reward.
David Montgomery wasn't in on the touchdown fun, but at least he had 17 touches and 82 total yards. Not a par, but not a washout, either. The Lions will be climate-controlled for the remainder of the year: at Minnesota, at Dallas and then home against Minnesota.
Kyren Williams, RB, Rams
Most coaches get cranky over fumbles but give credit to Sean McVay, he took it in stride when Williams lost two early fumbles against Washington. Williams continued to dominate the backfield workload, en route to the expected monster game (155 total yards, five catches, one touchdown). The Rams passing game might have done more if the Commanders offense didn't lay an egg for three quarters, though Cooper Kupp (8-111-1) came through (a gift 62-yard score against a blown coverage was appreciated). The Rams still look like a destination offense for the balance of the fantasy playoffs.
Week 15's fantasy disappointments
Who punched you in the stomach? I can think of a few names — some which are hard to truly blame for quiet days.
Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Travis Kelce wasn't the best tight end in Foxboro on Sunday; give that trophy to Hunter Henry (7-66-1). Henry had a second touchdown wiped out by penalty. As for Kelce, it was a quiet 5-28-0 line on seven targets. He was banged up late in the game, but was able to return. The Patriots were hurt by the ancillary Chiefs, but Kelce didn't get them.
Tua Tagovailoa (QB) and De'Von Achane (RB), Miami Dolphins
Although the Dolphins put up a 30-0 blowout score against the hapless Jets, it was not all sunshine and lollipops for the Miami fantasy players. Tyreek Hill was a game-day scratch, De'Von Achane had a modest 62 total yards and volume limited Tua Tagovailoa to 224 yards and a single touchdown, on just 24 attempts. Raheem Mostert only managed 2.8 yards a carry, but two short touchdowns bailed out his day.
On the plus side, Jaylen Waddle did a pretty nice Hill imitation (8-142-1) and the Miami defense pitched a shutout, had six sacks and collected four turnovers. Miami gets Dallas and Baltimore next.
Breece Hall (RB) and Garrett Wilson (WR), New York Jets
While some of the Dolphins came home, obviously none of the Jets did. To be fair, all we wanted was something for Breece Hall (seven touches, 18 total yards) or Garrett Wilson (3-29-0, four targets); we'll get nothing and like it. Zach Wilson played poorly, then got hurt. Trevor Semien replaced Wilson and was awful, too.
I will not dignify this offense with a schedule look-ahead.
Bijan Robinson (RB) and Drake London (WR), Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta's 9-7 loss at Carolina was just about the Falconiest loss you could imagine. The one touchdown went to Cordarrelle Patterson (of course), Tyler Allgeier had twice as many carries (14) as Bijan Robinson (seven) and Drake London (2-24-0) was targeted just three times. Sure, the game was played in the rain. Fair, the Panthers defense isn't horrible. But this game fits the Atlanta 2023 narrative — so much talent, and it's generally going to waste.
The backfield is explained by a simple fact of life —Robinson lost a fumble and Arthur Smith seemed intent on punishing his rookie for it. Talk about cutting your nose to spite your face.
The Falcons are now 6-8, and you have to wonder if Smith (three losing seaons) is back next year. Robinson and London will probably go off at some point in the fantasy consolation bracket; they draw the Colts next week (great) and the Bears after that (challenging).
Derrick Henry (RB) and DeAndre Hopkins (WR), Tennessee Titans
The Titans were favored at home over Houston, but the Tennessee offense never got into any flow. Will Levis took seven sacks and scored the team's lone touchdown, not the fantasy path we imagined. Derrick Henry (16-9-0) ran in mud for three hours, and Tyjae Spears (9-30-0) wasn't much better. Sometimes DeAndre Hopkins finds a way to beat close coverage, but not Sunday (2-21-0, nine targets). Nobody expected Treylon Burks to lead the Titans in receiving yards in Week 15. Tennessee hosts Seattle for Week 16, if you have the stomach to risk a Henry or Hopkins play.
Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
I'm not going to crush Justin Fields for a modest 11.64-point game at Cleveland; the Browns defense is one of the best in the league. But Fields should be looking at a few more points, as his final-snap Hail Mary landed in Darnell Mooney's stomach but somehow wasn't secured. We need those points, Chicago. It was also disappointing to see Fields run for just 30 yards, well under his recent average. Mooney wasn't the only Chicago player to flub a long touchdown; Robert Tonyan had a soul-crushing drop in the first half.
SNF goes down as a fantasy flop
If you needed a Raven or Jaguar to pick you up Sunday night, you likely were disappointed. Baltimore's 23-7 win fell well under the posted 42 total, and only Gus Edwards (love that touchdown deodorant) and Isaiah Likely (5-70-1) hit their marks.
Lamar Jackson had some highlight plays but was only good enough to grade as the QB9 through Sunday's play; Trevor Lawrence checks in as the QB20. Calvin Ridley didn't do much on 12 targets, unless almost touchdowns are a category in your league. Evan Engram fell off after a hot streak of games. Travis Etienne was mediocre, while Zay Jones and Keaton Mitchell got hurt; unfortunately for Mitchell, his season is probably over.
Jackson and Brock Purdy will likely have an MVP debate for the country on Christmas Night. The Jaguars play at Tampa Bay on Christmas Eve.