Brock Purdy picks worst time to have fantasy football meltdown in 4-interception game
Brock Purdy threw four interceptions during the Ravens’ easy win over the 49ers on Christmas night. Purdy had finished as a top-six fantasy QB in five of the previous six weeks before Monday’s disaster. Purdy remains a top-five fantasy quarterback on the year with an ADP of 125, but he picked a bad time to have his worst game of the season. Purdy came in averaging 11.6 YPA at home but failed to produce a touchdown for the first time all year and finished with a completion percentage over expectation (-10) in the 14th percentile.
Two of Purdy’s interceptions were tipped, and he had his arm hit on another, but there’s no excusing his poor play. Baltimore’s dominant defense also deserves a ton of credit, as coordinator Mike Macdonald has turned into a head coach candidate. Purdy’s season resume historically would win the MVP award, but his odds took a dramatic hit after the ugly four-pick outing in primetime.
Purdy exited the fourth quarter with another stinger (before flirting with a fifth pick thanks to a no-look pass), but he’s expected to be ready for Week 17.
Lamar Jackson became the new MVP favorite with an impressive performance, playing mistake-free while tossing two touchdowns and leading Baltimore in rushing. Jackson improved to 20-1 during his career versus the NFC, and he’s now 12-1-1 against the spread as an underdog (winning 10 outright). He finished as a top-10 fantasy QB this week against a stout San Francisco defense that entered allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position. Jackson was fantastic at times Monday night during a possible Super Bowl preview, spoiling Christmas for the Del Don family.
Beyond the QBs
Zay Flowers saw a career-high 13 targets, scoring his third touchdown over his last four games. The rookie cashed in an end-zone look and continues to benefit from Mark Andrews’ absence. Flowers finished as a top-15 fantasy WR this week, while Gus Edwards was a top-20 RB thanks to a goal-line score. Isaiah Likely saw just four targets but made another big play and remains a must-start TE down the stretch.
Christian McCaffrey got just 14 carries but broke 100 rushing yards for the fourth time in five games. He matched his season-high with 10 targets, although it resulted in just 28 receiving yards. CMC scored his NFL-high 21st touchdown on the season. He was the No. 2 fantasy RB this week despite losing carries thanks to the lopsided score and facing a Ravens defense allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position. McCaffrey has scored almost 100 more fantasy points than the second-best RB in 2023, and he continued to help his managers despite San Francisco’s offense matching its lowest scoring total of the year.
Deebo Samuel failed to reach the end zone after scoring eight touchdowns over his previous four games. He matched his season high with 12 targets, but Purdy’s struggles hurt Samuel’s fantasy managers during a crucial week.
Brandon Aiyuk posted 113 receiving yards on just seven targets, as he was able to overcome Purdy’s flop. Aiyuk has seen just two red-zone targets since Week 2, but’s on pace to finish with 1,363 yards despite missing a game this season.
George Kittle had 126 receiving yards and finished as this week’s top fantasy tight end despite his quarterbacks throwing five picks. The 30-year-old now leads all tight ends in receiving yards and is fourth in fantasy scoring this season.
What's next for 49ers and Ravens?
The 49ers must travel during a short week, but they get an extremely favorable matchup in Washington during the fantasy championship. McCaffrey’s historic season should continue against a Commanders defense that just let Breece Hall score 15 more fantasy points than the second-best RB this week; the Jets scored 30 points against Washington one week after getting shutout.
The Commanders have been gashed for an NFL-high 33 passing touchdowns and are allowing among the most fantasy points to quarterbacks and wide receivers this season. Washington has the league’s lowest pressure rate since trading Chase Young and Montez Sweat, and an angry 49ers squad coming off an embarrassing primetime loss has the highest implied team total (31 points) in Week 17. Purdy should bounce back in a big way (and be treated as a top-five QB), while CMC, Samuel, Aiyuk and Kittle should erupt during fantasy title games.
Meanwhile, the Ravens won’t be able to celebrate for too long, as Baltimore gets a battle for the AFC’s top seed against Miami in Week 17. The Dolphins’ defense has been dominant since getting Jalen Ramsey back in Week 8, and the Ravens showed why their D might be the league’s best Monday night. Still, both offenses are quite good too, and the healthy total (47 points) suggests fantasy managers can start Jackson, Flowers, Likely and Edwards as usual.
