Tuesday, December 16, 2014

2014 Week 15 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
Drew Brees nicely recovered from a terrible outing against the Panthers in Week 14 by eviscerating the Bears under the bright lights of Monday Night Football this week. Brees caught fire out of the gate and didn't let up as he finished the night with 375 yards and 3 TD's. Brees has bucked his typical trend of being a quarterback that can only perform on his home turf, as his numbers away from the Superdome have been better (16 TD's, 5 INT's) than his numbers at the Superdome (15 TD's, 7 INT's) this season. While Brees has without question had a down year in 2014, he's still a great QB to have in fantasy. Brees is a very strong start in championship week for most fantasy leagues, as he faces a Falcons secondary that has been getting progressively worse as the season goes on.
Honorable Mentions: Eli Manning (Giants), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Matt Ryan (Falcons)

LVP: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Aaron Rodgers may have had a brutal matchup against the Bills this week, but having a career-worst day in the midst of the fantasy playoffs is more than enough to earn worst fantasy quarterback of the week honors. Rodgers was uncharacteristically sloppy on Sunday afternoon, as the Bills stout front consistently applied pressure and their underrated secondary was able to keep Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson mostly in check. Rodgers finished the day completing just 17 of his 42 passes for 185 yards, 2 INT's and a late fumble that ended in a safety that clinched the game for the Bills. With the lowly Buccaneers next up on the schedule, there's no doubt in my mind that Rodgers is going to come out pissed-off, focused and eager to make everyone quickly forget about his career-worst performance.
Dishonorable Mentions: Mark Sanchez (Eagles), Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Peyton Manning (Broncos)

Running Back
MVP: Jeremy Hill (Bengals)
Revenge was on the mind of Jeremy Hill this week as the Bengals traveled to Cleveland to face a Browns squad that held to him just 55 yards and forced him to lose an embarrassing fumble in their first matchup this season. Hill successfully got his revenge as he ripped up the Browns for 148 yards and 2 TD's on Sunday afternoon. Hill now appears to be locked in as the Bengals feature back, and he'll be a decent start this week against a good but not invincible Broncos run D.   
Honorable Mentions: Le'Veon Bell (Steelers), DeMarco Murray (Cowboys), Knile Davis (Chiefs)

LVP: Justin Forsett (Ravens)
2014's surprise fantasy stud of the year, Justin Forsett, put up a rare weak outing this week against the Jaguars- who he played for in 2013. Forsett got 16 carries for just 48 yards on the typically weak Jaguars rush defense. Forsett is a bit banged-up right now with ankle and knee ailments, but he should be in-line for a bounceback game against the Texans, another one of his former teams, in Week 16 barring any medical setbacks.
Dishonorable Mentions: Isaiah Crowell (Browns), Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Alfred Morris (Redskins)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants)
Can Odell Beckham Jr. be stopped right now? Beckham Jr. put up yet another week of video game numbers as he ruined the Redskins awful secondary for 143 yards and 3 TD's on 12 receptions. Beckham Jr. has already proven that he's a legit WR1 over the first 10 games of his career. With his streak of 7 straight games with at least 90 yards receiving and the fact that he's basically alone in the Giants receiving corps at the moment, he's about as strong of a fantasy start as you can have going into championship week. 
Honorable Mentions: Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos), Mike Wallace (Dolphins)

LVP: T.Y. Hilton (Colts)
Andrew Luck had a relatively quiet outing on Sunday against the Texans and no one was held back by that more than top wideout T.Y. Hilton. After a strong first drive where he caught 3 passes, Hilton practically disappeared as he finished the afternoon with 50 yards on just 4 receptions. Hilton is still the uncontested number 1 wideout on the Colts and he should be able to get back to his top-flight WR1 status this week against a middling Cowboys secondary. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Calvin Johnson (Lions), Jordy Nelson (Bills), A.J. Green (Bengals)

Tight End
MVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
Only someone of Rob Gronkowski's caliber can go the entire first half without a reception and still destroy a team. Gronkowski made the most of his 3 receptions (his lowest total since the Patriots horrific loss to the Chiefs in Week 4), picking up 99 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots throttled the Dolphins on Sunday. Gronkowski has been in kill mode since early October and unless something very bizarre happens, that won't change this week as the Patriots face the Jets- who are one of the strongest matchups for a TE in the league.
Honorable Mentions: Owen Daniels (Ravens), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Greg Olsen (Panthers)

LVP: Larry Donnell (Giants)
Larry Donnell was unable to recapture any of the magic of his 3 TD outburst in Week 4 in the Giants second meeting with the Redskins in Week 15. Donnell picked up a mere 11 yards on his only 2 targets of the day. Donnell continues to be wholly unreliable down the stretch, and is only worth a YOLO start against the Rams this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Jared Cook (Rams), Jordan Cameron (Browns)

Defense
MVP: Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens became the latest defense to manhandle the Jaguars in Week 15, as they posted 8 sacks, an interception, a blocked punt and a touchdown. The Ravens have quietly been one of the best fantasy defenses this season thanks to their excellent pass rush (45 sacks, which ranks only behind the Eagles and the Bills for best in the league) and respectable number of takeaways (19). They should be a quality start this week as they face a Texans squad, who will be starting either Thad Lewis or Case Keenum at quarterback.
Honorable Mentions: New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals

LVP: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles were unable to recreate any of the magic they had 2 weeks ago in Dallas when the Cowboys traveled to Philadelphia this week. The Eagles allowed 38 points and finished with just 3 sacks and a fumble recovery in Sunday's night disheartening loss at the hands of the Cowboys. The Eagles have a strong chance at redeeming themselves this week as they face the wildly inept, turnover-prone offense of the Redskins. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams   

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