Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Week 14 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Russell Wilson (Seahawks)
Russell Wilson's career-long hot streak continued with yet another another absurd outing (292 YDS, 5 TD) against the Ravens in Week 14. This marked Wilson's 2nd 5 TD outing in 3 games and he's now thrown 16 TD's and 0 INT's over his past 4 games. I expect Wilson to air it out even more this week against the Browns now that running back Thomas Rawls is officially out for the year with an ankle inury.

Honorable Mentions: Eli Manning (Giants), Blake Bortles (Jaguars), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Jets)

LVP: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers)
Jameis Winston has garnered a lot of praise for his recent performances, but there was nothing masterful about his play against the Saints on Sunday afternoon. Winston only managed 206 total yards(182 passing, 24 rushing) and a TD against a Saints defense that has gotten torched by just about every other quarterback they've faced this season. Despite the remarkable progress he's made after a horrible start to his rookie campaign, Winston is still a shaky fantasy play at this point in time. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Matt Ryan (Falcons)

Running Back
MVP: Todd Gurley (Rams)
After a month-long hiatus, Todd Gurley has officially returned to the land of the living. The Rams fed the rookie phenom all game long and it paid major dividends as Gurley's 140-yard, 2 TD performance led the Rams to a much-needed victory over the Lions. With Gurley seemingly out of his slump, he should be a solid RB1 play in Week 15 as the Rams take on the middling rush defense of the Buccaneers.  
Honorable Mentions: James Starks (Packers), DeAngelo Williams (Steelers), Lamar Miller (Dolphins)

LVP: Shaun Draughn (49ers)
Shaun Draughn has done a pretty serviceable job since taking over as the 49ers de facto starting running back in Week 9, which makes his poor performance against the Browns that much more disappointing. Draughn mustered just 51 total yards (43 rushing, 8 receiving) on 13 touches versus a Browns defense that has allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to running backs this season. Despite this lackluster performance, Draughn will be a mid-tier RB2 for the 49ers week 15 contest against a banged-up Bengals defense.
Dishonorable Mentions: Charcandrick West (Chiefs), Devonta Freeman (Falcons), Frank Gore (Colts)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants)
Remember when people thought that Odell Beckham Jr. was an overrated player who was only praised because he made one unforgettable catch? Beckham Jr. made his legions of irrational and uninformed detractors look foolish once again by roasting the Dolphins for 166 yards and 2 TD's (his 6th straight game with 100 + receiving yards) under the bright lights of Monday Night Football. Beckham Jr. has proved throughout 2015 that his tremendous rookie campaign wasn't a fluke and his status as the Giants sole offensive weapon has made him one of the most reliable WR1's in fantasy football. Beckham Jr. faces his toughest challenge of the season so far in Week 15 as he goes up against the Panthers top corner Josh Norman, who has all but completely shut down the likes of Julio Jones, Dez Bryant and DeAndre Hopkins this season.
Honorable Mentions: Doug Baldwin (Seahawks), Ted Ginn Jr. (Panthers), Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)

LVP: Calvin Johnson (Lions)
I can't remember the last time I saw Calvin Johnson play as bad as he did this past Sunday against the Rams. Megatron reeled in just 1 of his 5 targets for 16 yards and also managed to commit a couple of uncharacteristically ugly drops along the way. Johnson has an excellent chance of redeeming himself in Week 15 against the Saints horrible secondary.
Dishonorable Mentions: Amari Copper (Raiders), Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos), Mike Evans (Buccaneers)

Tight End
MVP: Jordan Reed (Redskins)
Sunday at Solider Field served as a reminder of just how great Jordan Reed can be when's healthy. The 3rd-year tight end caught all 9 of his targets for 120 yards and a TD and was the catalyst for the Redskins 24-21 victory over the Bears. Reed should continue to be a top 5 tight end option in Week 15 as the Redskins face a Bills defense that just allowed 98 yards to Eagles tight end Zach Ertz.  
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Gary Barnidge (Browns), Julius Thomas (Jaguars)

LVP: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Travis Kelce's recent woes continued in Week 14 as he picked up just 18 yards on 3 receptions against the below average defense of the Chargers. Kelce has now only scored 1 TD and had 1 50+ yard performance since returning from Bye in Week 10 and is a shaky bet to return to form against a Ravens defense that has allowed the 3rd fewest amount of fantasy points to tight ends this season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Buccaneers), Coby Fleener (Colts), Jordan Cameron (Dolphins)

Defense
MVP: Carolina Panthers
The Panthers took advantage of the Falcons slumping offense and put together one of the most impressive performances (0 points allowed, 5 sacks, 2 INT, 2 FUM REC) of their stellar 2015 season.
Honorable Mentions: Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs

LVP: New York Giants
The Giants defense has been pretty horrible in real life all season long, but their ability to create turnovers and get defensive touchdowns have made them a solid fantasy option. Week 14 was not one of their brighter moments as they had a pretty lackluster game (24 points allowed, 1 sack, 1 FUM REC) against the vastly underachieving and often sloppy offense of the Dolphins.
Dishonorable Mentions: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills  

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