Week 15 of the 2019 NFL season is officially in the books and it was a week filled with historic achievements, rookie breakouts, and heroic efforts.
The fantasy superstars aligned just in time for the semi-finals of the fantasy playoffs, as some of the leagues biggest names put up big numbers. This week’s rundown features a pair of Penn State alumni, a surefire Hall of Fame QB, and a familiar face from the nation’s capital. Let’s take a look at who made the cut:
DREW BREES (New Orleans Saints)
Where do we even start with this one? Drew Brees has been one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history for years now, but he’s always been overshadowed by names like Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady. Brees staked his claim to the all-time league touchdown record on Monday night, tossing 4 touchdowns and going for over 300 passing yards in a (34-7) rout of the Colts.
This game felt less like an NFL contest and more like a personal celebration of Brees in front of his hometown crowd. The future Hall-of-Famer already holds the all-time passing yards record, and now he’s added the touchdown passing record AND the single-game completion percentage record (96.7%) to his lengthy list of accolades.
Brees is a locked-in QB1 for the fantasy finals against the Tennessee Titans.
MILES SANDERS (Philadelphia Eagles)
In a must-win game, with a receiving core of rookies and practice-squad receivers, Miles Sanders became the star the Philadelphia Eagles needed him to be.
The former Penn State stand-out shared the Eagles backfield work with Boston Scott, but grossly outperformed his teammate, rushing for 172 yards and a TD on the ground. Sanders also represented one of Carson Wentz’s top receiving options on the day, catching 6 passes for 50 yards, including an absolute dime from Wentz in the back of the endzone for his 2nd touchdown of the day. Sanders has been a revelation for Philly’s offense, adding a dual-threat weapon that they desperately needed.
He’s gotten hot at the perfect time and his workload has remained steady (averaging 15 carries, 5 targets per game). Even with the rumors of Jordan Howards likely return, we like Sanders as an RB2 for the fantasy finals in a must-win game against the Dallas Cowboys. If Philly is going to win that contest, he’ll certainly be one of the main keys to getting it done.
SAQUON BARKLEY (New York Giants)
Jumping from one Penn State alum to another, Saquon Barkley had his way with the Miami Dolphins defense on Sunday afternoon.
The 2018 rookie of the year has had a rough year as a whole, dealing with a nagging ankle injury and the general apathy of the Giants offense, but he found an extra spring in his step against Miami’s dreadful run defense. Barkley gashed the Dolphins defense seemingly at will, rushing for 112 yards /2 TD’s on the ground and adding 31 yards on 4 catches through the air. The performance marked Barkley’s first 100+ yard rushing game since Week 2, but he looked the healthiest we’ve seen him in quite some time in this one.
Saquon was drafted first overall in most leagues for a reason, he’s an elite level difference-maker with the ability to win fantasy titles almost on his own. Consider Barkley a locked-in RB1 for the fantasy finals against a Washington run defense that was just destroyed by Sanders.
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY (Carolina Panthers)
The man they call “RUN-CMC” lived up to that moniker in every conceivable way on Sunday afternoon.
With the Panthers down early against the Seahawks, McCaffrey took it upon himself to try to carry his team back from the brink, and he nearly did it. The dual-threat superstar started slow, but ultimately ended up shredding Seattle for 165 total yards & 2 TD’s on the day. The two scores upped his season-long TD total to (18). McCaffrey was expected to be great this year, but no one could have anticipated that he would be the odds-on fantasy MVP at years end.
The Panthers have one of the most dangerous weapons in the league at their disposal on a weekly basis, and they feed him as much as he can handle. This combination has given CMC an unheard of fantasy floor (he’s scored double-digit points in 14 of 15 weeks). He will be a staple on many fantasy championship rosters after Week 16, and he’ll be rightfully viewed as a strong candidate for the first overall pick in 2020 drafts.
GEORGE KITTLE (San Francisco 49ers)
When George Kittle burst on the fantasy scene last year he was looked at by many (myself included) as waiver wire gold. The rookie TE was an absolute menace, breaking the single-season receiving yardage record for the position (1377 yards) and scoring 5 TDs despite catching balls from Nick Mullens for most of the year.
Expectations were high for Kittle to be even better this season with Jimmy Garoppolo back under center and a revamped offense put into place. Kittle has responded by catching 92 balls for 888 yards and 4 TDs with two weeks left in the year. Jimmy G’s favorite target showed just how valuable he was on Sunday, absorbing an INSANE 17 targets, and catching 13 of them for 134 yards. Despite not scoring a touchdown, Kittle made his mark with his overwhelming target share and YAC yardage.
He is without a doubt one of the Top 5 Tight Ends in the league today, and he’ll be a locked-in TE1 against a Rams team that he dropped (8 catches/103 yards) on back in Week 6.
JULIO JONES (Atlanta Falcons)
The frustration of being a Julio Jones owner is a weird sensation to explain to people. On one hand, you have one of the unquestioned top 3 wide-outs in the league on your roster, but on the other, he doesn’t score nearly as many touchdowns as he should. Injury report woes and touchdown scarcity have made Julio one of the more polarizing (first/second) round fantasy assets for years now.
On Sunday afternoon, the superstar wideout showed exactly why so many owners are consistently willing to pay that price. Jones saw a “Kittle-like” share of the Falcons targets in this one, with Matt Ryan looking his way TWENTY times. For his part, Jones caught 13 of them and translated them into 134 yards & 2 TD’s. The second touchdown was a monumental one, as Jones’ goal-line grab and stretch resulted in the Falcons upsetting the surging 49ers.
Julio’s target share and yardage totals make him a WR1 level play on a weekly basis, and he’ll have a rare opportunity to score TD’s in back to back weeks when Atlanta faces a vulnerable Jacksonville secondary in Week 16.
KENYAN DRAKE (Arizona Cardinals)
There are fantasy owners out there right now that are either clapping and cheering at the sight of Drake’s name, or kicking themselves for not starting him.
The former Miami Dolphin made himself into a bonified fantasy playoff MVP candidate on Sunday, as he clowned the Cleveland Browns defense all day long. Drake cemented his role as the Cardinals running back to own in this game, handling (22 carries!) and converting them into 137 yards & a whopping FOUR touchdowns. For someone that’s normally known as a dual-threat/receiving back, Drake adopted the persona of a full-on workhorse rusher against Cleveland, with the 4 touchdowns bringing his total to 5 on the year (all with Arizona).
He should be looked at as a fringe RB1 candidate against a Seahawks defense that just got demolished by McCaffrey.
TERRY MCLAURIN (Washington Redskins)
For plenty of voters/fans out there, the 2019 offensive rookie of the year award has already been handed to Josh Jacobs of the Oakland Raiders. He’s a great all-around choice, he’s transformed the Oakland backfield, and given them something to be excited about as the team makes its long-awaited exodus to Sin City.
However, there’s a player making a similar impact in the nations capital that isn’t getting nearly enough attention. Terry McLaurin burst onto the fantasy map in Week 1, taking the Eagles by surprise and dropping 125 yards & a touchdown on their heads. In week 15, months later, the man they call “Scary Terry” performed an even more impressive encore performance. McLaurin wasted no time abusing Philly’s struggling secondary on Sunday, catching a 75-yard touchdown in the first quarter and setting a tone of competition that would hold until the last 30 seconds of the game. The breakout star ended up with 5 catches for 130 yards & a touchdown on the day, and he could have realistically had even more with a higher target share.
McLaurin should be considered a top-3 candidate for OROY when the season is finished, his value to his team mirrors what Jacobs has accomplished, and his dominance in divisional games has shown his ability to shine in the most important moments. Washington doesn’t have much to be prideful about coming out of 2019, but the emergence of players like McLaurin should give their fanbase something to be excited for heading into the next few years.
Consider him a locked-in WR2 with WR1 upside heading into a fantasy finals match-up against the New York Giants.
MY PRIMARY TAKEAWAY FROM WEEK 15
Drew Brees’ rise to all-time great status is a lesson in never giving up.
When you hear the name “Drew Brees” in any form of media a few choice adjectives immediately spring to mind. Legend, leader, humanitarian, each of these words accurately describe Brees, but none of them completely encapsulate his dominance in the league, and his importance to the NFL as a whole. When he broke the NFL passing touchdown/single-game completion percentage records against the Colts on Monday Night Football, Brees cemented himself as one of the greatest to ever play the position, and he did it in grand style in front of a raucous Superdome crowd.
This wasn’t always Brees’ destiny though. The surefire future Hall-of-Famer was anything but a lock to be great when he entered the league via the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Brees was drafted to turn around a struggling Chargers franchise but faltered under the weight of expectations and injuries. A diagnosed torn labrum in 2005 threatened to end his career before it even had a real chance to start.
The injury lead to him losing significant playing time to a 41-year-old Doug Flutie in his third year with the team. With a significant injury and his playing time cut, Brees was set adrift in a sea of the unknown heading into the 2006 season. That is, until the New Orleans Saints came knocking.
With the Chargers low-balling in contract negotiations, Brees looked to free agency for a new landing spot, and he found one with Sean Payton and the New Orleans Saints. Brees started strong in NOLA, bringing the Saints to the NFC Championship game in his first year and ultimately ending up with first-team All-Pro honors/MVP runner up status and co-Walter Payton Man of the Year honors with his former teammate LaDainian Tomlinson. Within 3 years of landing in New Orleans, Brees had thrown for over 14,000 yards, held Offensive Player of the Year honors, and in 2009, he gifted the city it’s first Super Bowl championship.
The Saints victory in Super Bowl 44 wasn’t just a sporting one, it was a symbolic victory for both Brees, and the city of New Orleans as a whole. Through his tireless efforts of reaching out and aiding the community following Hurricane Katrina, Brees had made himself into more than just the teams quarterback. He was a community leader, a helping hand, and a ray of hope for a city in the process of rebuilding itself. When the Saints raised the Lombardi Trophy in 2009, it was a victory shared by millions, and it still marks one of the more emotional victories in NFL history.
It is with this history, and this special relationship in mind that we view Drew Brees’ historic accomplishments from Monday night. When he passed Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, names that had overshadowed him through his career, the city of New Orleans was at full throat to support him. Their hero had taken another step towards immortality, and Brees accepted their accolades humbly, with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face.
Drew Brees is a reminder that life isn’t about having a strict, regimented plan, it’s about rolling with the punches and preparing so that you’re able to capitalize when opportunity presents itself. He is an inspiration to me, and his story should inspire us all to believe in ourselves, and work towards what we want in life, no matter what obstacles are placed in front of us.
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