IN THE WEEKLY FANTASY UNIT, THERE ARE CRIMES COMMITTED THAT WOULD SHOCK AND APPALL YOU: NEGATIVE POINTS, UNDERWHELMING SUPERSTARS AND OUTRIGHT BUSTS. THESE ARE THE FINDINGS OF ONE MAN ON A MISSION TO EXPOSE THE NFL’S BIGGEST PERPETRATORS BEFORE THEY STRIKE AGAIN. THESE ARE … THE FANTASY FILES
Welcome everyone to Week 15 of the 2019 NFL Season! This past week had its fair share of explosive matchups, with the Saints/49ers putting on an instant classic, and the Rams claiming a statement victory over the Seahawks.
We wish we could say that our week was just as successful, but unfortunately, it was a rough one at the Precinct in Week 14. We missed on five of our six predictions (to varying degrees), but we have plenty to learn from to bounce back in Week 15! Without further ado, let’s jump into things:
WHERE WE HIT:
- DARWIN THOMPSON (6 Points)
- The trendy waiver-wire pickup totaled just 7 yards on 4 carries as he was completely overshadowed by LeSean McCoy on the ground on Sunday afternoon. Thompson failed to produce anything substantial for fantasy owners, but he did show off some impressive pass-catching skills (catching 4 balls for 36 yards), showing that he may have greater PPR value than once thought. If Damien Williams misses Kansas City’s Week 15 contest we may see Thompson reprise his role in the Chiefs passing game. Even with that possibility on the table, he should still be viewed as nothing more than a desperation FLEX option against Denver.
WHERE WE MISSED:
- MATT RYAN (21 Points)
- Atlanta moved the ball up and down the field effortlessly against a defeated Panthers secondary on Sunday afternoon. Ryan ended up finishing with 21 fantasy points in 2 TDs and over 300 passing yards, but his day could have been much bigger considering the games final score (40-20). Atlanta lost Calvin Ridley to a season threatening abdomen injury in the contest, but with Julio Jones and Austin Hooper back on the field, Ryan will still have plenty of weapons to work with. However, we advise caution in trusting him to continue his hot streak against the 49ers defense in Week 15.
- EMMANUEL SANDERS (30 Points)
- If you didn’t get the memo, Emmanuel Sanders is over that whole rib injury situation. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that memo, and we ended up looking pretty foolish at the conclusion of Sundays 49ers/Saints game. Sanders played like a man possessed, catching 7 balls of 157 yards/TD and even throwing a TD pass. The veteran wide-out looks to be back to 100 percent and should be viewed as a strong WR2 option in Week 15 against the Falcons.
- JARED COOK (19 Points)
- You just can’t seem to slow this man down in 2019. The love affair between Drew Brees and his new tight end continued on Sunday afternoon, with the pair connecting for 64 yards & 2 TD’s before Cook had to leave the game following an injury. Cook’s status for Week 15 is up in the air as he’s currently in the league’s concussion protocol, but if he can get a few limited practices in this week he should be good to roll out against a middle of the road Colts defense.
- SEATTLE D/ST (11 Points)
- It’s funny how one play can save a player’s fantasy week. Usually, that play is a touchdown by an individual player, but this week the entire Seahawks defense was saved by a touchdown. In a game where they were thoroughly outplayed and beaten soundly by the Rams, Seattle managed 2 interceptions, a defensive TD and a blocked kick to salvage their production. This unit should be looked at as a prime bounce-back candidate against a struggling Panthers offense in Week 15.
- TERRY MCLAURIN (13 Points)
- McLaurin once again proved to be the youthful spark of optimism in the Washington offense on Sunday afternoon. In a game that ended up being much more competitive than most expected, McLaurin was in sync with Dwayne Haskins, catching 4 balls for 57 yards and a TD (his 6th of the season). “Scary Terry” will be a strong WR2 candidate in a potential blow-up spot against the Eagles threadbare secondary in Week 15.
Now, with that taken care of, let’s see who made the list this week:
QUARTERBACK: AARON RODGERS (Green Bay Packers)
Rodgers and the Packers looked downright vulnerable in Week 14’s narrow victory over the Washington Redskins.
The former league MVP struggled mightily against one of the leagues worst pass defenses, posting a mere 11 fantasy points, and passing for under 200 yards & a TD to close out the day. This marked the 2nd time in the past three weeks that Rodgers had failed to throw for 200 yards, and with the exception of a 4 TD effort against the Giants in Week 13, he hasn’t looked like his normal self. This week Green Bay will find themselves under siege early and often at Lambeau Field as the Bears defense will be on the hunt for #12.
Despite his historic success against Chicago, it should be noted that Rodgers didn’t perform well against this unit to start the year (203 Pass Yards/TD in Week 1). A lot can change between then and now, but the Packers’ recent passing woes have us concerned. Consider Rodgers a QB2 option against Chicago in the fantasy semi-finals.
RUNNING BACK: DEVONTA FREEMAN (Atlanta Falcons)
Freeman reminded a lot of fantasy owners that he existed by scoring a touchdown in Week 14. That was the first touchdown of 2019 for Freeman, and it was also his 2nd best yardage game of the year (84 rushing yards).
To say the former first-round fantasy star has struggled this year would be an understatement. With his health a near-constant concern and his production down the drain, we advise avoiding the “Devonta is back!” reactions that we’ve seen on social media throughout this past week.
Freeman faces an uphill climb against a tough 49ers defense, and the Falcons appear to be more focused on their aerial attack as the year winds to a close. Consider Freeman a desperation FLEX, but you should really be leaving him on your bench.
WIDE RECEIVER: DIONTAE JOHNSON (Pittsburgh Steelers)
The Pittsburgh Steelers mythical ability to draft talent at the wide receiver position appears to have worked yet again with Johnson. The pair of James Washington and Diontae Johnson have stepped up and really impressed in the absence of franchise cornerstones like Ben Roethlisberger, James Conner, and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Johnson had his trademark game of the year in Week 14, scoring 2 TD’s (1 receiving/1 return), and proved to be the key difference-maker in Pittsburgh’s victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The Steelers hot streak (3 straight wins) has clearly rubbed off on the team’s roster, they’re feeling confident, but confidence alone won’t save Johnson from a match-up against Tre’Davious White and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football.
With the lights on bright, Johnson will see plenty of White, and that has spelled doom for receivers all year long. Between Washington/Johnson, we’d recommend Washington in a game that should be a physical, low scoring slugfest.
TIGHT END: JONNU SMITH (Tennessee Titans)
Yes, believe it or not, there is a part of the Titans offense that isn’t exploding on a weekly basis. Ever since the team shifted away from Marcus Mariota and installed Ryan Tannehill as it’s starter they’ve become a completely different outfit.
Tennessee is (6-1) over their last 7 games, with back to back divisional wins in Weeks 12 and 13, and Tannehill has been excellent in all of them. Unfortunately, that wealth hasn’t trickled down to the tight end position, and that’s bad news for Jonnu Smith. Dating back to Week 8, Smith has scored 2 TDs total and averaged just 3 targets per contest.
He may have scored a touchdown last week, but we consider that to be an outlier. Even in a matchup against a bottom tier Texans secondary, we can’t recommend Smith as a start with your fantasy season hanging in the balance.
DEFENSE: NEW YORK GIANTS D/ST
No one is going out their way to start the Giants defense in any given week, but they made this week’s list because of the team they’re set to face in Week 15. The Miami Dolphins still have the ability to lull some fantasy owners in a feeling of safety and security. Some owners still view them as the worst team in the league, and only remember that they were “tanking for Tua”.
In reality, Miami has proven themselves to be much scrappier than their reputation, shredding a similarly porous Eagles secondary just two weeks ago for over 350 yards and 3 TDs. Ryan Fitzpatrick is the king of YOLO ball, and he doesn’t care what happens to him on any given down. This man is a kamikaze plane hurtling towards every secondary he faces at full force, and New York is unprepared for just how harsh the impact could be when he lands.
If that description didn’t sway you, then you can always just remember that this unit gave up 34 points to the Jets. Yeah, stay away from the G Men in Week 15, stay far, far away.
PRIMARY SUSPECT: AMARI COOPER (Dallas Cowboys)
With the lead in the pathetic NFC East on the line on a weekly basis, the Dallas Cowboys have every reason to play their very best every time they take the field. Yet, they haven’t done so in two straight weeks.
Ever since their Thanksgiving throttling at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, the Cowboys have seemingly given up on the 2019 season, and more importantly, on their head coach Jason Garrett. Dallas is a loser of three straight, dating back to its loss in New England, and they’ve lost each of their last two by at least a touchdown.
We don’t expect that trend to change against the surging LA Rams in Week 15 and we believe that Amari Cooper will suffer greatly because of it. To his credit, Cooper has performed admirably over the past month, playing through a knee injury and going for over 80 receiving yards in his last two contests. We expect his luck to run out against Jalen Ramsey this week.
A match-up against one of the league’s top corners at less than 100% isn’t the type of risk that any fantasy owner should be welcoming into their lineup during the fantasy playoffs. Cooper should be viewed as a low-end WR2/FLEX play at best in Week 15.
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