Just like that, the fantasy football playoffs are among us! I think NFL Week 15 is a good time to reflect on the crazy NFL season and appreciate some of the stats that you may find surprising. I hope this list of stats encourages you to stop and assess the possible impact each stat could have on fantasy values in the fantasy football playoffs. Conversely, stats are fun. Enjoy each one for what it is and don’t overthink everything presented.
12 Fantasy Football Stats to get you ready for NFL Week 15
All stats listed are based on .5 PPR.
1.) The struggles continue for Patrick Mahomes. He now has fewer than 20 fantasy football points in seven of his last eight games. He is the #16 QB in that span. There are some surprising quarterbacks that could have helped you more than Mahomes in the past eight games played… Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston, & Ryan Fitzpatrick all have more fantasy points than Patrick Mahomes in their last eight games.
2.) Betting on WRs vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense continues to pay off. Colts receiver Zach Pascal (someone you could have picked up and streamed) caught five of his nine targets for 74 yards and a touchdown. Good enough for the #11 WR in Week 14. Time for Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola (now that Marvin Jones is out for the season) to step up for your fantasy playoffs in NFL Week 15!
3.) Derrius Guice’s season was short-lived and officially came to an end in Week 14 after suffering an MCL sprain that resulted in him being placed on injured reserve. This opens the door for Adrian Peterson in the following weeks. Peterson has 175 yards and two touchdowns in the last two weeks. He has divisional games against the Eagles and Giants for the remainder of your fantasy playoffs. Considering all of the injuries happening, you may be in the position to use Peterson. I’m here to tell you there are worse options. I hope that makes you feel better.
4.) Alshon Jeffery is done for the season. This is a huge blow to the playoff-contending 6-7 Eagles roster. They are already suffering at the WR position and I’m not sure this helps make anyone fantasy relevant for the playoffs. What I do take away from this is that Carson Wentz should not be considered in your lineups despite favorable matchups in the fantasy playoffs.
5.) Mike Evans is done for the season. At least he knows how to go out as he caught his only ball for a 61-yard TD. Not a bad fantasy day. In all seriousness, this is the type of blow to your fantasy roster that can leave you dead in the water at the most critical time of year. Breshad Perriman would be the obvious “next man up” as he has eight receptions on 11 targets for 157 yards and a TD in the last 2 weeks. Justin Watson and Scott Miller are some sneaky options if you are desperate or can afford high-risk, high-reward options in Week 15.
6.) Rashaad Penny is done for the season. If you haven’t caught on to the trend of this week’s article, I don’t know what to tell you. The Seahawks had a two-headed monster developing between Penny and Carson. This just helps Carson increase his touches. I wouldn’t say it helps the WRs much as Penny only had 11 targets on the season. Carson has proven he can handle the full workload so he just falls back into that role with Penny out.
7.) Calvin Ridley, you guessed it, is done for the season. Similar to Mike Evans (and unlike Alshon Jeffery), Ridley went out with a decent fantasy day as he caught all 5 of his targets for 76 yards and a TD. This shouldn’t help Julio Jones as it just removes another offensive threat to opposing defenses, leaving more focus on Jones moving forward. Austin Hooper is back from injury and should see more looks. Good news for those struggling at tight end. I’m talking to about 97% of you. Russell Gage may be an intriguing option if you’re lucky enough to make it to Week 16 against the swiss cheese Jags. I’d avoid Gage in Week 15 against the 49ers as they have given up the 5th fewest points to WRs this season.
8.) D.J. Chark injured his ankle and is in a walking boot. Reports are saying he may be… say it with me… done for the season. Chark has been the biggest surprise this year and is currently the #8 WR in fantasy. It’s a shame to see his career year-end with an injury but hey, it’s football. There is still value to be had in this offense as the Jaguars typically play from behind and will need to throw the ball to have a chance. Dede Westbrook and Conley are both worth pickups if you need to supplement one of your injured WRs.
9.) If you made it through the injury apocalypse, congratulations, you’ve made it through some depressing times for others. Here’s something that will cheer you up if you’re a Julian Edelman owner. Julian Edelman has been one of the most consistent fantasy WRs in 2019. He’s the #5 WR in the league and has 10+ targets in 10 of his 13 games (including his last 8 games). Edelman is second in targets and third in receptions through Week 14. He’s a lock every week and you’re lucky to have him if you’re still alive in the fantasy playoffs.
10.) Deandre Washington took over for the injured Josh Jacobs in Week 14. He rushed 14 times for 53 yards and a TD and caught six of his seven targets for another 43 yards. In reverse injury news, it appears Josh Jacobs now has a chance to play in Week 15. Keep an eye on this because for those of you that picked up Washington, he’s a must-play against the Jaguars in Week 15. Even if Jacobs plays, you may still want to consider Washington if you are slumming it at RB.
11.) Tyler Higbee had his first double-digit target game in Week 14. He is making a late impact in the Rams offense and fantasy rosters. Higbee has back to back games with 100+ receiving yards. He’s my favorite fantasy TE rest of season outside of the “elite” few. I just picked him up in a league and you can too!
12.) Noah Fant went off with 4 receptions for 113 yards and a TD. Many of you may be tempted to start him this week but I’d look elsewhere. Fant has a bright future but his rookie season has been a roller coaster. Even in his best two games of the season, he was only targeted four times.
Thanks for reading and good luck to all of you in NFL Week 15!
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