Fantasy Football: Top 10 Reactions to NFL Week 15 | Fantasy Football news, rankings and predictions

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These are my top 10 reactions to Sunday’s matches in Week 15. For a more detailed breakdown, check out my full article Sunday recap.

start Jerick McKinnon

McKinnon led the Chiefs in snaps en route to another dominant fantasy performance.

• McKinnon played most of the third down this week, as he has all season.
• He also took most of the goal line and short yardage plays. He was the primary defender in these situations all season.
• Isiah Pacheco played each of the first and second snaps in the first quarter. McKinnon started to work around those situations early in the second quarter.
• Pacheco lost a fumble early in the second quarter that quickly led to a Texans touchdown, and he was on the bench for the rest of the period. This allowed Ronald Jones to play a few snaps.
• McKinnon served as the primary early adopter in the second half, and Pacheco continued to play plenty of snaps.
• Kansas City is ahead Seahawks and Broncos in the next two weeks. Those are games where Pacheco will likely lead the backfield in carries, but McKinnon should still handle double-digit touches and has touchdown potential on both big plays and goal-line carries.

Add Chuba Hubbard

The second-year running back handled his biggest role of the season for the Panthers.

• He gained just 10 yards on four carries, but caught three passes for 57 yards.
• Donta Foreman was ineffective, gaining nine yards on 10 carries without a score.
• Foreman hasn’t averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry since Week 7. It was his fourth game in six weeks with 3.5 yards or less.
• Hubbard has typically played most of the snaps, but this was his first time playing 100% of those starts. He also played a fair amount in short yardage situations, as he has all season.
• In particular, he played most of the snaps on early downs, which should mean more carries forward.
• Carolina has average matchups over the next two weeks, but it’s generally good to list any team’s top player, even if it prevents anyone else from picking him.

Texans without Dameon Pierce

Last week, Pierce suffered an ankle injury that left him injured. He won’t be back this season.

• Dare Ogunbowale started the game for Houston and shared the early snapsRoyce Freeman. Rex Burkhead acted as a third back.
• Ogunbowale dominated the early kickoffs in the first quarter, but gained just nine yards on six carries.
• Freeman was the Texans’ main rusher the rest of the game, leading the kickoffs 22-12 on first and second downs the rest of the way.
• Freeman also had 11 turnovers in the final three quarters compared to Ogunbowale’s two.
• If this game is any indication, Freeman will likely start next week. That could mean Ogunbowale passes Burkhead on the third down.
• This situation is likely to be avoided as it is a fluid committee of three backs.

Alvin Kamara’s new role

New Orleans signed the deal David Johnson to the active roster earlier in the week, and he and Alvin Kamara were the Saints’ only active running backs in Week 15.

• Kamara usually plays more than usual Mark Ingram II is out of the series.
• Ingram landed on injured reserve this week, ending his regular season.
• Kamara did not see his normal snap growth. Instead, Johnson took Ingrams’ role.
• Last week, Kamara played less than 60% of the snaps for the first time since 2020. He barely topped 60% on Sunday.
• Kamara didn’t have a bad day by any means, posting 91 yards on 21 carries and adding another 13 receiving yards.
• He has a great fantasy matchup Brown next weekbut he might not get many touches in a fantasy championship when the Saints face off Eagles.

Rashid Shaheeds resurrection continues

The undrafted rookie led Saints skill players in snaps played (39), routes run (20) and receiving yards (95).

• His playing time has slowly but surely increased in recent weeks.
• It was his third straight game with 50+ receiving yards.
• He has run the same number of routes and seen the same number of targets Chris Olave and Jarvis Landry over the past three weeks, but this was the first time he was clearly ahead of Landry.
• His games over the next two weeks may not be good enough to propel him into the fantasy starting lineup, but he could very well be the starter for New Orleans in 2023. If the Saints can upgrade at quarterback, there’s a chance he could be a draft pick. in fantasy drafts in August.

Drop Jameson Williams

Williams has now played three games for the Lions, but his role has hardly increased.

• Williams is used in a variety of offensive lineups, but only sees a few snaps in each.
• The most important group of wide receivers is 11, and he played just four of a possible 38 snaps this week, so starting him next week is out of the question.
• The best case scenario is that he somehow becomes a full-time starter during next week’s game, but even if that happens, the Lions will play Bears in week 17, which is not a favorable matchup.
• It’s still OK to take a chance on Williams in DFS if he has a big game or two.

Return Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller

Both veterans returned from injured reserve earlier this week and played part-time roles as the Raiders eased them back into action.

• Waller split the playing time Foster Moreauand they split the field into a rare double set. Moreau typically played in the 21-man, giving him the starting lead, while the two alternated in the 11-man.
• Renfrow and Keelan Cole shared playing time in sets of three receivers.
• Renfrow had a clear advantage on snaps, but they were also used interchangeably in the slot.
• We can expect Renfrow and Waller to play a higher percentage of the snaps next week, assuming they don’t suffer setbacks.
• Renfrow hasn’t been a fantasy starter all season, so it’s probably OK to avoid him. Waller can likely return to the fantasy starters.

Pat Freiermuththe role continues to decline

Freiermuth was held without a catch for the first time in his NFL career.

• Not only did he catch a pass, but he was also kept scoreless, even in penalty kicks.
• It was the third straight week that Freiermuth was down 11 workers on first and second downs.
• He played 15 of a possible 33 snaps this week in 11 early downs. Zach Gentry played 15 when Connor Heyward managed by three.
• Freiermuth should stay in fantasy starting lineups out of any potential waiver wire as he should return to see targets next week. His ceiling isn’t as high as it was earlier in the season, but he still offers more than most tight ends.

Donald Parhams return

Parham came off injured reserve Saturday to join the Chargers’ tight end rotation.

• He was placed on injured reserve in early November with a hamstring injury. He had played only two matches this season.
• Tight ends were largely used interchangeably in the formation.
• Gerald Everett played most of the snaps with 11 personnel, but Parham took several snaps from that group, including a few snaps on third down.
• All three of them took significant snaps in two tight end series. Typically, if only one of them ran a pass route, it was Everett.
• Parham mostly ended up taking schnapps Tre McKittybut he also cut Everetts keys and routes.
• Three of the Everetts’ six worst games in terms of offensive snap percentage have come at Parhams in three games this season.
• Everett is still likely good enough to be a fantasy starter over the last two weeks, but his ceiling is now lower.

Chigoziem Okonkwofantasy value continues to rise

Okonkwo led the Titans in targets and ran more passing routes than Austin Hooper.

• He completed four of his five field goals for 54 yards. He finished second on the team in receiving yards.
• He made 32 starts with 11 players in the last two weeks after making 40 starts with 11 in the first 13 weeks.
• The Titans even gave him a carry for six yards.
• He remains tops in yards per route (2.63) among those with at least 50 routes. The next closest player is Travis Kelce at 2:26 a.m.
• Tennessee has a favorable matchup against Houston next week. Okonkwo has plenty of room to grow in terms of playing time and routes run, but he’s been a clear top target in Tennessee recently and could be in fantasy starting lineups.

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