Fantasy football playoffs are officially underway. Some players rose to the moment when it mattered most, while others completely let managers down. Let’s take a look at who delivered and who disappointed in Week 15.
Stud: Kyle Pitts Sr.
Kyle Pitts managers, rejoice. That long, painful wait may have finally been worth it.
On Thursday night, Pitts erupted for one of the best fantasy performances of the season, catching 11 of 12 targets for 166 yards and three touchdowns, good for 45.6 fantasy points. With Drake London sidelined, Pitts fully capitalized on the opportunity, and many fantasy matchups were decided before the weekend even began.
This also marks three straight games with over 80 receiving yards for Pitts, a level of consistency we have rarely seen from him. He will look to keep it going against a Cardinals defense that has struggled to slow opposing passing attacks.
Dud: Shedeur Sanders
I may have jumped the gun on last week’s Shedeur Sanders hype.
Against the Bears, Sanders struggled mightily, completing 18 of 35 passes for just 177 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions, totaling 3.48 fantasy points. He averaged only 5.1 yards per completion, nearly half of what he averaged in Weeks 12 and 14.
One of the more puzzling moments came midgame when Sanders swapped out his play-calling wristband on the sideline. That does not excuse three interceptions, but it clearly did not help communication. With a matchup against the Bills looming, a defense allowing the fifth fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks, expectations should be kept in check this week.
Stud: Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence has completely flipped the script for Jacksonville this season.
In a blowout win over the Jets, Lawrence delivered one of the best quarterback performances of the year, completing 22 of 30 passes for 330 yards and five passing touchdowns. He added 51 rushing yards and a rushing score for a massive 44.3 fantasy points.
Over Jacksonville’s five game winning streak, Lawrence has accounted for 15 total touchdowns with just four turnovers. He has been the clear engine behind their turnaround. Travis Etienne Jr. also deserves credit, as all three of his targets from Lawrence went for touchdowns, highlighting just how locked in this offense has become.
Dud: Tyler Warren
There were concerns heading into this matchup with 44 year old Philip Rivers under center, and those concerns proved valid.
Warren caught just three of six targets for 19 yards, finishing with 4.9 fantasy points. Rivers performed admirably considering the circumstances, but with only 120 passing yards on the day, it was nearly impossible for any Colts receiver to produce.
Even before the quarterback situation, Warren’s production had dipped. He has not topped 50 receiving yards since Week 10 and has just 13 total catches over that span. Hopefully Indianapolis can rebound on Monday night against San Francisco as they make one final playoff push.
Stud: TreVeyon Henderson
TreVeyon Henderson continues to look like one of the most electric playmakers in the league.
Despite New England blowing a 21 point lead, Henderson was a standout, rushing for 148 yards and two long touchdowns of 52 and 65 yards, finishing with 30.1 fantasy points. He made defenders look helpless on multiple runs.
This was Henderson’s sixth straight game with at least 80 yards from scrimmage, further cementing his takeover of the Patriots backfield. He may have taken the early season Rookie of the Year skepticism personally.
Dud: Joe Burrow
After the Thanksgiving blowout of Baltimore, it felt like Cincinnati had momentum. That optimism did not last.
In a shutout loss, Burrow threw for 225 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, finishing with just 5.5 fantasy points and officially eliFminating the Bengals from playoff contention. This was his second game since returning from injury where he averaged fewer than 5.8 yards per attempt and threw multiple interceptions.
Cincinnati plans to continue playing starters, so for Burrow’s sake, let’s just hope these final games end without further injury in what has become a lost season.
Emergency Room
Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Gardner Minshew will take over at quarterback. With Kansas City eliminated from playoff contention, fantasy managers can safely avoid Chiefs players moving forward.
Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III
Two of Chicago’s top three receivers will miss the rivalry matchup against Green Bay. Odunze is sidelined with a stress fracture in his foot, while Burden is dealing with an ankle injury. Expect the Bears to lean heavily on the run game, especially with Green Bay’s defensive front weakened after Micah Parsons suffered a season ending ACL injury.
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