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Fantasy Football Week 15 Reaction & Week 16 Playoff Championship Lookahead

Jalen Hurts, Tony Pollard and J.D. McKissic carry fantasy managers to the championship game; just as we all expected!

Josh Allen – Leads Buffalo to AFC East Division Title

Congratulations to the Buffalo Bills who claimed their first AFC East division title since 1995. Allen led the way with 359 passing yards and two touchdowns. He added 33 rushing yards and two scores. Allen finished with a season-high 41.25 fantasy points. Buffalo visits New England in Week 16. The Patriots held Allen to a season-low 15 points when these teams met in Buffalo back in Week 8.

Jalen Hurts – Edges Kyler Murray in a Classic Shootout

Lighting up the scoreboard, Hurts and Murray posted huge fantasy numbers in Week 15. Hurts finished slightly ahead as he recorded 41.20 fantasy points while Murray was equally impressive with 40.20 points. Murray leads all NFL players with 414.95 fantasy points. Hurts may be the more valuable starter in Week 16 though as Philadelphia visits Dallas while Arizona will host San Francisco.

Ryan Tannehill – Vultures Touchdown From Derek Henry

Piling up a season-high 39.75 fantasy points, Tannehill led Tennessee to a 46-25 win over Detroit. Tannehill threw three TD passes and added two rushing scores. The second rushing TD was from 3-yards out on a play that normally would go to Henry. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for those who started Henry as he finished with 25.20 points. The Titans visit Green Bay for a potential Week 16 shootout.

Justin Herbert – NFL Rookie of the Year Season Continues

During a lost year for the Chargers, Herbert continues to shine in his rookie season. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers 30-27 OT win against the Raiders. He added 14 rushing yards, including a 1-yard touchdown in overtime, to finish with 31.10 fantasy points. Herbert has a decent Week 16 matchup at home against the injury riddled Denver defense.

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Russell Wilson – Wrong Week For Season-Low Fantasy Total

Fantasy players pinning their playoff hopes on Wilson were disappointed after he posted a season-low 14.25 points. Wilson completed 18-of-27 pass attempts for 121 yards with one TD and one INT. The poor performance also dragged down DK Metcalf who had 9.30 points and Tyler Locket who finished with 7.40 points. A tough matchup at home against the LA Rams is next up for Seattle.

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Tony Pollard – Fantasy Stud With Ezekiel Elliott Inactive

With Elliott inactive, due to a calf injury, Pollard helped keep Dallas in the NFC East playoff race. Pollard posted 69 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He added six receptions for 63 yards and finished with 31.20 points. That’s more points than Elliott has produced in any game this season. Dallas hosts Philadelphia in Week 16 and Pollard will be low-end RB1 option if Elliott sits out again.

David Montgomery – Produces Again During Late Season Surge

Riding a red-hot streak, Montgomery had 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns during the Bears’ 33-27 win over the Vikings. He added one catch for 16 yards and finished with a season-high 29.20 fantasy points. After posting 112.4 points during his first nine starts - Montgomery has been on fire with 106.1 points over the last four games. He is must start in Week 16 when Chicago visits Jacksonville.

J.D. McKissic – Records Season-High Fantasy Points

Leading all players on both teams, during Washington’s 20-15 loss to Seattle, McKissic posted  a season-high 25.70 points. With Antonio Gibson (toe) inactive McKissic had 51 rushing yards plus nine catches for 56 yards and one receiving TD. Washington is at home against Carolina in Week 16. Fantasy players need to monitor Gibson’s status prior to starting McKissic against the Panthers.

Cam Akers – Disappointing Results in Favorable Matchup

After he piled up 171 rushing yards, in Week 14 against New England, Akers was projected as a solid RB1 option versus the New York Jets. Playing at home, against the 30th ranked NFL defense, Akers managed just 63 rushing yards and finished with 7.20 points. The Rams lost 23-20 to the now 1-13 Jets. The entire team will look to rebound when they visit Seattle in Week 16 for a pivotal NFC West battle.

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Calvin Ridley – Torches Tampa Bay Pass Defense

With Julio Jones inactive, Ridley went off against Tampa Bay as he caught ten passes for 161 yards and one TD. After hauling in 18 receptions, for 287 yards and two scores, Ridley now has 58.70 points during the first two weeks of the fantasy playoffs. Atlanta is on the road in Kansas City in Week 16. The Falcons will likely need to lean on their passing attack to keep pace with the Chiefs offense.

DeAndre Hopkins – Dominates Struggling Philadelphia Defense

Kyler Murray posted a career-high 406 passing yards and Hopkins was his primary target. Hauling in 9-of-11 targets, Hopkins recorded a season-high 169 receiving yards and one TD. He finished 32.00 points and that’s a season-high as well. Arizona hosts San Francisco in Week 16. Hopkins is positioned to have a big game as he caught 14 passes for 151 yards versus the 49ers back in Week 1.

Marvin Jones – Posts Season-High Fantasy Points

Posting a season-high 27.20 points, Jones caught 10-of-12 targets for 112 yards and one TD against the Titans. His previous high was 25.60 points recorded during Week 13 against Chicago. Detroit hosts Tampa Bay in a possible Week 16 shootout. That’s a favorable matchup as Atlanta QB Matt Ryan just posted 356 yards and three touchdowns against the Buccaneers porous pass defense.

Zach Pascal – Unlikely Receiving Leader For Indianapolis

Pascal led all Indianapolis receivers with five catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns against Houston. With 24.90 fantasy points, he surpassed the 24.80 points he posted over the previous five games combined. Despite the break out performance, he will be a risky play against Pittsburgh in Week 16. Over 13 contests, the Steelers defense has allowed just 202.2 pass yards per game.

Stefon Diggs – Productive Week 15 Ends With a Foot Injury

Diggs hauled in 11-of-13 pass targets for 147 yards but was held without a score during the Bill’s 48-19  win in Denver. He has caught 31 passes over the last three games. He left the game in the fourth quarter, due to a foot injury, so fantasy players will need to monitor his health prior to Buffalo’s Week 16 game in New England. Diggs caught six passes for 92 yards against the Patriots in Week 8.

Darren Waller – Sets High Bar for Tight Ends in Week 15

Playing in the Thursday night prime time game, Waller caught 9-of-12 targets for 150 yards and one touchdown. After QB Derek Carr was injured, during the Raiders second possession, Waller and backup Marcus Mariota connected on 35, 25 and 25 yard pass plays. Red-hot, Waller has 99.5 fantasy points over the last three games. He is matchup proof and a must start in Week 16 against Miami.

Logan Thomas – Leads All Washington Receivers

After falling behind 20-3, Washington abandoned the run and Dwayne Haskins ended up making 55 pass attempts. Thomas was a primary target as he caught 13-of-15 targets for 101 yards and racked up 23.10 fantasy points. Continuing a late-season surge, Thomas now has 71.90 points over the last four games. He will be a mid-range TE1 option when Washington hosts Carolina in Week 16.

Noah Fant – Breaks a Long Touchdown Scoring Slump

Following a run of nine games without a TD - Fant snapped his slump during Denver’s loss to Buffalo. He caught eight passes for 68 yards and one score. That produced a season-high 20.80 points. Fant has dealt with nagging injuries recently so maybe this is a sign that he is finally healthy. The Broncos visit Los Angeles in Week 16 and the Chargers have allowed 10 TE touchdowns.

T.J. Hockenson – Double-Digit Scoring Streak Ends

Entering Week 15 with double-digit scoring in four straight games – Hockenson posted just 3.80 points against the Titans. Despite a favorable matchup, against the porous Tennessee pass defence, Hockenson managed to catch just 2-of-4 targets for 18 yards. He will look to rebound when Tampa Bay visits Detroit in Week 16. The Bucs' pass defense has allowed eight touchdowns to tight ends.

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