For the first time in this column’s history, I’m taking a victory lap on an imperfect prediction. You see, Jordan Addison was a top-10 wide receiver in Week 14 with his three-touchdown barrage and the Vikings destroyed the Falcons by more than 20 points. Kirk Cousins was predictably pathetic in his return to Minneapolis with two more interceptions and zero touchdowns.
Why didn’t the Falcons bench him for Michael Penix? It’s baffling. Raheem Morris needs to make the call to the bullpen. Since the statistics matched my spicy forecast, I’ll take a pass on the obvious narrative point that didn’t come to fruition. Boom. Nailed it.
Where I was dead on the money again, save for one piece, was in the Rams’ historic 44-42 victory over the Bills. That one was a three-legger. Kyren Williams fielded more than 30 touches and the total flew past my lofty 65-point prediction. Williams was belligerently inefficient and fell a few points shy of 30, even with two touchdowns. Three yards per carry against a porous Buffalo run defense is stunning. Bro couldn’t find water with a willow branch. I’m not bitter or anything, but I should have been perfect twice last week.
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The fantasy football playoffs begin in earnest in Week 15, and we’re finally done with byes. To mark the occasion, I am providing a fifth spicy prediction for your amusement. I heard about some nice winnings from last week’s column, through DFS and pick’em parlays. Even if your season-long team is dust in the wind, there are other avenues to achieve instant gratification on this slate. I wish you well. Like a chiropractor with a bag of walnuts, let’s get cracking.
Fantasy Football Hot Takes: Week 15
Courtland Sutton Earns 12 Targets and is a Top-5 WR in PPR; Bo Nix & Broncos Keep Colts Out of the End Zone in 20-Point Rout
Denver is a real contender this year. For all the grief we dished out to Sean Payton for handling Russell Wilson without a hint of class, he is absolutely in the Coach of the Year conversation. Bo Nix has been a revelation. It’s not a coincidence Courtland Sutton’s huge glow-up in form has aided the elderly rookie out of Oregon. Sutton is dominating on the outside for the Broncos.
Indianapolis clings to playoff hopes as winners of two of their last three games. Fresh off the bye, the Colts have only defeated one team with a winning record this season. That late September triumph over the Steelers was a very long time ago. While I think Anthony Richardson will be a success in the NFL, he is set to duck into a buzzsaw on Sunday.
The Denver defense was ripped apart by Jerry Jeudy last Monday night in an eye-opening spectacle. Indy simply doesn’t have the weaponry to replicate that success. I expect a huge game from Sutton and Nix, with a suffocating vice grip clamping down on Richardson and Jonathan Taylor.
Sonic & Knuckles Each Score 20 PPR Points; David Montgomery Rushes for 150 Yards to Pace Lions to Double-Digit Win Over Bills
The Kyren Williams performance might lead one to believe the Bills have figured out their run defense woes. From my perspective, it merely sets the stage for a pair of real running backs to eviscerate them in this eagerly anticipated “Super Bowl preview.” These are two teams with magnificent, potent scoring offenses. Ben Johnson versus Joe Brady will feed families this week.
It is my belief, however, that the Lions will be able to get more stops on defense. David Montgomery’s nose for the end zone is great, but I also appreciate how he maximizes yardage on every touch. Feel free to expect Jahmyr Gibbs to go off. Montgomery is who I’m favoring slightly.
Josh Allen is so special. On the heels of the largest fantasy scoring barrage for a quarterback in history, we must wonder what he can muster as an encore. We’re clapping and stomping, chanting his name. Can he hear us from backstage? James Cook was a very disappointing player from that turnover-free spectacle in Los Angeles. He faces a brutal matchup in Detroit. I’m rolling right back out there with Khalil Shakir again.
Justin Herbert Finds NorCal and Old Dominion Standout Stone Smartt for Two Touchdowns; Chargers Down Buccaneers in 70-Point Shootout
Pour one out for Will Dissly. His shoulder injury mars a nice undrafted value among fantasy tight ends. Someone else must pick up the musket, charging forward with bayonet gleaming skyward. That man is the pride of Northern California and the Old Dominion Monarchs, Stone Cole Smartt. That’s his full name. Amazing.
Justin Herbert has never found a freakishly tall tight end he didn’t like to toss it up to in the end zone. Smartt’s story is akin to Julius Thomas or Antonio Gates, the latter of which parlayed his basketball acumen into a Hall of Fame career for the Bolts. The chances Smartt is that good are slim to none, but I can dream for one week.
The Buccaneers are so easy to root for. Whether it’s Baker Mayfield taking his game to new heights in pewter and red or Bucky Irving leaping from Oregon star to the best rookie running back, Tampa Bay is fireworks (err… cannons). Mike Evans will continue his 1,000-yard streak. The problem with the Bucs is they have an atrocious defense. This game has oodles of upside for us fantasy lunatics. It won’t be Bills-Rams good, but there’s a lot of appeal across the board here.
Najee Harris Is the Only Standout (Top-10) Fantasy Performer in Keystone State Battle; Steelers Edge Eagles in Slog with Lowest Total on the Slate
I’ve been to Pennsylvania. It’s a beautiful state and they love football there. From Pittsburgh in the west to Philadelphia in the east, the state is blessed with two very good professional teams this season. Unfortunately, they are both playoff-bound from the exploits of their defensive units more than hanging points on the scoreboard. The Steelers and Eagles have decent offenses.
Russell Wilson and George Pickens have formed a special connection, while Najee Harris is quietly en route to another 1,000-yard season. Jalen Hurts scores tons of rushing touchdowns, despite a lack of chemistry with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith compared to previous years. Saquon Barkley is on his way to Offensive Player of the Year, but I doubt he can have a ceiling performance this week.
Harris is going to see a lot of work. Arthur Smith is infatuated with his run game. It will be established. It must be. Harris is exactly the brutish ball carrier needed to beat this undersized Philly front into a bloody pulp. This is doubly the case if Pickens is still out with his hamstring injury. This one might come down to Chris Boswell against Jake Elliott, but I think Harris finds the end zone at least once.
Seahawks Stay Scorching Hot on Sunday Night; Geno Smith Passes for 400 Yards and Three Touchdowns and Jordan Love Throws Three Picks as Packers Fall by Two Touchdowns
It’s so nice when a preseason gut feeling finds its stride in the second half of the campaign. I tabbed the Seattle Seahawks as the surprise NFC West champs, thanks to breakout seasons from Geno Smith and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Ding-ding. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet have each been great, though separately.
Seattle can also credit their defense’s maturity under new head coach Mike Macdonald for a couple of extra wins in the good column. They are teeming with ball hawks and rarely miss assignments or blow coverage.
While I expect an aerial show from Smith in primetime, the Packers’ offense under Jordan Love has just as much upside. The issue with Love is also his gift. He lives to push the envelope and seek out explosive plays. For every incredible tight-window throw seems to be a head-scratching forced pass into coverage for a turnover. Seattle is licking their chops, eager to confuse Love and fluster him into more costly mistakes.
A simple solution is to involve Jayden Reed more. His complete absence from last week’s game plan cost them in Detroit last Thursday. Green Bay must run through Reed and Josh Jacobs to free up those shot plays and increase their effectiveness. Though I trust Matt LaFleur and the Packers to figure that out soon, the Seahawks will not be a willing participant.
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