Week 11 has been interesting thus far, with some fantasy explosions from Cam Newton and Jameis Winston (five TD passes each), Doug Martin (235 rush yards) and DeAndre Hopkins (two TDs, 118 yards). There have also been some big disappointments as Amari Cooper struggled with drops, Lamar Miller had just 55 total yards and T.Y. Hilton was virtually a ghost for the Colts. With the fantasy playoffs approaching, every little bit of information helps as you try to make a run for a championship. So in case you missed any of the day's action, we have full recaps of every game below with key takeaways for fantasy owners. Go ahead and get caught up!
Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions
Top performers:
» Sebastian Janikowski, K: 3 FG, 9.00 fantasy points
» Latavius Murray, RB: 28 yards, TD, 8.80 fantasy points
» Derek Carr, QB: 169 pass yards, 8 rush yards, 7.56 fantasy points
» Seth Roberts, WR: 54 yards, 5.40 fantasy points
» Matthew Stafford, QB: 282 pass yards, 31 rush yards, TD, 20.38 fantay points
» Calvin Johnson, WR: 88 yards, 8.80 fantasy points
» Theo Riddick, RB: 86 yards, 8.60 fantasy points
Welp.
This game was supposed to be chock full of fantasy points. It was quite the opposite. Derek Carr and the Raiders offense could never get anything going although drops by Amari Cooper didn't help anything. Were it not for a third quarter rushing touchdown by Latavius Murray, Sebastian Janikowski would have been the only Raiders player worth talking about. Need further proof? Oakland's leading receiver was Seth Roberts with 54 yards -- 43 of them on one play. Sigh. At least they didn't give up a touchdown catch to a tight end.
Honestly, things weren't a whole lot better on the Lions side of the ball. Matthew Stafford did approach 300 passing yards and had a rushing touchdown, but he was about the only Detroit player worth his fantasy salt. It was nice to see 20 targets split between Golden Tate (11) and Calvin Johnson (9), but was it too much to ask to throw to one of them in the painted area? Yes. Yes it was. In other news, Theo Riddick (86 yards) did stuff. Ameer Abdullah (46 yards) and Joique Bell (40 yards) sorta did stuff. So there's that.
Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons
Top performers:
» Matt Hasselbeck, QB: 213 pass yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 15.78 fantasy points
» Frank Gore, RB: 34 rush yards, 5 rec, 46 rec yards, fmbl, 6 fantasy points
» Ahmad Bradshaw, RB: 32 rush yards, 4 rec, 20 rec yards, 2 TDs, 17.2 fantasy points
» Donte Moncrief, WR: 5 rec, 41 yards, 4.1 fantasy points
» T.Y. Hilton, WR: 2 rec, 21 yards, 2.1 fantasy points
» Matt Ryan, QB: 280 pass yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, 17.9 fantasy points
» Julio Jones, WR: 9 rec, 160 yards, 16 fantasy points
» Leonard Hankerson, WR: 4 rec, 36 yards, TD, 9.6 fantasy points
» Devonta Freeman, RB: 43 yards, 4.3 fantasy points
» Tevin Coleman, RB: 48 yards, fmbl, 2.8 fantasy points
» Patrick DiMarco, FB: 3 rec, 21 yards, 2 TDs, 14.1 fantasy points
All Matt Hasselbeck does is win, apparently. He got his third "W" of the year for the Colts, but that likely didn't turn into many fantasy wins as the passing attack suffered. Donte Moncrief and T.Y. Hilton combined for 62 receiving yards. Gross. Frank Gore remained the workhorse with 19 touches, but the Colts fell behind early and had to turn away from the run a bit. A fumble ruined what would have been an otherwise solid outing for the veteran. The Falcons have bled points through the air to running backs all season, and that held true in Week 11. Gore and Ahmad Bradshaw had 66 combined receiving yards, with Bradshaw catching two touchdowns as well. He'll continue to be a boom or bust flex option, as the team loves his dual-threat ability in the red zone.
The biggest news of the day was when Devonta Freeman left the game in the first quarter with a concussion and did not return. Tevin Coleman wasn't able to get the job done in Freeman's stead, as he managed just five more yards than Freeman on 14 more carries. He'll be a name to look for on waivers in case Freeman misses more time with his concussion. In the passing game, it was another day at the office for Julio Jones. He notched nine catches and 160 yards on 15 targets. Leonard Hankerson healed up over the bye week and returned to his No. 2 wideout role for the Falcons, with 36 yards and a touchdown. Despite the team's effort to feed Roddy White early, he still failed to produce (four catches, 24 yards). There's no reason to hold onto him in fantasy. Matt Ryan threw three touchdowns (two to Patrick DiMarco -- huh?) but also had three interceptions, keeping his day to an average 17-point outing. He remains one of the more overrated players in fantasy football.
St. Louis Rams at Baltimore Ravens
Top performers:
» Case Keenum, QB: 136 passing yards, TD, 5.44 fantasy points
» Todd Gurley, RB: 25, 66 rushing yards, TD, 10.60 fantasy points
» Kenny Britt, WR: 2 rec, 24 yards, 2.40 fantasy points
» Lance Kendricks, TE: 2 rec, 43 yards, TD, 10.30 fantasy points
» Joe Flacco, QB: 299 passing yards, 11.96 fantasy points
» Justin Forsett, RB: 4 rec, 26 yards, 2.60 fantasy points
» Javorius Allen, RB: 27 touches 95 total yards, 11.50 fantasy points
» Kamar Aiken, WR: 5 rec, 50 yards, TD, 11.00 fantasy points
» Crockett Gillmore, TE: 5 rec, 101 yards, 10.10 fantasy points
There was no streaming value to reap from Case Keenum. On a dysfunctional offense, the backup quarterback fumbled twice, and had to frequently bail on plays with no lanes to throw in downfield. Tavon Austin was a disappointment today, as he made a number of mistakes, and none of their traditional wideouts made plays against this secondary. Todd Gurley squeaked out a touchdown for his fantasy owners in what could not have been a more difficult spot. Things loosen up next week when they travel to face Cincinnati on the road.
The Ravens got the win, but the cost was great. First they lost Justin Forsett to a broken arm, and then informed us that Joe Flacco will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL and MCL. In a shocking turn of events, Matt Schaub, Buck Allen and Kamar Aiken will anchor Baltimore's offense going forward. While plays like Aiken, Chris Givens and Crockett Gillmore were merging into surprising fantasy contributors, expectations must be drastically altered in the wake of Flacco's injury. Say what you want about him, but the drop off to Schaub, who was completely non-functional last we saw him, is steep.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles
Top performers:
» Jameis Winston, QB: 246 yards, 5 TDs, 2 rush yards, 30.04 fantasy points
» Doug Martin, RB: 235 rush yards, 23.5 fantasy points
» Charles Sims, RB: 43 rush yards, 26 rec yards, TD, 12.9 fantasy points
» Mike Evans, WR: 4 rec, 63 rec yards, TD, 12.3 fantasy points
» Vincent Jackson, WR: 4 rec, 56 rec yards, TD, 11.6 fantasy points
» Buccaneers D/ST: 3 sack, 3 INT, 1 fmbl rec, TD, 18 fantasy points
» Mark Sanchez, QB: 5 rec, 107 yards, 2 TDs, 22.7 fantasy points
» Darren Sproles, RB: 21 rush yards, 38 rec yards, TD, 11.9 fantasy points
» DeMarco Murray, RB: 64 rush yards, 27 rec yards, fmbl, 7.1 fantasy points
» Brent Celek, TE: 79 rec yards, 7.9 fantasy points
» Josh Huff, WR: 39 yards, TD 9.9 fantasy points
We expected Doug Martin to bounce back, but we didn't expect him to do so with 235 yards against one of the league's best run defenses. He ran exceptionally well, breaking tackles and showing patience to find the right holes that led to monster gains (he had gains of 56 yards and 82 yards). The real star was Jameis Winston, though, as the rookie showed the Buccaneers faithful why he was worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. He made great decisions and great throws all afternoon en route to five touchdown passes to five different players. Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, finally healthy, both got in on the scoring palooza. Charles Sims also had a solid afternoon if owners had to flex him, as he caught one of Jameis' touchdowns and managed 69 total yards.
Hoo boy was the Eagles offense tough to watch. Mark Sanchez wasn't particularly sharp, and the team got behind early so they had to semi abandon the run. As a result, DeMarco Murray only had 13 carries and managed 64 yards. His fantasy day was further ruined by a fumble. Darren Sproles took full advantage of his extra touches and found his way into the end zone on a 40-yard touchdown reception. Remember that connection Sanchez and Jordan Matthews had last year? Yeah, that doesn't exist in 2015. Sanchez has targeted Matthews a grand total of six times in the last two weeks. Brent Celek has been trending upwards recently, with 10 targets coming his way in this game. He hauled in seven of them for 79 yards, and could become a decent streaming tight end option if this keeps up.
Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears
Top performers:
» Brock Osweiler, QB: 250 pass yards, 2 TD, 4 rush yards, 18.40 fantasy points
» Demaryius Thomas, WR: 59 yards, TD, 11.90 fantasy points
» Ronnie Hillman, RB: 104 yards, 10.40 fantasy points
» Jeremy Langford, RB: 42 yards, TD, 10.20 fantasy points
» Marquess Wilson, WR: 102 yards, 10.20 fantasy points
» Jay Cutler, QB: 265 pass yards, TD, 29 rush yards, fumble, 9.50 fantasy points
Brock Osweiler wasn't spectacular, but he was much better than anything we've seen from Peyton Manning for the past month. The Broncos quarterback had a pair of touchdown passes -- including a long one to Demaryius Thomas -- and no interceptions. It also turned out to be a solid day for Ronnie Hillman, who posted his third 100-yard rushing game of the season. The other interesting note is that Osweiler favored the tight ends a lot this week. Vernon Davis, Owen Daniels and Virgil Green combined for 11 catches and 146 yards. That's worth keeping in mind going forward.
After struggling to force turnovers in recent weeks, the Broncos were able to pick off Jay Cutler -- and probably should have had more. That turned a mediocre game into a terrible one for the Bears quarterback. It certainly didn't help that Cutler went into the contest with Marquess Wilson and Josh Bellamy as his top two wide receivers. It was an equally tough day for Jeremy Langford, who salvaged something with a fourth quarter touchdown run. Nonetheless, the Bears defense had a decent day with five sacks.
New York Jets at Houston Texans
Top performers:
» Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: 216 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 2 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 2 INTs, 15.84 fantasy points
» Brandon Marshall, WR: 47 rec yards, TD, 10.70 fantasy points
» Eric Decker, WR: 81 rec yards, 8.10 fantasy points
» Chris Ivory, RB: 36 rush yards, 9 rec yards, 4.50 fantasy points
» T.J. Yates, QB: 229 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, -5 rush yards, 14.66 fantasy points
» DeAndre Hopkins, WR: 118 rec yards, 2 TDs, 23.80 fantasy points
» Alfred Blue, RB: 58 rush yards, 34 rec yards, rec TD, 15.20 fantasy points
The Jets offense struggled against the Texans on Sunday. Ryan Fitzpatrick completed fewer than 50 percent of his pass attempts, going 19 for 39. Near the end of the game, he scored a rushing touchdown on a 6-yard draw play, lowering his shoulder at the goal line and plowing through a defender for a score. He also threw two picks but did manage to squeeze in a single touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall who remains a weekly low-end WR1 due to consistent red zone success. Eric Decker caught just four of the 11 passes that came his way but was extremely efficient racking up 81 yards. The Jets receiver duo remains one of the most dangerous in the NFL and even in a down game still managed to post servicable numbers for fantasy owners. Chris Ivory, who was seen on the trainer's table in the first quarter, returned to the game but had a tough time gaining yards. His one 23-yard run accounted for 63 percent of his total rushing yards on the day. We'll give him a break since he only had eight carries, but fantasy owners were definitely left wanting more.
Thanks to a little play trickery and a good defensive performance, Houston managed to beat the Jets for a second consecutive win. DeAndre Hopkins big day had a little bit to do with the victory too. The stud wideout accounted for 31 percent of the Texans offensive yardage as well as half of his team's total points. He clearly had no trouble navigating "Revis Island". Backup quarterback T.J. Yates targeted Hopkins a team-high 12 times in the game, solidifying the notion that it's not difficult to learn Houston's playbook -- just throw it to Nuk all day. The Texans run game was pathetic as it has been all season. Alfred Blue "led" the backfield with 58 rush yards on 21 carries, but for fanatsy owners who needed more out of him go lucky on a trick play that involved Cecil Shorts throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to the running back. The Texans play Saints next week, so we'll be looking for an offensive frenzy there, or at least another huge game from Hopkins.
Washington at Carolina Panthers
Top performers:
» Kirk Cousins, QB: 207 yards, TD, INT, 6.68 fantasy points
» Matt Jones, RB: 7 touches, 12 total yards, -0.80 fantasy points
» DeSean Jackson, WR: 5 rec, 87 yards, TD, 14.70 fantasy points
» Jordan Reed, TE: 6 rec, 46 yards, 2.60 fantasy points
» Cam Newton, QB: 262 total yards, 5 TDs, 31.44 fantasy points
» Jonathan Stewart, RB: 22 touches, 114 total yards, TD, 17.40 fantasy points
» Devin Funchess, WR: 4 rec, 64 yards, TD, 12.40 fantasy points
» Ted Ginn, WR: 5 rec, 37 yards, TD, 10.90 fantasy points
» Greg Olsen, TE: 3 rec, 54 yards, TD, 11.40 fantasy points
At one point, this game was tied 14-14, but it sure slipped away fast. After a long touchdown from DeSean Jackson and a kickoff return score, nothing went right for Washington. Kirk Cousins and Matt Jones predictably came back to earth after their monster outings against New Orleans the week prior. The Washington ground game accumulated 14 rushing yards, with 10 coming from Chris Thompson and four from Cousins. This was a dreadful game for most of their skill players including tight end Jordan Reed who had been on a hot streak heading into the game. Jackson made a play in blown coverage, and at least looked far healthier than we've seen him thus far. Washington gets the New York Giants at home next week, and should come out much better than they did here.
This game was all about Cam Newton, who had a career high five passing touchdowns. Better yet, his scores went to five different players. Jonathan Stewart came down with a red zone score, and had a big day on the ground. He's setting the tempo for this offense, running with power and keeps the unit on schedule. You hope he finds the end zone for him to reach max value, but there are not many backs more reliable than Stewart of late. Devin Funchess looked tremendous in this game. His routes were crisp, and made a few big catches in traffic. His emergence is a welcome one for this offense, and he's worth a look on waivers this week.
Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins
Top performers:
» Tony Romo, QB: 227 pass yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 2 rush yards, 13.28 fantasy points
» Darren McFadden, RB: 129 rush yards 20 rec yadrs, 14.90 fantasy points
» Dez Bryant, WR: 45 rec yards, TD, 10.50 fantasy points
» Terrance Williams, WR: 79 rec yards, TD, 13.90 fantasy points
» Ryan Tannehill, QB: 188 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, 1 INT, 13 rush yards, 14.82 fantasy points
» Lamar Miller, RB: 44 rush yards, 11 rec yards, 5.50 fantasy points
» Jarvis Landry, WR: 66 rec yards, 6.60 fantasy points
» Kenny Stills, WR: 52 rec yards, TD, 11.20 fantasy points
» Jordan Cameron, TE: 21 rec yards, TD, 8.10 fantasy points
Tony Romo returned to action against the Dolphins on Sunday, but he was a bit rusty in his first game back. He did connect with Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams for touchdowns, which fantasy owners were obviously happy about, but his two picks brought his point total down under 14 for the week. Darren McFadden did work against Miami despite concerns about his groin injury and the weather. He did look a little slow and failed to get into the end zone (he hasn't scored since Week 7) but his fantasy owners will take 149 scrimmage yards. Looking ahead, Dallas may have a tough time putting up points on a short week as they play Carolina on Thanksgiving.
The popular fantasy players on Miami had a slow week as Lamar Miller collected only nine touches in the game for a total of 55 yards and failed to reach the end zone for the first time since Week 5. Jarvis Landry was the most targeted wideout for Miami but managed just 66 yards on four catches. Ryan Tannehill couldn't get anything going until late in the second quarter when he threw a touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Cameron, who by now, many fantasy owners have given up on. Kenny Stills also caught a touchdown pass on one of his two catches of the game. Fantasy owners will have to hope for more from their Miami players next week against the Jets.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
Top performers:
» Blaine Gabbert, QB: 264 pass yards, TD, 22 rush yards, 16.76 fantasy points
» Vance McDonald, TE: 65 yards, TD, 12.50 fantasy points
» Anquan Boldin, WR: 93 yards, 9.30 fantasy points
» Thomas Rawls, RB: 255 yards, 2 TD, 37.50 fantasy points
» Russell Wilson, QB: 260 pass yards, 3 TD, 20 rush yards, 25.40 fantay points
» Tyler Lockett, WR: 53 yards, 2 TD, 17.30 fantasy points
There aren't a lot of good reasons for people to have any 49ers on their roster, let alone start them. But Blaine Gabbert hasn't been completely terrible in his two starts. This week, he made a few plays and didn't turn the ball over to finish as the 10th best fantasy quarterback heading into the Sunday night contest. As much as we pick on the Raiders for not being able to stop tight ends, the Seahawks are equally as vulnerable. Vance McDonald and Garrett Celek combined for six catches, 100 yards and a touchdown. Shaun Draughn saw 20 touches, but his 77 total yards left a lot to be desired.
Thomas Rawls. Thomas Rawls. Thomas Rawls. The rookie set a franchise rookie record with 209 yards. Add that to his 46 receiving yards and two touchdowns and it was a pretty darn huge day. Not to be forgotten, Russell Wilson tossed three touchdowns -- two to Tyler Lockett -- on his way to a 25-point day. But yeah, Thomas Rawls y'all.
Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers
Top performers:
» Alex Smith, QB: 253 passing yards, 33 rushing yards, 13.42 fantasy points
» Charcandrick West, RB: 13 touches, 64 total yards, 6.40 fantasy points
» Spencer Ware, RB: 12 touches, 101 total yards, 2 TDs, 22.10 fantasy points
» Jeremy Maclin, WR: 3 rec, 29 yards, 2.90 fantasy points
» Travis Kelce, TE: 5 rec, 46 yards, 4.60 fantasy points
» Philip Rivers, QB: 178 yards, INT, 5.92 fantasy points
» Melvin Gordon, RB: 16 touches, 46, 4.90 fantasy points
» Danny Woodhead, RB: 7 touches, 16 total yards
» Steve Johnson, WR: 7 rec, 54 yards, 5.40 fantasy points
» Dontrelle Inman, WR: 3 rec, 51 yards, 5.10 fantasy points
» Antonio Gates, TE: 1 rec, 6 yards, 0.60 fantasy points
The Chiefs dominated this game early, mostly on the back of mistakes and poor play from Chargers. Many expected the Chiefs to run through the Chargers soft defense, but it did not come with the running back we thought it would. Charcandrick West suffered a hamstring injury after totaling 64 yards early, and longtime journeymen Spencer Ware took over. Ware popped off an impressive 52-yard run and scored two times. Ware is in the discussion for top running back pickup on the waiver wire this week. He’s a talented runner, who bounced around due to immaturity, and the chiefs run the most running back friendly system in the NFL. He could see 20-plus touches next week against the Bills if West sits out.
The Chargers are both a banged up, and bad football team. Even the good players they have are just outstretched of their best-used roles. To no surprise, Melvin Gordon didn’t get going one bit, and the team didn’t get much from Danny Woodhead either. As great as Woodhead is, he can’t be the focal point of a running back rotation week-in-and-week-out. Every once and awhile, like today, a team can dial in on him. The less than 100 percent Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green duo didn’t look right, and it’s especially hard to imagine Gates back to normal at any point this year. This is what we should expect from the Chargers going forward. Philip Rivers is good enough to keep their ceiling just within reach, but this sort of dreadful floor is always possible.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Top performers:
» Aaron Rodgers, QB: 212 pass yards, 2 TD, 19.08 fantasy points
» James Starks, RB: 44 total yards, 4.4 fantasy points
» Eddie Lacy, RB: 100 rush yards, 6 rec yards, 10.6 fantasy points
» Randall Cobb, WR: 2 rec, 24 yards, TD, 8.4 fantasy points
» James Jones, WR: 6 rec, 109 yards, TD, 2pt, 18.9 fantasy points
» Packers D/ST: 6 sack, fmbl rec, 13 PA, 12 fantasy points
» Teddy Bridgewater, QB: 296 pass yards, TD, 43 rush yards, 20.14 fantasy points
» Adrian Peterson, RB: 45 rush yards, TD, 16 rec yards, fmbl, 10.1 fantasy points
» Stefon Diggs, WR: 6 rec, 66 yards, 6.6 fantasy points
» Kyle Rudolph, TE: 6 rec, 106 yards, TD, 16.6 fantasy points
The Packers offense wasn't perfect, but it started to resemble the unit fantasy fans expected this season. And a big reason why was the return to form of Eddie Lacy, who hit 100 rushing yards against a Minnesota defense that hadn't allowed a running back to reach that plateau since Week 4 (Ronnie Hillman). He looked like the back fantasy owners drafted in the first round, showing burst and breaking plenty of tackles. He dominated the touches over James Starks, 23 to nine. Hopefully you listened to our advice and held onto the big guy, as he could be heating up for a big stretch run. James Jones popped back up on the fantasy radar after disappearing for a few weeks, notching 109 yards, a touchdown and a two-point converstion. Perhaps this was a result of Davante Adams' disappointing performance in Week 10 (he had just four targets against Minnesota, 17 fewer than he saw last week). Randall Cobb will want to burn the tape on this one, as he had a serious case of the dropsies. He did find the end zone, though, helping out his owners. Aaron Rodgers = good at football. The end.
The Vikings offense performed about as expected from a fantasy perspective, with Adrian Peterson getting into double digits and Stefon Diggs being the best wide receiver. Peterson was relatively held in check by a Packers front seven that played ferociously (six sacks, too). His touchdown saved what would have been a disappointing fnatasy day otherwise. Kyle Rudolph decided to show up in a big way this week, going for over 100 yards and a touchdown. He's still too streaky to trust on a weekly basis though. Teddy Bridgewater turned in a sneakily good performance for those that were bold enough to start him (or were forced to), as he played mistake-free football and added 43 yards on the ground. Like Rudolph though, we have trust issues on a weekly basis.
Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals
Top performers:
» Andy Dalton, QB: 315 pass yards, 2 TD, 34 rush yards, 19.08 fantasy points
» Jeremy Hill, RB: 45 rush yards, 2 TDs, 16.5 fantasy points
» Giovani Bernard, RB: 8 rec, 128 rec yards, 18 rush yards, 14.6 fantasy points
» A.J. Green, WR: 4 rec, 79 yards, 7.9 fantasy points
» Tyler Eifert: 3 rec, 22 yards, 2 TDs, 14.2 fantasy points
» Carson Palmer, QB: 317 pass yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 12 fantasy points
» Chris Johnson, RB: 63 rush yards, 2 rec yards, 20.14 fantasy points
» David Johnson, RB: 26 total yards, TD, 8.6 fantasy points
» J.J. Nelson, WR: 4 rec, 142 yards, TD, 20.2 fantasy points
» John Brown, WR: 3 rec, 43 yards, TD, 9 rush yards, 11.2 fantasy points
» Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 8 rec, 90 yards, 9 fantasy points
Primetime Andy Dalton didn't show up tonight, which led to a really entertaining game chock full of fantasy points. Dalton hit Tyler Eifert in the red zone for two touchdowns (again), and Jeremy Hill got two goal-line scores as well (again). A.J. Green saw 12 targets, but only managed four catches for 79 yards. He had a near touchdown, but stepped out of bounds, surely angering his fantasy owners. He continues to be more of a matchup-based play this year. Giovani Bernard was the leading receiver on the team with 128 yards, but was vultured at the goal line by Hill. He should be fine moving forward and is still the safer play in the backfield. Hill is simply too touchdown-dependent, as the only times he's scored double digit fantasy points in 2015 have been games where he's found the end zone.
Carson Palmer's revenge game got off to a horrible start with two awful first quarter interceptions, but he rebounded nicely with 317 yards and four touchdowns. He looked great after he shook the early jitters. With Michael Floyd inactive with a hamstring injury, J.J. Nelson played the role of the explosive third wideout, flashing his speed on a few deep routes as he piled up 142 yards and a touchdown. John Brown found the end zone again and looks closer to full health, while Larry Fitzgerald did the dirty work moving the chains with eight catches and 90 yards. Chris Johnson was fed the majority of the touches again, but against a tough Bengals front seven was held to just 63 yards on 18 carries. He's looking more like a matchup-based flex play moving forward.
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Top performers:
» Tyrod Taylor, QB: 233 yards, 9.42 fantasy points
» LeSean McCoy, RB: 26 touches, 123 total yards, TD, 18.30 fantasy points
» Sammy Watkins, WR: 3 rec, 39 yards, 3.90 fantasy points
» Chris Hogan, WR: 6 rec, 95 yards, 9.50 fantasy points
» Tom Brady, QB: 277 yards yards, TD, INT, 13.08 fantasy points
» LeGarrette Blount, RB: 17 touches, 61 total yards, 6.10 fantasy points
» James White, RB: 4 touches, 46 total yards, 2 TDs, 16.60 fantasy points
» Danny Amendola, WR: 9 rec, 117 yards, 11.70 fantasy points
» Brandon LaFell, WR: 4 rec, 66 yards, 6.60 fantasy points
» Rob Gronkowski, TE: 2 rec, 37 yards, 3.70 fantasy points
From a fantasy perspective, this was a rather uninspiring game. Points were hard to come by in the first half, with Buffalo unable to move the ball and New England suffering under waves of pressure from the opposing defense. There was more firepower in the second half, but overall, this was a game of intangibles on individual matchups won by the defenses. The wind and frigid conditions didn’t help matters either, as both Tyrod Taylor and Tom Brady saw their deep balls get caught too long in the air.
It’s time to adjust expectations for the New England offense in the wake of too many injuries. Their offensive line is a true problem at this point, and they can’t run the same dynamic spread attack without Dion Lewis and Julian Edelman. James White scored two touchdowns, but only saw four touches. Do not go mistaking him for the next Dion Lewis, as the impact both have on this team isn’t in the same category. White could easily have a single-digit outing next week. Danny Amendola, on the other hand, fell right into Edelman’s role in a favorable matchup. He looks set for a massive PPR output down the stretch, but did suffer an injury of his own late in this game and did not return.
This was not Tyrod Taylor’s best game, but the poor conditions and drops from his pass catchers played a factor. He also suffered what looked like a serious shoulder injury late in the game. He played through it, but looked in pain throughout the last drive and could conceivably miss time next week. Sammy Watkins doesn’t get enough targets to rely on in fantasy, and despite his true believers instance to cape for him at every turn, is far from a perfect enough receiver to warrant that consideration. LeSean McCoy is playing his best football of the season, but the Bills offense in general is on the downswing.