The first week of fantasy playoffs have come and gone, as those who are victorious and those with byes now move onto the second round next week. With COVID-19 running rampant around the league, there is much to be concerned about moving forward. The teams who avoid the COVID list will be the ones to walk away victorious come the end of the season. Now more than ever, fantasy managers will be searching for players that can fill in for those that are dealing with COVID.
After this week, there are options that are readily available. This week, the players highlighted will be more for filling the gaps where needed. Here are the fantasy takeaways from week 15, and players that can be utilized moving forward in the chase to win a fantasy championship.
Quarterbacks
While he may be a one week fill in for Lamar Jackson, the performance of Tyler Huntley cannot go unnoticed. Huntley was fantastic against the Packers, with four total touchdowns recorded. It will be interesting to monitor the progress of Jackson this week, as he is still battling an ankle injury suffered against the Cleveland Browns in week 14. Huntley managed to finish as the QB1 on the week, and with his very safe floor via his rushing abilities, Huntley is a viable fantasy option going forward as long as Jackson remains out of the lineup.
Although Cam Newton finished as the QB4 on the week, his performance is not one that fantasy managers should actively be buying into. Newton dealt with a negative gamescript the entire way against the Buffalo Bills and needed a solid rushing day, what else is new, along with a rushing touchdown to provide those strong numbers. He is simply too risky to play next week versus Tampa and beyond for fantasy managers.
Very quietly, Justin Fields has been doing solid things for fantasy managers. Fields was consistent against the Minnesota Vikings Monday Night, posting a respectable 17.5 fantasy points. Since week 8, he has posted over 15 fantasy points in 4 of the 5 games in which he has started for the Bears. Fields has a strong matchup next week versus the Seattle Seahawks, and could be utilized as a streaming option for those that have concerns about Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady with the absences at their respective skill position groups.
Running Backs
It is impossible to get fully on board with the backfield mess that is happening in Denver. Whilst Javonte Williams is the future for the running back position with the Broncos, the organization still insists on utilizing Melvin Gordon in the final year of his three year contract. Sunday against the Bengals saw Williams get 19 touches to Gordon’s 16, and while that is nice to see Williams getting more of the share it is still very much a 50-50 split for work between the two backs. Moving forward, Williams is the higher upside play in PPR leagues with Gordon being the higher upside play in non PPR. However both running backs need to score to return any sort of fantasy value.
With the hamstring injury to Leonard Fournette, the Buccaneers will now turn to Ronald Jones to lead the way. It is safe to assume that Jones will more than likely be the lead runner for the remainder of the regular season for Tampa, and this is a prime spot to go and invest resources. Jones recorded ten touches in the hapless showing by the Bucs against the Saints, but with Fournette, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin all out for periods of time, the Buccaneers may rely on the run game more than ever. Jones is a safe RB2 for the remainder of the regular season in all formats, and should be picked up in every single fantasy league.
Another messy running back situation that may have cleared itself up is the situation in Buffalo. Between Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, and Matt Breida, there has been no clear cut winner in this committee all year until this week when Singletary seemed to have separated himself from the pack. Moss was a healthy scratch, and Breida received one carry, leaving Singletary to be the lead runner for the Bills offense. He cashed in on his opportunity, going for 86 yards on 22 carries with a score. It isn’t the easiest situation to trust moving forward, but after Sunday, it may be a lot harder to not trust it.
Wide Receivers
As pointed out in The Bird’s Nest this week, Amon-Ra St. Brown has been doing excellent things for the Detroit Lions over the last three weeks. St. Brown has recorded double digit targets in each of his last three outings, including two scores. The only thing hampering St. Brown from here on out is the absence of quarterback Jared Goff, who is set to miss week 16’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons due to COVID-19 health and safety measures. St. Brown will be one of the more difficult decisions this week given his recent performances, but the absence of Goff may really hurt him. Still, he is a fine add that should be stashed for week 17 championships if Goff doesn’t play this week.
Gabriel Davis has also been quietly excellent for the Buffalo Bills. Davis had two touchdowns Sunday on five catches versus the Carolina Panthers, and now four scores in the last three games. Davis is a worthwhile add for fantasy managers that are bleeding at receiver. Davis also has a somewhat favorable matchup this week versus the Patriots, who may be more focused around shutting down Stefon Diggs. With Cole Beasley placed on the COVID list and Emmanuel Sanders nursing a bad knee, Davis has the opportunity to produce more numbers for fantasy managers.
Russell Gage has emerged as maybe the only player worth trusting in the Atlanta passing game. The Falcons have nothing at receiver since Calvin Ridley took an indefinite leave of absence, and now Gage has stepped up in a big way. Gage has recorded 15 points in full PPR in three of his last four, with touchdowns in two. Gage can be trusted as a fill in if need be, with a sweet matchup versus Detroit looming.
Tight End
The tight end position stinks in fantasy. This week, only six tight ends managed to score as of Tuesday afternoon. Two of those are Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews. The others? Dalton Schultz, Hunter Henry, Harrison Bryant, and Jesper Horsted. If there is one to take from that group for managers that may be missing Kelce due to a positive COVID-19 test, Henry would be the one to target. A favorite red zone target of Mac Jones’, Henry recorded two touchdowns on six targets versus the Colts. Up next for Henry is a divisional rematch between the Pats and the Bills.
Foster Moreau finally managed a good game for the Raiders against the Browns Monday Night. Moreau logged seven catches for 65 yards on nine targets, good for TE6 for the week. Moreau is too volatile to trust in fantasy, however if pickings are slim for managers needing COVID fill-ins, Moreau could be a good shout facing Denver in week 16.
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