Tony Cutillo
The world of Fantasy Football is extremely unpredictable and when you get into the playoffs, all bets are off. Just to prove the previous statement correct, look at some of the top performers of Week 15. Who started Matt Moore? Who benched Brandin Cooks? Unfortunately, some of these decisions wound up costing some owners a deeper playoff run. I am usually the guy saying to stick to your guns and start the guys who got you there. However, if you don’t take a chance from time to time you could be left at the bus stop riding waiting for the championship ride that never comes.
Let’s take a look at the recap for Week 15 below to see how some studs stayed productive and disappointing stiffs kept us scratching our heads.
STANDOUT STARS
QB
- Drew Brees: 389 yds, 4 TDs
- Matt Moore: 236 yds, 4 TDs
- Russell Wilson: 229 yds, 3 TDs/1 INT
RB
- Devonta Freeman: 139 yds, 3 TDs
- LeSean McCoy: 153 yds, 2 TDs
- Ty Montgomery: 162 yds, 2 TDs
WR/TE
- Brandin Cooks: 7 recs, 189 yds, 2 TDs
- Tyler Lockett: 7 recs, 130 yds, 1 TD
- Alshon Jeffery: 6 recs, 89 yds, 1 TD
….
SUBSTANDARD STIFFS
QB
- Brock Osweiler: 11 yds
- Jared Goff: 135 yds
- Blake Bortles: 92 yds
RB
- Jay Ajayi: 51 yds
- Devontae Booker: 17 yds
- Thomas Rawls: 34 yds
WR/TE
- Randall Cobb: ZERO
- Sammie Watkins: 1 rec, 10 yds
- Brandon Marshall: 1 rec, 16 yds
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SURPRISE PERFORMERS
Matt Moore: Yes, not only is Matt FREAKIN’ Moore still playing in the NFL, but he’s throwing bullets, too! In an unbelievable performance [yes, even though it was against the New York Jets], Moore threw four touchdowns and seems to be ready to lead the Dolphins into the postseason. This is just another reason why Adam Gase is known as one the smartest young minds in the game today.
Ty Montgomery: What a find for the Packers! As the season went on and it was evident that Eddie Lacy was a McDouble cheeseburger away from My 600-lb Life, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy had to turn to someone else. Luckily for him, Montgomery was the right horse to ride. This guy could very well win you a fantasy championship this year. If you picked him up, congrats!
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STATISTICAL BUSTS
Tom Brady – Wait, what happened here? There was talk about the Patriots’ schedule getting a little tougher down the stretch, but whoever thought it would have an effect to Brady’s stat line? Well, it happened, and the Denver Broncos know how to slow him down. I guarantee this will be the last time he is on this list!
Stefon Diggs – All I can say, as a Diggs owner, is … Thank you, Sammie Sleeves! Diggs was on his way to a remarkable year, until teams decided to take away the underneath routes and make Sam Bradford throw downfield. Unfortunately for Diggs owners, Bradford goes into full-blown Blair Witch mode when it’s time to throw long. Until Teddy Bridgewater returns, or the Vikings somehow find someone else, it’s RIP for Mr. Diggs as a fantasy performer.
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WEEK 15 THOUGHTS AND THEORIES
Starters come back to haunt: How many times have you sat the unproductive starter at the most inopportune time? It is one of the hardest decisions in Fantasy Football and one that Brandin Cooks made owners regret in week 15.\
Now they make a change in Houston: The $70 million dollar man has finally been grounded, and it came after he already cost DeAndre Hopkins his fantasy year in 2016. Tom Savage came in and instantly started getting the ball to D-Hop. Here’s to 2017 – Savage and Hopkins?
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MY WEEK 15 SKINNY POST
Tom Savage and Matt FREAKIN’ Moore starting in Week 16? Holy hell, Batman! … Dear Randall Cobb, thanks for healing your hammies up and producing a solid ZERO in Week 15 … Don’t look now, but Justin Forsett is overtaking Devontae Booker … The J-E-T-S-S-T-I-N-K and the Gus Bus is looking for a new terminal … Kudos to Doug Pederson for proving he has the testicular fortitude to go for two … Now Brandin Cooks wants to play and Carlos Hyde wants to cool off … Eli Manning is showing off that quirky smile and Odell Beckham, Jr. is bringing out his best cleats for the stretch run … Rex Ryan, you’re NEXT! … Bring on Week 16!
As always, you can stop by my Facebook page (Fantasy Sports Addiction) or tweet me (@TCutillo23) for questions or some nice fantasy debates. I can also be heard weekly via the internet stream live at WENG RADIO every Monday at 4:00 P.M. ET for a weekend sports wrap. But most importantly, you can catch me here at Pi!
For fantasy purposes, all my articles are predicated upon a PPR-based system.