Reviewing Week 14
Star Of Stars
QB: Cam Newton – Newton put together a fine performance on Sunday, one reminiscent of his 2011 season. Newton threw for 287 yards and two TDs. Solid line, right? But, that’s not all, as you need to add his rushing totals to the stat line as well – so tack on 116 rushing yards and one TD on nine carries to his total. Now you’ve got the QB of the week (with all due respect to Tom Brady). Those who drafted Newton early have been somewhat disappointed this season, but those owners who made the playoffs were rewarded by a monster performance.
CO-RB: Adrian Peterson – So there’s no denying this any longer - there’s a full-on man crush on Adrian Peterson here. AD has made this spot his home, as he carved up the Bears run D for 154 yards and two TDs on 31 carries. All-Day does it again. Will he break Eric Dickerson’s all-time rushing record? We’ll find out in the next three weeks.
CO-RB: Marshawn Lynch – While AD was his usual self on Sunday, his performance was equaled by that of Beast Mode. The poor Cardinals D had no chance, as Lynch ran for 128 yards and three TDs on only 11 carries!!! Lynch has had a terrific season in his own right, and can make a strong case for top-3 RB status behind Adrian Peterson and Arian Foster.
WR: Brandon Marshall – Lots of strong performances by WRs on Sunday, but the nod goes to Marshall here, as he caught 10 passes for 160 yards and one TD. Marshall’s season is especially impressive considering the fact that he’s the sole focus of each opposing team’s pass defense from week to week. Doesn’t matter, as Marshall will get his.
TE: Aaron Hernandez – Hernandez led the tight ends in scoring this week, catching eight passes for 58 yards, and most importantly, two TDs. The Patriots have not missed a beat since losing Gronkowski, and with weapons such as Hernandez at Brady’s disposal, expect the Pats to continue to put up very impressive numbers. Hernandez will be right in the thick of this.
Unforeseen Explosions
QB:Nick Foles – Welcome to the NFL, Mr. Foles! The last second TD pass against the Bucs to win the game was the Eagles highlight of the season. Foles passed for 381 yards and two TDs, and has secured the last three starts of the season for the Eagles. Foles has promise, but he should not be viewed as anything more than a lower end backup fantasy QB for this season. There’s room to grow for next season, though.
RB: David Wilson – Wilson had himself quite a game against the Saints on Sunday – he rushed for 100 yards and two TDs on 13 carries, AND he returned a kickoff 97 yards for a TD. With this type of performance, Wilson figures to factor into the Giants offensive plans going forward. If you need another RB for the playoffs, Wilson could be quite useful.
WR: Danario Alexander – Alexander has been quite the midseason pickup by the Chargers and his fantasy owners. Alexander caught two more TD passes among his seven catches for 88 yards against the Steelers. Alexander has developed a nice connection with Rivers, and he remains one of the few bright spots for the Chargers this season.
TE: Anthony McCoy – McCoy played his part in the Seahawks’ 58-0 thrashing of the Cardinals on Sunday. McCoy caught three passes for 105 yards, and while he didn’t find the end zone, he showed that he could grow into a dependable receiving option for Russell Wilson. McCoy doesn’t have much fantasy value at this time, but that could change next season.
Special Shoutout
Seattle Seahawks Defense – The Hawks' defense went gangbusters against the pathetic Cardinals offense, finishing with two TDs, four INTs, four forced fumbles and three sacks. If you were fortunate to have the Seahawks D during week 14, cha-ching!
Week 15 Projections
Quarterbacks
1. Cam Newton
2. Drew Brees
3. Josh Freeman
4. Matthew Stafford
5. Peyton Manning
6. Aaron Rodgers
7. Tom Brady
8. Robert Griffin III
9. Matt Ryan
10. Andy Dalton
11. Colin Kaeperncik
12. Tony Romo
13. Andrew Luck
14. Eli Manning
15. Philip Rivers
16. Carson Palmer
17. Russell Wilson
18. Ben Roethlisberger
19. Matt Schaub
20. Brandon Weeden
Running Backs
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Doug Martin
3. Arian Foster
4. Marshawn Lynch
5. Ray Rice
6. Trent Richardson
7. Jamaal Charles
8. Alfred Morris
9. Frank Gore
10. C.J. Spiller
11. Chris Johnson
12. Knowshon Moreno
13. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
14. DeMarco Murray
15. Matt Forte
16. Bryce Brown
17. Steven Jackson
18. Ryan Mathews
19. Stevan Ridley
20. Shonn Greene
21. Darren McFadden
22. Reggie Bush
23. Michael Turner
24. David Wilson
25. Jonathan Dwyer
Wide Receivers
1. Calvin Johnson
2. A.J. Green
3. Brandon Marshall
4. Vincent Jackson
5. Demaryius Thomas
6. Andre Johnson
7. Victor Cruz
8. Roddy White
9. Wes Welker
10. Julio Jones
11. Marques Colston
12. Randall Cobb
13. Reggie Wayne
14. Danario Alexander
15. Dez Bryant
16. Pierre Garcon
17. Steve Smith
18. Mike Wallace
19. Hakeem Nicks
20. Miles Austin
21. Cecil Shorts
22. Lance Moore
23. Eric Decker
24. Josh Gordon
25. Kenny Britt
Tight Ends
1. Jimmy Graham
2. Aaron Hernandez
3. Jason Witten
4. Tony Gonzalez
5. Brandon Myers
6. Owen Daniels
7. Martellus Bennett
8. Heath Miller
9. Vernon Davis
10. Martellus Bennett
11. Jermaine Gresham
12. Dallas Clark
13. Antonio Gates
14. Jermichael Finley
15. Kyle Rudolph