Reviewing Week 15
Star Of Stars
QB: Russell Wilson – The brilliance of Russell Wilson continued this week against the Bills, though Wilson did most of his damage with his legs. Wilson threw for 205 yards and one TD, while also rushing for 92 yards and three TDs this past Sunday. Wilson belongs squarely in the rookie of the year conversation with fellow QBs Luck and RGIII. Wilson faces a tough matchup against the 49ers next week, so temper your expectations for him on week 16, but he will be in the conversation as a QB1 next season.
RB not named Adrian Peterson: Alfred Morris – We had to figure out a way to put a RB not named Adrian Peterson in this spot, so this should do the trick. As for Morris, he has accomplished what no one believed was possible – forcing Shanahan to commit to just one RB for an entire season. Morris had a strong game against the Browns, rushing for 87 yards on 27 carries, and most importantly, two Ds. Morris should have been in starting lineups for fantasy teams for quite some time now, and no reason for that to change these final two weeks.
WR: Michael Crabtree – Crabtree has been the biggest benefactor of the Colin Kaepernick era thus far, and he saved his best performance for the Patriots. Crabtree caught 7 passes for 107 yards and 2 TD passes on Sunday, and he’s starting to live up to the lofty expectations that came with his selection in the first round of the draft in 2009. Crabtree should be viewed now as a WR2, and also should be viewed as a sleeper for next season.
TE: Dennis Pitta – Pitta was the lone bright spot for the Ravens against the Broncos on Sunday, catching 7 passes for 125 yards and 2 TDs. Pitta has had a very solid season for the Ravens, and has fulfilled his early season sleeper predictions. Pitta profiles as a low end TE1 or in shallower leagues, a top end TE2.
Unforeseen Explosions
QB: Kirk Cousins – Cousins showed on Sunday that the Redskins have two quality young QBs on the roster. He filled in admirably for RGIII, throwing for 329 yards and 2 TDs (and 1 INT) against the Browns. RGIII is expected to be back next week, but if not, Cousins would be a decent fill-in against next week’s opponent, the Eagles.
RB: Mark Ingram – A first round pick of the Saints from two years back, Ingram has finally begun to assert himself in the Saints backfield. Ingram got the bulk of the backfield work against the Bucs, rushing for 90 yards and 1 TD on 14 carries. Ingram should follow up with performance with another one against the Cowboys next week. Ingram should be viewed as an early sleeper for the 2013 draft.
WR: Brandon Gibson – Gibson has had back to back solid weeks. This past week against the Vikings, Gibson caught six passes for 76 yards (he did not find the end zone, however). Gibson’s season has been inconsistent, and as such, he should be viewed as a WR4 or WR5, and not higher. He has shown good potential, but until he puts together productive weeks on a consistent basis, he’s a fantasy backup in deeper leagues.
TE: Jeff Cumberland – As fellow tight end Pitta was for the Ravens, Cumberland was the lone bright spot for the Jets (at least on offense) on Monday night. Cumberland had four catches for 53 yards and 1 TD against the Titans. Cumberland has quietly had a nice season, but not necessarily one that requires fantasy attention. At best, he profiles as a TE2 in deep leagues.
Week 16 Projections
Quarterbacks
1. Cam Newton
2. Robert Griffin III
3. Tom Brady
4. Aaron Rodgers
5. Tony Romo
6. Matt Ryan
7. Drew Brees
8. Peyton Manning
9. Matthew Stafford
10. Andrew Luck
11. Colin Kaepernick
12. Eli Manning
13. Russell Wilson
14. Josh Freeman
15. Ben Roethlisberger
16. Sam Bradford
17. Matt Schaub
18. Joe Flacco
19. Carson Palmer
20. Andy Dalton
Running Backs
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Arian Foster
3. Alfred Morris
4. Ray Rice
5. Marshawn Lynch
6. Doug Martin
7. DeMarco Murray
8. Jamaal Charles
9. C.J. Spiller
10. Frank Gore
11. Trent Richardson
12. Knowshon Moreno
13. Stevan Ridley
14. Chris Johnson
15. Matt Forte
16. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
17. Darren McFadden
18. Reggie Bush
19. Vick Ballard
20. Mikel Leshoure
21. Michael Turner
22. Ahmad Bradshaw
23. Darren Sproles
24. Bryce Brown
25. Shonn Greene
Wide Receivers
1. Calvin Johnson
2. Andre Johnson
3. Brandon Marshall
4. A.J. Green
5. Julio Jones
6. Demaryius Thomas
7. Vincent Jackson
8. Randall Cobb
9. Dez Bryant
10. Victor Cruz
11. Wes Welker
12. Reggie Wayne
13. Roddy White
14. Mike Wallace
15. Pierre Garcon
16. Cecil Shorts
17. Steve Smith
18. Miles Austin
19. Brandon Lloyd
20. T.Y. Hilton
21. Marques Colston
22. Torrey Smith
23. James Jones
24. Eric Decker
25. Steve Johnson
Tight Ends
1. Aaron Hernandez
2. Jason Witten
3. Jimmy Graham
4. Tony Gonzalez
5. Greg Olsen
6. Dennis Pitta
7. Heath Miller
8. Jermaine Gresham
9. Kyle Rudolph
10. Martellus Bennett
11. Owen Daniels
12. Brandon Myers
13. Antonio Gates
14. Jermichael Finley
15. Vernon Davis