Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season is in the books. For the majority of the league, Tuesday morning brings a whole new week of football and preparing for their next game. However, a handful of players might not want to leave Week 15 so soon. Here’s a look at who impressed and who underachieved in fantasy football this week.
All point totals are based on PPR scoring.
Quarterback
Winner: Tyler Huntley (39.9 FPTS)
Huntley looked fantastic in place of Lamar Jackson, completing 28 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He also rushed 13 times for an additional 73 yards and two scores on the ground. Sacked just once, the second-year quarterback showed that the Ravens can succeed even if Jackson is forced out of action from time to time. He also came up clutch for the select group of fantasy managers who had the guts to start him this week.
Loser: Tom Brady (4.76 FPTS)
It looks like he isn’t invincible after all. Even the greatest players of all time stumble, and that’s what happened when the Buccaneers hosted the Saints on Sunday night. Brady finished with 214 yards, zero touchdowns, and two turnovers in his first shutout loss since 2006. To make matters worse, Tampa Bay lost Chris Godwin and Leonard Fournette for the season. Meanwhile, Mike Evans is week-to-week. Brady is a mid-to-low QB1 against the Panthers next week.
Running Back
Winner: Duke Johnson (25.7 FPTS)
Seriously, did anyone start this guy? Entering Week 15, Johnson had four rushes for 18 yards on the season. Then, against the Jets, he broke out for 127 scrimmage yards and two scores. While the return of Phillip Lindsay and a full week of practice for Myles Gaskin both hurt Johnson’s stock in Week 16, he’s still an intriguing FLEX play coming off his mammoth performance.
Loser: Najee Harris (4.6 FPTS)
There were a couple of candidates for this honor, but Harris gets the edge considering the Steelers were in a position to utilize him and he’s the only running back that Pittsburgh ever uses. He should bounce back in a vicious matchup against the Chiefs next week, but it’s still worth observing Harris’ down game.
Wide Receiver
Winner: Cooper Kupp (34.7 FPTS)
Another day, another WR1 overall finish for Kupp. The Rams’ star now turned in another nine catches, 136 yards, and two scores on Tuesday night. He remains the consensus No. 1 wideout in fantasy ahead of matchups against the Vikings and Ravens.
Loser: Ja’Marr Chase (1.3 FPTS)
Chase has this weird type of inconsistency that we don’t see too often from NFL players. After racking up 77 yards and two touchdowns last week, he answered with a one-catch clunker on Sunday. He remains a high-end WR3 against a poor Ravens secondary in Week 16, but he’s still a very risky play.
Tight End
Winner: Travis Kelce (41.1 FPTS)
Kelce went off for 10 catches, 191 yards, and two scores on Thursday night. It was an otherworldly effort from the best tight end in football. However, the veteran has since landed on the COVID-19 list, meaning his Week 16 status is in doubt. Fantasy managers should monitor his status throughout the week and prepare for deploying an alternate option.
Loser: Rob Gronkowski (4.9 FPTS)
Even with injuries to Godwin, Evans, and Fournette, Gronkowski didn’t have a great game. He hauled in just two of 11 targets as Brady’s Bucs were shut out by the Saints on Sunday night. Gronk ranks as a mid-range TE1 with a prime opportunity against the Panthers in Week 16.
Defense
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers (15.0 FPTS)
Interesting, the Steelers ranked as the No. 1 defense despite a close finish against the Titans. However, Pittsburgh dominated the turnover battle, tallying one interception and three fumble recoveries. The unit also sacked Ryan Tannehill four times. They’re in for a rude awakening against the Chiefs next week.
Loser: Green Bay Packers (-1.0 FPTS)
The Packers narrowly won on Sunday, but their defense was still picked apart by Huntley and the Ravens. When all was said and done, Green Bay accrued just one sack and was unable to force a turnover. They gave up 30 points along the way. With that said, their stock does trend up against the Browns in Week 16.
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