Team of the Week

 

QB: Drew Brees

Brees was considered a risky play in Week 14 because of the matchup, but he absolutely shredded San Francisco, going 29-of-40 for 349 yards, five touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a rushing touchdown for good measure. Excluding the 26-9 loss to Atlanta coming off the bye last month, Brees has looked unstoppable at home this season (350.8 yards per game and a 13:3 touchdown-interception ratio).

 

RB: Austin Ekeler

The Jaguars were lost on defense yesterday, and Ekeler took full advantage with 213 total yards and a touchdown on just 12 touches. Los Angeles actually started Ekeler on the game’s opening drive before Melvin Gordon finished things off with a one-yard touchdown, and he doesn’t need to get a heavy workload to make an impact. The 24-year-old now has a 73/830/8 receiving line through 13 games.

 

RB: Joe Mixon

Mixon’s individual talent—despite a tough situation on the league-worst Bengals—was reason for him still being worth a selection at the Round 1/Round 2 swing in fantasy drafts over the summer, and those who invested certainly saw dividends to start the fantasy playoffs with a season-high 186 total yards against Cleveland. It might have took longer than it should have, but Mixon’s usage is very encouraging.

 

WR: A.J. Brown

The Raiders had no answers for Brown in a big AFC matchup, and the rookie went for a 5/153/2 line on his way to another WR1 day in Week 14. The first touchdown was a 91-yard deep ball, and the second was a 16-yard catch-and-run—with both allowing the rookie to showcase his elite size/speed combination. Tennessee needs to continue featuring him.

 

WR: Emmanuel Sanders

Sanders came into the weekend with limited production since Halloween as he dealt with a rib injury, but he looked no worse for wear against New Orleans—catching seven passes for 157 yards and one touchdown while completing his only pass attempt for a 35-yard score. The 32-year-old has more than enough speed to get behind the defense, and he will try to stay hot next week against the Falcons.

 

TE: Jared Cook

You would think a player that saw just two targets in what turned out to be a very strong week for tight ends wouldn’t have a shot at making the Team of the Week, but before leaving with a concussion, Cook made the most of his opportunities by catching two passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns. Both scores (from 38 and 26 yards) came in the first quarter, so it would have been an even bigger day if the veteran was able to stay in the game. Hopefully he can get cleared for Week 15.

 

FLEX: Aaron Jones

Struggles over the final two games of the fantasy regular season might have caused Jones owners to not make the playoffs, but if you were still alive, he made up for recent struggles with 134 yards and a touchdown on the ground in Week 14. Also, Jones had done basically nothing as a receiver since Davante Adams returned in Week 9, but he caught six-of-seven targets for 58 yards on Sunday as the Redskins focused on stopping Green Bay’s No. 1 wideout.

 

D/ST: Steelers

Pending the MNF results, Pittsburgh had another top finish for D/ST options, getting to Kyler Murray five times and forcing three interceptions in a 23-17 victory. And if the defense was dominant enough for you on the road, the Steelers also had a punt return touchdown by rookie Diontae Johnson.

 

K: Younghoe Koo

Jason Sanders deserves recognition for hitting seven field goals for Miami, but Koo gets the nod here as a more widely-used option that won matchups or kept people alive with an 18-point performance. It doesn’t give you any fantasy points, but aside from hitting all four field goals and all four PAT attempts, Koo also recovered a fumble and is suddenly perhaps the most exciting kicker in the league.

 

Surprise of the Week: Mitchell Trubisky

We have to go back to Thursday Night Football for the Surprise of the Week, as Trubisky came out looking like Steve Young in a career day versus Dallas. Outside of the interception on and inaccurate pass and/or throwaway, Trubisky was excellent, throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns while also being unleashed as a runner with ten carries for 63 yards and another score. On the two touchdowns to Allen Robinson in particular, Trubisky showed superb ball placement in tight coverage. He should be confident for a rematch with the Packers in Week 15.

 

Disappointment of the Week: Sony Michel

Michel seemed set up for a bounce-back showing on Sunday against a Chiefs defense he stung for over 200 yards and four touchdowns in two games last year, but New England literally didn’t give him a touch after the first quarter, and four of his six touches came on the team’s opening drive. For whatever reason, the Patriots have wanted to air it out instead of trying to establish the run, and Michel is hurting because of it.

 

Rookie of the Week: A.J. Brown

The rookie class had a great week to start the fantasy playoffs (including Drew Lock, Noah Fant, Diontae Johnson, and others), but Brown’s 31.1 fantasy points led all receivers, so he was an easy choice here. Being a rookie on a run-first offense has held Brown back compared to his talent, but the ceiling is clearly there for the Ole Miss product.

 

Week 14 MVP: Drew Brees

Brees had been hit-or-miss leading up to Sunday, so it made sense to bench him given the streaming alternatives and matchup—but the Saints had a great game plan to attack Robert Salah’s defense in the shootout loss. The 40.1 fantasy points led all scorers in Week 14, and those that stuck with Brees are likely feeling good about their position right now.