Team of the Week

 

QB: Jalen Hurts

Hurts followed up his first start with an even more impressive one on Sunday—throwing for 338 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions while also adding 11 carries for 63 yards and another score in a shootout loss to the Cardinals. Rushing production will keep Hurts firmly on the QB1 map with massive upside for the fantasy championship.

 

RB: David Montgomery

The numbers for Montgomery since returning from injury in Week 12 have been that of a top-tier RB1, as he’s averaging 24.9 fantasy points per game over the past four weeks. In fact, the best four games of the season for Montgomery have all come during that stretch, and he might not slow down with another great matchup on deck (@ JAX).

 

RB: Tony Pollard

Pollard was a last-minute RB2 option for many when Ezekiel Elliott (calf) was ruled out, and he didn’t disappoint by totaling 132 yards and two touchdowns on 18 touches. The receiving work in particular (6/63 on nine targets) added another element to the Dallas offense.

 

WR: Calvin Ridley

Tampa Bay had no answers for Ridley on Sunday, and he went for career-highs in receptions (ten) and yards (163) while scoring his ninth touchdown of a full-fledged breakout campaign. The Falcons want to finish strong, so look for Ridley to build on his 77/1,192/9 line over the final two weeks.

 

WR: DeAndre Hopkins

The Eagles weren’t doing a bad job for the most part on Hopkins considering how many players they were down in the secondary, but single coverage allowed him get loose for two big plays in the second half to suddenly finish with a 9/169/1 line. Hopkins needs 13 receptions over the final two games to set a new career-high.

 

TE: Darren Waller

A quarterback change didn’t matter for Waller last Thursday night, and he was again dominant by catching nine-of-12 targets for 150 yards and a touchdown. He might not be getting the hype of Travis Kelce at tight end, but Waller needs seven receptions, 33 yards, and two touchdowns over the final two weeks to reach a 100/1,000/10 line on the year.

 

FLEX: Derrick Henry

Henry again saw limited work in the fourth quarter this week, but he did more than enough damage before leaving—rushing 24 times for 147 yards and one touchdown (plus a two-point conversion). It will be fun to see him chase 2,000 yards as Tennessee looks to win the AFC South.

 

D/ST: Bills

There have been no monster D/ST performances heading into Monday Night Football, but Buffalo took care of business on Saturday versus Denver to lead the way as of now. The highlight was Jerry Hughes’ fumble recovery for six following a sack from Tre’Davious White.

 

K: Cairo Santos

Santos was a little-used option for Bears-Vikings—featuring two teams with their history of kicking issues—but he easily leads with 18 fantasy points for those who took a gamble.

 

Surprise of the Week: Matt Ryan

Pass protection issues for Atlanta made this week’s matchup versus Tampa Bay seem like a potentially disastrous one without Julio Jones (hamstring) out there, but Ryan was excellent—throwing for 356 yards and three scores in a 31-27 loss. Matty Ice and the Falcons will now hope to catch Kansas City in a letdown to possibly play spoiler for the top seed in the AFC.

 

Disappointment of the Week: Keenan Allen

A few top receivers didn’t live up to expectations this week, but none were more frustrating than Allen in a standalone game last Thursday night. Although there was definite risk for him entering a short week with a hamstring injury, the Chargers hyping up his being active combined with the star receiver saying “don’t sit me” to fantasy owners before the game made him seem like a more confident play; Allen finished with just one reception for 17 yards.

 

Rookie of the Week: Jalen Hurts

The four total touchdowns for Hurts on Sunday made him the first in franchise history to accomplish the feat as a rookie, and through two starts, he’s been nearly as productive on the ground (169 yards and one touchdown) as Lamar Jackson in his first two career starts (190 yards and one touchdown).

 

Week 15 MVP: Jalen Hurts

Josh Allen (37.66 fantasy points) had the inside track for overall QB1 status and is worth mentioning, but Hurts (37.82 fantasy points) just barely edged him out to lead the week in scoring. It’s difficult to see a way the Eagles can turn back to Carson Wentz in either of the final two weeks, and Hurts needs to be started everywhere in fantasy title matchups.