Who will produce down the stretch?
Week 15 had three shutouts and almost no close games. Now that every game is critical to fantasy owners, so is what happened last weekend and where they'll play next.
WR Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
He broke his finger in Week 14, and while one option was season-ending surgery, Bryant opted to play last weekend. With his finger wrapped and splinted, he remained a factor (four catches, 59 yards, touchdown) in a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His touchdown helped force overtime, and it was his sixth game in a row with a score. Bryant is no worse for the wear, and his final two games are at home vs. the New Orleans Saints and then at the Washington Redskins — against two of the NFL's worst secondaries.
RB Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos
Moreno has rushed for nearly 120 yards in each of the last two games, and the Broncos hold the AFC's No. 2 seed. Since Denver lost to the No. 3 New England Patriots this season, they will be forced to play in earnest for the final two games knowing they'll get a week off if they win out. That puts rejuvenated Moreno in a nice fantasy situation with games at home against the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Moreno is a rare difference maker who did not show up until the season's final weeks.
RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
The scenario is jaw-dropping every week. Peterson came back from a catastrophic knee injury and is playing better than ever. After crushing the St. Louis Rams with 212 yards on 24 carries, Peterson has 1,812 rushing yards with remaining games at the Houston Texans and against the Green Bay Packers.
He needs 294 yards to eclipse Eric Dickerson for the all-time single-season rushing record. Every team is aiming to stop him, but no one has. He has gained 100 yards or more in each of his last eight games and topped 150 yards in six of the last eight.
WR Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Like Peterson, Johnson has a realistic shot at breaking the single-season record for receiving yards, and he plays for a team that has no other real reason to play. Megatron's 1,667 yards stand as eighth best in history .
If he averages 91 yards a game in the last two weeks, he'll break Jerry Rice's record. That seems fairly likely since Johnson has 100 or more yards in each of his last seven games. Left to play are home games against the Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears.
RB Curtis Brinkley, San Diego Chargers
The undrafted fourth-year running back, who had 32 career carries before this season, was generally effective vs. the Carolina Panthers last weekend with six rushes for 42 yards. Most important, he's all the Chargers have left after starter Ryan Mathews broke his collarbone. Playing at the New York Jets won't be pretty, but at least it should prompt more use of Brinkley as a runner. The final game is at home against the Oakland Raiders.
RB DeAngelo Williams, Panthers
Jonathan Stewart has been out with a high ankle sprain, and Williams is finally taking advantage of the opportunity. In Week 14 against the Falcons, he ran for 56 yards and added 56 yards and a touchdown on two catches. In San Diego, he ran for 93 yards and added two catches for 51 yards and another score. As long as Stewart remains out, Williams is looking good with games at home against the Raiders and then at the Saints.
Packers running back committee
The last three weeks have made Alex Green look somewhat serviceable with 162 combined rushing yards against the Vikings, Lions and Bears. But Ryan Grant is back, and there is no reliable fantasy value left in the Packers backfield. The Packers are rushing 25-plus times a game but splitting the load three ways, so no one really benefits fantasy-wise.
QB Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Freeman was hot through Week 11. But since then not only has he grown cold, he also has brought the team down with him. Freeman has four total touchdowns over the last four games, and he has averaged a little more than 240 passing yards in that span. Freeman has never added value as a runner, and now he faces the Rams and a trip to Atlanta to finish the season.
The shutout loss to the 32nd-ranked Saints defense last weekend also crushed any hopes that the Buccaneers could turn it around and challenge for the playoffs. That won't be motivating.
RB Jamaal Charles, Chiefs
After rushing for more than 100 yards in each of his previous three games, Charles (nine carries, 10 yards) was part of an offensive effort that netted 146 total yards and one interception in Oakland, where shutouts would more likely happen to the Raiders. It's not a good situation as Charles winds down the season facing defenses loading up against him. The rest of the team around him has disintegrated.
Losing wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was the final straw as quarterback Brady Quinn completed two passes to wideouts. When the Chiefs are relying on Devon Wylie and Jamar Newsome as their only productive receivers, the rushing effort inevitably will go south. Their final two games will be home against the Indianapolis Colts, who need a win, and then at the Broncos. We've seen the best of Charles.
K Mason Crosby, Packers
This is the year of the flop kicker. Crosby scored 140 points in 2011, the fourth-best mark in the league. This season he is 17-for-29 on field goal attempts and has missed at least one in eight consecutive games.
Last weekend, Crosby missed both of his attempts from around 40 yards. He has fallen to the bottom eight for kickers and serves as another example of why you draft them late and swap them out during the season.
Week 15 had three shutouts and almost no close games. Now that every game is critical to fantasy owners, so is what happened last weekend and where they'll play next.
WR Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
He broke his finger in Week 14, and while one option was season-ending surgery, Bryant opted to play last weekend. With his finger wrapped and splinted, he remained a factor (four catches, 59 yards, touchdown) in a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His touchdown helped force overtime, and it was his sixth game in a row with a score. Bryant is no worse for the wear, and his final two games are at home vs. the New Orleans Saints and then at the Washington Redskins — against two of the NFL's worst secondaries.
RB Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos
Moreno has rushed for nearly 120 yards in each of the last two games, and the Broncos hold the AFC's No. 2 seed. Since Denver lost to the No. 3 New England Patriots this season, they will be forced to play in earnest for the final two games knowing they'll get a week off if they win out. That puts rejuvenated Moreno in a nice fantasy situation with games at home against the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Moreno is a rare difference maker who did not show up until the season's final weeks.
RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
The scenario is jaw-dropping every week. Peterson came back from a catastrophic knee injury and is playing better than ever. After crushing the St. Louis Rams with 212 yards on 24 carries, Peterson has 1,812 rushing yards with remaining games at the Houston Texans and against the Green Bay Packers.
He needs 294 yards to eclipse Eric Dickerson for the all-time single-season rushing record. Every team is aiming to stop him, but no one has. He has gained 100 yards or more in each of his last eight games and topped 150 yards in six of the last eight.
WR Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Like Peterson, Johnson has a realistic shot at breaking the single-season record for receiving yards, and he plays for a team that has no other real reason to play. Megatron's 1,667 yards stand as eighth best in history .
If he averages 91 yards a game in the last two weeks, he'll break Jerry Rice's record. That seems fairly likely since Johnson has 100 or more yards in each of his last seven games. Left to play are home games against the Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears.
RB Curtis Brinkley, San Diego Chargers
The undrafted fourth-year running back, who had 32 career carries before this season, was generally effective vs. the Carolina Panthers last weekend with six rushes for 42 yards. Most important, he's all the Chargers have left after starter Ryan Mathews broke his collarbone. Playing at the New York Jets won't be pretty, but at least it should prompt more use of Brinkley as a runner. The final game is at home against the Oakland Raiders.
RB DeAngelo Williams, Panthers
Jonathan Stewart has been out with a high ankle sprain, and Williams is finally taking advantage of the opportunity. In Week 14 against the Falcons, he ran for 56 yards and added 56 yards and a touchdown on two catches. In San Diego, he ran for 93 yards and added two catches for 51 yards and another score. As long as Stewart remains out, Williams is looking good with games at home against the Raiders and then at the Saints.
Packers running back committee
The last three weeks have made Alex Green look somewhat serviceable with 162 combined rushing yards against the Vikings, Lions and Bears. But Ryan Grant is back, and there is no reliable fantasy value left in the Packers backfield. The Packers are rushing 25-plus times a game but splitting the load three ways, so no one really benefits fantasy-wise.
QB Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Freeman was hot through Week 11. But since then not only has he grown cold, he also has brought the team down with him. Freeman has four total touchdowns over the last four games, and he has averaged a little more than 240 passing yards in that span. Freeman has never added value as a runner, and now he faces the Rams and a trip to Atlanta to finish the season.
The shutout loss to the 32nd-ranked Saints defense last weekend also crushed any hopes that the Buccaneers could turn it around and challenge for the playoffs. That won't be motivating.
RB Jamaal Charles, Chiefs
After rushing for more than 100 yards in each of his previous three games, Charles (nine carries, 10 yards) was part of an offensive effort that netted 146 total yards and one interception in Oakland, where shutouts would more likely happen to the Raiders. It's not a good situation as Charles winds down the season facing defenses loading up against him. The rest of the team around him has disintegrated.
Losing wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was the final straw as quarterback Brady Quinn completed two passes to wideouts. When the Chiefs are relying on Devon Wylie and Jamar Newsome as their only productive receivers, the rushing effort inevitably will go south. Their final two games will be home against the Indianapolis Colts, who need a win, and then at the Broncos. We've seen the best of Charles.
K Mason Crosby, Packers
This is the year of the flop kicker. Crosby scored 140 points in 2011, the fourth-best mark in the league. This season he is 17-for-29 on field goal attempts and has missed at least one in eight consecutive games.
Last weekend, Crosby missed both of his attempts from around 40 yards. He has fallen to the bottom eight for kickers and serves as another example of why you draft them late and swap them out during the season.
