If you have Christian McCaffrey and/or JuJu Smith-Schuster, there's a good chance you won yesterday. And if you didn't, perhaps you were leaning a little too heavily on Nick Mullens. Regardless, let's look at what happened yesterday, zooming in on each team's most notable fantasy impact.
Browns -- Baker Mayfield dominated, and admittedly I didn't see it coming -- though surely some of you did. The rookie has been on a roll with back-to-back-to-back games against three lowly defenses: the Chiefs, Falcons, and now the Bengals. If he can turn in a QB1 performance next week in Houston, I'll eat my words. For now, a warning: his only remaining startable game will be a rematch against Cincy in Week 16.
Bengals -- Remember when Andy Dalton had 11 touchdowns through Week 4? Me neither. He now has only nine in his last seven games (granted, that's two more than Blake Bortles), while a thumb injury leaves his questionable for next weekend. Backup Jeff Driskel looks capable enough in his place, and would immediately enter the QB2 conversation if forced to start -- and would be a bit more appealing if A.J. Green returns.
Jaguars -- Leonard Fournette's third-quarter ejection what might otherwise have been a top-2 RB fantasy day. Carlos Hyde and T.J. Yeldon would split touches against the beatable Colts D if Fournette's suspended, making each an appealing RB3+.
Bills -- I don't recall the last time a QB completed fewer than 10 passes, yet posted elite fantasy numbers. Josh Allen's return was an unmitigated success for that entered Week 12 with the league's worst passing attack. And not just "worst," but "historically worst," with only five TD passes and a 57 QB ranking. Allen could be in for a sophomore bump in 2019 if Buffalo can land a true #1 receiver.
Patriots -- Rob Gronkowski returned with his second-best performance of the season. Remarkably, he entered the week available in 2% of ESPN leagues. Presumably that'll drop closer to 0% by Wednesday.
Jets -- The underdogs hung with New England longer than expected. Don't be surprised if the team keeps Sam Darnold out the rest of the season, making Josh McCown a nice 2-QB-league addition. I'd also like to point out that TE Chris Herndon is available in 90% of ESPN leagues. I added him in my deep 14-team league about eight weeks ago. With many TE1 performances under his belt, the rookie will be on the top-16 radar next preseason.
Giants -- Odell Beckham, Jr. has only 13 receptions in his last three games. With Chicago, Washington, and Tennessee coming next, he's at risk of falling out of the top 10 by season's end.
Eagles -- My Carson Wentz prediction fell flat. I thought he'd rebound big-time after last week's collapse in New Orleans. But then I read shortly before kickoff (from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport) that Wentz still hasn't fully recovered from last year's knee surgery. So maybe that's to blame for what has been merely a high-end QB2 season. He's certainly a buy-low target in dynasty leagues.
49ers -- Dante Pettis finally showed what he could do. And Nick Mullens was exposed. I'd be surprised if C.J. Beathard remains on the sidelines next week in Seattle.
Buccaneers -- What's the best way to avoid throwing interceptions? Face a team that's picked off only two passes in 10 games. Jameis Winston's Achilles' heel was a non-factor yesterday as he looked the part of a QB1 against an inferior pass defense. Keep in mind his Week 15/16 contests will be @Baltimore and @Dallas.
Seahawks -- Never count out Russell Wilson. I've been pushing him for weeks, and he came through in dramatic fashion yesterday to keep Seattle firmly in the playoff hunt. For the last time, his remaining opponents thru Week 16 are the Niners (twice), Vikings, and Chiefs. He will help some of you win the title.
Panthers -- Once again, I was wrong this preseason about Christian McCaffrey. I can't reiterate that enough.
Raiders -- Doug Martin finally eked into the RB2 club with a shockingly efficient performances against Baltimore. If you started him, you're gutsier than I'll ever be.
Ravens -- Joe Flacco might have been hoping to salvage his season against the Bengals, Raiders, Falcons, Chiefs, and Bucs. Instead, Lamar Jackson (and fellow rookie Gus Edwards) are making the most of this puff schedule.
Dolphins -- What should have been an exceptional road win instead was a disastrous defeat. Kenyan Drake dominated on only 13 touches and now has five scores in his last five contests. If his mid-game shoulder injury doesn't slow him next week, he'll be an RB2/3 against Buffalo.
Colts -- Make it eight straight games with 3+ TD passes. Andrew Luck continues to amaze.
Cardinals -- Josh Rosen completed his first six pass attempts en route to a touchdown on the opening drive. He was 6-for-13 the rest of the way, getting outscored 45-3. No Cardinal -- not even David Johnson -- will be a must-start option next week in Green Bay.
Chargers -- Philip Rivers tied Tannehill's NFL record for most consecutive completed passes (25). The bigger story, though, is Melvin Gordon's injured knee, which swelled up after the game. The Chargers didn't need to play him in this one, and now they might pay the price. If he sits, Austin Ekeler would be an RB2 in Pittsburgh.
Steelers -- Pittsburgh's recent offensive difficulties have coincided with a reduced role for James Conner, while Big Ben's thrown it 103 times in the past two games. It's anyone's guess which team we'll see next week, but it seems they play better when they try to establish the ground game and manage the clock more effectively. If Ben keeps throwing it, Conner will be a far riskier top-14 option.
Broncos -- Emmanuel Sanders enjoyed his first really good game in five weeks. His remaining schedule (Bengals, Niners, Browns, Raiders) will make him a weekly WR2+.
Packers -- I've been warning for some time (since the summer) that Aaron Rodgers is overrated in fantasy this year. This isn't a knock on Rodgers; he's on pace for 319 fantasy points, which last season would have been good for #2 among all QBs. But in a league that's seen dramatically more scoring this season, Rodgers hasn't kept up with his elite and near-elite peers. He won't be startable in Week 15 in Chicago, and he might not be startable in Championship Week on the road against the Jets.
Vikings -- Kirk Cousins had his best performance since Week 4 against the Rams, and it was his most impressive win all year. That said, I wouldn't start him as a QB1 the next two weeks (@Patriots, @Seahawks).
Browns -- Baker Mayfield dominated, and admittedly I didn't see it coming -- though surely some of you did. The rookie has been on a roll with back-to-back-to-back games against three lowly defenses: the Chiefs, Falcons, and now the Bengals. If he can turn in a QB1 performance next week in Houston, I'll eat my words. For now, a warning: his only remaining startable game will be a rematch against Cincy in Week 16.
Bengals -- Remember when Andy Dalton had 11 touchdowns through Week 4? Me neither. He now has only nine in his last seven games (granted, that's two more than Blake Bortles), while a thumb injury leaves his questionable for next weekend. Backup Jeff Driskel looks capable enough in his place, and would immediately enter the QB2 conversation if forced to start -- and would be a bit more appealing if A.J. Green returns.
Jaguars -- Leonard Fournette's third-quarter ejection what might otherwise have been a top-2 RB fantasy day. Carlos Hyde and T.J. Yeldon would split touches against the beatable Colts D if Fournette's suspended, making each an appealing RB3+.
Bills -- I don't recall the last time a QB completed fewer than 10 passes, yet posted elite fantasy numbers. Josh Allen's return was an unmitigated success for that entered Week 12 with the league's worst passing attack. And not just "worst," but "historically worst," with only five TD passes and a 57 QB ranking. Allen could be in for a sophomore bump in 2019 if Buffalo can land a true #1 receiver.
Patriots -- Rob Gronkowski returned with his second-best performance of the season. Remarkably, he entered the week available in 2% of ESPN leagues. Presumably that'll drop closer to 0% by Wednesday.
Jets -- The underdogs hung with New England longer than expected. Don't be surprised if the team keeps Sam Darnold out the rest of the season, making Josh McCown a nice 2-QB-league addition. I'd also like to point out that TE Chris Herndon is available in 90% of ESPN leagues. I added him in my deep 14-team league about eight weeks ago. With many TE1 performances under his belt, the rookie will be on the top-16 radar next preseason.
Giants -- Odell Beckham, Jr. has only 13 receptions in his last three games. With Chicago, Washington, and Tennessee coming next, he's at risk of falling out of the top 10 by season's end.
Eagles -- My Carson Wentz prediction fell flat. I thought he'd rebound big-time after last week's collapse in New Orleans. But then I read shortly before kickoff (from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport) that Wentz still hasn't fully recovered from last year's knee surgery. So maybe that's to blame for what has been merely a high-end QB2 season. He's certainly a buy-low target in dynasty leagues.
49ers -- Dante Pettis finally showed what he could do. And Nick Mullens was exposed. I'd be surprised if C.J. Beathard remains on the sidelines next week in Seattle.
Buccaneers -- What's the best way to avoid throwing interceptions? Face a team that's picked off only two passes in 10 games. Jameis Winston's Achilles' heel was a non-factor yesterday as he looked the part of a QB1 against an inferior pass defense. Keep in mind his Week 15/16 contests will be @Baltimore and @Dallas.
Seahawks -- Never count out Russell Wilson. I've been pushing him for weeks, and he came through in dramatic fashion yesterday to keep Seattle firmly in the playoff hunt. For the last time, his remaining opponents thru Week 16 are the Niners (twice), Vikings, and Chiefs. He will help some of you win the title.
Panthers -- Once again, I was wrong this preseason about Christian McCaffrey. I can't reiterate that enough.
Raiders -- Doug Martin finally eked into the RB2 club with a shockingly efficient performances against Baltimore. If you started him, you're gutsier than I'll ever be.
Ravens -- Joe Flacco might have been hoping to salvage his season against the Bengals, Raiders, Falcons, Chiefs, and Bucs. Instead, Lamar Jackson (and fellow rookie Gus Edwards) are making the most of this puff schedule.
Dolphins -- What should have been an exceptional road win instead was a disastrous defeat. Kenyan Drake dominated on only 13 touches and now has five scores in his last five contests. If his mid-game shoulder injury doesn't slow him next week, he'll be an RB2/3 against Buffalo.
Colts -- Make it eight straight games with 3+ TD passes. Andrew Luck continues to amaze.
Cardinals -- Josh Rosen completed his first six pass attempts en route to a touchdown on the opening drive. He was 6-for-13 the rest of the way, getting outscored 45-3. No Cardinal -- not even David Johnson -- will be a must-start option next week in Green Bay.
Chargers -- Philip Rivers tied Tannehill's NFL record for most consecutive completed passes (25). The bigger story, though, is Melvin Gordon's injured knee, which swelled up after the game. The Chargers didn't need to play him in this one, and now they might pay the price. If he sits, Austin Ekeler would be an RB2 in Pittsburgh.
Steelers -- Pittsburgh's recent offensive difficulties have coincided with a reduced role for James Conner, while Big Ben's thrown it 103 times in the past two games. It's anyone's guess which team we'll see next week, but it seems they play better when they try to establish the ground game and manage the clock more effectively. If Ben keeps throwing it, Conner will be a far riskier top-14 option.
Broncos -- Emmanuel Sanders enjoyed his first really good game in five weeks. His remaining schedule (Bengals, Niners, Browns, Raiders) will make him a weekly WR2+.
Packers -- I've been warning for some time (since the summer) that Aaron Rodgers is overrated in fantasy this year. This isn't a knock on Rodgers; he's on pace for 319 fantasy points, which last season would have been good for #2 among all QBs. But in a league that's seen dramatically more scoring this season, Rodgers hasn't kept up with his elite and near-elite peers. He won't be startable in Week 15 in Chicago, and he might not be startable in Championship Week on the road against the Jets.
Vikings -- Kirk Cousins had his best performance since Week 4 against the Rams, and it was his most impressive win all year. That said, I wouldn't start him as a QB1 the next two weeks (@Patriots, @Seahawks).