You don't need me or anyone to explain the impact of Antonio Gibson or Deshaun Watson or Will Fuller. When guys step up big-time--especially this late in the regular season--there's nothing to do but applaud those who drafted them, added them, or traded for them. And there's nothing to do but empathize with those who are already down 30+ points heading into Sunday.
Beyond the breakouts are the performances that will impact our decisions going forward. For starters, while Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson combined for about 30 points, neither did enough to threaten D'Andre Swift's strong 1A positioning. AP is Frank Gore in a crowded backfield, and Kerryon lost a fumble. While Swift might have to wait until 2021 to become a 250+ touch option, he's clearly the best back on a team that desperately needs a reliable RB playmaker.
For Houston, Duke Johnson had only his second good game of the year. With David Johnson returning as soon as next week, are Duke's days numbered? Probably, since he's never been a bellcow-caliber back. But if you're holding onto David in the hopes of plugging him in during the stretch run, consider his next three games are against the Colts, Bears, and then Colts again. David already was struggling as an RB2/3. A few extra touches for Duke, combined with stiffer competition, and it's hard to see how David will be more than a TD-dependent streamer until at least Week 16.
Meanwhile, Washington now leads the NFC East at 4-7. The team with the worst offseason--a storied franchise without a name--has a real shot at the postseason. Unfortunately, their next three games are against the Steelers, Niners, and Seahawks. If they can somehow take one of three and then close out strong against the Panthers and Eagles, 7-9 could be enough. But no doubt they're looking back at that October 18 loss to the Giants when the went for 2 to win it in the final seconds and came up short. If they fall just short this year, that decision might prove to be the difference.
Fantasy-wise, Alex Smith threw 55 passes in their loss to Detroit Week 10, and a combined 51 in their two recent wins. Smith has been Jay Fielder-esque, and as a result only Terry McLaurin is getting fed consistently. But keep an eye on these next three weeks, when negative game scripts should force Smith to throw more.
And for Dallas, their disastrous season keeps getting worse. Andy Dalton had a healthy 11-12 fantasy points in the first half, then threw for only 19 yards in the third quarter and 47 in the fourth. Three drives stalled inside Washington's 15. Of course Dalton should be better, and of course we shouldn't be surprised. What is surprising is how painfully bad Zeke Elliott has been. He entered the year with 48 touchdowns and five turnovers. This season he's added seven touchdowns and another five turnovers to those totals, and his YPC is below 4.0 for the first time in his career. If his name were Roger Jones, Tony Pollard would have earned more playing time by now. As it is, Dallas seems stuck with Zeke.