A huge congratulations to all of you who won yesterday, or who are on your way to winning. And a special congrats to co-managers Steve Michelson and Ross Fessenden for going 3-0 against me this season, including an absolute walloping in the opening round of the PFFL playoffs. See? It's easy to congratulate those who defeat us, even if they'll never know the depths of a bone-crushing anguish that will linger until next September.
As always, let's walk through the most notable fantasy storyline for each team:
Titans -- Derrick Henry had perhaps the worst fantasy playoff performance of his career, collecting 10 yards on 20 touches. Tennessee is now (I believe) officially finished at 5-9, meaning advancing managers will have tough decisions next weekend. Will Tyjae Spears get an extended look, or will Henry remain front-and-center in meaningless games?
Texans -- In the ongoing battle between Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce, Singletary is now entrenched as the bell cow. Pierce has not exceeded 3.8 yards per carry in any game this season.
Dolphins -- Raheem Mostert might be the most successful TD-dependent RB since Jamaal Williams last season. That's no knock on either guy. But with De'Von Achane getting work through the air, Mostert has become more of a two-down back. No need to tread carefully, but understand that his "great" performances hinge on touchdowns.
Jets -- Disastrous on every level, and Zach Wilson exited with an injury. If Trevor Siemian starts next week, it probably won't be any worse than what Wilson do, but it also probably won't be much better.
Panthers -- Urged folks to fade Chuba Hubbard, but he still did well enough to help deeper-league managers. He's now secured 70 carries in his last three outings and has caught all 11 of his targets for 96 yards in has last five games.
Falcons -- Bijan Robinson lost three fumbles throughout college. He's now lost three fumbles in 14 games as a pro. Now doubt, he remains one of the top young RBs in the game, and he could be an overall RB1 if Atlanta ever lands a top-10 QB, helping to open up the offense. But in the meantime, he and the 6-8 Falcons have put fantasy managers in a precarious position, because when your "best" offensive playmaker earns only seven carries in a must-win game, that's not a promising sign for the rest of the season.
Saints -- With Chris Olave out, Alvin Kamara took over, and Derek Carr didn't make many mistakes. There is no Rashid Shaheed bounce. No A.T. Perry excitement. The 7-7 Saints have one of the league's most top-heavy offenses. If you don't have Olave or Kamara, everyone else is a dart throw.
Giants -- The Tommy DeVito magic wore off. He entered Sunday outscoring each of his last QB opponents in fantasy. But he had no chance against a Saints' D that stepped up. He's now been sacked 33 times in six starts. More pointedly, if he's not cooking, things will be even tougher for his WRs with Darren Waller back in the fold. Too many mouths and not enough yardage.
Patriots -- Hunter Henry scored his third touchdown in his previous two games, but then got hurt. If he can't play Week 16, managers in 20-team leagues could turn to Mike Gesicki. More realistically, it could open the door for DeVante Parker, Demario Douglas, or a returning JuJu Smith-Schuster to get a cheap score and launch themselves into double-digits.
Chiefs -- I sit Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and this is how he repays me?! Facing the NFL's toughest run defense, CEH had a 20-yard gain and mustered only 17 yards on his 12 other attempts. But . . . he did one better than Jerick McKinnon through the air, turning into a fantasy hero. If Isiah Pacheco doesn't return next week, consider that CEH has back-to-back four-target outings. Despite his inefficiencies, if he can remain engaged in the passing game, he'll be no worse than a fringe starter.
Packers -- So many fascinating storylines in Green Bay, including Aaron Jones earning a fairly quiet 17 touches (though nearly scoring), Tucker Kraft looking increasingly like the team's best TE (even when fellow rookie Luke Musgrave returns), rookie Jayden Reed hurting his toe, and yet another rookie -- Dontayvion Wicks -- leading all Packers with a 6-97 receiving line. Romeo Doubs might be the #4 WR next season, while Wicks could be a must-start if Reed or Christian Watson can't go next week.
Buccaneers -- Picked a bad week to face Chris Godwin, who last exceeded 54 yards eight weeks ago. A healthy Godwin has proven to be just as good as Mike Evans over the years, and apparently he's healthy and locked in for the stretch run.
Browns -- Cleveland found a way, and David Njoku once again was a big reason why. I wrongly warned managers to fade him this preseason in the belief he could not stand out in a more crowded offense. He's now the TE7 in points per game, thanks to finishing as the TE2 last week and (currently) the TE2 this week. So yes, while he languished as a borderline streamer (about 9.3 points per game) for most of the season, he's come on strong when it's mattered most.
Bears -- I also publicly warned folks not to trust D'Onta Foreman, because Chicago's backfield remained a hot-hand situation. Roschon Johnson was still my favorite bet to finish the year as the lead back. Yesterday Foreman tanked and Johnson shined. If you have Johnson, there's almost no doubt he'll be the team's best RB bet in Week 16.
Cardinals -- With Marquise Brown hurt again, sixth-round rookie Elijah Higgins led his WR teammates in targets, catches, and yards while also securing the team's one receiving score. Although Trey McBride stole the show through the air, Higgins probably has replaced third-round rookie Michael Wilson as the team's best deep-league WR flyer for the fantasy playoffs.
49ers -- Christian McCaffrey makes my brain hurt, because his durability and productivity are off the charts. He's now up to 301 touches, putting him on pace for 366 in the regular season and between 430 and 452 if they reach the Super Bowl. He's also averaging the most fantasy points per game since . . . well, since his record-setting 2019 campaign. Sometimes a #1 overall pick comes up big, and no one's been bigger this year than CMC.
Rams -- The Rams' victory keeps them squarely in the playoff hunt, which is great news for those chasing a title, because they'll likely keep their starters engaged for at least two more weeks (and possibly three if they win next week). After a dismal first two-thirds of the season, Cooper Kupp is back to looking like Cooper Kupp.
Commanders -- Sam Howell was benched, which a month ago would have sounded like a bad joke. But in his last four games he's thrown two TD passes and six interceptions. In many ways, it's not fair. Two of those opponents were the Cowboys and Dolphins. And it would be shocking if Howell is benched again, especially with Washington mathematically eliminated from the postseason. But it's still a shot to the gut for managers who were riding his success into December.
Bills -- I whiffed massively on James Cook, believing Dallas would keep him in check. Instead, Cook somehow easily topped last week's monster performance. The sad thing is that I was all in on him this summer, ranking him as my RB13 (compared to an RB27 ADP). But his sporadic usage and effectiveness scared me off midseason. With Buffalo's playoff prospects now looking pretty good, he could be a league winner as this franchise makes its final push.
Cowboys -- Not much to say here. The Bills executed on defense, and Dallas couldn't get much going on most of their drives. Notably, Tony Pollard out-touched and outplayed Rico Dowdle by a mile. As soon as Dowdle seems to get close, Pollard pulls away.
Jaguars -- I've been wary of over-drafting Travis Etienne next season for previously explained reasons. But his once electric season has ground to a halt, relatively speaking. While the volume is there, he's scored only twice in his last six games and has cracked 56 rushing yards only once in his last nine games. These days, he's a must-start because of his high target total. The rest hinges on whether he finds the end zone.
Ravens -- What happened to Zay Flowers and OBJ? A strange night, and of course we shouldn't overreact and think Rashod Bateman is a comparable fantasy asset. Still, it's a reminder that Lamar Jackson has struggled throughout his career to feed more than one WR per game.