We’re in the home stretch, #FANation
You’ve done the work. You’re in the hunt. You cannot mess up now.
When emotions are high, it is especially important to rely on the facts. Look at the players in your lineup objectively. Try not to out-smart yourself.
Per usual, I combed through the data, and pulled some stats that that you need to know heading into the all-important Week 15.
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
Emmanuel Sanders only has two touchdowns on the season. Both occurred in Week 2 at home against the Dallas Cowboys. He also has 30 or fewer yards in seven of the 12 games he’s played this season, with 16 or fewer yards in each of his last four games. However, Sanders scored six touchdowns over his last five Thursday Night Football games.
Jack Doyle is 21 yards from beating his former career-high 584 yards in a season. The Denver Broncos allow an averaged of 63.2 yards per game to opposing tight ends.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
Jordan Howard is the first player in Bears history to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. The Bears played the Lions in Week 11, and Howard carried the ball 15 times for 125 yards and a touchdown in that outing.
Theo Riddick leads all NFL running backs with 178 receptions since 2015. However, when the Lions played the Bears in Week 11 of this year, it was Ameer Abdullah who scored a receiving touchdown.
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Over the last four games, Keenan Allen averaged 9.8 receptions, 156.8 receiving yards, and 1.5 receiving touchdowns. Both he and Antonio Brown are tied with 39 receptions in four weeks, but Allen is the undisputed leader in average receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Tyreek Hill scored three touchdowns over the last three games facing off against the Chargers. The last time they played, Hill caught five of his six targets for 77 yards and a touchdown. Hill has gone over 77 yards and/or scored a touchdown in only one of his last four games.
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars
If Lamar Miller puts up 90-plus yards from scrimmage on Sunday, that would be the fifth time in a row that he put up those numbers against opponents within the AFC South. That includes when Houston played Jacksonville in Week 1, and Miller managed 96 yards from scrimmage.
Marqise Lee has a touchdown reception in three of his past four games at home. Keelan Cole has a touchdown in each of his last two games. Dede Westbrook scored his first touchdown on the season last week, but has six or more targets in each game he’s played in the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
Ben Watson has 90-plus yards from scrimmage in two of the last three times he’s faced the Browns. In Week 2, he caught all eight of his targets for 91 yards at home against Cleveland. That was his highest catch and yardage total of the season.
David Njoku scored his first touchdown of his career against the Ravens in Week 2. However, that touchdown pass was thrown by Kevin Hogan.
Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers
Over the last four games when Aaron Rodgers faced the Panthers, he put up 1,230 passing yards (307.5 per game), 12 touchdowns (three per game), and two interceptions. Tom Brady is the only quarterback to throw for more than 307.5 yards in a game against Carolina this year, but Drew Brees, Carson Wentz, and Josh McCown were all able to throw three touchdowns against them. No quarterback has run in a touchdown when facing the Panthers this year.
Devin Funchess has a touchdown in each of his last two games. He has three touchdowns over his last two home games. The Packer have allowed 15 receiving touchdowns to opposing wide receivers, tied for the third most in the league.
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
Jarvis Landry has at least five catches in all 13 games played this season. His 88 receptions on the season is tied with DeAndre Hopkins for the second most in the league. His eight touchdowns are tied for the fourth most among wide receivers, and are already three more than he’s scored in any of his first three seasons in the NFL.
Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer is the only player in the league with 80 or more tackles (81), two or more sacks (2), and two or more interceptions (2). Safety Micah Hyde is tied for third in the league with five interceptions.
Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings
Starting linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Nick Vigil were absent last week. Burfict is still in concussion protocol. Nick Vigil is still questionable with an ankle injury that has held him out more than once. Starting cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is also still in concussion protocol. Starting safety Shawn Williams is also still questionable with a hamstring injury that has held him out more than once. Starting cornerback Adam Jones was placed on the Reserve/Injured list.
Over his past six games, Case Keenum has 1,661 passing yards (276.8 per game), 13 touchdowns (2.2 per game), and only five interceptions (less than one per game).
Arizona Cardinals at Washington Redskins
Kerwynn Williams carried the ball 16 times for 97 yards in Week 13. He carried the ball 20 times for 73 yards in Week 14. Washington allows an average of 23.5 carries and 99.2 rushing yards per game to opposing running backs.
Kirk Cousins has 1,527 passing yards (305.4 per game), nine touchdowns (1.8 per game), and four interceptions (.8 per game) in his last five games at home.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
This fun stat was sent to me by Matt Selz. Feel free to send me stat suggestions on Twitter @BrandonHerFFB
Jared Goff, Nick Foles, and Case Keenum were all on the Rams last year for their league worst 14.0 points per game. Now they are all starting and could be on the top-three seeds in the NFC playoffs with two of them piloting the top scoring offenses in the league.
When the Giants played in Philadelphia in Week 3, Sterling Shepard caught seven of his 10 targets for 133 yards and a touchdown. However, Shepard has only played in two of the team’s last four games due to injury, and has a total of only five receptions, 72 yards, no touchdowns since Week 11.
New York Jets at New Orleans Saints
Bryce Petty will be the starting quarterback for the New York Jets after Josh McCown broke his hand last week when playing against the Denver Broncos. The last three games of the season will be against the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Chargers, and the New England Patriots. Each of those teams have forced at least 11 interceptions this season.
Over his last four home games, Drew Brees put up 1,216 passing yards (304 per game), five touchdowns (1.25 per game), and only one interception. If he keeps up his average, 2017 will be the 12th time in a row that Brees threw for at least 4,000 yards.
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
The Rams played the Seahawks in their home stadium in Week 5. None of the offensive fantasy players scored more than 9.8 fantasy points in standard scoring. The top scoring player was Tyler Higbee. He caught four of his five targets for 98 yards. And Tavon Austin scored the team’s only touchdown. And it was a rushing touchdown.
In Week 5, Thomas Rawls managed a team-high 20 rushing yards on eight carries against the Rams. Interestingly, the Rams allow an average of 110.9 rushing yards per game to opposing running backs, the second most in the league.
Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers
In Week 14, Marcus Mariota scored just over three fantasy points against the Arizona Cardinals, in standard scoring. The Cardinals had allowed the eighth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks when Mariota went into that game. Mariota has 10 passing touchdowns and 14 interceptions over the 12 he’s played this season. His five rushing touchdowns is tied with DeShoneKizer, Dak Prescott, Cam Newton and Josh McCown for the most in the league.
Since the team’s Week 11 bye, Marquise Goodwin averages 6 catches and 94.3 receiving yards per game. He hasn’t scored a touchdown over those three games, but the Tennessee Titans has allowed 15 receiving touchdowns to opposing wide receivers, tied for the third most in the league.
New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
Over the last four weeks, only five players in the league have a combined five or more rushing and/or receiving touchdowns. One is Rex Burkhead. The other four are Antonio Brown, Alex Collins, Jonathan Stewart, and Alvin Kamara. Only one of those players had an ADP in the first five rounds of fantasy football drafts in August.
Le’Veon Bell leads the league with 1,105 rushing yards and 1684 yards from scrimmage. His 75 catches is also a position-high. If he goes over 100 scrimmage yards on Sunday, that will be the sixth time in a row hitting that mark.
Dallas Cowboys at Oakland Raiders
DezBraynt scored a touchdown in both Week 13 and Week 14. He hasn’t had a 100-plus yard receiving regular season game since Week 6 of 2016.
Even though Jared Cook has 25 or fewer yards in five games this season, he ranks fourth among tight ends with 621 total receiving yards.
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The last time these two teams played in Week 12, Mohamed Sanu caught eight of his nine targets for 64 yards and he threw a touchdown to Julio Jones. He also has four receiving touchdowns in four of his last seven games.
After Doug Martin fumbled in the second quarter of last week’s game against the Lions, Peyton Barber out-snapped Martin 10-0.