As I sat down to begin my rankings process for Week 15, it suddenly hit me. The weight of the world started to press upon my ample shoulders as I pondered the gravity of this week’s games. For many members of our fantasy universe, the season has ended. Some of those people are relieved, as they can roll out of bed just a few minutes shy of kickoff on Sundays without pondering lineup calls. There’s something to be said for that, I guess.
The payouts on embarrassing “dare” wagers, tattoos and declarations of ineptitude have begun. I thought about the smack-talking opportunities that presented themselves in office leagues and the strained relationships that have occurred over tiebreaker scenarios. I had one league write about issues with special teams tackles affecting the playoffs.
Anyway, playoff matchups for Week 15 begin with a seemingly lopsided game in Atlanta. The Falcons, and particularly Matt Ryan, have performed at a higher level at home historically. Ryan comes off of a four-touchdown performance against the Panthers to face a dismal Jacksonville squad.
There isn’t much to write about on the Jacksonville side of the ledger. I suppose I could try and sell you on a deep, deep Ninja option in the Jacksonville receiving corps, but that would be grasping at straws. It would also serve only to advance my carpal tunnel syndrome.
As a result, I’ll extol the virtues of MJD and move on to an assessment of the rest of Week 15.
>>> Week 15 Lineup Calls - QBs
>>> Week 15 Lineup Calls - RBs
Thursday Heroes
Matt Ryan has tallied six multi-touchdown games in support of fantasy owners in the past eight weeks. He was shut out of the end zone only once this season. That occurred in Week 1 against the top-ranked Pittsburgh pass defense. Some owners may be scared off of playing Ryan this week because of the Jaguars’ lofty ranking against the pass overall (sixth-fewest fantasy points allowed). Don’t be passive in this matchup. The Jaguars have lost several key members of the secondary in the past several weeks and can be beaten downfield. Obviously, the Buccaneers failed to do so after jumping out to a 14-0 lead in Week 14. Atlanta won’t let that happen.
Do I need to sell you on Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez? Both players are top-5 options at their positions.
Michael Turner has rushed for 76 yards or fewer in three consecutive games. I understand the reticence to climb aboard the Turner bandwagon given his recent struggles, but I do have to note that two of those efforts came against the Texans and Vikings. Last week, the Falcons fell behind and had to take to the air with more frequency. The Jaguars are running and hiding in this one. As such, look for the Falcons to pound the ball with Turner against the Panthers (second-most points allowed to RBs).
On the face of it, I supposed that Maurice Jones-Drew should have been bounced to the “Flop Alerts” section given the Falcons’ season-long dominance against opposing runners. The Falcons rank fifth against the run overall (95.2 yards allowed per game) and have allowed only 77.1 rushing yards per game to running backs.
I look to his two efforts against the Texans as the benchmarks for this week. Jones-Drew recorded a season-low 74 total yards in Week 8 against the Texans (he did score). He logged 166 total yards in the Week 12 rematch. Jones-Drew’s growing role in the passing game cannot be overlooked. He was invisible in the passing game early this season with 12 receptions in eight games. MJD has tallied 23 receptions in the past five weeks. As such, Jones-Drew has averaged 147 total yards with seven touchdowns in the past five weeks.
Thursday Flop Alerts
There are no identifiable “Flops” among the usual starters for this game. I suppose that Julio Jones’ low reception count does concern some owners, and a play-for-play review of each game may leave you frustrated. However, the big-play potential makes Jones a high-end WR2 for this game on my board. Don’t get sucked into the YTD defensive stats for the Jaguars or last week’s silliness against the awful Tampa Bay squad. The secondary has lost several starters and is limping to the finish line.
Thursday Ninja Alerts
I offer up the Atlanta defense as a potential plug-in play this week. The Falcons rank 11th in total defense (20.5 points allowed per game) with 21 turnovers and 25 sacks. Blaine Gabbert doesn’t force a ton of throws downfield, but can be goaded into errors. The Jaguars score just 14.8 points per game and have surrendered 35 sacks (tied for ninth in the NFL).
Fantasy Football News and Notes
