A quick-hit recap of what really mattered from Thursday through Sunday. We skip the obvious studs and instead focus on usage trends, injuries, and key shifts that actually impact your lineup decisions.

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday. 

We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start Jahmyr Gibbs right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams for the coming week and beyond.

COWBOYS @ LIONS

• Jared Goff threw for 300+ in a high-scoring Detroit victory, tossing 25 of his 34 passes to Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jahmyr Gibbs. ARSB somewhat surprisingly started in this one but showed no ill effects from his ankle sprain suffered on Thanksgiving, which was great to see.
• CeeDee Lamb left with a concussion after an extremely productive start, putting his Week 15 status in doubt. It was Ryan Flournoy (9-115-1) and not George Pickens (5-37) who was the most productive WR in Lamb’s absence.

DOLPHINS @ JETS

• Miami running back De’Von Achane was off to a hot start before suffering a rib injury and leaving the game late in the first half. Reports after the game said he could have returned, but the team was up 17 points at halftime. Jaylen Wright operated as the top running back with Achane on the bench and had a solid game, but rookie RB Ollie Gordon would also be involved in a committee if Achane were to miss time.
• Jets QB Tyrod Taylor suffered a groin injury and played only six snaps. Justin Fields was inactive with a knee issue, so undrafted rookie QB Brady Cook was under center for most of the game. The Jets travel to Jacksonville next week and they will be dead in the water if Cook has to start, so this is a situation we will need to monitor not just for these QBs but also for the viability of the other Jets skill players.
• Breece Hall has played the two highest snap rates of the season the last two weeks, so despite his poor stat line this week he is a player who likely has better days ahead if the team has reasonable quarterback play.

BENGALS @ BILLS

• Cincinnati tight end Mike Gesicki had a big game in the snow, despite being in a three-man rotation at the position. Gesicki’s six targets were behind only Ja’Marr Chase (eight) and Tee Higgins (11), but he will continue to be volatile on a week-to-week basis.
• Samaje Perine once again took about 1/3 of the running back work in this great matchup, but Chase Brown had two touchdowns and one of the more productive running back scores of the day. 
• The Bengals continue to be destroyed by tight ends as Dawson Knox (6-93-0) and Dalton Kincaid (4-41-1) each had productive days. Cincinnati plays the Ravens in Week 15, so congratulations to those who have Mark Andrews and/or Isaiah Likely.

COMMANDERS @ VIKINGS

Your weekly roadmap to the wire. Each Tuesday, Tony Kneepkens highlights the top adds across positions — complete with FAAB recommendations and context to help you prioritize based on your league size and format.

These are the top players to consider adding from waivers this week. Unless otherwise noted, all players below are available in greater than 50% of Yahoo leagues (as of Sunday evening). Priorities listed are meant to differentiate between some of the options available and are assuming 12-team, single-QB, fantasy formats.

The fantasy regular season is now over in most head-to-head fantasy leagues. Hopefully, you’re now able to focus your attention on making a deep title run or are even on a Week 15 bye. Even managers who are no longer in title contention should be sure to know if there is a reward for winning the consolation bracket or a punishment for finishing in last place, too.

I will continue to identify potential streaming options and possible bench stashes at each position, but will no longer use a FAAB or waiver priority recommendations as part of my analysis. If you have a roster need, there’s no time like the present: unload your FAAB, use your high waiver priority, etc. Good luck the rest of the way in your leagues everyone!

QB Streaming Options

C.J. Stroud, HOU, Week 15 vs AZ

• Stroud hasn’t done much, fantasy-wise, in two games since returning from a serious concussion suffered last month, passing for a 479-1-1 combined line in road victories over the Colts and Chiefs.
• Stroud and the Texans are big home favorites against a middling Cardinals defense that has allowed 10 passing TDs over their last four games, all losses. The game before that, they gave up nearly 15 yards per attempt to the Seahawks (and another passing TD) in a game they fell behind 35-0.
• Low-priority add. Stroud is my favorite widely available pocket passer to stream this week in what looks to be an exploitable matchup.

J.J. McCarthy, MIN, Week 15 at DAL

• McCarthy found some success in last week’s lopsided win over the Commanders. JJM had his first game with multiple passing TDs in a month, and had his first game averaging over 7.0 yards per pass attempt since September.
• Minnesota heads to Dallas this week to face the Cowboys, who are coming off of extended rest after losing to the Lions last week on TNF, in a game with a solid 48.0 implied point total.
• Low-priority add. Playing JJM with your fantasy season on the line wouldn’t be for the risk-averse, but he’s my favorite QB streaming option this week who has some theoretical rushing upside.

RB Pickups

Blake Corum, LAR, Week 15 vs DET

• Corum had a breakout performance in last week’s comfortable victory, turning a dozen carries into 128-2 rushing. He’s up to a massive 19-209-3 rushing line over the last two games after scoring just one TD in the Rams’ first 11 games this year.
• Corum has had a decent rushing role all year, but he really seems to be coming on of late for a surging Rams offense. This week’s game, against the Lions, opened with a silly 55.5-point implied total.
• High-priority add. Corum, for me, is this year’s premium handcuff/bench stash. His play of late, and this week’s high-scoring game environment, could have him in Flex consideration for some managers, too.

Devin Singletary, NYG, Week 15 vs WAS

• The last time we saw him, Singletary quietly amassed 100 scrimmage yards and a TD on MNF before the Giants Week 14 bye. While a regular contributor to the NYG offense, he saw some added opportunities (15 total touches) in Week 13 after Tyrone Tracy suffered a hip injury.
• With more than a week to recover, Tracy is reportedly now “fine” heading into a Week 15 game against the reeling Commanders. 
• Medium-to-high priority add. A bit of a hedge here, if we get new info that Tracy is set to miss a game, Singletary would be the week’s top priority. Assuming both backs play, there could still be enough to go around against a Commanders defense allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game.

Jaylen Wright, MIA, Week 15 at PIT

• Wright filled in admirably for starter De’Von Achane after Achane left with a rib injury in Week 14, turning his 24 carries into a useful 107-1 rushing line. Like Tracy, Achane is also reportedly “fine” after imaging on Monday showed no long-term injury.
• While it really does sound like Achane could have even gone back into last week’s game if he had to, there’s still a risk that he has a setback, etc. and the Dolphins play in Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football in Week 15.
• Medium-to-high priority add. I think Wright needs to be a priority addition for Achane teams to cover their bases. If you’re going against Achane, blocking his manager from adding Wright could be a sneaky move, too.

Some additional lower-priority RB options to stash on fantasy benches ::

• Chris Rodriguez (WAS) – C-Rod has seen double-digit carries in three straight games and five of his last six overall, but he has one catch on two targets all season.
• Emanuel Wilson (GB) – Wilson has shown he’s a legitimate fantasy starter in a scenario where Jacobs misses a game. My type of bench stash.
• Bhayshul Tuten (JAX) – My hopes for a reliable standalone role are fading after a season-low two touches last week, but he’s still a strong asset as an explosive injury-away RB on a solid offense.
• Brian Robinson Jr. (SF) – Capable backup to CMC, B-Rob would be another no-brainer RB starter if CMC happened to miss a game down the stretch.
• Tyler Allgeier (ATL) – A similar asset to B-Rob who actually has a stronger standalone role, but I prefer Robinson on the superior SF offense.
• Tank Bigsby (PHI) – If I was positive it would be Bigsby, and not Will Shipley, as the next man up for the Eagles, he’d be higher on this list.

WR Pickups

Each week, Juan Carlos Blanco spotlights 4–5 under-the-radar plays who combine DFS tournament upside with season-long streaming value. These matchup-driven picks are usually available in most leagues.

Each week, Streaming Sleepers will highlight at least five non-QB skill-position players and one team defense that currently have start or roster rates of 20% or less in season-long leagues but may be prudent options this week due to matchups and other circumstances, particularly in deeper formats. 

Additionally, the plays suggested here could be viable DFS large-field tournament options for the coming slate and are likely to carry modest ownership rates in that format as well.

Blake Corum, LAR vs. DET – 8% start rate

Corum delivered for us in Week 14 with the best game of his career yet, exploding for 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in what was a highly positive game script against the Cardinals. We naturally don’t expect a 45-17 Rams rout in this spot against the Lions, but Corum has increasingly made a case for additional playing time under any circumstance.

The Lions’ run defense is typically tough to crack, but Detroit has been a bit more generous of late by allowing 112.7 rushing yards per contest in the last three games. Additionally, the Rams’ offensive line is blocking to an outstanding (and NFL-high) 5.6 adjusted line yards per carry and 5.1 RB yards per tote as well. Since Los Angeles’ Week 9 bye, Corum is also averaging 6.0 yards per carry has seen 20% of his 60 rush attempts occur in the red zone, while the Lions are ranked in the bottom 10 with a 65.22% red-zone TD scoring rate given up on the road.

Hunter Henry, NE vs. BUF – 18% start rate

It’s certainly eye-catching to see Henry with a sub-20% start rate, considering the veteran tight end’s chemistry with Drake Maye has been building throughout the season. The Week 14 bye was somewhat ill-timed for Henry, who posted an 11-188-1 line on 16 targets over New England’s final two games before the off week, averaging an outstanding 3.3 yards per route run in the process.

The Bills gave up a 2-46-0 line on four targets to Henry back in the first meeting between the teams in Week 5, and although Buffalo has generally been very effective at limiting tight-end production, the Bengals’ Mike Gesicki just lit them up for a 6-86-1 line in Week 14. Henry is also more consistently involved at this point than he was earlier in the season, and he’s averaging an excellent 13.6 yards per catch while taking nine of his 45 receptions for 20+ yards.

Rhamondre Stevenson, NE vs. BUF – 5% start rate 

Xandamere breaks down the Thursday Night Football matchup with leverage angles and roster construction tips — the perfect way for fantasy players to start learning DFS through Showdown.

XANDAMERE’S SHOWDOWN SLANT

Week 15 kicks off with the Falcons visiting the Bucs for a 44.5 total game in which Tampa is favored by 4. We have a plethora of injury situations to deal with, first of all. Drake London has yet to “practice” this week despite the team’s practices only being walkthroughs. That makes it extremely likely he sits, so I’ll assume he’s out. Kyle Pitts is also questionable for the Falcons, but seeing as how he played 92% of the offensive snaps last week and was listed as limited in the walkthroughs, I feel highly confident he’s playing. On the Bucs side of things, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan have both been practicing while on injured reserve. My guess is that Mike Evans plays, and if he does, that means McMillan’s status is pretty meaningless, as he would be, at best, in line for some WR4 snaps (and he might even be behind Tez Johnson). Cade Otton is also listed as questionable and was listed as DNP in both of the team’s walkthroughs thus far. He didn’t leave last week’s game with an injury, so I’m guessing it’s maintenance, but this is the one spot I don’t have a good feeling about. To sum up, on the Falcons, I think London’s out, and Pitts is in. On the Bucs, I think Evans is in, McMillan doesn’t really matter, and Otton is more likely in than out, but I’m something like 60/40 on that spot. Whew.

TAMPA BAY

On the Bucs side of things, Bucky Irving got dinged up last week, and while he returned to the game, he wasn’t all that effective, and he ended up playing just 49% of the snaps, the lowest he’s played in any game this season, including his first game back from a lengthy injury. I have to think the injury played into this, but since he isn’t on the injury report at all now, I think we should treat him as if he’s fine. He handled 17 opportunities last week, which was his lowest of the season but still respectable, and that highlights just how good his role is. The matchup here is neutral, the Bucs are large home favorites, and thus Bucky is a solid on-paper play, especially so if Evans plays, because the Tampa receivers are all negatively impacted by Evans returning (and are priced for life without him) while Bucky isn’t impacted by Evans. The only real risk to Bucky is that Sean Tucker is quite good and Tampa insists on using Rachaad White despite him being very much #notgood, which means even though he’s the lead back, there are two other guys hanging around capable of vulturing him, whereas most running backs only have to deal with 1 backup threat. To me, it’s worth the risk, and I think Bucky has the second-highest overall points projection of any skill position player behind only Bijan Robinson. White and Tucker are dart throws as they somewhat cannibalize each other. I’d prefer playing Tucker because he’s much cheaper, but both will be in my player pool. 

Showdown Ownership Projections!

Ownership updates automatically

In the passing game, Evans return puts Tampa back at full strength in its receiving corps with him, Emeka Egbuka, and Chris Godwin. That’s an awfully talented group. I’d guess Evans is eased back in a bit as that’s usually what the Bucs do with guys returning from lengthy layoffs, and at $9k, he’s pretty fully priced. I think he still does have ceiling, but it is very risky, leaving him as a pay up to be contrarian option. Egbuka has actually struggled without Evans. Since Week 5, he has only reached double-digit DK points once in eight games (his explosion against Seattle). That’s a fairly small sample size and the kind of adjustment period you’d expect rookie receivers to need, and I think the downsides of having another target earner on the field will be offset for Egbuka by not being the primary focus of the opposing pass defense. His recent struggles have also brought his salary down to the lowest it’s been since Week 1, so I’m on board here (though among guys at the higher end of the salary range, I prefer Bucky).

Next, we come to Godwin, who has been a challenge for me this season. He has been one of my favorite players but it seems like a combination of age and injuries is catching up with him, as he ranks very poorly in predictive metrics such as yards per route run (1.43) and separation score (64th among WRs) – the lowest markets of his career. That’s not to say he can’t have a good game, but at $8,400, he’s kind of spendy given that he’s now essentially the WR3 for Tampa, and his season-high is just over 10 DK points. Of the primary Bucs receivers, for tournaments, I’d rank them as Egbuka, then Evans, then Godwin. Some combination of Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson, and Sterling Shepard will split the rest of the wide receiver snaps. If McMillan is active, these guys are all thin dart throws, whereas if McMillan is not active, they become at least a little bit more robust. Now, if I’m wrong and Evans misses, that leaves a primary WR trio of Egbuka, Godwin, and then some combo of Tez // McMillan // Shepard, which bumps them all up (duh) and makes Tez more of a value play than a dart throw.

UPDATE: Cade Otton has been listed as doubtful, so he’s almost certainly out. In his absence, Payne Durham should play the majority of the tight end snaps, but he’s mostly a blocker, as is Devin Culp, who should play the TE2 role. Because they’re so cheap they will project decently, and from a point-per-dollar standpoint they’re both viable plays, but I question the ceiling given what is likely to be an extremely limited receiving role …3-5 points sounds nice for $600, but it would take a fairly rare runout for that to result in the player landing in a winning tournament lineup. For me, this just bumps up the Bucs wide receivers, mainly Godwin, who runs similar shorter area routes to what Otton will be leaving behind.

At tight end, Cade Otton has had a tough time putting up any sort of relevant fantasy scores this season. He has yet to score a touchdown and has just 4 red zone targets on the year. Every one of the wide receivers talked about has at least 4 red zone targets, even Evans, who has only played in four games. Otton is not a major per-target yardage threat and needs either a lot of targets or a touchdown to find a ceiling, and with a lot of wide receiver target competition and no real red zone role, his odds of getting either of those outcomes are fairly slim. 

ATLANTA

Each Friday, Mike Johnson tackles lineup and trade dilemmas pulled from the OWS X and our Fantasy Football Discord channel. Real questions, real context, and actionable advice to guide you through the toughest calls of the week.

Some things in fantasy football are easy. We know we should start Puka Nacua and Bijan Robinson. We know we should bench the backup running back who is only on our roster in case of injury and the guy who was ruled out early in the week. A lot of the decisions are made for us. However, there are a lot of things that are not so simple. All of the “in between” situations are what can make the difference between a few wins and losses, and therefore it can be the difference between a successful season or a failed season. Every Friday, we are here to help!!

I’ll take questions each week in our #fantasy-football channel in our Discord from people looking for Start/Sit advice and give my thoughts. This article will feature a few of those questions and responses each Friday, so join our Discord to be a part of the conversation or ask questions of your own!!

Question 1 :: I have a playoff dilemma: Travis Kelce or Harold Fannin Jr.? (tdawg5636)

Answer :: A good problem to have, as I have both as top-six tight ends this week. My lean is slightly to Fannin as he comes off a massive game last week against the Titans. This game sets up as another spot where we would expect the Browns to be playing from behind and Fannin is very clearly the favorite target for Shedeur Sanders. The routes Fannin runs are such that a defense isn’t going to just take many of them away and the Bears are a great matchup. It won’t shock me if Fannin has double-digit targets once again this week and the only tight ends I would start over him this week are Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, George Kittle, and Kyle Pitts.

Question 2 :: Devin Neal, Woody Marks, Jaylen Warren, or Omarion Hampton? (Start Two) (Smitty)

Answer :: Marks is a lock here as he is coming off a game with a huge workload, Nick Chubb seems likely to miss this week, and the matchup is elite against a Cardinals defense that was just destroyed by both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in Week 14. For the second spot, my lean is to Jaylen Warren for his Monday night showdown with the Dolphins. Hampton’s explosiveness is tempting and Neal should have a bell-cow role for the Saints, but I slightly prefer Warren over both.

Question 3 :: Tyler Warren or Isaiah Likely at tight end?  (Steelcityboy)

Every Saturday, MJohnson86 posts full positional rankings (QB, RB, WR, TE, DEF) to get you ready for Sunday’s slate. Built for 12-team, full-PPR formats — with insights that translate across most league settings.

The weekend is here and it’s time to get our lineups set before Sunday’s full slate of games. Each week, the Saturday edition of the Daily Dose will feature my rankings for all players who have yet to play a game this week. Obviously this will not include the Thursday games, but always feel free to hit me up in Discord or on X/Twitter if you have some tough decisions around guys who play on Thursday. 

Most of the leagues I play in are full-PPR, 12-team leagues and these rankings are designed for those settings – you may need to make some slight adjustments based on your own league settings.

QB :: 

1. Josh Allen
2. Lamar Jackson
3. Matthew Stafford
4. Drake Maye
5. Joe Burrow
6. Jalen Hurts
7. Dak Prescott
8. Brock Purdy
9. Patrick Mahomes
10. Marcus Mariota
11. Jared Goff
12. Jaxson Dart
13. Trevor Lawrence
14. C.J. Stroud
15. Caleb Williams
16. Justin Herbert
17. Sam Darnold
18. J.J. McCarthy
19. Bo Nix
20. Jordan Love
21. Jacoby Brissett

RB ::

1. Christian McCaffrey
2. Jahmyr Gibbs
3. De’Von Achane
4. Derrick Henry
5. Saquon Barkley
6. Jonathan Taylor
7. Travis Etienne Jr.
8. James Cook III
9. Javonte Williams
10. Woody Marks
11. Kyren Williams
12. Ashton Jeanty
13. Josh Jacobs (*if active)
14. TreVeyon Henderson
15. Chase Brown
16. Quinshon Judkins
17. RJ Harvey
18. Breece Hall
19. Jaylen Warren
20. Rico Dowdle
21. D’Andre Swift
22. Emanuel Wilson (*if Jacobs is inactive)
23. Kenneth Walker III
24. Omarion Hampton
25. Devin Neal
26. Chuba Hubbard
27. Tyrone Tracy Jr.
28. Aaron Jones Sr.
29. Tony Pollard
30. Blake Corum
31. Rhamondre Stevenson
32. Zach Charbonnet
33. Kyle Monangai
34. Kimani Vidal
35. Chris Rodriguez Jr.
36. Zonovan Knight
37. David Montgomery
38. Kareem Hunt
39. Devin Singletary
40. Kenneth Gainwell

WR :: 

Mike Johnson (MJohnson86) has racked up over $500,000 in DFS profit as an NFL tournament player with success in all styles of contests.

Welcome back to my (Mjohnson86) Player Grid. The format will vary slightly from JM’s Player Grid, as we each see things slightly differently and play in slightly different contests, but should complement his thoughts and content very well for those looking to build their lineups for the week. The format of this article will vary slightly from my Fanduel Player Grid, which will be more direct in terms of which players I like. Enjoy!!

The Core ::

This is a list of players that stand out to me at each position from using my “Checking the Boxes” criteria outlined in my course you can find in our Marketplace. This list is a starting point, from which I build out lineups using game theory and roster construction concepts (which we will also touch on) with the mindset being to find the best plays with big ceilings. Low ownership is a bonus, but not a must. This section will focus primarily on three positions – running back, tight end, and defense – as the other two positions (quarterback and wide receiver) tend to have more dependent tendencies which I try to attack from other angles (which we will get into in the other sections). I like all of these plays on all sites unless otherwise noted:

Running Back ::

• Christian McCaffrey – CMC has a high floor and a massive ceiling in this game as the 49ers are projected to score around 30 points, and he is the centerpiece of their offense. Receptions and big plays are on the table. Buckle up.
• Jahmyr Gibbs – Elite talent in a potentially wild game environment. Gibbs has 37+ points in four of his last seven games and I won’t be shocked if he does it again.
• Derrick Henry – Remember.
• Saquon Barkley – Lowest salary he has had as an Eagle in a home matchup in which the Eagles are likely to try to limit what they ask of Jalen Hurts after his implosion on Monday night.
• TreVeyon Henderson – Panic ensued after Henderson evenly split work with Rhamondre Stevenson on Monday night of Week 13 against the Giants. However, the Patriots controlled that game the whole way and had a Week 14 bye, while this week they face the Bills in a massive AFC East showdown. I expect Henderson to be the main guy this week and he has a massive ceiling against this Bills run defense.
• Travis Etienne Jr. – Seems to have taken over the bell-cow role at this point and left Tuten in the dust. The matchup is solid and the team is a big favorite against a Jets team with a third-string QB. The biggest concern would be touchdowns going to other players early and the team preserving him late.
• Chuba Hubbard – Only $4,600 and in a “fine” matchup, good weather, and road favorite. Hubbard handled 19 touches in Week 13 against the Rams and looked the best he has all season, then had a bye week to add even more juice to his legs.