Hopefully you won in Week 14, the first week of the fantasy football playoffs for most, and have moved on to fight the good fight for another week. So here we are in Week 15 an as always there are names that have sprung up that are worthy of being added to fantasy squads. If you're in the playoffs chances are pretty good that your current roster may not need tweaking, but if it does this piece includes some names that might help.
A WEEKLY FANTASY BATTLE
I’m going to describe to you a way you can play fantasy football – against me. Thanks to Fanduel.com you will be able to take me on each week in fantasy football in a salary cap game. Chose your team and take me down. Simple as that. Should be a lot of fun and you can also win cash along the way, so why wouldn't you be interested? Here's the link to play: Take on The Oracle.
FAAB THOUGHTS
(Assuming a $100 Budget)
QUARTERBACKS
Jason Campbell, Browns
Back from a concussion, Campbell lit up the Patriots for 391 yards and three scores in Week 14. The last four games that he's completed he's thrown the ball 44, 56, 35 and 36 times. Those are huge numbers and with all the throwing the Browns do Campbell is no worse than a QB2 each week, the volume assures that. Campbell has also thrown for at least two scores in three of those four games and has Cameron/Gordon to throw to. Campbell faces a Bears team in Week 15 that shut down Tony Romo in Week 14 though the Bears are far from being the fearsome defense most believe it to be.
FAAB BID: 25 percent of your remaining budget
Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins
Over the last five weeks Tannehill has been a QB1. Seriously. Look it up. The last four weeks he's thrown an average of 38 passes a week for an average of 277 yards a game. He's also tossed five touchdowns the past two weeks and he's showing off his athleticism with his wheels as well having run for an average of 34 yards a week on the ground the past four contests. The Fish face the Patriots in Week 15 and the Pats allow the 14th most points to quarterbacks this season.
FAAB BID: 30 percent of your remaining budget
Geno Smith, Jets
Smith looked decent in Week 14 but you're fooling yourself if you add him. He has seven interceptions the last four games and has one touchdown pass in six games. Pass.
FAAB BID: 1 percent of your remaining budget
RUNNING BACKS
Toby Gerhart, Vikings
I can't understand why the Vikings would let Adrian Peterson (sprained foot) play this week. He's the face of the franchise, the club is going nowhere, an it just doesn't make a lick of sense to allow him to play with the chance that his injury could worsen. None at all. That means Gehart is likely to be the lead dog, in a big way for the Vikes, as long as his minor hamstring issue doesn't flare up (Matt Asiata is a name to consider adding too since if AD and Gerhart are out/limited he would get a tone of work). Gerhart is coming off a four week run of impressive work during which he carried the ball 32 times for 255 yards (that's an average of 8.0 YPC). Clearly that isn't going to continue, but Gerhart figures to see a lot of carries, can catch the ball, and faces an Eagles club that is middle of the pack in fantasy points allowed to runners.
FAAB BID: 75-85 percent of your remaining budget
Daniel Thomas, Dolphins
Thomas made a miraculous recovery as a week ago many thought his 2013 season could be over because of an ankle issue. When Lamar Miller suffered a concussion Thomas took over the reigns going for 105 yards an a score on 16 carries. There are a couple of problems in going with Thomas this week. First, Thomas really isn't a dynamic talent, despite the Week 14 effort. Second, it sounds like Miller could be cleared to return to action this week. If Miller is indeed back out on the field, given the Dolphins usage of the RBBC approach this season, one would think that Miller would see the most work especially after he had clearly left Thomas in the dust in terms of workload before his injury leaving Thomas as a low level play who isn't likely to touch the ball more than 10 or so times. Thomas is a risky add for Week 15.
FAAB BID: 40 percent of your remaining budget
Jordan Todman, Jaguars
MJD has a hamstring issue and while he is publicly stating that that he will play this week, it sounds like he won't even try to practice until Friday. The upshot is that he can kindly be called questionable to play in Week 15 making Todman a near must add. A bit undersized at 5'9” and 195 lbs, Todman has breakaway speed and a looming matchup with the bottom tier Bills run defense. Denard Robinson would likely be in line for a few touches but Todman has the look of being the Jags feature back if MJD does indeed miss the game.
FAAB BID: 50-60 percent of your remaining budget
Mike Tolbert, Panthers
FYI... Jonathan Stewart has an injured MCL and he's almost certain to miss the next three weeks. That's one less mouth to feed in the Panthers' backfield. DeAngelo Williams is the lead back, the best option to own, but the loss of JStew means that Tolbert does have less competition for goaline work.
FAAB BID: 30-40 percent of your remaining budget
WIDE RECEIVERS
LaVon Brazil /Da'Rick Rogers, Colts
So much for Andrew Luck stinking up the joint huh? Luck came alive thanks to these two young wideouts. Brazil scored twice an he is carving out a role in the offense, but he's still not exactly been lighting it up. The last three weeks he's only been able to convert nine of 17 passes thrown his way while averaging a mere 43 yards a game. Rogers is a special talent who has only been held back by off the field concerns. He's big (6'3”, 210 lbs), strong, can shed tacklers and has 4.4 forty speed. Yeah, pretty much all the measurables you could hope for. Week 14 was the first time he touched the football, and boy did he touch it as he caught six of nine targets, shredded the Bengals for 107 yards and scored twice. I don't know how you trust a guy in the fantasy playoffs who has only one game with a pass catch but I'm sure folks out there will be doing just that.
FAAB BID for Brazil: 20 percent of your remaining budget
FAAB BID fo Rogers: 75 percent of your remaining budget
Justin Hunter, Titans
With Kendall Wright dealing with a couple of physical issue Hunter stepped up in Week 14 playing 76 percent of snaps while going for a score and 100 yards for the second time in three weeks. There's no way around the fact that Hunter has been huge twice in three games or that he's received an average 6.5 targets the past four weeks. There's still this though: Ryan Fitzpatrick's limited arm strength can't totally take advantage of Hunter's skills. The Titans still would like to run a lot. Hunter has caught two or fewer passes in all but two games this season. Worth the bid but hard to think you don't have three better options already on your roster if you're in the fantasy playoffs.
FAAB BID: 70 percent of your remaining budget
Cordarrelle Patterson, Vikings
No doubt a dynamic talent. Patterson has scored in 2-straight games and went off for 141 yards in Week 14. The talent is mouthwateringly impressive. At the same time I have some concerns. He's in an offense that is likely to be without their best player (Adrian Peterson). Even with Matt Cassel under center, it's not like this offense is all of a sudden going to take off through the air. There's also this. While no doubt surging, Patterson still has just two games this season with more than three receptions. Temper those expectations.
FAAB BID: 70 percent of your remaining budget
TIGHT ENDS
Charles Clay, Dolphins
The top point producer at the position in a PPR setup in Week 14. More than just the 7-97-2 spot that Clay put up in Week 14 is the fact that he went for seven receptions and 80 yards in Week 13. What that means is that Clay is actually the league leader, at tight end, the past two weeks. He's been solid all year and certainly is peaking at the right time if you're looking for a Gronkowski replacement an are in a shallow league.
FAAB BID: 60-70 percent of your remaining budget
Andrew Quarless, Packers
Six receptions for 66 yards an a score gets your attention. However, reality check. Quarless had six receptions the previous four weeks. His Week 14 touchdown was his first of the season. Week 14 was also the first time in five weeks that he was targeted more than four times in a game. That paints a pretty clear picture of what to expect, right?
FAAB BID: 5 percent of your remaining budget
Dennis Pitta, Ravens
Finally back on the field after missing the season with a hip issue, Pitta blew up in his first game back with six receptions, 48 yards an a score in a rather impressive performance. As impressive as the production was the fact that he was targeted 11 times by Joe Flacco. The fact is, that Pitta should be a target monster as the Ravens are in desperate need of a second pass catcher behind Torrey Smith. They have that man in Pitta. If you lost Gronk Pitta is likely the only option on waivers that has a shot to give you even 75 percent of what you lost. Big heavily.
FAAB BID: Whatever you've got left.
Jacob Tamme, Broncos
He played 45 of 46 snaps after Wes Welker went down with a concussion. Tamme manned the slot, a great place to be in a Peyton Manning led offense, and with the extremely likely outcome for Welker in Week 15 being one in which he is forced to the sidelines Tamme is worth a look as a one week fill in at the tight end position (the expectation is that as soon as Welker returns, likely Week 16 from the sound of things to this point, Tamme will go back to being pretty useless).
FAAB BID: 10-15 percent of your remaining budget
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87, Monday through Thursday at 7 PM EDT & Friday's at 9 PM EDT. For more of Ray's analysis you can check out BaseballGuys.com or the BaseballGuys' Twitter account where he tirelessly answers everyone's questions.