Ready to dominate your fantasy football playoffs? Week 15 is here, and you're likely in the thick of it! Before you make those crucial lineup decisions, let's dive into Matthew Berry's essential facts to give you the edge.
First off, a quick shout-out: Congratulations to the Cheshire Junior Cheer Rams for finishing SECOND IN THE NATION! Huge props to the girls, coaches, and parents for an incredible season. And a big congrats to you for making it this far in your fantasy league! Now, let's bring home that championship!
Before we jump in, a reminder: all the utilization stats come from Dwain McFarland's fantastic Utilization Report on FantasyLife.com. Also, don't miss Fantasy Football Happy Hour every weekday at Noon ET on YouTube, Peacock, NBC Sports NOW, and your favorite podcast platforms. And catch Fantasy Football Pregame every Sunday morning from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Peacock and the NFL on NBC YouTube channel.
Let's get to the facts, with a big thanks to Damian Dabrowski for his help!
- Matthew Stafford's Home Advantage: Stafford has thrown at least three touchdown passes in four of his last five home games, averaging 21.6 fantasy points per game at home. This week, he's at home against the Detroit Lions, who have allowed the fifth-most points to opposing quarterbacks since Week 8.
- Commanders' Pass Defense Woes: The Washington Commanders are giving up the most yards per pass attempt, the third-most passing yards per game, and touchdown passes at the third-highest rate. Jaxson Dart is up next, and five of the last seven quarterbacks facing Washington have scored at least 20 fantasy points.
- Bengals' Run Defense Struggles: The Cincinnati Bengals allow the most rushing yards per game to opposing running backs. Running backs with at least 15 touches against the Bengals average 20.5 PPG. Derrick Henry and the Ravens face the Bengals, and Henry averaged 6.0 yards per carry in their Week 13 matchup.
- Etienne's Red Zone Dominance: Since Week 9, Travis Etienne has the most red zone touches among running backs. He's finished lower than RB13 only once in that span. Teams facing the Jets average the third-most RB rushes per game.
- RJ Harvey's Rising Role: Last week, RJ Harvey had season highs in snap rate (68%), touches (23), and target share (17%). The last six running backs to face the Green Bay Packers have seen at least a 13% target share.
- A.J. Brown's Target Magnetism: A.J. Brown has a 35% target share over the past four games, with at least 10 targets in each. Wide receivers with at least a 25% target share against the Las Vegas Raiders are averaging 17.2 PPG.
- Wan'Dale Robinson's Connection with Dart: In games with Jaxson Dart, Wan'Dale Robinson has a 28% target share, a team high. He's had at least eight targets in four of the past five games with Dart. The Commanders have allowed the most receiving yards to the slot this season.
- Diggs' Revenge Game: The Buffalo Bills have given up at least 16 points to an opposing wide receiver in seven of their past nine games. In his first matchup against his former team, Stefon Diggs had a 43% target share, going 10 for 146.
- McBride and Fannin Jr.'s Target Share: Since Week 7, only one tight end has a higher target share than Trey McBride. Harold Fannin Jr. has been the fifth-best tight end in fantasy football on a points-per-game basis during that stretch. Tight ends with at least six targets against the Chicago Bears are averaging 13.6 PPG.
- Likely's Target Surge: Isaiah Likely has seen his two highest target shares of the season in the last two weeks. The Cincinnati Bengals allow the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, giving up 24.1 PPG – seven more points than any other team.
So, what are your thoughts? Which of these facts are most impactful for your Week 15 decisions? Are there any you disagree with? Share your insights in the comments below! Good luck, and may the fantasy gods be with you!
