Week 15 Fantasy Football Wrap: Somehow, Josh Allen does it again

Buffalo Bills @ Detroit Lions

Josh Allen followed up last week’s historical fantasy performance with yet another huge game Sunday, throwing and rushing for two touchdowns. Allen had TD runs during the first two drives and 254 passing yards (13.4 YPA!) by halftime. He became just the third player ever with 250 passing yards and two rushing scores in the first half. Allen has totaled 854 yards and 10 touchdowns while committing zero turnovers and taking no sacks over the last two weeks, posting a whopping 93.16 fantasy points. Allen had the fastest 50+ yard throw ever during Sunday’s big win, when he further solidified his case as this year’s MVP.

Jared Goff responded with five TD passes and finished just behind Allen with one of this season’s biggest QB fantasy performances. The Lions faced their largest deficit (21 points) of the year in the third quarter, so game script led to a season-high 59 pass attempts. Goff has a 19:1 TD:INT ratio over his last five home games.

Amon-Ra St. Brown secured 14-of-18 targets and made up for a lost fumble with a 66-yard touchdown catch on a third-and-17. It was the longest catch of St. Brown’s career, and his fantasy day (WR3) would’ve been even bigger if not for being tackled at the one-yard line later in the fourth quarter (Jahmyr Gibbs would punch in the score).

The top two scoring teams in the league didn’t disappoint, totaling an NFL-high 90 points. Bills games have combined to score 176 points over the last two weeks, featuring plenty of fantasy fireworks.

• James Cook scored two touchdowns and finished as fantasy’s RB3, while Gibbs also scored twice and was this week’s RB2.

• Amari Cooper somehow saw zero targets on 34 pass attempts one week after getting 14.

• The Lions attempted an onside kick down 10 points with 12 minutes left, but it failed spectacularly, with the Bills returning it to the five-yard line (Allen tossed a TD the next play). Detroit nearly got its second onside attempt late in the game down just six points.

• The Bills are the first team since 1966 to score and allow 40+ points in back-to-back games.

• Dawson Knox pulled down a nice one-handed grab in the fourth quarter, and he also had a touchdown catch on an Allen two-handed chest pass nullified by penalty later that drive.

• Dan Campbell made a clear mistake in not taking his first timeout before the two-minute warning, curiously letting 35 seconds run off instead.

New York Jets @ Jacksonville Jaguars

• Davante Adams erupted for nine catches, 198 yards (the second-most of his career) and two touchdowns all in the second half Sunday. Adams scored on a fade one play after having a touchdown overturned on replay. It marked the 100th TD of his career and the 80th from Aaron Rodgers, which is the fourth-most in NFL history. Adams’ second touchdown went for 71 yards, and he finished it by completing an Octopus.

Adams then secured one of the best catches of the 2024 season late in the fourth quarter. Adams was less than one yard from scoring his third touchdown of the game but was ruled just short of the end zone during a 41-yard catch with 1:08 left (Jacksonville let Breece Hall score the next play, with New York questionably not kneeling instead). Adams has seen 11+ targets in five of his last six games, and he finished as this week’s WR1 in a game where Rodgers attempted just eight passes in the first half (when the QB also missed Adams for a potential 83-yard touchdown in the first quarter).

• Rodgers’ three completions were the fewest in a first half during any healthy game in his career, but he finished as a top-five fantasy QB this week nevertheless. Rodgers led the Jets in rushing yards (45), finishing with his most in a game since September 2019. His average depth of target (12.4 yards) was in the 95th percentile.

• Hall’s snaps were managed while playing through a knee injury, and his fantasy day would’ve been a true disaster if not for the gifted TD.

• The Jets successfully executed a fake punt on their opening drive.

• Brian Thomas Jr.’s first TD catch snapped Jacksonville’s NFL-high 18 straight games streak without an opening drive touchdown. BTJ added a second TD later, and he had a potential third go off his fingertips in the end zone late in the first half. Thomas Jr. almost had another big play downfield in the third quarter, and he finished as a top-five WR this week with Mac Jones as his QB. I’m ranking BTJ comfortably ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. next season.

• Jones entered 5-0 versus the Jets during his career, but Sauce Gardner’s first pick of the season ended Sunday’s game.

• Brenton Strange saw 12 targets and was a top-five fantasy tight end this week with Evan Engram out. He’s available in 98% of Yahoo leagues.

Baltimore Ravens @ New York Giants

• Lamar Jackson lost a fumble on the opening drive (his fifth loss of the season), but he went 13-of-14 for 162 yards (11.6 YPA) with a 3:0 TD:INT ratio while leading Baltimore in rushing yards (55) during the first half alone. He finished with a career-high five touchdown passes before resting midway through the fourth quarter. Jackson had more TD tosses than incompletions (four), and his CPOE (+24.2%) was in the 99th percentile. He’s now 19-4 following a loss during his career. Jackson leads the league in Passer Rating, and he surpassed 6,000 career rushing yards — just 108 shy of Michael Vick’s record.

• Derrick Henry hasn’t scored a touchdown in a month, and he posted his worst fantasy game of the season Sunday despite Baltimore scoring 35 points in a game the Ravens entered as the biggest favorites of the 2025 season.

• Mark Andrews caught his eighth touchdown since Week 6 after scoring zero times over the season’s first five weeks.

• Rashod Bateman pulled down two TD catches in the first half, and he also had a near 54-yard touchdown early in the third quarter.

• The Ravens and Giants were the only teams to go for it in every fourth-and-one situation before Baltimore punted during one in the first quarter.

• Tyrone Tracy Jr. suffered a drop and lost a goal-line score to Devin Singletary. The matchup was tough enough, but the rookie back also surprisingly saw just a 55% RB rush share.

• Tim Boyle started the second half and immediately targeted Malik Nabers multiple times, including the end zone. Nabers finally scored his first touchdown since Week 3, marking New York’s first passing TD since November 3. Nabers’ value gets an undeniable boost should the Giants stick with Boyle next week, as Tommy DeVito’s low aDOT has been a major problem.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Philadelphia Eagles

• Jalen Hurts finished as the QB6 this week ahead of Monday night despite playing with a broken left finger and facing a Pittsburgh defense that entered allowing the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Hurts briefly visited the medical tent, but he otherwise appeared fine throughout Sunday’s game. He got 9.1 YPA and finished with a CPOE (+13.6%) in the 93rd percentile despite being pressured on nearly 50% of his dropbacks after the first drive.

• Saquon Barkley missed more snaps than usual after taking a hit by Minkah Fitzpatrick in the first half, and A.J. Brown appeared to be injured during an awkward hip-drop tackle late in the game. Something to monitor.

• DeVonta Smith saw season highs in targets (12), catches (11) and receiving yards (109) while also recording a TD catch. The Steelers hadn’t let a single wide receiver record 100 yards and a touchdown in a game all season before allowing both Smith and Brown to do so Sunday.

• Philadelphia had just three turnovers over its last nine games before committing two in the first quarter.

• Russell Wilson missed George Pickens, although Pittsburgh was driving to potentially tie the game late in the third quarter before Najee Harris botched a perfect pitch to him. It was a 27-13 game quickly thereafter. The fumble lost was credited to Wilson, but it was on Harris, who also managed just 2.3 YPC.

Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers

• Rico Dowdle became the first undrafted player in a decade (since Arian Foster) to run for 100+ yards in three straight games. Dowdle ran for a league-high 149 yards this week, but he was barely a top-10 RB without recording a touchdown or target.

• CeeDee Lamb saw 13 targets and caught a touchdown while continuing to maintain fantasy value with Cooper Rush (and while playing injured).

• Brandon Aubrey missed a 70-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half.

• Bryce Young committed four turnovers and took a major step backward during Carolina’s first game in two years as favorites. Opposing quarterbacks’ Passer Rating has dropped from 126 without Micah Parsons on the field down to 88 with him on it this season, but Dallas was missing DeMarvin Overshown and Trevon Diggs on Sunday (Jourdan Lewis also left injured). Not encouraging stuff from Young this week, as the QB also took six sacks.

• Game script didn’t go as planned for Chuba Hubbard, who suffered from Young’s dud.

• Adam Thielen once again led the Panthers with seven targets, but Jalen Coker made the biggest fantasy impact, hauling in an 83-yard touchdown during his return.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Chargers

• Baker Mayfield got 10.7 YPA, threw four TDs and finished with a CPOE (+14.9%) in the 95th percentile. A healthy Mike Evans could lead to a big fantasy finish by Mayfield.

• Mike Evans set season highs in catches (nine) and receiving yards (159) while pulling down two touchdowns. He could be a fantasy monster down the stretch if healthy and with no Chris Godwin.

• Bucky Irving fought through his back injury and split carries evenly with Rachaad White, who lost a fumble but caught a touchdown. Irving is hard to sit in fantasy leagues even while injured and sharing Tampa Bay’s backfield.

• The Buccaneers scored their NFL-high seventh opening drive touchdown (tied with the Cardinals).

• Justin Herbert threw two touchdowns in the first half, but he could barely move while playing through a thigh contusion and likely a high-ankle sprain. It doesn’t help he next plays Thursday night.

• Stone Smartt lost a fumble, but he finished just behind Ladd McConkey with 50 receiving yards. Smartt also drew a defensive pass interference penalty inside the 10-yard line during the opening drive, leading to a McConkey touchdown.

Green Bay Packers @ Seattle Seahawks

• Josh Jacobs remarkably saw the first eight touches of the game, and he scored a goal-line TD on his ninth. He’d finish with 30 opportunities, his second most of the season. Jacobs has nine touchdown runs over the last five games, and he gets a much easier matchup next week at home against the Saints.

• Jordan Love played well, getting 8.5 YPA and posting a CPOE (+13.3%) in the 93rd percentile. But game script and a run-heavy game plan once again led to limited volume, as Love has averaged just 23 pass attempts over the last five games.

• Romeo Doubs saw just five targets during his return, but he made the most of them while pulling down two impressive touchdowns.

• Christian Watson was seemingly banged up late during a meaningless play with the Packers up 30-13 with less than two minutes remaining. Green Bay clinched a playoff spot with the win, but Watson’s status may need to be monitored.

• Geno Smith left in the third quarter with a knee injury, and Sam Howell posted a hideous CPOE (-33.2%) in the first percentile after replacing him. Howell also stayed on brand while taking four sacks on just 14 pass attempts. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has clearly overtaken DK Metcalf as Seattle’s WR1 (while Tyler Lockett fades), but both wideouts would lose fantasy value should Smith miss time.

• Zach Charbonnet only saw eight carries thanks to game script, but he took one 24 yards to the house. Charbonnet has proven he can play over the last two weeks, and he’ll continue to be a bigger part of Seattle’s offense moving forward. That said, Kenneth Walker could return soon, Howell may be starting at QB and the Seahawks face a tough Vikings’ run defense next week.

Miami Dolphins @ Houston Texans

• Nico Collins caught two six-yard touchdowns but finished with a season-low 17 yards. Upgrading Houston’s offensive line should be the team’s top priority during the offseason, and Collins has the potential to be fantasy’s WR1 in 2025.

• Joe Mixon got just 1.9 YPC with a long run of just five yards while clearly battling his ankle injury.

• John Metchie III dropped a ball deep downfield in the third quarter, although Houston executed a successful fake punt on the very next play.

• The Texans have clinched the AFC South.

• Tua Tagovailoa had gone 184 passes without an interception before throwing three Sunday; his final one came thanks to a terrific play by Derek Stingley, who took the ball away from Tyreek Hill to end the game. Tagovailoa managed just 4.9 YPA and also lost a fumble, as Miami’s banged-up offensive line was no help. Tagovailoa has thrown an NFL-high 25% of his passes behind the line of scrimmage this season.

• Jaylen Waddle was rolled up on midway through the second quarter and left the game with a knee injury before recording a catch. Hill finished with just two catches for 36 scoreless yards despite Waddle’s early exit.

• Jonnu Smith leads the Dolphins with 77 targets since Week 5, and he finished as fantasy’s TE1 this week.

Washington Commanders @ New Orleans Saints

• Jayden Daniels became just the fourth rookie QB ever to reach 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards. The ROY favorite has totaled nine touchdowns over the last three games and led Washington in rushing during Sunday’s win.

• Terry McLaurin pulled down two touchdown catches in the first half and matched his season-high with 10 targets. But McLaurin’s big fantasy game could’ve been huge. Daniels just missed a wide-open McLaurin during a busted coverage that would’ve gone for a walk-in 62-yard touchdown. He also underthrew an open McLaurin on a would-be 52-yard TD and overthrew him on another potential 54-yard score all in the second half.

• Brian Robinson Jr. saw 24 touches, but he managed just 87 scoreless yards in a favorable matchup. He was tackled at the one-yard line in the third quarter, only to watch Daniels take a sack on the next play.

• Zach Ertz made a terrific one-handed catch in the red zone but suffered a concussion at the end of the play.

• Alvin Kamara had gone the second-longest stretch of his career (seven games) without a touchdown before pulling down a sick one-handed TD on Sunday. Kamara left the game in the fourth quarter with a groin injury, and Kendre Miller becomes a must-add. Miller is available in 89% of Yahoo leagues.

• Jake Haener had taken more sacks (three) than he had completions (two) late in the first half. His completion percentage over expectation (-26.8%) was in the first percentile. Spencer Rattler (-15% CPOE) wasn’t great after replacing him, but Rattler is the favorite to start next week if Derek Carr can’t return.

• Foster Moreau caught a touchdown as time expired, but New Orleans failed during the ensuing two-point attempt to win the game.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Tennessee Titans

• Joe Burrow committed two turnovers over the first three drives, but he’s already set a career-high in TD passes (36) with three games to go. Burrow improved to 7-0 in Weeks 15 or later during his career, and he tied the record for most games (six) with 250+ passing yards and three TD passes in a season. Burrow is trying to avoid becoming just the fourth QB ever to lead the league in passing yards and touchdowns yet miss the playoffs.

• Chase Brown caught a touchdown early and ran one in late. His TD catch came during a play that was Burrow’s longest time before throwing (9.01 seconds) all season. Brown also drew a long defensive pass interference penalty Sunday. He looks like a top-15 overall pick in 2025 fantasy drafts.

• Ja’Marr Chase was tackled at the one-yard line late in the first half, and Sunday marked his 10th straight game with at least five catches.

• Tony Pollard scored a TD on the opening drive, but he lost a goal-line score and a TD catch to Tyjae Spears. Pollard also lost a fumble and was clearly limited by his ankle injury, but he still saw 17-of-21 RB rush attempts. Pollard entered accounting for the fourth-most scrimmage yards (29%) for his team this season, but a healthy Spears will continue to cut into his touches.

• Spears had only five yards on four carries but finished with more fantasy points than Derrick Henry, Chuba Hubbard and Joe Mixon combined this week thanks to his receiving (7-6-87-1).

• Will Levis had committed zero turnovers over his last two games, but he had four over 12 pass attempts Sunday. He threw another awful pick-six that got him benched for Mason Rudolph. The Bengals should have had a second defensive touchdown, but Jordan Battle lost the ball just before the end zone while returning a fumble.

• The Titans and Bengals combined for the most turnovers (10) in a game since 2007.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Cleveland Browns

• Patrick Mahomes tossed two TDs but managed a season-low 4.2 YPA, finishing with fewer than 160 passing yards for the third game this year. Mahomes was under constant pressure, and he was crunched during a hit in the fourth quarter, leading to Carson Wentz finishing out the win. Mahomes was limping and grimacing while walking off the field after the game, and Kansas City’s next two weeks are short ones.

• Mahomes nearly had a 21-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy, but it was questionably ruled a rush instead. This is absolutely a play that can be changed in a couple of days, leading to a bunch of controversy in fantasy leagues.

• Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt continued to split work evenly; this Chiefs offense isn’t good enough to support two fantasy backs.

• Jameis Winston was benched for Dorian Thompson-Robinson after throwing three picks and taking five sacks on 25 pass attempts. Weather was ugly, but Kansas City’s defense had ranked 29th in EPA/pass and last in pressure rate since Week 8. The Browns committed a whopping six turnovers Sunday.

• Nick Chubb lost a fumble and suffered a broken foot, as injuries continue to bite him.

• Jerome Ford had a 62-yard touchdown run and becomes an obvious must-add with Chubb out for the season. Ford is available in 58% of Yahoo leagues.

• Jerry Jeudy saw another 14 targets, but he’d lose fantasy value should the Browns turn to DTR (Cedric Tillman and David Njoku also might return).

New England Patriots @ Arizona Cardinals

• James Conner scored twice and only needed 21 touches to finish as this week’s top fantasy back. He saw more targets (five) as expected with Emari Demercado inactive, and he punched in two scores from the one. Conner has been the toughest running back to tackle in the league this season.

• Trey McBride now has the most receptions (89) without a TD catch in NFL history. The Cardinals tried, calling for a shovel pass at the one-yard line in the fourth quarter, but the play was stopped. McBride continues to be fed targets unlike many other pass catchers, and he’s somehow fantasy’s TE3 this season despite not catching a single touchdown.

• Kyler Murray played under the weather (revealed after the game started), and he left late in the third quarter (on a play that drew a flag that also wiped out an interception). Murray was cleared to return, but it was another fantasy dud. Murray’s carries per game have dropped for the fourth straight season, and he ran for just 11 yards Sunday.

• Meanwhile, Drake Maye entered averaging the second most QB YPC (9.08) ever as a rookie — behind only Michael Vick in 2001. Maye’s CPOE (+12%) was in the 90th percentile, and he’s going to be a fantasy force for years to come.

Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos

• Anthony Richardson had a 23-yard TD run to finish the opening drive, but he struggled mightily passing once again. He got just 4.5 YPA and finished with a CPOE (-16.1%) in the fifth percentile despite a scaled-back aDOT (8.8 yards). Richardson entered with both the highest big-time throw rate and the highest turnover-worthy play rate this season. It will be worth remembering in 2025 fantasy drafts just how incredibly difficult Richardson’s schedule was in 2024.

• Jonathan Taylor’s sure 41-yard TD run turned into a lost fumble thanks to him letting go of the ball before crossing the goal line. It marked Taylor’s first lost fumble since 2022, and the play completely changed Sunday’s game. Taylor hasn’t scored a rushing TD in six games.

• Bo Nix got just 3.9 YPA and threw a career-high three interceptions, but he also tossed three scores. He took a major step back in the Rookie of the Year race Sunday.

• The Broncos recorded a pick-six on a double pass from Adonai Mitchell intended for Richardson.

• Patrick Surtain Jr. had to be helped off the field late, and the Broncos now have a short week.

• The final score was highly misleading, as the Broncos won 31-13 while becoming the first team to win by double digits with fewer than 200 yards this season.