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Jameis Winston, Doug Martin, Mike Evans Post-Week 15 Fantasy Advice

Fantasy Football
December 17, 2015

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the St. Louis Rams, 31-23, in a Week 15 Thursday Night Football matchup, but fantasy owners of some Bucs players enjoyed a decent start to their week.

Quarterback Jameis Winston continued to be a good fantasy play as Tampa Bay passed nearly twice as many times as it ran the ball after falling behind 28-6:

Despite leading an awful-looking offense in the first three quarters, Winston threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to salvage his day.

Since a 29-point fantasy performance in Week 11, per ESPN.com, Winston has alternated between 13 and 18 points over the past four weeks.

He is a solid QB2 play right now, but he has thrown for more than two touchdowns only once this season, though five rushing touchdowns elevate his value.

He also has a nice matchup in Week 16 against the Chicago Bears, who rank 22nd against quarterbacks, allowing 17.2 fantasy points per game, according to ESPN.com.

Winston is not in the upper echelon of quarterbacks, but consider him a QB2 against the Bears.

Running back Doug Martin had a good day in terms of yards despite the fact that the Buccaneers did not run the ball much:

The fourth-year back took over the NFL rushing lead after the game and should be considered an RB1, though on the low end, since he has just six total touchdowns this year and four receptions over the past five weeks.

Chicago is 19th against fantasy running backs, so Martin should be able to push toward the 100-yard mark as long as the Bucs don’t fall behind early.

If that happens, wide receiver Mike Evans may benefit once again:

There is no arguing Evans’ talent, but he has not shown enough consistency to be a WR1. Thursday was the third time he’s had at least 17 targets in a game, yet he has not not found the end zone in any of them.

He’s had five monster games with at least 100 yards but has not broken 70 in his other eight games. The Bears are 12th in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers and have given up just seven touchdowns through the air.

He could have a breakout performance, but nothing is guaranteed with Evans. With a tough matchup against the Bears, consider him a WR2 with WR1 potential.

Read more Fantasy Football news on NerdyFootball.com

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Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin, Jared Cook Post-Week 15 Fantasy Advice

Fantasy Football
December 17, 2015

In the battle of ketchup versus mustard, mustard won by a landslide.

The St. Louis Rams, behind two touchdown passes by quarterback Case Keenum, beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 on Thursday night.

It was a game that didn’t have anything to do with the NFL standings, but the Rams receivers came through in the clutch with some big games in the fantasy world.

Here’s your postgame fantasy advice for these Rams playmakers.

 

Tavon Austin

When it comes to fantasy production, Tavon Austin is hit-and-miss.

On Thursday, he eclipsed double digits in fantasy points for the fifth time this season. When he hasn’t had good fantasy days, they’ve been bad. Austin has had six games in which he’s totaled five points or fewer.

Tonight was a good game for Austin, but the data doesn’t show that he’ll be able to have back-to-back quality performances. The team is utilizing him more often in the running game, so he’ll get his chances to be a playmaker.

Although he hasn’t had a great season in fantasy terms, he is putting together a good season overall for the Rams, per Chris Wesseling of Around the NFL:

But it’s hard to think he can put together another solid game against the Seattle Seahawks, or even the San Francisco 49ers for that matter. There is no need to play Austin going forward.

 

Kenny Britt

In another instance of a player having a rare fantasy night, Kenny Britt played well Thursday.

It was the first time Britt eclipsed double digits in points since Week 3, when he scored only 10 points. Since then, it’s been an off year for Britt.

Much like with Austin, the data tells us to not even pick him up. Tampa Bay’s defense is good, but it’s not up to par with Seattle.

This was a good day for Britt, but nothing more. There’s nothing to see here. Move on.

 

Jared Cook

Another game, another day when Jared Cook didn’t hit the double-digit mark in fantasy points.

The most Cook has scored this year in ESPN.com leagues has been eight points. That was back in Week 1. Since then, Cook’s second-highest total has been seven points. He’s also had a minus-one showing this year.

This has not been a good year for tight ends, but if they gave fantasy points for tight ends who throw blocks, Cook would be among the leaders, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted:

Cook has the ability to be a great tight end in fantasy, but he needs to be in the right situation for that to happen. That situation is not with Keenum throwing him the football.

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Extra Points: Bucs, Bills, LA, Cowboys, Pryor

Fantasy Football
December 17, 2015

The latest from around the NFL as Thursday wraps up:

  • Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is enamored with rookie quarterback Jameis Winston. “I wouldn’t trade him for another quarterback in the league,” Licht said, per Jeff Darlington of NFL.com. Licht stated he expected more growing pains and perhaps as many as 30 interceptions this year from Winston, but the ex-Florida State star and No. 1 pick in this year’s draft entered Thursday with only 11 in 13 games.
  • The Bills are in wait-and-see mode when it comes to the long-term status of signal caller Tyrod Taylor, but if they give him a new contract, it could end up being their most important transaction over the next several years, opines Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Taylor, who has been one of the top statistical QBs in the league this year, will be a free agent after next season. If he acquits himself well again in 2016 and the Bills wait until the season’s over try to lock him up, he could either sign a sizable deal elsewhere or stay in Buffalo and take up a large portion of its cap. For his part, Taylor says he isn’t focused on anything other than this season. “I have three important games. I don’t have time to talk about contract situations.”
  • With as many as two of the Rams, Raiders and Chargers potentially relocating to Los Angeles at season’s end, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined where exactly the teams could call home starting next year. Multiple league sources believe the Chargers are the likeliest of the three teams to end up in LA, per Florio.
  • Cowboys quarterback Kellen Moore took “a couple” first-team practice reps this week, head coach Jason Garrett said. That’s a sign his first NFL action could be approaching, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. With the Cowboys out of contention and Matt Cassel having performed poorly in place of the injured Tony Romo, giving Moore a shot before the year’s out would seem to make sense. Dallas signed Moore, 26, to its practice squad in November and added him to its active roster earlier this month. The fourth-year man has never taken a regular-season snap since going undrafted out of Boise State in 2012.
  • Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor, formerly a quarterback, made his regular-season debut at wideout last week and played 16 snaps. Quarterback Johnny Manziel didn’t target Pryor, but that could change this week because Pryor will get more playing time, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.
  • Veteran safety Brandon Meriweather, whom the Giants cut Wednesday, went through waivers unclaimed and is now a free agent, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Workout Notes: 12/17/15

Fantasy Football
December 17, 2015

Thursday’s workouts from around the NFL:

  • CFL receiver Eric Rogers is in high demand, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter, as he worked out the Chargers and will meet with the Eagles on Friday, giving him 14 visits in all.
  • In addition to Rogers, the Chargers worked out two more CFL players – punter Swayze Waters and receiver Terrell Sinkfield – according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • The Saints also tried out three CFLers – linebacker Dexter McCoil, defensive back Emanuel Davis and D-lineman Cleyon Laing – as well as running back Isaiah Pead and receiver Damarr Aultman, per Wilson (Twitter link).
  • The Dolphins worked out quarterbacks Zac Dysert and Dustin Vaughan, running backs Dominique Brown and Jerome Smith, and defensive linemen Joe Vellano and Julius Warmsley, Wilson reports (Twitter link).
  • The Bengals gave quarterback Phillip Sims a tryout (Wilson via Twitter).
  • Defensive end Tristan Okpalaugo visited the Cardinals. The team also worked out CFLers Willie Jefferson (linebacker), Aaron Grymes (defensive back) and Mitchell White (cornerback). Twitter links via Wilson.

West Notes: Rams, Manning, Scifres

Fantasy Football
December 17, 2015

The latest from the NFL’s two West divisions:

  • On Friday, the Board of Aldermen in St. Louis will approve a financing package for a $1.1 billion riverfront stadium for the Rams, according to David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.. The package counts on $300MM coming from the NFL, which is a problem: Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and his stadium task force that the league only funds up to $200MM on new stadiums. Goodell referred to the notion of the league putting $300MM toward a stadium in St. Louis as “fundamentally inconsistent with the NFL’s program of stadium financing.” In response, downtown Alderman Jack Coatar said, “We are not changing this bill. “We are passing the bill as is tomorrow. We have the votes and we’re moving forward.” Coatar added that the proposed amount is “what we’re willing to spend.”
  • Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has been out since mid-November with a plantar fascia injury, but his father, Archie, told WDSU-TV in New Orleans that Manning has been dealing with it “for five or six months,” per Lionel Bienvenu of KMGH ABC-7 in Denver. Archie also stated that Peyton is unsure whether he’ll return in 2016, his age-40 campaign, and will decide decide after this season ends.
  • Unlike Mannimg, Chargers punter Mike Scifres expects to play again next year. “Mike doesn’t plan on retiring for many more years. … I hope when he does retire, it’ll be as a Charger,” his agent, Harold Lewis, said, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Scifres, who currently ranks 20th in the league in yards per punt and 30th in net yardage, has been with the Chargers since they drafted him in 2003. He’s set to count over $4MM against their cap next season, though, and cutting him would save the Bolts over $3.5MM.