Week 15 delivered another wild slate, and our NFL recap highlights major shifting trends as the fantasy football playoffs are underway. With big performances, surprising game scripts, and a few rough injury turns. This week's NFL game recaps gave fantasy managers plenty to digest. This week's NFL reactions dive deep into each performance and what it means for your lineups heading into Week 16. For player usage updates and roster context, check out RotoWire's NFL Depth Charts, and don't miss the Weekly Projections to see how the upcoming matchups shape up.
Bears 31 Browns 3
Chicago controlled the game from the opening drive but did it in a more balanced way than expected. DAndre Swift delivered one of his better fantasy games of the season with 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and he remains the clear and reliable back to start. Kyle Monangai handled 11 carries but produced only 33 yards, keeping him in a secondary role that depends on game script. Caleb Williams threw two touchdown passes but continues to lack consistent volume, making him a volatile fantasy start. Luther Burden led the receivers with six catches for 84 yards and moves into weekly flex consideration if Rome Odunze (foot) continues to miss time. DJ Moore exploded for 69 yards and two touchdowns, and while his floor remains low, his upside makes him a viable boom-or-bust play.
Cleveland's offense collapsed in a brutal road environment. Shedeur Sanders followed up last week's career outing by throwing three interceptions
Week 15 delivered another wild slate, and our NFL recap highlights major shifting trends as the fantasy football playoffs are underway. With big performances, surprising game scripts, and a few rough injury turns. This week's NFL game recaps gave fantasy managers plenty to digest. This week's NFL reactions dive deep into each performance and what it means for your lineups heading into Week 16. For player usage updates and roster context, check out RotoWire's NFL Depth Charts, and don't miss the Weekly Projections to see how the upcoming matchups shape up.
Bears 31 Browns 3
Chicago controlled the game from the opening drive but did it in a more balanced way than expected. DAndre Swift delivered one of his better fantasy games of the season with 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and he remains the clear and reliable back to start. Kyle Monangai handled 11 carries but produced only 33 yards, keeping him in a secondary role that depends on game script. Caleb Williams threw two touchdown passes but continues to lack consistent volume, making him a volatile fantasy start. Luther Burden led the receivers with six catches for 84 yards and moves into weekly flex consideration if Rome Odunze (foot) continues to miss time. DJ Moore exploded for 69 yards and two touchdowns, and while his floor remains low, his upside makes him a viable boom-or-bust play.
Cleveland's offense collapsed in a brutal road environment. Shedeur Sanders followed up last week's career outing by throwing three interceptions and taking five sacks, showing why he cannot be trusted in difficult matchups. Quinshon Judkins remains the focal point of the run game, but defenses keying on him held him to 21 yards on 12 carries and negative yardage on three receptions, making him touchdown dependent for fantasy. Harold Fannin once again stood out as the only dependable option. He commanded 14 targets and turned them into seven catches for 48 yards, and his consistent volume keeps him locked in as a top-10 PPR tight end.
Ravens 24 Bengals 0
Baltimore controlled the entire game, which crushed volume. Lamar Jackson attempted 12 passes and finished with 150 yards, two touchdown passes, one interception, and 26 rushing yards. He has been more floor than ceiling lately, but you still start him. Derrick Henry only had 11 rushing attempts, yet hit exactly 100 yards on a couple long runs, keeping his weekly floor stable. Zay Flowers went three for 68 and a touchdown on five targets, and remains a strong weekly start. Mark Andrews had two catches for 18 yards on three targets, and Isaiah Likely did not see a target, both remain streamers when the setup is right.
Cincinnati face planted at the worst time, but the core pieces still matter. Joe Burrow threw for 225 yards and two interceptions with no touchdown pass, and he is still a weekly start if Tee Higgins clears concussion protocol. Chase Brown continues to share with Samaje Perine, but Brown produced 90 scrimmage yards and seven receptions, keeping him rolling in PPR lineups. JaMarr Chase drew 16 targets and delivered 10 catches for 132 yards, and even his down games are usually excellent. Outside of Brown and Chase, nobody topped 16 receiving yards, but this is no surprise on this offense.
Chargers 16 Chiefs 13
Los Angeles kept it close and played conservative, which helped Justin Herbert survive pressure. He threw for 210 yards with one touchdown and one interception on 29 pass attempts, and he is a matchup-based start going forward. Omarion Hampton led the backfield with 15 rushes for 61 yards plus a four-yard catch, but the split with Kimani Vidal caps the ceiling, making Hampton volume based. Ladd McConkey was held to two catches for 20 yards, but is still difficult to bench because his role can explode at any time. Oronde Gadsden went four for 61 to end a slump, but it is not enough to trust him weekly.
Kansas City is now out of the playoff race, and the biggest storyline is Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL. He ran for 15 yards and a touchdown, and passed for 189 yards with one interception, a frustrating stretch after earlier elite production. With Mahomes out, downgrade the whole offense. Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt combined for a dud, with neither topping 21 scrimmage yards, both are poor starts unless you are chasing a touchdown from Hunt. Rashee Rice led with 11 targets and went seven for 51, and remains a strong PPR play. Travis Kelce rebounded from last week's embarrassment with seven catches and 70 yards, but his role should shrink with Mahomes out.
Bills 35 Patriots 31
Buffalo needed the win to remain alive for the AFC East crown and stormed back after falling behind early. James Cook stayed on his heater with 107 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, plus a touchdown catch; he remains a weekly difference maker. Josh Allen threw for 193 yards and three touchdown passes and added 48 rushing yards, he rarely burns you even without video-game passing totals. Khalil Shakir caught all five targets for 65 yards, still more flex than lock after a number of recent duds. Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid split eight targets evenly, both had three catches for over 30 yards, but Knox scored two touchdowns and has been on the field more lately, so I need to tighten their weekly rankings.
New England led early but could not close, but still plenty of fantasy value showed up. Drake Maye threw for 155 yards with one interception, but saved the fantasy day with 43 rushing yards and two rushing scores, giving him a stable QB1 profile. TreVeyon Henderson broke it open on limited work, posting 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 rushing attempts, plus 13 receiving yards, he is just outside the top-12 backs but close. Mack Hollins led the receivers with four for 41, which says it all. Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte disappointed, Diggs keeps the PPR floor edge while Boutte remains the big-play swing.
Commanders 29 Giants 21
Washington scored 29 but only found two offensive touchdowns, while leaning on the ground game. With Chris Rodriguez out, Jacory Croskey Merritt returned to the lead role and delivered 18 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown, a spot-start win for fantasy, but he's still a shaky weekly lineup option, even if Rodriguez remains out. With the Commanders leading most of the way, Marcus Mariota attempted only 19 passes, which limited everyone. Terry McLaurin salvaged his day with a 51-yard touchdown and stays a top-20 weekly receiver. Deebo Samuel caught three passes for 43 yards, a moderate floor PPR option that needs more volume to spike.
New York got strong play and a clear hot hand in the backfield. Tyrone Tracy handled 15 rushes and three targets and produced 97 scrimmage yards and two scores, giving him a chance to lead Devin Singletary down the stretch, though Singletary can still hold flex value with steady touches. Jaxon Dart keeps running like a cheat code. He rushed for 63 yards and threw for 246 yards with two scores, making him a weekly QB1 as long as that rushing stays. Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton each saw 10 targets and topped 50 yards, Robinson added a touchdown and remains a high-floor PPR play. Theo Johnson went three for 72 on four targets- stream him only in favorable matchups.
Eagles 31 Raiders 0
Philadelphia badly needed a reset and got it in a shutout. Jalen Hurts attempted only 15 passes but still threw for 175 yards and three touchdowns, plus 39 rushing yards, putting him back in must-start territory with a soft schedule ahead. Saquon Barkley was not efficient on the ground but totaled 92 scrimmage yards and a touchdown, and the floor remains high. Dallas Goedert led the receivers with 70 yards and two touchdowns, and even left points on the field with a mishandled would-be walk-in score, making him very hard to bench after two straight strong games. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith saw only two targets each, but Smith hit a 44-yard catch to reach 50 yards, and Brown had 41 yards and a touchdown, both need to be in lineups with a great upcoming schedule.
Las Vegas had an ugly offensive day and the passing game cratered. With Kenny Pickett taking over for an injured Geno Smith, the Raiders finished with 64 passing yards. Brock Bowers led with six catches for 28 yards on eight targets, not exciting but still a usable floor at tight end given the volume. Ashton Jeanty saw nine rushes and six targets and finished with four catches and 42 scrimmage yards, fine effort in a bad environment but the ceiling is capped in this terrible offense. Right now, Bowers and Jeanty need everything around them to cooperate to produce week-winning totals, but both see enough volume to retain relative value.
Jaguars 48 Jets 20
Jacksonville did not play with its food and detonated the scoreboard. Trevor Lawrence threw for 330 yards and five touchdowns, then added 51 rushing yards and a rushing score, an absolute league-winning start, and he remains a strong weekly option with his running boosting the floor. The team's rushing totals were quiet, only 50 rushing yards on 17 carries from the backs, but Travis Etienne still delivered an absurd fantasy line. He ran 12 times for 32 yards, then caught three passes for 73 yards and all three receptions went for touchdowns, and with his volume staying strong he remains an RB1 even when efficiency wobbles. Brian Thomas drew seven targets and went four for 66 and a touchdown, trending up at the perfect time. Jakobi Meyers also saw seven targets and went five for 71, and continues to be an excellent high floor WR2.
New York was in a brutal spot with QB Brady Cook on the road against a quality defense, and it looked exactly like that. Breece Hall stayed the focal point and still got stuffed, totaling 37 yards on 12 rushes plus two catches, making him more of a low-upside flex when you are relying on touchdowns. Adonai Mitchell was the surprise bright spot, catching six of nine targets for 58 yards and a touchdown, but it is still hard to recommend him as the playoffs tighten if Cook remains the starter. The Jets offense is a fantasy wasteland right now, so keep starting their players as desperation plays only.
Texans 40 Cardinals 20
Houston played from ahead and handled business with efficiency. C.J. Stroud attempted 29 passes and posted 260 yards and three touchdowns, plus 10 rushing yards, keeping him in the streamer tier based on matchup. Nico Collins only saw four targets, yet turned it into three catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns, including a 57-yard score- the talent keeps him startable even with low-volume risk. Dalton Schultz continued his strong run, leading with nine targets and catching eight for 76 yards and a touchdown, a tough bench in PPR unless you have a true elite option. Woody Marks left with an ankle injury, but also recovered a fumble for a touchdown. He had seven carries and one catch for 38 yards, and remains a volume-based RB2 if healthy. If he misses time, Jawhar Jordan is a priority add after 15 rushes for 101 yards with a long run of 50.
Arizona kept throwing as they trailed all day, and Jacoby Brissett stayed productive again despite a horrible matchup. He attempted 40 passes and finished with 249 yards and three touchdowns plus one interception, continuing his weekly QB1 output and remains in top-8 QB consideration. Trey McBride crushed a tougher than expected setup anyway, catching 12 of 13 targets for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and he draws the Bengals next week- can he exceed this week's performance in the best possible TE matchup? With Marvin Harrison out again, Michael Wilson led the wideouts and volume carried him. He caught five of 11 targets for 54 yards and a touchdown, and if Harrison misses more time, it is hard to rank Wilson outside the top-10 receivers with that workload/production. Bam Knight left with an ankle injury, leading toMichael Carter handling 14 carries for 56 yards and adding four catches for 38 yards while Emari Demercado touched the ball three times, and if Knight misses time Carter is a PPR lineup option.
Broncos 34 Packers 26
Denver caught Green Bay off guard with one of its most complete offensive performances of the season. Bo Nix delivered his best game of the year, throwing for 300 yards and four touchdowns against a Packers defense that has been strong versus the pass. Courtland Sutton continued to operate as the clear alpha, hauling in seven of 10 targets for 113 yards and a touchdown, keeping him firmly in the top-20 receiver mix despite occasional down weeks. With Pat Bryant sidelined by a hamstring injury, Troy Franklin stepped up by catching all six targets for 85 yards and a touchdown, and he moves back into top-40 consideration if Bryant misses additional time. RJ Harvey scored for a third straight game and logged 19 rushing attempts for 65 yards, and the steady volume keeps him locked in as a strong weekly start even when efficiency dips.
Green Bay leaned heavily on Josh Jacobs, who answered injury concerns with a big fantasy outing. Jacobs broke off a 40-yard rushing touchdown and added a 14-yard receiving score, finishing with 92 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns while remaining one of the most reliable running backs to start each week. Jordan Love struggled to find clean throwing lanes and finished with 276 passing yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and 29 rushing yards, making him a borderline starter in 12-team leagues due to inconsistency. Christian Watson left early with a chest injury after catching three passes for 29 yards, opening the door for Matthew Golden to produce three catches for 55 yards on four targets. Jayden Reed continued to show a steady floor, catching five of six targets for 55 yards, though his ceiling remains limited.
Rams 41 Lions 34
Los Angeles stayed red hot on offense in a shootout that showcased balance and explosiveness. Matthew Stafford rebounded from an early interception to throw for 368 yards and two touchdowns, narrowly missing a bigger fantasy day as multiple scores were finished on the ground. His lack of rushing keeps him just outside the elite quarterback tier, but the upside remains massive in the right game script. Puka Nacua was in top form for the second straight game, dominating with nine catches on 11 targets for 181 yards while consistently breaking tackles. Kyren Williams continued his strong season with 88 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, cementing his status as a weekly must start. Blake Corum added 71 rushing yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, but his fantasy value remains touchdown dependent. It should be noted that Davante Adams left this game with a hamstring injury, and it's fair to wonder if he'll be ready for this Thursday's game.
Detroit had no choice but to chase points against the Rams explosive offense, and the game plan shifted heavily toward the pass. Jared Goff delivered a great fantasy performance with 338 passing yards and three touchdowns while locking onto his top targets. Amon-Ra St Brown dominated with 13 catches on 18 targets for 164 yards and two touchdowns, reminding fantasy managers he belongs firmly in the elite tier. Jameson Williams stayed hot with seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and aside from the occasional vanishing act, he has played like a top-10 receiver over the past six weeks. Jahmyr Gibbs was limited on the ground with 38 yards on 13 carries and added four catches for 20 yards, one of his few disappointing fantasy outings that should not change his weekly status. David Montgomery salvaged value with a touchdown but totaled just 32 rushing yards and no receptions, keeping him firmly in touchdown dependent flex territory.
Saints 20 Panthers 17
New Orleans pulled out a division win behind steady quarterback play and timely production. Tyler Shough shook off a slow start to finish with 272 passing yards, one touchdown, and 32 rushing yards, making him a reliable option in two-quarterback formats. Devin Neal left early with an injury but still managed 28 rushing yards, a touchdown, and a four-yard reception, salvaging fantasy value. In his absence, Evan Hull and Audric Estime split work, with Estime surprisingly catching three passes for 39 yards and potentially positioning himself for a larger role if injuries linger. Devaughn Vele exited after posting five catches for 69 yards, and once he left, Chris Olave took over with six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown, remaining a high floor WR2. Juwan Johnson caught four passes for 30 yards and continues to profile as a solid tight end streamer.
Carolina once again failed to capitalize in a winnable spot. Bryce Young passed for 163 yards and a touchdown while adding 49 rushing yards, but his lack of consistent passing production keeps him as a weak QB2. Rico Dowdle found the end zone but totaled only 54 scrimmage yards on 16 carries and one catch, while Chuba Hubbard managed 37 yards on nine touches in what appears to be a hot-hand backfield with Hubbard starting each game behind Dowdle, making Hubbard a risky fantasy option. Tetairoa McMillan struggled with just two catches for 25 yards in one of his worst games of the season. Meanwhile, Jalen Coker led the receivers with four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown, but the limited passing attack makes him difficult to trust in fantasy lineups.
49ers 37 Titans 24
San Francisco exploited this matchup with efficiency rather than sheer volume. Christian McCaffrey averaged just 3.3 yards per carry against a strong run defense but still produced 87 scrimmage yards and a touchdown, illustrating how high his weekly floor remains. Brock Purdy bounced back in a big way, throwing for 295 yards and three touchdowns while adding 44 rushing yards, a reminder of his upside when healthy. Ricky Pearsall finally made an impact with six catches for 96 yards, though fantasy managers will need another strong showing to fully buy in. George Kittle posted eight catches for 88 yards and a touchdown, reaffirming his elite tight end status. Jauan Jennings added three catches for 37 yards, with two touchdowns salvaging a strong fantasy day and keeping him inside the top-30 receiver range.
Tennessee benefited from late game situations to produce a couple usable fantasy lines. Tony Pollard surprised again with 104 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, forcing a significant ranking boost despite the lack of a clear explanation for the sudden surge. Cam Ward threw for just 170 yards but added two touchdown passes, making him occasionally viable in two-quarterback leagues. Gunnar Helm was the lone pass catcher of note, catching all four targets for 49 yards and a touchdown, though he remains a risky tight end streamer due to the offense's limitations.
Seahawks 18 Colts 15
Seattle escaped with a win despite an underwhelming offensive showing. Sam Darnold threw for 271 yards and took just one sack, but the lack of touchdowns left fantasy managers empty handed even as he engineered late scoring drives to get the victory. Jaxon Smith-Njigba once again delivered regardless of circumstances, catching seven of nine targets for 113 yards and remaining a weekly fantasy star. Rashid Shaheed continued his late-season emergence with five catches for 74 yards, and while still unreliable, his role is clearly expanding. The running game was ineffective, with Kenneth Walker producing 19 yards on 10 touches and Zach Charbonnet adding 31 yards on eight carries, making both risky flex plays.
Indianapolis leaned on experience and a conservative approach. Philip Rivers completed 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while taking just one sack, an impressive showing given the circumstances. Jonathan Taylor battled a defense focused on stopping him and still produced 87 rushing yards plus 14 receiving yards, a strong result given the game script. Ameer Abdullah led the team with five catches for 32 yards, while Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce combined for minimal production. Josh Downs scored a touchdown but saw limited usage, keeping him on fantasy benches. Tyler Warren led with six targets but caught only three passes for 19 yards, and the quarterback change is likely to cap his fantasy ceiling.
Injuries
- Davante Adams sustained a hamstring injury.
- Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL, and Gardner Minshew finished the game.
- Christian Watson suffered a chest injury.
- Woody Marks sustained an ankle injury, but it's unclear as to whether he could have returned.
- Devin Neal injured his knee.
- Devaughn Vele sustained a shoulder injury.
- Bam Knight suffered an ankle injury.
Conclusion
As we wrap up this NFL weekly recap, Week 15 gave us massive stat lines, unexpected game scripts, and several fantasy-relevant usage shifts. This week's NFL reactions dive deep into each performance and what it means for your lineups heading into Week 16. Whether it's identifying which emerging receivers are here to stay or managing injury fallout, staying proactive is the key. Keep an eye on RotoWire's NFL Weekly Recap and Injury Report to stay ahead as the fantasy stretch run heats up.
