It’s semifinals week! If you’re still in the hunt for rings or just looking for trends for DFS and your Week 15 bets, let’s get to all the stats you need:
Arizona Cardinals
After scrambling just 4 times for 33 yards in his two previous games while nursing a shoulder injury, Kyler Murray was back to his usual self in Week 14. He scrambled eight times and gained 50 yards.
Despite Murray’s rushing ability, Kenyan Drake has quietly been a consistent force in the red-zone. Drake has handled two or more carries inside of the 10-yard line in nine-straight games including 14 inside-10 carries over the last three weeks.
DeAndre Hopkins has 108 targets lined up as the WR to Murray’s left. The next closest receiver in targets in this alignment is Terry McLaurin (71).
Atlanta Falcons
- In the five games Julio Jones has missed over the last two seasons, Calvin Ridley has gone for 8/91, 5/110, 8/136, 6/50/1, and 8/124/1 on 10, 13, 10, 9, and 12 targets.
Baltimore Ravens
Even though he was “cramping” — Lamar Jackson continued to look like his old 2019 self on MNF. Over his last two games against Cleveland and Dallas, Jackson has been much more explosive on the ground with 9.9 YPC. He was averaging 5.6 YPC in his previous 10 games.
Jackson now ranks 5th among all players in missed tackles forced per carry per PFF.
The Ravens continued to shy away from Mark Ingram this past week, with J.K. Dobbins leading the way in snaps (62%) over Gus Edwards (27%) and Ingram (1%).
Buffalo Bills
Stefon Diggs is the only WR with 10+ PPR points in every game.
Cole Beasley gets 8.6 targets per game when John Brown is out and just 6.1 when Brown is active. (Smoke is due back this week.)
Carolina Panthers
Mike Davis has now finished as an RB1 (top-12) in 5-of-10 starts without Christian McCaffrey.
For reference, Miles Sanders has three RB1 finishes… all season.
Chicago Bears
David Montgomery’s finishes among RBs over the last three weeks: RB6 > RB1 > RB6.
Montgomery had one other top-12 finish across his nine previous games and it came all the way back in Week 2.
Allen Robinson has now scored 10+ PPR points in all but one game this season.
A-Rob is averaging 19.2 fantasy points per game in Mitch Trubisky’s six starts, which would make him the WR3 behind only Davante Adams (26.3) and Tyreek Hill (23.2).
A-Rob averaged just 15.6 FPG with Nick Foles.
Over their last four games, Cole Kmet has out-targeted Jimmy Graham 20 to 11 and has run 95 routes to Graham’s 63.
Cincinnati Bengals
Since Joe Burrow was lost for the season, the Bengals rank second from last in yards gained per drive (22.2) and last in percentage of drives ending in a score (13%).
Brandon Allen’s target distribution over the last three weeks: Tee Higgins (20), Tyler Boyd (17), Drew Sample (14), and A.J. Green (11).
The Bengals went with a three-man committee after Gio Bernard fumbled on the opening drive. Samaje Perine led the way in snaps (39%) with Trayveon Williams at 38% and Bernard down to 24%.
Cleveland Browns
Since returning in Week 10, Nick Chubb is the RB4 in fantasy points per game (19.4).
Chubb has now cleared 100 scrimmage yards in seven-straight games.
Dallas Cowboys
These are Amari Cooper’s stat lines in Andy Dalton’s six starts: 7/79/1, 7/80, 6/81, 6/112/1, 5/43/1, and 4/51/1.
Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb has cleared 50 yards once in Dalton’s starts.
Denver Broncos
Drew Lock returned from injury in Week 6. In this span, just 55% of Jerry Jeudy’s targets have been catchable — which is the lowest rate in the league among the 55 WRs with 40+ targets.
Just 61% of Tim Patrick’s targets in this span have been catchable (third-worst).
Detroit Lions
It was good to see D’Andre Swift get somewhat normal usage in his first game back since Week 10. He led the Lions in snaps (53%) and opportunities (attempts + targets) with 12. Adrian Peterson only got 5 opportunities while Kerryon Johnson got 4.
T.J. Hockenson has gone over 50 yards or scored in all but one game this season.
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers needs 11 TDs over his final three games for 50 on the season.
Rodgers now has 280 yards or 3+ TDs in 11-of-13 games.
With Rodgers just trying to pad his stats, Aaron Jones' goal-line role has evaporated. Over the last six weeks, Rodgers has 19 pass attempts inside of the 10-yard line while Jones has just 4 carries.
Houston Texans
Deshaun Watson has now scrambled for 25 or more yards in nine-straight games after doing so just once in Week 1-4 when Bill O’Brien was still the head coach.
Watson’s target distribution last week with Brandin Cooks out: Chad Hansen (7), Jordan Akins (6), Steven Mitchell (5), and Keke Coutee (3).
Indianapolis Colts
Colts RB touches in Jonathan Taylor’s last three games: Taylor (64), Nyheim Hines (29), and Jordan Wilkins (14).
The Colts are finally using T.Y. Hilton in more of a downfield role. His average depth of target has risen to 14.8 yards over the last four weeks.
In Week 1-11, Hilton’s aDOT was just 10.6 yards.
Hilton is seventh among all WRs in air yards over the last four weeks.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Just 53 of D.J. Chark’s 82 targets have been catchable this season, per SIS.
Chark has 16 targets that have traveled 10 or more yards in air over the last month. Just four have been catchable.
Per Rich Hribar, Chark is one of six WRs that are averaging more than 100 air yards per game. The other five are Calvin Ridley, Tyreek Hill, D.K. Metcalf, Davante Adams, and Stefon Diggs.
Kansas City Chiefs
Tyreek Hill has now scored 10+ PPR points in all but one game.
Travis Kelce only needs 128 yards over his next three games to break George Kittle’s record set in 2018 (1,377 yards).
Kelce now has three of the top-10 seasons all-time for a TE in yards and he’s done it in three-straight seasons.
Las Vegas Raiders
- Nelson Agholor is averaging 12.6 fantasy points per game over his last 10 games, which is more than DJ Chark (11.6) and Jarvis Landry (11.2) have over the full season.
Los Angeles Chargers
Austin Ekeler has now seen nine or more targets in his last four full games with Justin Herbert.
Ekeler has 36/270 receiving in these four games.
Keenan Allen has seen 10 or more targets in 11 of 12 full games with Herbert.
Among rookie QBs all-time, Herbert currently ranks third in fantasy points per game (21.3), third in completion rate (66%), and first in yards per game (288.9).
Herbert only needs five more TDs to pass Baker Mayfield (29) for the most all-time by a rookie QB.
Los Angeles Rams
Cam Akers played on 79% of Rams’ snaps in Week 14, which was the second-highest RB snap rate on the week behind only Miles Sanders (81%).
Over the last two weeks, Akers has 50 carries while Darrell Henderson has 5 and Malcolm Brown has 3.
Next up, Akers gets to face a Jets defense that just allowed 164 scrimmage yards to Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde a week ago.
Miami Dolphins
- Mack Hollins and Lynn Bowden led the Dolphins in targets this past week with DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki, and Jakeem Grant all hurt.
Minnesota Vikings
Why did the Vikings passing offense fail against the Buccaneers? Well, Kirk Cousins was under pressure on 47% of his dropbacks, which was third-most among QBs this past week.
Cousins took six sacks and completed just eight passes when he was pressured.
This season, Cousins owns the NFL’s third-best passer rating (119.1) when he’s not pressured. Only Aaron Rodgers (128.8) and Patrick Mahomes (123.2) are better.
New England Patriots
- The Patriots went back to a full-blown three-man committee this past week while getting blown out against the Rams with James White (46%) leading them in snaps over Damien Harris (37%) and Sony Michel (25%).
New Orleans Saints
After seeing just six targets in his previous three games with Taysom Hill at quarterback, Alvin Kamara finally saw normal usage in the passing game this past week (10 targets; 7/44 receiving).
Kamara also played on 71% of Saints’ snaps, marking a six week high.
New York Giants
- After Alfred Morris vultured him twice last week, the Giants went back to Wayne Gallman as their featured back in Week 14. Gallman handled 16 of the Giants’ 21 RB opportunities (attempts + targets)… but this time, Dion Lewis vultured him at the goal-line.
New York Jets
- I’ve got nothing.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles were the fourth-most run-heavy team in the league this past week (55%).
10 of Jalen Hurts’ 18 carries were designed and he gained 60 of his rushing 106 yards on those run.
It’s a tiny sample, but HC Doug Pederson hasn’t really used Hurts much in the RPO/play-action passing game so far. The Eagles have used an RPO or play-action on just 11 of Hurts’ 42 pass attempts in one and a half games.
Miles Sanders led all RBs in snap rate this past week (81%) a week after he was down at a season-low (56%) in Week 13.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Diontae Johnson leads the NFL in drops with 12.
D.K. Metcalf has the second-most drops with 9.
The good news? Johnson has been strong after the catch when he does haul it in. He’s tied with Davante Adams in yards after the catch (5.4).
James Conner played on just 40% of Steelers’ snaps this past week, marking his lowest rate since Week 1.
San Francisco 49ers
Over his last five games (since Week 7), Brandon Aiyuk has drawn 30% of the 49ers targets, which is tied with Michael Thomas for the fourth-highest rate among WRs.
Aiyuk’s weekly finishes in this span: WR19 > WR6 > WR13 > WR12 > WR10.
Next up, Aiyuk gets the Cowboys. They just allowed 6/62/1 to the remains of A.J. Green.
Seattle Seahawks
Don’t let the box score fool you. Carlos Hyde did not play ahead of Chris Carson this past week. Hyde only had four carries in the first half.
In fact, Carson out-snapped Hyde 24 to 10 in the first half.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In addition to making Leonard Fournette a healthy scratch, the Buccaneers also limited Antonio Brown’s role in their first game back from their bye week. Brown ran just 16 routes this past week, his lowest total since joining the team.
Ronald Jones’ touch counts this season when Fournette does not play: 20, 26, 25, and 19.
RoJo is averaging 18.9 fantasy points per game when Fournette is out, which would make him the RB5 over Aaron Jones (18.4) over the full season.
Tennessee Titans
Over the last two years, Derrick Henry has averaged 24.1 fantasy points per game in wins and 13.3 FPG in losses.
This week the Titans are massive 10.5-point favorites over the Lions, who have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards and the second-most fantasy points to opposing RBs.
Washington
For his career, Terry McLaurin is averaging 13.2 fantasy points per game in Dwayne Haskins’ starts and 15.3 FPG with any other QB.
JD McKissic has played on 69% of Washington’s snaps over the last two weeks without Antonio Gibson.