Fabs Five Fantasy Storylines: Saquon Barkley Likely Ends Our Fantasy Playoff Run in Week 15

Michael Fabiano | 5 Hours Ago

Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) against the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The fantasy football playoffs are underway, and this weekend has had its share of highs and lows. You know what I’m talking about if you started Cooper Kupp on Thursday night, though he was one of the few big-name wide receivers who didn’t find statistical success.

More on that below.

Unfortunately, Sunday’s slate also saw its share of injuries (including Patrick Mahomes, who is listed as week to week with an injured ankle), not to mention many poor stat lines from some of the best running backs in fantasy football. We also saw a once heralded quarterback-wide receiver fantasy combo get back to its past glory, while one of the league’s best fantasy field generals helped managers move on in the postseason.

That said, here are my Fabs’ Five Storylines from Week 15 that stood out the most. For all of the latest news and fantasy advice, be sure to check out Fantasy Dirt five days a week!

Week 15 Fantasy Football Storylines

Saquon Barkley Headlines Long List Of RB Duds

Barkley is not only an MVP candidate in real football, but he’s also in that mix in the fantasy world, too. Unfortunately, he came up really short in the first round of the postseason.

He touched the ball 21 times, but he was only able to compile 74 total yards and he failed to score a single touchdown. Barkley was on the sidelines at times too, causing questions about his health, and Kenny Gainwell played a season-high 31 snaps in the contest.

In all, Barkley scored just 9.4 points. That’s a serious decline from the 23.1 point-per-game average he touted heading into this weekend’s action. Chances are, this stinker cost you a chance to advance in the fantasy postseason. I know it cost me in at least one league.

Unfortunately, Barkley wasn’t the only running back who let us down. Derrick Henry posted an absolute dud despite a very favorable matchup against the Giants. The veteran was held to 67 yards on the ground with no catches, finishing with 6.7 points and leaving his fantasy managers with a major hole to climb out of (unlikely). Other backs, like Isiah Pacheco (5.7 points) and David Montgomery (7.5 points) were held down, and both Tony Pollard and Chuba Hubbard scored under nine points despite both having very favorable matchups.

Two of the most painful stinkers came from Joe Mixon, who was held to just 10.6 points, and Jonathan Taylor, who had 10.1 points. Taylor’s managers had to be pulling their hair out too, because he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line on what would have been a long touchdown run. Instead, he lost a fumble … that’s an eight-point swing in leagues.

Lamar Jackson Throws for Five Touchdown Passes

Jackson posted an incredible stat line against the Giants, both in real and fantasy terms. He completed 21/25 passes for 290 yards with five touchdowns, and his passer rating was a stellar 154.6. Jackson, who also rushed for 65 yards, finished with a season-high 36.1 fantasy points. His scores came on a 13-yard pass to Mark Andrews, a 49-yarder and a 20-yarder to Rashod Bateman, a 21-yard pass to Devontez Walker and a 27-yarder to Justice Hill.

Jackson has now scored 22-plus fantasy points in all but one of his last eight contests, so he continued his amazingly high level of production. The one team that held him in check, the Steelers, is coincidently the team he will face off against in the fantasy semifinals.

Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams Turn Back The Clock

Rodgers and Adams were one of the most dangerous fantasy combos during their time in Green Bay, and they brought back some of that magic in a win over the Jaguars.

Rodgers threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, scoring a season-high 30.1 points. Adams was on the receiving end of 198 of those yards and two of his touchdowns, scoring a season-best 42.8 points. It’s the fifth time in his illustrious NFL career that he’s scored 40-plus PPR points in a game, three of which came while in Green Bay with Rodgers under center.

Adams might have had a slow start after being traded to the Jets, scoring fewer than 10 points in two of his first three games, but he’s been en fuego ever since. He’s scored no less than 17.6 points in his last three games, during which time he’s averaged 28.8 points.

Rodgers and Adams will face the Rams at MetLife Stadium in the fantasy semifinals.

Wide Receivers Put Up Huge Numbers In Week 15

Besides Adams, the wide receiver position was strong for fantasy managers this week. Amon-Ra St. Brown had 14 catches for 193 yards with a touchdown and 37.3 points. Mike Evans had nine catches for 159 yards with two touchdowns and 36.9 points. Brian Thomas Jr. went off for 10 catches, 105 yards, two touchdowns and 32.5 fantasy points.

The rest of the best at the position, all of whom scored at least 21 points, included DeVonta Smith, CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin, A.J. Brown, Malik Nabers, Rashod Bateman, Jerry Jeudy, and Jalen Coker. All but Bateman and Coker were very likely all fantasy starters.

Josh Allen, Jared Goff Go Nuclear in Barnburner

Allen, who broke the record for fantasy points scored in a single game by a quarterback last week, posted another massive line in a win over the Lions. He threw for 362 yards with two touchdowns, rushed for 68 yards and another two scores, and finished with 41.3 points. He is now on pace to score 419 points on the season, which would break the all-time record set by Patrick Mahomes in 2018 by less than two points. Mahomes did that in 16 games.

Goff was nearly as good, throwing for 494 yards with five touchdowns and scoring 41.1 points. It was the second-most yards he’s thrown for in a game (he had 517 yards against the Buccaneers in 2019), and it’s the second time in his career that he’s thrown for over 400 yards and five touchdowns. This was also Goff’s first 40-point fantasy game.

There’s a good chance that if you started Allen or Goff, you’re moving on to Week 16.