Fantasy league championships were on the line in Week 15 as the NFL enters its final stretch. Team owners looking for the best value out of players were rewarded if they started anyone on the Seattle Seahawks, who scored 50 points on the Buffalo Bills just one week after shutting out the Arizona Cardinals 58-0.
The New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees kept their playoff hopes alive, while the Vikings did the same by relying on running back Adrian Peterson, who is rushing closer and closer to Eric Dickerson's all-time single-season rushing record.
Scoring for this article is based on a Yahoo fantasy league with one point per reception, one point for every 30 passing yards, one point for 10 rushing yards, one point for 10 receiving yards and six points per touchdown. Check out projections for Drew Brees and Marshawn Lynch and see how close we got to the real deal.
QUARTERBACK
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
When head coach Pete Carroll named Wilson the starter during the preseason, many in football were scratching their heads. Didn't Seattle just sign Matt Flynn to a three-year contract to play quarterback? Didn't matter to Carroll. He liked what he saw in Wilson and gave him the job. This is why.
The Seahawks are the most surprising team in the NFL, sitting in the first Wild Card spot with a 9-5 record and an outside chance at winning the NFC West. Wilson was stellar on Sunday against the Bills, becoming the first NFL player to rush for three touchdowns and throw for another one in the first half of a game.
Wilson posted a league-high 39 points on Sunday, throwing for 205 yards and one score with 92 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He has scored multiple touchdowns in six of the past seven games and has scored at least 20 fantasy points in three of the past four games. He has a tough matchup next week against the 49ers, but is still a solid start after this week's performance.
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Brees seems to be the top fantasy quarterback every week, but after a few mediocre games, he was starting to slip. Not anymore. Against the worst passing defense in the league, Brees was fantastic on Sunday, passing for 307 yards and four touchdowns to keep the Saints' playoff hopes alive at 6-8.
He posted 31 fantasy points and ended a streak of three straight games without notching 20 points. Brees spread the ball around to his receivers all day, connecting on touchdowns with David Thomas, Darren Sproles, Lance Moore and Joseph Morgan. Over the past two weeks Brees only had one touchdown pass with seven turnovers, but made owners forget all that with his performance on Sunday.
Next week Brees faces the Cowboys on the road, but will be playing in a dome stadium, which is a huge bonus for him. This season indoors, Brees has thrown for 22 touchdowns, while outdoors he only has 14 with six interceptions.
RUNNING BACK
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
This guy is just flat out amazing. Just ten months after having reconstructive knee surgery, Peterson is working his way towards Eric Dickerson's all-time single-season rushing record. After gaining 210 yards ion Sunday, it is virtual a lock that Peterson will reach 2,000 yards rushing, which hasn't been done since Chris Johnson in 2009.
Peterson posted 32 fantasy points and saved the season for most fantasy owners with his performance. He has one touchdown in the game, which came on an 82-yard rush in the first half. He was the second-highest scoring player in fantasy this week behind Wilson and now has a career-high 1,812 rushing yards this season. Peterson needs just 294 yards over his last two games to break the record.
Peterson has posted 30 points in three straight weeks and has another solid matchup against a Houston Texans team that has struggled against the run in the past two games.
WIDE RECIEVER/TIGHT END
Andre Johnson, Wide Receiver, Houston Texans
Johnson has been one of the best receivers in football this year and has been fully healthy, giving fantasy owners the production they have been looking for from the receiver spot. This week Johnson had a marvelous performance e in Houston's win, making 11 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown.
He posted 27 points, the highest total for all receivers in fantasy and has reached 100-yards receiving in four of the past seven games. He has been targeted by Matt Schaub in double-digits in every game but two and was looked at 13 times on Sunday.
This season Johnson has 93 catches for 1,360 yards and faces a Vikings defense next week that allowed nearly 400 yards passing to the Rams on Sunday.
Dennis Pitta, Tight End, Baltimore Ravens
Dennis Pitta has been one of the most frustrating players in fantasy this season, but helped make a lot of owners feel better with his performance on Sunday. He posted a position-high 27 points, making seven catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns while being targeted 10 times by quarterback Joe Flacco.
This season Pitta has disappeared for certain games and has posted in single digits seven times, including one game when he earned zero points. He has posted double-0digit fantasy points in the past two weeks and had a huge game on Sunday in the loss to the Broncos.
Pitta had a nice 31-yard pass for a score in the fourth quarter and also had another touchdown when he broke tackles on a 61-yard score with four minutes left in the game. Pitta has become a valuable tight end start in all leagues the past two weeks and couple be the key to a championship run.
OTHER NOTABLES
-Colin Kaepernick, QB, San Francisco 49ers
216 yards passing, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception, 28 rushing yards
-James Jones, WR, Green Bay Packers
5 receptions, 60 yards receiving, 3 touchdowns
-Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis Rams
377 yards passing, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
