Jesse Moeller and Joe O’Leary are back with another edition of fact or fiction. The guys cover four important fantasy football topics and each present their case for or against.
It’s fact fact or fiction time once again.
Myles Gaskin over 14.08 PPR Points (Sleeper projection) in Week 15
Joe: Fact
Myles Gaskin’s streak of performing well in odd weeks may have snapped, but look for Gaskin to get back on track again this week at home versus the Jets. Seeing the Jets on the schedule can bring a smile ear to ear for running backs this year.
New York is coming off back-to-back weeks of allowing 100 yard rushing games to Miles Sanders and Alvin Kamara. Gaskin himself managed 26 touches and 18.6 PPR points against the Jets in Week 11. Gaskin is in a great spot this week for those looking to plug him into your fantasy football playoff matchups. I’m going over 14.08 points for Myles this week.
*Gaskin is currently in COVID-19 protocols and will need to clear them to play on Sunday.
Jesse: Fact
This depends on whether Gaskin can make it back from the Covid list. If Gaskin returns in Week 15, he is a lock to score over 14 fantasy points against the Jets. New York is historically bad in allowing fantasy football points to running backs, giving up over 35 points/game. I would need to see improvement from the New York defense before I could trust them to stop any running back in fantasy. Give me Gaskin and the over for Week 15.
Rashaad Penny will be playable during the fantasy football playoffs
Joe: Fact
We’ve been down this road before with Rashaad Penny. He looked good against Houston, but it’s Houston. I will still tentatively go fact here with Penny being relevant down the stretch run.
Every year there’s a fantasy football playoff hero out of the blue. Why not Rashaad Penny? Russell Wilson is getting healthier, and the Seattle offense may finally be turning the corner. Penny gets a juicy matchup championship week home against Detroit.
I’ll bite with Rashaad Penny.
Jesse: Fact
Another player back from the fantasy football graveyard. On Sunday, Rashaad Penny was healthy (finally!) and had the game of his life when he put up 26 fantasy points against the Texans. Of course, the critical part was that it happened against the Houston Texans; a miserable team that cannot stop the run.
To everyone’s dismay (except teams with Rashaad Penny rostered), Seattle is a team that is dead last in plays ran and 16th in run percentage. It is going to make it difficult for Penny to break out. If Penny can keep a 60%+ opportunity share moving forward, I see him as a borderline flex play most weeks. The Week 15 matchup against the Rams will be Penny’s toughest remaining matchup.
Patrick Mahomes outscores Justin Herbert in Week 15
Joe: Fiction
It’s never fun going against Patrick Mahomes, but Justin Herbert is on fire. Herbert is the QB2 in fantasy football since Week 11, averaging 27 fantasy points per game while Mahomes is QB23.
The Chiefs have improved on defense during their six-game winning streak, but something still seems a little off with Mahomes and the Kansas City offense. These two stars lit it up earlier in the season and I expect the same this week on a fast track in LA.
Both come to play, but I’m going to ride the hot hand and side with Justin Herbert outscoring Patrick Mahomes in Week 15.
Jesse: Fact
I believe this is a bad matchup for both quarterbacks. A short week against a division rival in December is never fun. This game has two of the better quarterbacks in the league going against improving defenses. It should lead to a close game, as I see both teams involving the running backs early and often in the game plans.
Expect Herbert and Mahomes to play well, but not put up monster fantasy football numbers in this game. The defenses are not the same place when we saw these two play in Week 3, with Herbert and Mahomes lighting up the scoreboard. Expect a different result, as Mahomes will come out on top this time.
Saturday Night Special: Which Position Player Scores The Most Fantasy Points?
Joe: Nick Chubb
It’s too easy to go with Jonathan Taylor on the two-game slate. I’ll ride with Nick Chubb in a matchup at home without Kareem Hunt instead. Las Vegas is 26th in the league allowing 125.3 rushing yards per game to opponents.
The Browns are limited passing through the air so I expect to see a huge workload for Chubb this week versus the Raiders. Despite putting up back to back pedestrian weeks, look for Nick Chubb to get back on track just in time for fantasy football managers in the playoffs.
*The Browns have been hit hard with COVID-19 especially on their offensive line. Temper expectations for Nick Chubb if they miss Week 15.
Jesse: Hunter Renfrow
I am going outside the box and picking Hunter Renfrow. Saturday is not the best slate of games to choose from; considering Pittman and Taylor get the Patriots defense, the Browns do not have a WR you can trust, New England is not the best offense for fantasy football, and Vegas is still without Darren Waller.
The two names that immediately jump off the page are Taylor and Chubb, but I wanted to travel a different path and picked Renfrow. Since Waller went out three weeks ago, Renfrow is pushing a 30% Target Share and replacing the production without missing a step. I’ll take the slot player who is a target monster with the second-highest catch rate in the NFL. The Carr-Renfrow connection is here to stay.
Week 15 Playoff Sleeper
Joe: D’onta Foreman RB Tennessee Titans
D’onta Foreman has taken over the lead back duties for the Titans. A mouth-watering matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers awats Foreman in Week 15.
The Steelers are getting absolutely gashed on the ground right now. The last five weeks Pittsburgh has allowed the following PPR performances to running backs.
- Dalvin Cook 35.2 Points
- Devonta Freeman 20.7 Points
- Joe Mixon 32.3 Points
- Austin Ekeler 41.5 Points
- D’andre Swift 16.5 Points
D’onta Foreman certainly isn’t the caliber of player as some of those guys mentioned that the Steelers have recently faced, but he’s seeing solid volume the last two weeks (17.5 touches per game).
Volume plus the matchup equals D’onta Foreman sleeper appeal for fantasy football managers chasing championships in Week 15.
Jesse: Laquon Treadwell WR Jacksonville Jaguars
What year is it? We have players who have come back from the dead to post impressive fantasy football seasons. It has been a strange year, and Laquon Treadwell is no exception to that. The former 1st round pick has stepped in for the Jaguars and been a productive part of the offense lately, running 30+ routes in three straight games. Treadwell is pushing Laviska Shenault for snaps and routes. Treadwell and the Jaguars get the porous Texans defense in Week 15. I’m anticipating Treadwell to have a big day and find his way into the endzone.
