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Unexpected fantasy football performances and waiver wire sleepers and trade targets for Week 15 (2023). Will these NFL players sustain their Week 14 success?
Finally, the fantasy football regular season is over and it’s time we enter crunch time, the fantasy playoffs. This season has been very up and down, as it feels like nearly every fantasy manager has been directly or indirectly affected by injuries this year.
As if this season couldn’t let us roll into the playoffs with no major issues occurring, yet again, numerous injuries popped up in Week 14. Hopefully, your roster avoided the catastrophic last-minute injury bug and glides into the postseason.
Outside of injuries, though, this week was one of the best in terms of entertainment value. There were plenty of close matchups that involved memorable plays and performances from stars and under-the-radar players alike. So, without further ado, let’s get into some of the unexpected boom performances from players who could play big roles on championship rosters.
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Surprise Fantasy Football Performances
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
One of the best stories this late in the NFL season is the Cleveland Browns’ offense being unlocked by 38-year-old Joe Flacco, who came straight off the couch. Although the Browns paid Deshaun Watson nearly a quarter billion dollars to be their franchise quarterback, this offense has looked better than ever with bargain bin Flacco at the helm.
One of the major beneficiaries of Flacco in Week 14 was tight end David Njoku. Despite being an afterthought in Week 13, the veteran tight end played a major role during Cleveland’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In what was his best performance of the season, Njoku caught six of eight targets for 91 yards and two touchdowns. That impressive stat line resulted in 24.1 half-PPR points, making him the TE2 overall in a solid week for tight end scoring.
Joe Flacco clearly enjoys utilizing his tight ends. We saw it last week with Harrison Bryant and we got it again this week with Njoku. If this continues, the seventh-year tight end could be a strong contributor for playoff rosters down the stretch.
Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
After a performance in Week 13 where he showed flashes, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown made his case for a more substantial workload in Week 14.
After being drafted in the fifth round of the NFL draft, many had thought that Brown would compete for the RB2 role in this Cincinnati offense. Unfortunately, the rookie has dealt with injuries for most of the season while also having a stint on IR. But now that he’s healthy, the Bengals seem to have big plans for him as an explosive weapon.
During the Bengals’ win over the Indianapolis Colts, Brown played a huge role with eight carries for 25 yards along with three receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown. His impressive performance resulted in 18 half-PPR points and an RB7 finish.
It shouldn’t be ignored that a lot of his production came from a 54-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter. However, if you watched the game, it’s clear that this guy has juice.
While starting running back Joe Mixon is still a solid contributor, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bengals give Brown more work as a speedy weapon out of the backfield down the stretch.
Consider him a strong add off waivers during the playoffs in Week 15.
Zach Wilson, New York Jets
Few players have had a weirder start to their career than New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson. In the most recent chapter of his bizarre time in New York, the former first-rounder was rumored to have turned down a chance to start at quarterback again after being benched in Weeks 12 and 13.
Although many may have understood where Wilson was coming from, the story became a big nothing as he ended up starting, anyway.
While he couldn’t be much worse than Tim Boyle or Trevor Siemian, most expected the third-year quarterback to flounder against a formidable Houston Texans defense. Not only did he not falter, some would say he excelled in Week 14.
Against the Texans, Wilson completed 27 of 36 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns while tacking on three carries for 12 yards and a lost fumble on the ground. His solid performance led to 19.24 fantasy points and a QB12 finish.
This wasn’t a massive outing, but considering the struggles Wilson has gone through, it’s nice to know that he can provide some adequate quarterback play. Maybe his career can be salvaged in the future.
Odell Beckham Jr., Baltimore Ravens
Things seem to be coming together at the perfect time for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The veteran receiver struggled to see consistent usage in this offense early in the season, but now, he and quarterback Lamar Jackson are showing a strong rapport.
This rapport has been building up in recent weeks, but it hit big during a Week 14 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Against his former team, Beckham caught four of 10 targets for 97 yards and a touchdown. That stat line resulted in 17.7 half-PPR points, making him the WR5 overall.
You’d like to see OBJ haul in a higher percentage of his targets, but the usage is encouraging as we enter the most important part of the fantasy football season. If the Ravens continue to pass more down the stretch, Beckham could be a name that makes starting lineups while pushing teams to championship appearances.
Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
This was a weird performance. Most people who watched Desmond Ridder quarterback the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14 would tell you he disappointed yet again. However, his fantasy totals suggest he had a decent game.
This is a classic lesson of the box score not telling the whole story because Ridder definitely had some rough moments like a missed wide-open touchdown pass to running back Bijan Robinson and a bad interception deep in Atlanta’s territory.
Luckily, the poor play doesn’t matter nearly as much to fantasy as Ridder’s day was up there with the best this week.
In a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the second-year quarterback completed 26 of 40 passes for 347 yards, a touchdown, and an interception along with four rushes for 15 yards and a touchdown. Those totals resulted in 25.38 fantasy points, making Ridder this week’s QB2.
It’s hard to trust Ridder on a weekly basis as the Falcons have been pretty erratic on offense during this season. Even though these were some strong numbers, hopefully you have a more reliable option to lead your team during the fantasy playoffs.
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