RADIO
The first week of the fantasy playoffs was definitely an interesting one. With injuries to star players and no-names snagging touchdowns, fantasy managers that moved on to the next round should feel thankful that they made it past this unpredictable week.
For a week that included football on a Saturday, three overtime games, and the largest comeback in NFL history, some unexpected fantasy performances were bound to arise.
So, with many crazy games and plenty of players scoring touchdowns, here are some of the most unexpected boom performances with the next round of the fantasy playoffs on the way.
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Fantasy Football Risers - Surprise Performances
K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings
In one of the weirdest games from the NFL’s odd football Saturday, one of the most unexpected performances of the season occurred. Despite being an attractive sleeper during fantasy draft season, K.J. Osborn has been unable to improve upon a promising 2021 while hitting double-digit Half-PPR points just twice this season. However, the 25-year-old was a man on a mission in Week 15.
In a monumental comeback win against the Indianapolis Colts, Osborn had by far his best performance of the year. He caught 10-of-16 targets for 157 yards and a touchdown. That stat line resulted in 26.7 Half-PPR points, making the third-year receiver the WR2 overall on the week.
Touchdown K.J Osborn!
📺: #MINvsDET on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/RvZfbqafel pic.twitter.com/HDK6VqCJQN— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2022
While this was a massive performance for Osborn, it’s not one that should be expected from here on out. The Vikings were in an incredibly pass-heavy game script, which led to way more opportunities for their deep threat. Also, there are just too many legitimate weapons in this offense for him to be relied on for consistent production.
However, with back-to-back double-digit fantasy outings, things are looking up for Osborn. He’s a player fantasy managers should monitor for the rest of the season.
Russell Gage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another strong performance from a receiver that many were high on during fantasy draft season came from the underperforming Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the lunacy of Antonio Brown opening up a role in this offense, plenty of managers thought Russell Gage would be one of the major values of 2022. Unfortunately, he’s disappointed for most of the year, but things came together here in Week 15.
Against the Cincinnati Bengals, Gage led the Bucs in targets as he caught eight-of-12 for 59 yards and two touchdowns. That performance led to 21.9 Half-PPR points and a WR5 finish on the week.
That footwork 😳
📺: #CINvsTB on CBS pic.twitter.com/T4zyP8miAE
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 18, 2022
While this is an impressive outing for Gage and his second straight game with a touchdown, it’s still hard to trust the 26-year-old to provide solid performances consistently. For those that are still in the fantasy playoffs, the former Falcon likely doesn’t warrant much attention off waiver wires.
Noah Brown, Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys had themselves a tough loss in overtime to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but their offense was productive with some unexpected performers. Noah Brown, in particular, was a star for Dallas.
In a season with a few productive outings, Brown caught six-of-nine targets for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Those stats resulted in his highest fantasy total of the season at 19.9 Half PPR points, which made Brown the WR6 on the week.
4️⃣ ➡️ 8️⃣5️⃣ for the textbook red zone play action TD! #WPMOYChallenge @dak @Nb_Eight5
📺: @NFLonFOX | #DALvsJAX pic.twitter.com/LoysPOPjUD
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 18, 2022
Unfortunately, his day ended up being seen with negativity as his overtime drop led to the game-sealing pick-six that allowed the Jaguars to walk away with the win. However, the 26-year-old had a productive day nonetheless.
Even with this solid performance, Brown is not a player that warrants much fantasy attention outside of the deepest of leagues at this point in the year.
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
In Atlanta’s first game with rookie Desmond Ridder at quarterback, the team also had a new runner leading the team in carries outside of Cordarrelle Patterson. Rookie running back Tyler Allgeier finally had a performance that really showed the potential plenty of drafters saw in him as a sleeper prior to the start of the season.
Against the New Orleans Saints, the rookie had 17 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown along with one reception for negative three. His career day resulted in 22.1 Half-PPR points that made Allgeier the RB7 on the week.
Tyler Allgeier is good at football
📺 FOX || NFL+ pic.twitter.com/Japl40BcZW
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 18, 2022
With the Falcons looking toward next season, the 22-year-old could be a strong fantasy contributor down the stretch in one of the most run-heavy offenses in the NFL. Over his last four games, Allgeier has been averaging over 6.5 yards per carry. There is a chance that Atlanta continues to increase his workload as we near the end of the season. If he’s available on waivers, he should be a top add for Week 16.
Latavius Murray, Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos didn’t have a great outlook coming into Week 15 after Russell Wilson was ruled out for their game against the Arizona Cardinals. Even with Russ being brutal for most performances, he certainly provides more upside for this offense than backup Brett Rypien. However, without their mega-contract quarterback, the Denver offense actually managed to have one of its more productive days, and running back Latavius Murray reaped the benefits.
Against the Cardinals, Murray carried the ball 24 times for 130 yards and a touchdown along with one reception for 12 yards. That stat line resulted in 20.7 Half-PPR points, making him the RB8 for Week 15.
Honk if you love @LataviusM. 🚂
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/QPe5jBWfKp
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 18, 2022
With this Denver offense picking it up lately, Murray could have some value for playoff rosters in the waning weeks of the season. They have solid upcoming matchups against the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs to close things out. If the Broncos' offense continues to keep things going, Murray should be a solid starting option for fantasy managers.
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