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Fantasy football fiends have obsessed over roster dilemmas for months to remain a championship contender during the closing weeks. Many succeeded, only for untimely injuries to harm their title chances.
Melvin Gordon, ESPN.com's No. 4-rated fantasy running back this season, was carted off the field early in Week 14's matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The San Diego Chargers announced on their injury report that Gordon will miss Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders.
Another superstar will miss Week 15. According to Kelsey Conway of the Atlanta Falcons' official website, head coach Dan Quinn ruled out wide receiver Julio Jones:
The news especially stings for anyone who rode both studs to the fantasy playoffs. Perhaps one such person is this writer, who must start Rashad Jennings and either Brandon Marshall or Jeremy Maclin in the semifinals.
There's no use dwelling over what could have been, so let's instead focus on some stars who will suit up Week 15.
Betting info, updated as of Friday evening, courtesy of OddsShark.
Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Many managers patient enough to stash Tom Brady are in the title hunt because of him. Through nine spectacular games following the Deflategate suspension, the New England Patriots quarterback has amassed 2,876 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and two interceptions.
He has played well enough to draw MVP buzz in a condensed sample size, but his fantasy investors will spend the weekend deciding if they have the guts to bench Brady.
The 39-year-old embarks on a brutal Week 15 matchup against the Denver Broncos, who have allowed the NFL's fewest passing yards per game (183.4), passing touchdowns (10) and fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks (11.2).
When encountering the elite defense twice last season—including the AFC Championship Game—Brady posted solid yet inefficient numbers:
In both matchups, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick jettisoned a shaky ground game against a Denver defense that relinquished an NFL-low 3.3 yards per rush. According to ESPN's Mike Clay, he has leaned on his superstar quarterback in this intraconference rivalry:
This season, however, the Broncos have coughed up 4.2 yards per rush, and the Pats rate No. 7 in rushing offense. LeGarrette Blount leads the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns.
Expect a more balanced attack, which means less passing yards per Brady. Owners shouldn't swap him out for Joe Flacco or Eli Manning, but it's perfectly reasonable to play Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr instead.
In most cases, Brady falls under the too-good-to-bench category. While he won't carry anyone to victory, he also won't sink someone's chances of advancing.
Projections: 23-of-38, 255 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Eighteen yards. Countless gamers attached their championship aspirations to Devonta Freeman, and he responded by tallying 18 total yards in a 42-14 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Last year's fantasy MVP accrued as many rushing yards (six) as his team did touchdowns. Tevin Coleman instead capitalized with his eighth and ninth scores of the season.
If the Falcons had a difficult opponent on the horizon, Freeman's owners could scrutinize his season-low eight touches and worry about Coleman turning the backfield into a true timeshare. Since they're playing the San Francisco 49ers, start both.
San Francisco has yielded 19 rushing touchdowns, 170.8 rushing yards and 25.8 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs this season. Over the past two weeks, their atrocious front seven vaulted Jordan Howard and Bilal Powell into fantasy deities:
Unless Atlanta's defense does all the scoring again, plenty of goal-line chances should emerge for both Freeman and Coleman. Don't overreact to one week; Freeman passed the pylons twice in consecutive games before his dud versus the Rams. He previously received at least 15 touches in every bout.
With Jones out, expect the Falcons to run the ball down the 49ers' throat for 60 minutes. Anyone who survived Freeman's off day will get repaid handsomely with a monster performance, and Coleman makes a nifty No. 2 back.
Projections: 21 Carries, 115 Yards, 3 Receptions, 35 Yards, 2 TDs
Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
Congratulations to fantasy players who reached the semifinals with no help from Alshon Jeffery, a premium draft pick who scored one touchdown in nine games before serving a four-game suspension. Anyone still around must now decide whether to toss the returning Chicago Bears wideout back into the starting lineup.
Even when active and healthy, Jeffery wasn't delivering a worthwhile return on investment. The 26-year-old especially let down points-per-reception (PPR) owners by totaling 40 catches, only once collecting more than five in a single game.
He has played one abbreviated game with quarterback Matt Barkley. After replacing Brian Hoyer in the second quarter, the current starter found Chicago's top receiver for one 11-yard reception. That underwhelming performance came against the Green Bay Packers, whom the Bears will play again this weekend.
Yet despite their recent revival, the Packers have still surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. According to Football Outsiders, they rank No. 26 in defense-adjusted value over a average (DVOA) versus No. 1 receivers, who average 78.4 yards per contest.
It's a good matchup if anyone could trust Barkley and Jeffery to instantly develop a rapport—but only if the latter's not rusty from a month-long absence.
Per the team's Twitter account, Bears head coach John Fox expects to push his top pass-catcher right back into his prior workload:
But he wasn't regularly performing likely a steady front-line option before the four-game ban. It's certainly a murky dice roll, and gamers in shallow formats may have better, less risky options. However, managers who start three receivers in leagues of 12 teams or more would sit Jeffery for an alternative with a far lower ceiling.
Treat him as a high-risk, high-reward No. 3 wideout or flex play but don't start him automatically because of name value.
Projections: 5 Receptions, 9 Targets, 70 Yards
Note: All fantasy scoring info obtained from ESPN.com.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
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