Bold NFL Predictions for Week 15
Welp, the joy of sweeping Week 13 was quickly wiped away with an absolute dud in Week 14. Things get weird at the end of the season and I’m trying to get ahead of it. I mean, I should have known that Tua and the Dolphins would crumble on Sunday Night Football, but as I said, things get weird and it was a good matchup so why not change it up? For a quick recap of the misses, Tua Tagovailoa was just not good, Tyler Huntley got knocked out of the game, Derrick Henry was good but didn’t finish as the RB1, George Pickens was underwhelming, and Hunter Henry finished just outside of the top 5. As for the one hit, Minnesota and Detroit combined for over 55 points and delivered a shootout led by none other than Jared Goff. All in all, I would like to forget about last week and move on to better days. Let’s regain some momentum and dominate as we dive into the bold predictions for Week 15.
Justin Herbert finishes as the QB1 for the week
This has “perfect storm” written all over it. As soon as Justin Herbert gets his weapons back and gets in a groove, he gets a cupcake matchup with the Titans. Last week, Herbert notched his season-high in passing yards with 367 as he was able to throw to both Mike Williams and Keenan Allen for an entire game for the first time this season. While he was only able to connect for one touchdown through the air, he’s sure to put points on the board against one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL. In Week 13, Tennessee gave up 380 passing yards and three touchdowns to Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. Last week, they gave up 368 passing yards and three touchdowns to Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. They have literally been the worst defense in terms of giving up fantasy points to quarterbacks over the last three weeks. This secondary has been picked apart by good quarterbacks and Herbert should be no exception. The third-year quarterback has been pretty mediocre for the majority of the season, but as I previously mentioned, he has his weapons back. Mike Williams and Keenan Allen looked great against Miami last week. They produced for their quarterback and they made it to the end of the game without getting hurt. Both are very positive signs heading into their Week 15 matchup. I’m predicting it will be another very tough week for the Titan’s defense as they allow Justin Herbert to throw for at least 350 yards and three touchdowns.
The Texans beat the Chiefs in a huge upset
I’m going out on a limb with this one. This might be the boldest prediction of the season so far. I mean, if you look at the face value, Kansas City has the second-best record in the NFL and Houston is dead last. This would be absolutely insane. However, I do think there is a path for the Texans to pull off the impossible. In Week 14, the Chiefs showed signs of weakness. The Denver Broncos, who rank last in points per game, scored 28 points against them with all four touchdowns coming through the air. Before that, the Broncos totaled eight passing touchdowns through 13 weeks. They scored 25% of their passing touchdowns on the season in one game against the Chiefs. That’s not a good look for the defense. As for the Texan’s defense, they just held Dak Prescott and the red-hot Dallas Cowboys to their second-lowest scoring total since Prescott’s return in Week 7. They’ve proven they can hold their own against really good offenses, it’s just been their own offense that has struggled. However, they might be good enough to put something together against the Chiefs. Recently, they’ve experimented with a two-QB system headed by Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel. While it might not seem exciting, it was effective enough to produce 23 points against a Dallas team that allows the third-fewest points per game. With the Chiefs exposing their true weakness and the Texans proving they can compete with nothing to lose, this could be the ultimate trap game for Kansas City. It doesn’t get bolder than this.
Jerry Jeudy dominates against the weakened Cardinals
Speaking of exposing the Chief’s defense, how about Jerry Jeudy last week? Entering the game with just three touchdowns on the season, Jeudy matched his season total in one game against a bad secondary, scoring three touchdowns against Kansas City. This week, things might be even easier for Jeudy and the Bronco’s passing attack. Over the last three weeks, Arizona has given up the fifth-most receptions to wide receivers. While they might not give up a ton of yards or touchdowns to the position, they do give them a lot of opportunities. Denver will probably be without Russell Wilson due to a concussion, but Brett Rypien can be serviceable. He filled in for Wilson at the end of Week 14 and connected with Jerry Jeudy for a touchdown in the endzone. Overall, he wasn’t good by any means but he knew who to throw the ball to. Jeudy was the clear WR1 for the Broncos last week in the absence of Courtland Sutton and he took advantage of it. This week, he might be able to do the exact same thing with Sutton trending to miss another game. If that’s the case, Jeudy should be peppered with targets while serving as the security blanket for the Bronco’s backup quarterback. This is exactly the kind of game Jeudy should thrive in. There is little to no target competition, the backup QB will look to find the safest pass-catcher to throw to, and the opponent allows a ton of receptions to the position. This is a perfect situation for the third-year receiver. I’m predicting that Jerry Jeudy totals 75 receiving yards and at least one touchdown on six or more catches against the Cardinals this week.
Alvin Kamara proves to be a star in the fantasy playoffs
Depending on the type of league, it’s been a rough going for Alvin Kamara managers. He’s been a decent pass-catcher for the most part, but he’s been almost non-existent as a runner, topping 100 rushing yards just once this season with just one rushing touchdown to his name through 14 weeks. Nevertheless, this is still Alvin Kamara we’re talking about and he has a pretty easy schedule coming up. This week, he will face off against a Falcons defense that has allowed the eighth-most rushing yards and the tenth-most rushing touchdowns to the position. They’ve also given up the fourth most touches to running backs this season, giving Kamara a seemingly safe floor this week. In Week 16, he gets to face off against a Browns defense that has allowed the third-highest rushing yards per attempt this season. I still believe in the talent of Alvin Kamara, he just needs to get the ball more. While it might be too little too late, it is worth mentioning that the Saints coaching staff feels the exact same way with Head Coach Dennis Allen expressing his desire to get Kamara the ball more this week. It probably won’t mean much for the New Orleans Saints at this point, but it could mean something for fantasy teams competing for a championship. Kamara should have ample opportunity to feast on defenses over the next couple of weeks. With his talent and the coaching staff making a point to get him the ball more, I’m sure Kamara will win some leagues and it starts this week. I’m predicting that he gets the ball rolling with 200+ yards from scrimmage and at least one touchdown against the Falcons this week.
Ezekiel Elliott extends his touchdown streak to seven games
The last time Ezekiel Elliott finished a game without a score was in Week 5 against the Rams. He is currently tied for seventh in the NFL in rushing touchdowns with nine on the season, despite missing two games. Tony Pollard has been electric and he certainly gets his fair share of scores, but when the Cowboys are knocking on the door of the endzone, Ezekiel Elliott is the battering ram. It seems like almost every one of his touchdowns comes from the goal line. While touchdowns are volatile, it’s a safe bet that the seven-year vet will get a couple of opportunities from short yardage to keep his streak going in a matchup with the Jaguars. Through 14 weeks, Jacksonville has given up the tenth-most rushing touchdowns per game and ranks as a bottom-12 red zone defense against running backs this season. Assuming the Cowboys have a positive game script throughout, I’m sure Elliott will have plenty of opportunities to find pay dirt. It’s all about opportunities for the former Ohio State running back. Tony Pollard gets the offense near the endzone and Ezekiel Elliott takes them home. That’s been the winning formula for Dallas this season. In a fairly easy matchup this week, I don’t see that changing. Look for Elliott to find the endzone for the seventh straight game against a bottom-tier Jaguars defense.
David Njoku finishes inside the top 3 for the week
It seems like it has taken forever for David Njoku to break out, but I think it’s finally happening. In 10 games played this season, he’s totaled at least 59 yards on five receptions in half of them. He’s been a target monster for the Browns and it’s picked up since Deshaun Watson took over. In his first game with Watson as the quarterback, Njoku saw near season-high nine targets. He was able to turn that into seven receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. This is a positive sign entering a divisional matchup with the Ravens this week. The weather could be bad and that could mean the average yards per pass attempt could drop, opening the door for more Njoku targets in short yardage. Watson is still trying to get comfortable in this new offense and I don’t think he’s going to have a breakthrough game with his wide receivers in a bad weather game. I think he not only wants to lean on his tight end to move the ball down the field, but he might have to. I’m looking for Njoku to notch his sixth game of the season with at least 59 yards and five receptions while also extending his touchdown streak to three games.
