• Josh Allen and Zach Charbonnet power fantasy playoff pushes: The quarterback and running back came through for those who needed a big Week 14 showing from their fantasy teams.
• Isiah Pacheco‘s stock is rapidly declining: Pacheco handled 70% of the Chiefs' running back carries but was afforded little room to maneuver before contact.
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Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Preparing for the next week of the fantasy football season often involves diving into potential waiver-wire adds or breaking down the more covert trends from the past week's games. But it's also beneficial to evaluate what's right in front of us: the players who excelled and those who came up short of expectations.
BOOMS
QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
As fantasy managers fought for playoff spots, Josh Allen delivered the performance of the season, recording 424 yards and six touchdowns on his way to 51.8 fantasy points.
Josh Allen vs the Rams
🔹 22/37
🔹 342 passing yards
🔹 82 rushing yards
🔹 6 total TDs pic.twitter.com/HrbjwwXJFA— PFF (@PFF) December 9, 2024
Despite the loss, Allen torched the Rams' secondary through the air and on foot. On throws of 20-plus yards, he went 6-of-6 passing for 198 yards, three touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. On the ground, Allen tallied 82 yards, 49 yards after contact, six first-down rushes, four missed tackles forced and another three touchdowns.
If you were fighting for a playoff spot in Week 14 and had Josh Allen, welcome to the postseason. (I hope).
Going Forward: QB1
WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
The best way to counter the Josh Allen “boom” week was to have Puka Nacua on your fantasy team, as he recorded 12 receptions, 178 total yards and two touchdowns en route to 41.8 PPR points.
PUKA NACUA MANAGERS STAND 🆙 pic.twitter.com/pxKEqetJTW
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) December 9, 2024
Nacua's 92.3 PFF overall grade, 84 yards after the catch and six receptions of 15-plus yards led all wide receivers this week.
Since returning to action in Week 8, Nacua is the PPR WR2 — the result of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford feeding him and Cooper Kupp.
Going Forward: High-end WR1
RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
Charbonnet stepped up in a big way for Kenneth Walker III.
The second-year running back recorded 134 rushing yards (most), 125 yards after contact (most), six missed tackles forced (tied second most), four rushes of 10-plus yards (tied second most), two touchdowns and 38.3 PPR fantasy points.
The Cardinals had no answer for Charbonnet, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry on 22 rushing attempts. Unfortunately for him, his fantasy value will plummet once Walker returns to action.
Going Forward: Mid-tier RB1 or high-end RB2 without Walker; low-end flex play with Walker
BUSTS
RB Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco has underwhelmed since returning two weeks ago, securing 5 PPR fantasy points in Week 13 and 8 in Week 14.
Usage was not the issue in Week 14, as Pacheco still handled 70% of the Chiefs' running back carries. But Kansas City's offensive line afforded him only 15 yards before contact.
Patrick Mahomes has also not often looked Pacheco’s way in the passing game, providing him with only three receptions over the past two weeks after the two connected on seven passes in Weeks 1 and 2.
Temperature Check: Worried
WR A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Brown is on a run of back-to-back underwhelming weeks after hauling in four passes for only 43 yards in Week 14.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts finished with 108 passing yards against the Panthers, so there wasn't much chance for Brown to produce, but neither of the team's touchdown passes went his way.
There is no need to worry about Brown, who had a quieter day against a surging Panthers team that is keeping games close after early-season turmoil. Plus, Philadelphia continues to heavily rely on running back Saquon Barkley (20 attempts).
Temperature Check: Still a high-end WR1
RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills
If one player accounts for six touchdowns, his teammates are bound to dud. Unfortunately, that was the case for James Cook in Week 14.
Josh Allen took all three of the Bills' rushing scores, and Cook did not account for any passing touchdowns. It didn't help that Buffalo was looking to throw often while playing catch-up. Cook was the only Bills running back who recorded a rushing attempt, albeit just six.
Temperature Check: Not worried; the result of playing from behind and in a Josh Allen super-hero game
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