Three players of the Los Angeles Chargers received votes for the 2019 AP All-Pro Team.
Even though the Los Angeles Chargers finished with one of the worst records in the NFL, the talent on the roster wouldn’t suggest that.
But that talent still was not recognized when the annual AP All-Pro Teams were announced on Friday.
After having three players (Derwin James, Adrian Phillips, Desmond King) earn the honors in 2018, none of them were named to the teams this season.
This year, defensive end Joey Bosa (1), running back Austin Ekeler (1) and fullback Derek Watt (2) were the only Chargers to receive votes.
Despite having one of their best seasons yet, cornerback Casey Hayward and wide receiver Keenan Allen did not receive a vote for either of the teams and were passed over for players with better numbers.
Had safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips played a full season, they very well could have been named to one of the teams based on their performances in the small sample size this season.
Below are the teams, first and second:
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Lamar Jackson, Baltimore
Running Back — Christian McCaffrey, Carolina
Flex — Christian McCaffrey, Carolina
Tight End — George Kittle, San Francisco
Wide Receivers — Michael Thomas, New Orleans; DeAndre Hopkins, Houston
Left Tackle — Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore
Right Tackle — Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans
Left Guard — Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis
Right Guard — Zack Martin, Dallas
Center — Jason Kelce, Philadelphia
DEFENSE
Edge Rushers — Chandler Jones, Arizona; T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh
Interior Linemen — Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams; Cam Heyward, Pittsburgh
Linebackers — Bobby Wagner, Seattle; Demario Davis, New Orleans; Eric Kendricks, Minnesota.
Cornerbacks — Stephon Gilmore, New England; Tre’Davious White, Buffalo
Safeties — Jamal Adams, New York Jets; Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh
Defensive Back — Marcus Peters, Baltimore; Tyrann Mathieu, Kansas City; and Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore
SPECIAL TEAMS
Placekicker — Justin Tucker, Baltimore
Punter — Brett Kern, Tennessee
Kick Returner — Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago
Punt Returner — Deonte Harris, New Orleans
Special Teamer — Matthew Slater, New England
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Russell Wilson, Seattle
Running Back — Derrick Henry, Tennessee
Flex — Derrick Henry, Tennessee
Tight End — Travis Kelce, Kansas City
Wide Receivers — Julio Jones, Atlanta; Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay
Left Tackle — David Bakhtiari, Green Bay
Right Tackle — Mitchell Schwartz, Kansas City
Left Guard — Joel Bitonio, Cleveland; Joe Thuney, New England
Right Guard — Marshal Yanda, Baltimore
Center — Rodney Hudson, Oakland
DEFENSE
Edge Rushers — Shaq Barrett, Tampa Bay; Cameron Jordan, New Orleans
Interior Linemen — Grady Jarrett, Atlanta; DeForest Buckner, San Francisco
Linebackers — Luke Kuechly, Carolina; Darius Leonard, Indianapolis; T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh
Cornerbacks — Richard Sherman, San Francisco; Marcus Peters, Baltimore
Safeties — Justin Simmons, Denver; Tyrann Mathieu, Kansas City
SPECIAL TEAMS
Placekicker — Josh Lambo, Jacksonville
Punter — Tress Way, Washington
Kick Returner — Mecole Hardman, Kansas City
Punt Returner — Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh
Special Teamer — Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago, and J.T. Gray, New Orleans
Play of the Game: Keenan Allen’s 12-yard touchdown reception
It’s not just Mike Williams making the leaping plays. Allen made an impressive grab, showing great concentration and footwork to get both feet in bounds to put the Chargers on the scoreboard in the second quarter.
103: Wide receiver Keenan Allen set a career-high with 103 receptions.
Quick Takes
Like last weekend, quarterback Philip Rivers didn’t have a spectacular game, but it wasn’t bad, either. The majority of Rivers’ success came from underneath, particularly by running backs Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler who combined for 119 yards through the air.
Rivers had two interceptions today, finishing with 20 interceptions on the season, which was one shy from a career-high.
Ekeler fell seven yards shy from reaching 1,000 yards receiving.
The offensive line fared well in the first half, but the second half was not promising at all as Rivers was sacked three times and hit a handful of times.
The defense was mostly stout in the first half, but they looked lifeless in the second half. It all started with a punt return given up that went for a score by wide receiver Mecole Hardman and a long rushing touchdown by running back Damien Williams that was resulted in missed tackles.
On a positive note, the Chargers were the only divisional team to keep quarterback Patrick Mahomes under 200 passing yards in both games, intercept him in both games, and not allow a multi-passing touchdown game.
Up Next
The Chargers finish the season with a 5-11 record, 0-6 in division play. They enter the offseason with uncertainty on certain players like quarterback Philip Rivers and running back Melvin Gordon. Areas that will need to be addressed include the offensive line, wide receiver, cornerback and defensive tackle position.
Players of the Los Angeles Chargers voice how they felt following the loss to the Oakland Raiders.
The Oakland Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16 of the regular season on Sunday afternoon.
Even though the Chargers didn’t have anything to play for since they had been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, it was evident in their effort on the field.
“In that first half, we just didn’t come out with no passion. It shows and they hopped on us and we couldn’t get the lead back. I feel like there was some passion gone,” running back Melvin Gordon said.
Part of the reason why they couldn’t find success was their lackluster performance in the running game, as they only managed 19 yards on 16 carries.
“It was a tough day running the ball. For whatever reason, we were getting stuffed or even losing yards. It’s hard to get your offense going when they make you one-dimensional,” running back Austin Ekeler said.
Not only was it the ground game that struggled. The defense allowed too many big plays, both through the air and on the ground, which put the unit into a deeper hole.
One of the lone bright spots, safety Derwin James, acknowledged that the team was beat, saying the Raiders straight up whooped their a**.
The loss dropped Los Angeles to 5-10 and 0-5 in divisional play. Defensive end Joey Bosa knows they have a talented team and with a couple key additions to the roster, they should be back to their winning ways in 2020.
#Chargers DE Joey Bosa says the team has talent and says that just because they are losing now doesn’t mean they will continue losing. pic.twitter.com/0v8z2QIV2f
After three years playing at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Chargers are set to embark on a new era at SoFi Stadium, which will be shared with the Rams starting in 2020.
One thing the team will hope to eventually gain is a large fan base that’s in favor of them, rather than the opposing team.
“That didn’t have anything to do with the outcome of the game. But being someone that remembers what it used to be like at home games (in San Diego), it’s pretty bad. You appreciate the Chargers fans that are out there, but it is disheartening to say the least,” quarterback Philip Rivers said.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lists three observations from the Los Angeles Chargers’ Week 16 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
The Los Angeles Chargers fell to the Oakland Raiders by the score of 24-17 on Sunday afternoon.
Here are three observations from the Week 16 loss:
Not bad, but not outstanding
In what could have been his final home game with the Chargers, quarterback Philip Rivers delivered a decent performance that didn’t give much to offer in terms of whether or not he should be back for Year 17.
Rivers, who dealt with a hand injury, started off cold and he didn’t benefit from a slew of dropped passes. But he slowly started producing positive yardage as the game went on, where he flourished in the short to intermediate parts of the field.
As a result, Rivers finished 27-of-39 passing for 279 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He managed to go without an interception Sunday for only the sixth time this season.
Following the game, Rivers was asked many questions regarding his future. He said that he feels like he could still play, but he’s going to take some time to discuss his future with his family following the season. It’s also up to the franchise to decide if they even want to bring him back for another stint.
After spending three seasons in a soccer stadium, coaches and players of the Los Angeles Chargers are ready to move on.
The Los Angeles Chargers will play their final game at Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly knows as StubHub Center, this Sunday when they take on the Oakland Raiders.
After moving from San Diego to Los Angeles in 2017, the Chargers used the stadium that served as the main home to the L.A. Galaxy as their temporary home for three seasons.
The stadium that held 27,000 didn’t seem like home for the Bolts as the stands were flooded with fans to the opposing team, where their cheers outnumbered the Chargers fans and quite often booed them, too.
The high cost of tickets made a habit of selling their tickets for profit. But it’s been tough for the Chargers to build a market as there hasn’t been a football team in Los Angeles for two decades and because of it, those seats were filled with colors other than blue and gold.
For many of the players and coaches, they’re ready to start a new era when they move into SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA with a seat capacity of 78,000, which will be shared with the Rams starting in 2020.
“I’m pretty excited for the new stadium to open up. Look at the game last week, 90 percent purple, maybe. That’s tough. Hopefully when we go to the new stadium it’s a lot better. Hopefully we have a decent fan base, a decent following,” guard Michael Schofield said.
Coach Anthony Lynn compared it to a high school football stadium in Texas, while punter Ty Long felt like it was similar to the stadiums in the Canadian Football League where he played before signing with Los Angeles.
“We’re going to miss the place. You never are going to play someplace like that again, I believe, in that type of intimate environment. We’ll miss it, but we’re looking forward to going to our new home,” Lynn said.
The Chargers lost their first three games there before winning the final five home games of the 2017 season. They have an 11-10 home record compared to being 14-9 on the road during the three-year stint.
Fans that paid the hefty price to watch their favorite team at Dignity Health Sports Park were able to get an up-close experience as it appeared to be a lower level view no matter where they sat.
But players are excited to move into a new stadium that will give them the feeling like they’re actually playing in the National Football League.
“There’s something about that bigger stadium that feels like, ‘OK, now I’m on the big stage. I feel like a Roman gladiator, a rock star, all that. It’s just part of the experience,” running back Austin Ekeler said, per Orange County Register’s Gilbert Manzano.
Julio Jones, Drew Brees, Mark Ingram and Larry Fitzgerald are among those with milestones within reach.
The end of the season means some players can achieve seasonal and career milestones. Here’s a look at some of those who are nearing plateaus.
Jameis Winston
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Jameis Winston needs 427 passing yards to reach 5,000 for the 2019 season. It won’t be easy with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, his 1-2 receiving punch sidelined.
Running back Austin Ekeler expects a ‘frenzy’ around the Los Angeles Chargers with free agency near.
When the Chargers take the field on Sunday against the Raiders, it could be the last home game in the blue and gold for some notable players.
On Wednesday, running back Austin Ekeler acknowledged that it’s not just those social media that are wondering who’s going to be on the team when they move into their new stadium next year.
“I think upstairs they’re trying to keep that on the down low until the season’s over because it’s about to be a frenzy in our locker room, especially on the offensive side with all the contracts that are coming up.
Everyone’s kind of looking around like, ‘Hey, what do you guys think is going to go on?’ None of us know. We don’t know what they’re going to do upstairs. We know what we want. But that’s a different story,” Ekeler said.
After this season, quarterback Philip Rivers, running back Melvin Gordon, guard Michael Schofield, tight end Hunter Henry, and fullback Derek Watt will all become unrestricted free agents.
Ekeler is among the few who will be a restricted free agent.
Rivers is the member that will be monitored the most. The veteran quarterback, who’s started 233 consecutive games in his 16-year stint, knows that this could be his last two games with the Bolts.
His remarks regarding his future following the loss to the Vikings raised eyebrows, but he clarified what he meant while stating he’s still focused on the rest of the season.
“I think I was just acknowledging the obvious. I think in anybody’s circumstance you better focus on the present. It’s not like I’m in Year 2 of a six-year contract.
You want to approach every week like it could be your last because you never know. Anything can happen. You never really want to take anything for granted. But you can’t over-dramatize each week based on the ‘what ifs,'” Rivers said.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez believes there were two players from the Los Angeles Chargers that were snubbed from the 2020 Pro Bowl.
On Tuesday night, the rosters for the 2020 Pro Bowl were revealed.
Two members of the Los Angeles Chargers made it: wide receiver Keenan Allen and defensive end Joey Bosa, with defensive end Melvin Ingram and fullback Derek Watt serving as alternates.
Like every year, there were a lot of snubs across the league. For the Chargers, there were other players who should have been traveling to Orlando, FL along with Allen and Bosa.
The first is running back Austin Ekeler. Ekeler wasn’t even named an alternate, which is mind-boggling. The 24-year old is eighth in yards from scrimmage (1,392) and total touchdowns (11).
It’s understanding that Ekeler isn’t the team’s No. 1 running back, but he’s made one of the biggest impacts on the offensive side of the ball. Not to mention, it wouldn’t be surprising if he helped take your fantasy football team to the playoffs.
The other snub is cornerback Casey Hayward. Hayward has made the Pro Bowl twice (2016, 2017), but this season has been one of the best of his eight-year career.
Hayward might not be up there in statistics with other corners across the league, but that’s because opposing quarterbacks rarely throw to his side of the field.
During a four-week stretch, Hayward allowed only one catch for four yards, including games against Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers and Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez says the eight Chargers players that should be selected to the 2020 Pro Bowl.
The rosters for the 2020 Pro Bowl are set to be announced on Tuesday on the NFL Network’s special “NFL Access: Pro Bowl Players Revealed” at 5:00 p.m. PT.
Even though it’s been a disappointing season for the Los Angeles Chargers, there are still a few players on the roster that have shown to be worthy enough to play in the prestigious game with the league’s best players.
First and foremost is defensive end Joey Bosa. Bosa is a lock because he still leads the AFC in votes at his perspective position. The former Ohio State product is fourth in tackles for loss (18) and eighth in sacks (10.5).
Opposite of Bosa is DE Melvin Ingram, who is also worthy of making the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season.
Ingram doesn’t nearly have the stats that Bosa does, but his presence is known on a weekly basis, where he’s been a force at generating pressure, stopping the run and coming up big on third-down situations.
Another player on the defensive side of the ball that should be voted in is cornerback Casey Hayward, who still isn’t getting enough attention as one of the best at the position.
Though he only has two interceptions this season, the numbers don’t do the justice to show how great he is in coverage. Opposing quarterbacks purposely don’t throw in his direction because they know they will likely have to pay a price.
On the other side of the ball, there are four players who are worthy of making the Pro Bowl — wide receivers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, tight end Hunter Henry and running back Austin Ekeler.
Allen surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark this past weekend (1,046), marking for a third straight season. He is 10 receptions shy from hitting the 100 mark and he has five touchdowns to go with that.
Williams is 88 yards shy from the 1,000 yard mark. He leads the NFL by averaging 21 yards per reception. It took a little bit to find the end zone after posting 10 last season, but he has a pair of scores in the last two weeks.
Henry is eighth in receiving yards at his position (565). The 25-year old also has four touchdowns. Not to mention, he did that while missing four weeks earlier this season.
Ekeler is the definition of efficient. He is nearing 1,400 yards from scrimmage and has 11 total touchdowns to go along with that, while serving as running back Melvin Gordon’s backup.
Finally, you can’t forget about fullback Derek Watt. Watt has been the team’s special teams ace, tied for the league in special teams total tackles with 15 on the season.
When the rosters are revealed tonight, we can expect between six and eight Chargers players to be named to the Pro Bowl roster.
It is said the real NFL season doesn’t begin until after Thanksgiving.
And even if that’s a touch of hyperbole, that statement is at least true for the fantasy season. And, in actuality, with the fantasy postseason beginning in the majority of leagues in Week 14, the real fantasy season begins in Week 12, with the final two weeks of the stretch run deciding a host of playoff berths.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
It is said the real NFL season doesn’t begin until after Thanksgiving.
And even if that’s a touch of hyperbole, that statement is at least true for the fantasy season. And, in actuality, with the fantasy postseason beginning in the majority of leagues in Week 14, the real fantasy season begins in Week 12, with the final two weeks of the stretch run deciding a host of playoff berths.
That in mind, we’re going to look back over the past month – covering the final two weeks of the fantasy regular season and the first two playoff weekends – and highlight some of the unexpected top performers during that pivotal stretch who have helped shape fantasy 2019.
Here goes …
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Titans
Week 12-15 position rank: 3. 105.8 total fantasy points/26.5 per-game average
Tennessee’s new Titan continued his impressive run Sunday, throwing for 279 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 10 yards and another score in a tough, 24-21 AFC South showdown loss to the visiting Texans. It was Tannehill’s sixth 20-point fantasy outing in eight games since taking over from Marcus Mariota as the team’s starter in Week 7, and only Lamar Jackson and Jameis Winston have totaled more QB fantasy points since.
Mitchell Trubisky, QB, Bears
Week 12-15 position rank: 4. 104.2/26.1
Trubisky and the Chicago offense were a study in dysfunction for the first three quarters of the season, and the QB only had two 20-point fantasy outings in nine games heading into Week 11. But since, he’s posted four straight, including back-to-back three touchdown pass outings in Weeks 13 and 14. But it wasn’t all about Trubisky’s arm. After rushing for a total of only 58 yards and no scores in his first nine contests, he’s rushed for 114 and two TDs over the last four games as he tries to prove to the Bears’ brass that he deserves another year as the team’s starter.
Kyle Allen, QB, Panthers
Week 12-15 position rank: 8. 92.1/23.0
Lost in his 15 interceptions and three lost fumbles since Week 8, Allen has quietly followed the Winston Lite path to fantasy success with nine total touchdowns (to offset eight turnovers) over the last four games. But unlike his division-rival Winston, who’s put up league-winning numbers down the stretch along with his usual bushel of turnovers, Allen merely has played just well enough – particularly while trying to rally late in games – to keep a number of his two-quarterback fantasy teams afloat over the last month with four steady but unspectacular outings between 17.6 and 27.3 points.
Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles
Week 12-15 position rank: 9. 88.8/22.2
Wentz has bounced back nicely from an ugly midseason lull that featured only one 20-point fantasy outing between Weeks 5 and 11. Since then, though, the Philly QB has averaged 22.2 points, with eight TD passes and only one interception over his last three contests. What’s even more impressive is that Wentz has done so during a brutal, injury-filled span that has decimated his supporting cast, particularly a wide receiver corps that has seen its top three Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor miss extended stretches, including each of the last two games.
Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers
Week 12-15 position rank: 4. 61.1 (point-per-reception scoring)/20.4
It may seem like bad timing here with Ekeler coming off one of his worst fantasy days (13.1 PPR points) of the season in Sunday’s blowout loss to the visiting Vikings, but he was coming off his second-best game of the season (31.3 points) with 213 total yards and a TD on only 12 touches, lifting many of his teams to victory in the opening round of the fantasy playoffs. More importantly, for the longer-term fantasy view, he continues to outperform fellow Bolts back Melvin Gordon, averaging 17.4 points to Gordon’s 14.0 since the latter’s 2019 debut in Week 5, despite logging 52 fewer touches during that span.
Miles Sanders, RB, Eagles
Week 12-15 position rank: 5. 79.2/19.8
The rookie back picked a highly opportune time for his best game of the season, rolling up 35.2 fantasy points Sunday in D.C. with his first 100-yard rushing game (122 and a TD on 19 carries) and reeling in a season-high six catches for 50 additional yards and another score. He also became the Eagles’ first 100-yard rusher since LeGarrette Blount in Week 4 of the 2017 season – a streak of 41 games. And to think, a number of fantasy GMs would’ve rather started fellow Philly RB Boston Scott (13.5 points Sunday), following the latter’s surprise showing (24.8 points) a week ago. With Jordan Howard’s lingering injury absence, though, Sanders is Philly back you want as he’s totaled at least 15 touches in each of the last four games.
Kenyan Drake, RB, Cardinals
Week 12-15 position rank: 7. 56.4/18.8
Sure, 39.6 of Drake’s 56.4 fantasy points over the last month came in one amazing swoop Sunday when he paced the league on the strength of his 146 total yards and four TDs in a beatdown of the Browns, but the lesson from the outing is more about what’s happening in the Arizona backfield overall. While Drake was notching a career in rushing yards, David Johnson touched the ball only three times – all rushing attempts – for six yards while Chase Edmonds didn’t get a touch. It’s increasingly looking like it’s unquestionably Drake’s backfield in Arizona – for the rest of 2019 and entering 2020.
Raheem Mostert, RB, 49ers
Week 12-15 position rank: 8. 74.9/18.7
As the newly crowned lead back of the league’s second most proficient rushing team, Mostert has found his way into the end zone in each of his last four games and has averaged 16 touches and 107.3 yards from scrimmage over his last three contests. There will always be other backs in the mix in a (Kyle) Shanahan offense, but the lead dog in a Shanny attack is always a cherished fantasy asset nonetheless.
A.J. Brown, WR, Titans
Week 12-15 position rank: 1. 90.0/22.5
A full 50.2 percent of the rookie’s total fantasy-point output has come over his last four games as he’s reeled in 20 of 29 targets for a league-most 447 yards and four TDs over that span. It’s taken the Titans until late in the season to finally fully realize what a weapon they have in the 6-1, 225-pound Brown, who was targeted a season-high 13 times in Sunday’s divisional showdown against the Texans – five more than other game this season – and it naturally resulted in a career-high eight receptions as well. Don’t look now, but the Titan(ic) Triplets – Tannehill, RB Derrick Henry and Brown – are as impressive as any in the league right now, especially when it comes to fantasy.
DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins
Week 12-15 position rank: 8. 78.0/19.5
Only a day after signing a sparkling new four-year, $40 million contract extension, Parker accounted for the Dolphins’ only TDs in a 36-20 road loss to the Giants, catching four of seven targets for a team-high 72 yards. It was the second multi-TD catch outing in three weeks – sandwiched around a concussion-shortened Week 14 matchup against the Jets – and his seventh game with at least 15 fantasy points in his last 11 outings, including the concussion contest. The Dolphins said as much with the new contract, but we’ve finally arrived in Parker-Is-A-True-No. 1-WR territory.
Anthony Miller, WR, Bears
Week 12-15 position rank: 11. 76.7/19.2
Robert Woods and Saints stud Michael Thomas (barring a catch-less Monday night) have are the only wide receivers who have caught more passes since Week 12 than Miller, who’s snared 27 for 377 yards and a pair of TDs. It’s been quite the turnaround for the second-year wideout who entered Week 11 with only one double-digit fantasy-point game but has gone 5-for-5 in that category ever since, including a season-high 26.8 points Sunday with nine catches for 118 yards and a TD on 15 targets. Only Julio Jones (20) and George Kittle (17) were targeted more Sunday.
Breshad Perriman, WR, Buccaneers
Week 12-15 position rank: 14. 69.7/17.4
The Bucs’ top wide receivers (Mike Evans last week, Chris Godwin on Sunday) keep going down with “not-good” hamstring injuries, and Perriman keeps stepping up to fill the void, with four of his 11 targets and eight receptions going for TDs the last two weeks, including a trio on Sunday in Detroit. By comparison, Perriman only had seven career scoring receptions entering the game. A former washout as a 2015 first-round pick in Baltimore, Perriman looks as if he might’ve finally found a home in his third NFL stop, and he’ll likely get a chance to prove as much as the Bucs’ projected No. 1 wideout over the final two games.
Darius Slayton, WR, Giants
Week 12-15 position rank: 18. 64.6/16.2
The rookie fifth-round selection out of Auburn has transitioned from rookie QB Daniel Jones to veteran Eli Manning without as much as a hiccup, recording three TD grabs among his seven receptions over the last two weeks, giving him eight on the season. His scores have come by the pair more often than not as he has a trio of two-touchdown games (Weeks 8, 10 and 14), and the only wide receivers with more TD grabs on the season overall are Kenny Golladay (10), Godwin (nine) and Marvin Jones (nine). Not too shabby at all for an overlooked late-round pick who’s become the Giants’ most productive pass-catcher.
Tyler Higbee, TE, Rams
Week 12-15 position rank: 4. 72.4/18.1
There was another chapter penned Sunday in this true out-of-nowhere story as Higbee caught a career-high 12 passes for 111 yards on 14 targets in a loss at Dallas. This comes on the heels of his first career 100-yard receiving games (107 and 116 yards in Weeks 13 and 14). Higbee’s 354 receiving yards lead all tight ends over the last four weeks, and only Christian McCaffrey, with 35, has more receptions than Higbee’s 31 since Week 12. As for targets, only Zach Ertz has more among tight ends than Higbee’s 39 during that same span. To put things in further perfective, Higbee’s 31 receptions over the last four games are a full 10 more than he had, total, in his first 10 games this season or in any of his first three seasons from 2016-2018.
Jason Witten, TE, Cowboys
Week 12-15 position rank: 7. 42.0/10.5
This 37-year-old future Hall of Famer isn’t washed up yet. In the same game Higbee was stealing the tight end show, Witten had the most impressive catch, a highlight-worthy one-handed 19-yard scoring grab in the opening quarter that kick-started the Cowboys’ 44-21 romp. Witten has been targeted at least five times in six of his last seven games and has caught a TD pass in two of the last three weeks.
Mike Gesicki, TE, Dolphins
Week 12-15 position rank: 8. 41.0/10.3
Sure, we realize this emerging second-year tight end hasn’t been too great of late with five receptions for 53 yards on 13 targets over the last two games, but he’s been targeted at least six times in six of his last seven outings and had his first two career scoring receptions in Weeks 12 and 13. He’s the No. 2 pass-catching option on the league’s second-most pass-heaviest team (66.2 percent of all plays), and you can’t ask much more than that out of a fantasy tight end if you don’t roster any of the few elite options at the position.
EXTRA POINTS
So, of course, the week after it was pointed out here and elsewhere that Julio Jones has steadily underperformed for much of the season and was mired in the longest TD drought of his career (nine games), he comes up with best fantasy outing (38.4 points) in more than two seasons Sunday with 13 catches for 134 yards and two TDs on 20 targets against one of the league’s better defenses. His last TD catch was nothing short of a game-winning grab, coming on the final offensive play of the game and sending reverberations throughout the entire NFC playoff outlook as the Falcons stunned the host 49ers. However, it was only Jones’ third top-10 weekly wide receiver fantasy performance since Week 3.
The Bengals keep losing on their march toward the No. 1 overall draft pick next spring, but that hasn’t stopped RB Joe Mixon from writing one of the most compelling turnaround narratives of the season. On Sunday, despite a seemingly game script-unfriendly 34-13 loss to the Patriots, Mixon churned out the day’s second-best rushing performance (136 yards) on 25 carries and added three receptions for 20 more yards. Since the Bengals returned from their bye in Week 10, only McCaffrey, with 877, has churned out more yards from scrimmage than Mixon’s 745 and no running back is within 13 carries of Mixon’s league-high 130 rushing attempts during that span in which he ranks fourth at the position with 105.5 total fantasy points. Before the bye, Mixon was unstartable in the majority of leagues with only two fantasy outings of 12 points or more and four with 7.4 or fewer in his first eight games. But, over his last six contests, Mixon has scored fewer than 17 points only once.
Speaking of Mixon, he’s one of 10 running backs currently on pace to log 300 touches this season. Six (McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette, Ezekiel Elliott, Chris Carson, NickChubb and Dalvin Cook) are already there, with Derrick Henry, Mixon, Josh Jacobs and Le’Veon Bell on pace to reach the standard over the season’s final two weeks. There were only five, six and six 300-plus touch players, respectively, over the previous three seasons and 2012 was the last season with 10 or more RBs reaching the 300 mark.
