Titans-Chiefs: 5 Chiefs players to watch

Here’s a look at five Chiefs players to keep an eye on this week.

Sunday’s game between the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs will be the determining factor in which team represents the AFC in Super Bowl LIV.

Both teams will need breakout performances from some of their key players to come out with the win, and both Tennessee and Kansas City present their own unique challenges to their opponent.

Here’s a look at five Chiefs players to keep an eye on this week.

1. RB Damien Williams.

The Chiefs are much more of a passing team than they are a rushing team, but Williams has been an asset, finding the end zone on receptions and carries.

He’s been a historically dominant player in the postseason, having recorded four rushing touchdowns and three receiving scores in postseason contests, including last year’s.

He was a key factor in last week’s win over the Texans, finishing out with two rushing scores and one receiving touchdown.

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One key to victory for every conference championship team

With just four teams remaining, here’s one thing each of these teams must do if they want to make it to Super Bowl LIV.

Losing in any elimination game gives you the entire offseason to think about the things you should have done. For the Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Green Bay Packers, there’s still that one last hope for the Super Bowl that no other team still has this season. The AFC and NFC Championship game entrants have faced off in the regular season already.

In Week 10, the Titans came back from a 10-0 Chiefs lead, and Patrick Mahomes’ three-touchdown performance, to beat Kansas City 35-32. Ryan Tannehill, still in his first few games as Marcus Mariota’s replacement, threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to receiver Adam Humphries with 29 seconds left in regulation, and Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker missed a potential game-tying 52-yard field goal at the end of regulation. At least the Chiefs can say they were in that game.

The Packers, not so much. In Week 12, the 49ers beat the daylights out of Green Bay, 37-8. Aaron Rodgers averaged 3.15 yards per completion when he was able to throw the ball, the Packers went 1-for-15 on third down, and a defense that had been relatively on point allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to look like Joe Montana.

Still, the good news for both losing teams in this instance is that neither the Chiefs nor the Packers have lost a single game since those particular defeats. Mahomes seems to have recovered from his in-season injuries, Green Bay’s passing offense is more explosive, Kansas City’s defense is far better than it used to be, and the Packers’ coverage units seem to have recovered from what 49ers head coach and play-designer Kyle Shanahan did to them.

That said, the Titans are as in-tune as any remaining team on both sides of the ball, and with the postseason return of edge-rusher Dee Ford, linebacker Kwon Alexander, and safety Jaquiski Tartt, San Francisco’s defense has recovered nicely from a late-season swoon.

So, if we take the conference title games as new entities (as we should) while attempting to learn from the past, here’s one thing each of the remaining teams should do if they want to make it to Super Bowl LIV.

DFS PROS favorite plays: Divisional Weekend

Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for the AFC & NFC Championship Weekend of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for the AFC & NFC Championship Weekend of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.

QUARTERBACKS

PATRICK MAHOMES- $7700 DRAFTKINGS, $9500 FANDUEL

Patrick Mahomes is coming off monster game versus the Texans and is the clear top choice at Quarterback on this slate. He will be high owned but with a two-game slate it’s all about securing the top scorer here. Mahomes is averaging 23 points per game on the season and should be in for 25+ points in a home matchup versus the Titans. The Titans rank 28th vs opposing quarterbacks and without much of a run game, we should see most of the scoring through the air for the Chiefs. My lean on this slate is to target the Chiefs vs Titans game as much as possible as I think there will be 14-21 more points scored in this one.

RYAN TANNEHILL- $5500 DRAFTKINGS, $7700 FANDUEL

Tannehill and the Titans will have to pass to stay in this game. The man has been shockingly great since he has taken over the starting role. These Titans have been everyone’s bandwagon team after their glorious run to make the playoffs and shocking back to back upsets they have pulled off. I personally think they cover the spread and make this game interesting. Tannehill is averaging 19 points per game and has a nice matchup versus the Chiefs who rank 23rd vs opposing quarterbacks. For every 2 lineups I make with Mahomes I will own 1 share of Tannehill.

RUNNING BACKS

DERRICK HENRY-  $8700 DRAFTKINGS, $9800 FANDUEL

Henry just can’t be stopped. The opposing defenses he has been facing know he is getting the ball and they can’t do anything about it. When he gets stopped at the line he finds a way to fall forward for 3-4 yards. Then he has the speed to break monster runs and the strength to stiff-arm opponents on his way to the end zone. This offense is running through the big man and he should be locked in all of your lineups. He is averaging 22 points per game and has been in the 30’s in most of his recent games. The Chiefs rank 24th vs opposing running backs and this is an obvious spot to lock Henry unless you can predict injuries or want to fade him on purely an ownership perspective. I would fade Henry in 1 of every 8 lineups I make just to be different from the field.

DAMIEN WILLIAMS- $7000 DRAFTKINGS, $7600 FANDUEL

Williams has secured his role as the every-down back for the Chiefs. He got all the goal-line work last week and is coming off a 3 touchdown game. Like I stated above I will be targeting most of my pieces from this game and want to secure the points through the ground and air from the Chiefs side. Williams is averaging 14 points per game and should provide a safe floor this weekend. The Titans rank 18th vs opposing running backs and I will be happy with a touchdown and combined 85 yards out of Williams as my RB2.

WIDE RECEIVERS

DEEBO SAMUEL- $5500 DRAFTKINGS, $6300 FANDUEL

I preached to pay up at quarterback and running back so I need to find us some value at the receiver position. I’m looking for upside and low ownership and Deebo provides that. The man is involved in the run game and is one of the most targeted 49er when they decide to pass the ball. This game should be higher scoring than last week’s affair with the Vikings so I predict Samuel to have a better game this week. He is averaging 12 points per game on the season and has a nice matchup against the Packers who rank 16th vs opposing wide receivers.

SAMMY WATKINS- $4600 DRAFTKINGS, $5200 FANDUEL

You know it’s a short slate and I’m digging for value when I mention the name Sammy Watkins. But we need value and upside, and Watkins provides that on this slate. He is the number 2 receiver on this Chiefs team and he can provide a long touchdown at any time. This is not a safe play by any means but on a two-game slate I will take Watkins who is averaging 10 points per game on the season. The Titans rank 18th vs opposing wide receivers so let’s hope Watkins takes advantage of that and secures a long touchdown on Sunday.

TIGHT ENDS

TRAVIS KELCE- $7100 DRAFTKINGS, $7800 FANDUEL

If I can afford it I plan to pay up for safety at the tight end position on this slate and lock up my 15+ points and hope the upside comes. For the same reasons I like Mahomes above, Kelce makes for a great stack. The Titans have trouble defending the pass and specifically covering the tight end where they rank 25th against the position. On a two-game slate its slim pickings at tight end, so play it safe and get cute elsewhere.

JONNU SMITH- $3400 DRAFTKINGS, $5600 FANDUEL

We need value on this slate and as long as Kelce doesn’t have a repeat performance Jonnu Smith should be a safe play at his price. He made a remarkable catch versus the Ravens last week and gets a dream matchup this week. Even if I pay up for Kelce at tight end I don’t mind playing Smith in my flex position for a great value. The Chiefs are towards the bottom of the league defending the tight end and rank 28th so lock in Smith for one of the best point per dollar option on the slate.

DEFENSES

49ERS- $3200 DRAFTKINGS, $4600 FANDUEL

The 49ers defense looked unstoppable last game versus the Vikings. The held the Vikings to 7 first downs the entire game, 0 first downs via the rush, and held them to 0 first downs over a 27-minute span of the game. Keep it simple and play the 49ers at home. I know Aaron Rodgers is on the other side of the ball and he wants to stick it to the Niners for not drafting him but this defense is too good and Rodgers doesn’t have enough weapons beside him.

PACKERS- $2700 DRAFTKINGS, $4000 FANDUEL

The Packers are my value defense at almost minimum price on both sites. The Packers are my default value defense because I’m staying away from the Chiefs vs Titans game. Add the fact they are facing off against the unproven playoff arm of Jimmy G and we have some nice upside at the price so click the button and hope for the best. Jimmy will make a mistake or two and hopefully the Packers defense can do some damage.

Jason Mezrahi has been a professional, top-ranked Daily Fantasy Player on FanDuel and DraftKings for more than seven years. He has won FanDuel’s $155,555 King of the Diamond competition and placed second in DraftKings’ Fantasy Basketball World Championship, earning him $300,000. He owns and operates WinDailySports.com, which supports the DFS and Sports Betting community with resources such as tools, projection models, in-depth written analysis and podcasts, plus much more.

Mahomes, Chiefs bury Texans 51-31 in AFC divisional

The Kansas City Chiefs overcame a 21-0 first quarter deficit to down the Houston Texans 51-31 in the AFC divisional Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs on eight straight scoring drives to overcome a 21-0 first quarter deficit and beat the Houston Texans 51-31 Sunday afternoon the AFC divisional at Arrowhead Stadium.

Mahomes completed 23-of-35 for 351 yards and five touchdowns, three of which were caught by tight end Travis Kelce as part of his 10 catches for 134 yards, a game-high.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson completed 31-of-52 for 388 yards and two touchdowns. Receiver DeAndre Hopkins caught nine passes for 118 yards. Receiver Kenny Stills had three catches for 80 yards and a touchdown, and wideout Will Fuller caught five catches for 89 yards.

Summary

The Chiefs scored on eight straight possessions to overcome the Texans’ 21-0 first quarter lead and win the game 51-31.

Turning point

With 8:32 to go in the second quarter and the Texans leading 24-7, Houston ran a fake run out of punt formation to safety Justin Reid. Safety Daniel Sorensen tackled Reid for a gain on two on fourth-and-4 from the Texans’ 31-yard line.

Unique stat

Texans: For the first time in franchise history, they posted a 21-0 first quarter lead in their 298th franchise game.

Chiefs: Kansas City is the first team in NFL history to be down by 20-plus and win by 20-plus in a playoff game.

Scoring summary

Houston Texans — 21, 3, 7, 0 — 19

Kansas City Chiefs — 0, 28, 13, 10, — 51

injury report

Texans

  • Hopkins played through a rib injury.
  • RT Chris Clark injured his lower leg, but returned to the game.

Chiefs:

  • Kelce dealt with a hamstring injury, but did not leave the game.

Up Next

The Texans season ends with an 11-7 record and their sixth AFC South title in club history.

The Chiefs will host the Tennessee Titans at 2:05 p.m. CT on Jan. 19 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Bill O’Brien’s field-goal decision leads to avalanche of points for Chiefs

Bill O’Brien thought he was making a simple decision. The resulting carnage may have him thinking twice.

Up 21-0 against the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs due to a weird conflagration of events and looking at a fourth-and-1 from the Kansas City 13-yard line, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien elected to take the points as opposed to risking giving the ball back to Patrick Mahomes. So, kicker John Christian Ka’iminoeauloameka’ikeokekumupa’a Fairbairn (Ka’imi to his friends) booted a 31-yard field goal, and Houston had a 24-0 lead with 10:58 left in the first half.

But there was a slow, yawning chasm of concern over this decision — instead of forcing the Chiefs to take over at their own 13-yard line in a worst-case scenario, Houston kicked off to receiver Mecole Hardman, who promptly returned the ball 58 yards to the Houston 42-yard line. Mahomes then hit tight end Travis Kelce for 25 yards, and then hit running back Damien Williams for a 17-yard score.

The Texans went three-and-out after that, punted the ball back to Kansas City, and it took Mahomes just three plays (and a 28-yard pass interference call on Houston cornerback Lonnie Johnson) to score another touchdown, on this five-yard pass to Travis Kelce.

Texans receiver DeAndre Carter fumbled the subsequent kickoff, and that fumble was recovered by Chiefs rookie running back Darwin Thompson, and returned to the Houston six-yard line. Didn’t take long from there for Mahomes to hit Kelce again.

But, wait! There’s more! With 58 seconds left in the first half, Mahomes hit Kelce AGAIN for ANOTHER touchdown, taking the lead from a 24-0 hole.

And with that, Mahomes became the second quarterback in postseason history to throw four touchdown passes in any quarter, matching Doug Williams of the Redskins in Super Bowl XXII.

We’ll never know what would have happened had O’Brien gone for it, but the avalanche of points that resulted from that one decision would lead one to assume it may not have been the right decision. Let’s just say that those who have covered pro football in Houston for decades are unimpressed with O’Brien’s strategic acumen.

So… it’s Chiefs 28, Texans 24 at the half, Buckle up, folks.

DFS PROS favorite plays: Divisional Weekend

Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for the Divisional Round Weekend of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Top-ranked DFS PRO Jason Mezrahi, founder and CEO of WinDailySports.com, breaks down his favorite Daily Fantasy Football plays at various salary ranges for the Divisional Round Weekend of the NFL. Find out who Jason will be locking in his lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.

QUARTERBACKS

LAMAR JACKSON- $8400 DRAFTKINGS, $9400 FANDUEL

Lamar Jackson is the soon to be MVP and will be asked to put on a performance to carry these Ravens to a Super Bowl championship. Lamar’s season rivals the top running backs of the league and if this trend continues through the playoffs he will be winning everyone who rosters him a bunch of money. Jackson is averaging 29 fantasy points per game, with over 3000 passing yards, and 1200 rushing yards. He has been super consistent and his bad performances have still crushed other quarterbacks on the slate. If the Titans can keep up with the Ravens, Lamar should carve up this 24th ranked pass defense and lock in 25+ points.

PATRICK MAHOMES- $7500 DRAFTKINGS, $8600 FANDUEL

Mahomes has a chip on his shoulder and weapons to do something about it. He has a ceiling as high as Lamar Jackson with a similar floor as well. On top of his talent and weapons around him he also has the best matchup on the board facing the 29th ranked defense versus the quarterback. Playoff slates are tough, but I feel confident locking up my 20+ points with one of the two top quarterbacks and digging for value at the other skilled positions.

RUNNING BACKS

AARON JONES-  $7400 DRAFTKINGS, $8200 FANDUEL

Jones is having a breakout season and he will continue his run in a home matchup versus the Seahawks. Jones reminds me of a mini version of Derrick Henry at a nice price discount. He hasn’t accumulated as many yards from scrimmage but he matched him with 19 touchdowns on the season. Jones is the focal point in this Green Bay offense and will be used heavily in a matchup versus the Seahawks. The Seahawks will get gashed by the Packer run game and have had issues stopping the run all season. Game script will also be in Aaron’s favor which should lead to extra carries in the fourth quarter so ride him to value.

DAMIEN WILLIAMS- $6000 DRAFTKINGS, $6900 FANDUEL

To pay up for a quarterback and other skilled positions we need to find some value and Williams provides that. Towards the end of the season, Williams was used more heavily and flashed some upside. I see the Chiefs dominating this game on both sides of the ball and I want the cheap exposure to this offense and I get that with Williams. My strategy will be to run 1 lineup with Williams and the Chiefs defense and another lineup with Mahomes with Kelce or Hill.

WIDE RECEIVERS

DEEBO SAMUEL- $5200 DRAFTKINGS, $6100 FANDUEL

Samuel is a rookie wide receiver who has the upside to win you a tournament. He’s elusive when he gets the ball in his hands and he provides the upside, low ownership, and value we need to separate us from the field. Pair that with the fact that the Vikings rank 26th against opposing wide receivers and we should have a breakout performance. As long as the Vikings stay in the game late we could see some fireworks out of Deebo. Samuel is more of a tournament play for me than a cash game play.

ADAM THIELEN- $6200 DRAFTKINGS, $6900 FANDUEL

Adam Thielen is an elite wide receiver priced like a mid-tier player. Thielen, for the most part, has been resting since week 9 but will play a major role if the Vikings can keep this close.  The Vikings should be playing from behind in this game and will have to score to keep up. Similar to last week I want to take advantage of the price discount coupled with the game script factor. Thielen is a safe cash game play with tournament upside in the mid-range to lock into your lineups and build around.

TIGHT ENDS

TRAVIS KELCE- $6400 DRAFTKINGS, $7500 FANDUEL

I plan to pay up for safety at the tight end position on this slate and lock up my 10+ points and hope the upside comes. For the same reasons I like Mahomes above, Kelce makes for a great stack. The Texans have trouble defending the pass and specifically covering the tight end where they rank 19th against the position. On a four-game slate its slim pickings at tight end, so play it safe and get cute elsewhere.

MARK ANDREWS- $5600 DRAFTKINGS, $6800 FANDUEL

Andrews is the safest Raven to stack with Lamar Jackson. The hope with Andrews is that he breaks the slate with one of his 20 point performances while all the other tight ends cap out at 10 points or less. He has four 20+ point performances on the season and could be in line for his fifth. Tennessee struggles defending the pass ranking 24th in passing yards per game and also rank 23rd covering the tight end. Lock up Andrews in all of your Jackson stacks and feel free to play in both cash and tournaments.

DEFENSES

CHIEFS- $3200 DRAFTKINGS, $4200 FANDUEL

I will set the over/under on Watson stacks at 5 and I believe the Chiefs go over it. The Bills are not a sack heavy team and they got to Watson all day long and accumulated a ton of fantasy points strictly on sacks. The Chiefs are cheap, playing at home, and are facing an offensive line who can’t protect their quarterback. Take the discount with the Chiefs and watch them bring the heat and force turnovers all day long.

VIKINGS- $2700 DRAFTKINGS, $3700 FANDUEL

The Vikings are my value defense at almost minimum price on both sites. We saw what this defense did on the road versus Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and the Saints offense. On paper, this should be an easier matchup for this Defense and I like the price. The Vikings have been consistently good all season and average nine fantasy points per game as a defense. Add the fact they are facing off against the unproven playoff arm of Jimmy G and we have some nice upside at the price so click the button and hope for the best.

Jason Mezrahi has been a professional, top-ranked Daily Fantasy Player on FanDuel and DraftKings for more than seven years. He has won FanDuel’s $155,555 King of the Diamond competition and placed second in DraftKings’ Fantasy Basketball World Championship, earning him $300,000. He owns and operates WinDailySports.com, which supports the DFS and Sports Betting community with resources such as tools, projection models, in-depth written analysis and podcasts, plus much more.

Targets, touches and touchdowns: Week 17

Christmas Week is here, and hopefully Santa already has delivered a championship or two among your fantasy leagues.

But if you fell short, don’t fret. Fantasy titles are harder to come by than many realize. Among other things, it takes a near-ideal combination of right-player, right-week performances and matchups, lineup-decision fortune and a dash of unpredictable randomness to fall your way over a series of weekends.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Christmas Week is here, and hopefully Santa already has delivered a championship or two among your fantasy leagues.

But if you fell short, don’t fret. Fantasy titles are harder to come by than many realize. Among other things, it takes a near-ideal combination of right-player, right-week performances and matchups, lineup-decision fortune and a dash of unpredictable randomness to fall your way over a series of weekends.

In actuality, consistently finishing among the highest-scoring teams and/or qualifying for the postseason more often than not in the majority of your leagues are the better measures of true fantasy-football prowess.

As for the 2019 fantasy season itself, with the champions having been crowned in the majority of leagues, it’s time to take stock of the year that was in our final TT&T of the season.

More specifically, we’re selecting a stud, dud and surprise at each of the four major fantasy positions (quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end) and examining the impact each had on the current season and beyond. And as you’ll quickly see when we start to get into the numbers, 2019 will go down as one of the most memorable seasons in fantasy history.

First, though, thanks once again to you, loyal Huddle readers and subscribers, for making this all possible. And even if that fantasy championship still proved elusive, may all of your other holiday wishes come true.

Now, time for our 2019 studs, duds and surprises …

Quarterback

STUD: Lamar Jackson, Ravens. No contest doesn’t do the QB competition justice when you have the league leader in touchdown passes (36 through 15 games) and the NFL single-season quarterback rushing yards record-holder (1,206) rolled into one weekly must-see highlight-generating package. Jackson made an impression as a rookie in 2018, leading all QBs in rushing (699 yards) in essentially only seven starts, but there were legit concerns about his passing after he completed 58.2 percent of his throws and finished with only three more TD passes (six) than interceptions (three) while posting an 84.5 passer rating and 46.3 QBR. This season, Jackson has completed 66.1 percent of his passes for six times as many TDs (36) as picks (six) for an elite 113.3 rating and league-leading 81.1 QBR. Speaking of league-leading, Jackson had compiled 63 more fantasy points (462.9 total, Huddle Performance scoring) than the next closest QB (Jameis Winston) through play Sunday and had scored 30 or more points in two-thirds of his 15 games this season, including 39.2 and 34.2, respectively, in Weeks 15 and 16, the final two weeks of the fantasy playoffs in the majority of leagues. Even if Jackson rests in Week 17 with the Ravens already having put the wraps on the AFC’s No. 1 seed, his 2019 season goes down as one of the best quarterback campaigns (fantasy or reality) of all-time.

DUD: Baker Mayfield, Browns. Of the 2019 sophomore QBs, many were banking on Mayfield putting up Jackson-esque numbers as the No. 5 QB drafted, on average, in leagues, but four months later, we find him down at No. 18 at the position with 282.6 points through Sunday. That’s 24.8 points fewer than he totaled in 14 games as a rookie a year ago when he averaged 266.1 passing yards per outing with a rookie-record 27 TD tosses and 14 interceptions. This season, even with the much-ballyhooed addition of WR Odell Beckham Jr. (Spoiler Alert: more on him coming a little later) those figures have slipped to 236.5 yards per contest with 19 TDs and 18 picks. In total, Mayfield has had only two games with 25 or more fantasy points this season – which pales in comparison to the number of in-game Mayfield commercial spots we see on any given Sunday or the number of magazine covers the Browns QB appeared on this summer. It’s time for a personal and organizational reset in Cleveland.

SURPRISE: Ryan Tannehill, Titans. If you didn’t roster Jackson over the second half of the season, one of your next-best options would’ve been Tannehill, who took over starting duties from the benched Marcus Mariota in Week 7 and has averaged 26.7 fantasy points per outing. Only Jackson, at 30.9, is averaging more points per start this season. With 24 total TDs and only six interceptions during that nine-game span, Tannehill has finished with fewer than 20 points only once and has averaged an even more-impressive 29.6 points with nine total TDs during the three weeks of the fantasy playoffs. In Summary, “surprise” might not do Tannehill’s out-of-nowhere season justice.

Running back

STUD: Christian McCaffrey, Panthers. Just take a gander at your fantasy running back point-per-reception season leaderboard coming out of Sunday and witness the insane 150-point cushion C-Mac has over the rest of the field. Even in non-PPR scoring, McCaffrey has totaled 93.9 points than any other fantasy back. Through Sunday, McCaffrey had the second-most rushing yards (1,361) in the league but leads all players in yards from scrimmage (2,294), touchdowns (18) and total touches (387) while pacing all RBs in receptions (a single-season RB-record 109) and receiving yards (933). McCaffrey has finished with at least 24.5 PPR points in a whopping 11 of 15 games. And, sure, there have been a lot of garbage-time numbers down the stretch with the Panthers currently on a seven-game losing skid, but when a player has the stamina to take the weekly punishment required at running back while playing a full 98 percent of a team’s offensive snaps and accounting for 40.9 percent of its total offense and 50 percent of its offensive TDs, McCaffrey’s 2019 has been nothing short of a season for the ages.

DUD: David Johnson, Cardinals. While McCaffrey has had a season for the ages, Johnson, a fellow top-seven drafted running back, has endured one of the most memorable fantasy-dud campaigns in recent memory. Johnson came out of Sunday with totals of 107.5 (standard)/143.5 (PPR) fantasy points and injury – an ankle sprain that cost him all of Weeks 8 and 9 most of Week 7 – only played a small role in the deep disappointment. In six games since returning in Week 10, Johnson has totaled all of 16/22 fantasy points on 23 touches and is shockingly winding up the season on the fantasy waiver wire in most leagues while midseason trade acquisition Kenyan Drake runs wild as the new lead dog in the Arizona backfield. Who could’ve seen this coming in August?

SURPRISE: Austin Ekeler, Chargers. He didn’t wind up winning many of his fantasy teams championships with two of his five worst PPR games (13.1 and 11.9) coming in the final two weeks of the fantasy playoffs, but he played a starring role in getting a number of those fantasy teams to the postseason as he ranks as the No. 3 overall PPR back (295.1 points – 1.3 behind injured and idle No. 2 Dalvin Cook) on the season coming out of Sunday. With fellow Bolts RB Melvin Gordon missing the season’s first four games with an ill-fated holdout, Ekeler got off to a blazing start, totaling 109 points during that span. But the surprising aspect is that Ekeler actually has outperformed Gordon (186.1-162.6 PPR points) on 58 fewer touches (184-126) since the latter’s return and established himself as an RB1 PPR option. With Gordon scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Ekeler figures finally be the true main man in the L.A. backfield come next fall.

Wide receiver

STUD: Michael Thomas, Saints. Nearly as impressive as McCaffrey’s running back lead, Thomas has been by far the top PPR wideout with a 92.8-point lead over the Bucs’ Chris Godwin coming out of Sunday’s action. Thomas has done so by sheer volume and remarkable consistency, reeling in 145 of his league-most 176 targets to establish nothing less than a single-season league receptions record with one game still to play. In getting there, he’s totaled at least 16.4 fantasy points in 14 of 15 games with no fewer than five catches or 48 yards in each outing. And that, as a reminder, was with future Hall-of-Fame QB Drew Brees missing most of six early-season games to injury. With Brees, Thomas has saved his best for last, scoring at least 30.4 points in each of three fantasy postseason weekends (three of his four best games of the season) with 35 total catches for 398 yards and three TDs over that span. If you’ve been keeping track, that’s three positions we’ve covered so far and three standout fantasy seasons for the ages.

DUD: Beckham Jr., Browns. Even after finally snaring his third touchdown catch of the season Sunday, OBJ still ranks 32nd (standard)/26th (PPR) among wide receivers in total fantasy points. Not exactly what fantasy general managers were hoping for last summer when they swooped up Beckham as the sixth wide receiver off the draft board on average. Similar to his under-performing quarterback, OBJ has been embroiled in more useless sideshows (repeated uniform violations, reported trade requests, etc.) than usable fantasy games this season as he’s posted double-digit fantasy points (standard) in only four of 15 outings, and the third-best of them was Sunday’s unremarkable 10.4-point showing (four catches for 44 yards and a TD on six targets). In two words: ugh and yikes.

SURPRISE: DeVante Parker, Dolphins. Your current No. 7 fantasy wideout on the season in standard-scoring leagues is a four-year disappointment who wasn’t even drafted in a number of leagues. Parker, though, has matched his TD catch total (nine) from his first four seasons combined in 2019 while also posting career season highs in receptions (64) and receiving yards (1,065). He’s also saved his best for the most crucial stretch of the fantasy season. Even including a two-catch, 28-yard performance in Week 14 when he was limited to 18 snaps due to a concussion, Parker has been fantasy’s most productive wideout in standard-scoring formats with 67.0 fantasy points since Week 13 with 370 yards and five TDs on 18 catches. In the process, the 2015 first-round pick also snared a new four-year, $40 million extension so he figures to be in the WR1 conversation going forward as long as the Dolphins have a QB near as capable as veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick has been over the second half of this season.

Tight end

STUD: Travis Kelce, Chiefs. Whether it’s been Gronk, Jimmy Graham, Zach Ertz, or currently, George Kittle, Kelce rarely has been the most talked-about fantasy tight end in recent seasons, but here he is again on track to pace the position in fantasy points for the third time in the last four years. And at a position where a good fantasy week often is determined if you score a touchdown or not, Kelce has provided remarkably consistent production – TD or not – tallying at least 9.8 PPR points in each of his 15 games this season and topping the 20-point mark six times, including five times in his last six contests. Kelce only ranks seventh among tight ends in TD catches with five, but came out of Sunday with six more catches and 167 more receiving yards than anyone else at the position.

DUD: O.J. Howard, Buccaneers. Following his impressive but abbreviated 2018 season in which he caught 34 passes for 565 yards and five TDs in 10 games, Howard was the TE4 in ADP this past summer. But with one week remaining in 2019 and the fantasy playoffs over in the majority of leagues, Howard currently ranks as TE27 (standard)/26 (PPR) with 34 catches for 459 yards and one lonely TD in 13 games. Howard did miss two contests due to a hamstring injury, but that’s been far from the main issue as he’s shockingly struggled to find a niche in Bruce Arians’ new offense and has only reached double-digit PPR points three times in 13 outings in 2019.  Even the Bucs’ late-season rash of wide receiver injuries still hasn’t returned Howard to fantasy prominence as he’s caught 11-of-19 targets for 165 yards and no scores over the last three weeks. A new team and new offense would be best for the talented tight end, who’s still only 25.

SURPRISE: Darren Waller, Raiders. Perhaps we all should’ve paid more attention to “Hard Knocks” in August when his Raiders teammates were predicting stardom for the journeyman tight end with a troubled past and all of 18 career receptions in three seasons entering 2019. A whopping 84 catches (currently third at the position) and 1,038 yards (second only to Kelce’s 1,205) have followed in 2019 as he’s become far and away Derek Carr’s top target (107 total – 43 more than any other Raider). A relative and somewhat-surprising lack of TDs (three) has kept the 6-6 Waller from a truly-elite fantasy tight end season, but he has scored at least 12.3 PPR points in nine of 15 games this season, including each of the last four. He’ll go down as one of the top waiver-wire finds of the season.

5 takeaways from Bears’ primetime loss to the Chiefs

The Bears were embarrassed in all facets of the game by the Chiefs on Sunday night. But there are five things that really stand out.

The final game at Soldier Field for the 2019 season was a lot like the first back in September. The offense only put up three points, penalty flags rained all over the field and the fans showered the team with boos throughout the whole game as the Chicago Bears lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 26-3, dropping them to 7-8 with one final game to go in arguably the most disappointing season this decade.

The Chiefs were able to stifle the Bears offense and the defense was able to slow down quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but they couldn’t stop him. Here are my takeaways from Sunday night’s embarrassing loss.

1. The entire offense was abysmal

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Chicago Bears offense didn’t exactly set the field on fire. For the third time this season, the Bears were held to single digits on the scoreboard. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky missed throws, his receivers dropped his passes when they were on target and the playcalling was suspect once again.

It’s the 10th time this season the offense has failed to score a touchdown in the first half, as well as being held to under 300 yards for the entire game. Everyone is to blame for the lack of production, but one player still looms large…

Chicago vs. Kansas City: Which Chiefs player would you want on the Bears?

The Bears and Chiefs will face off on Sunday Night Football. If you could have any Chiefs player on the Bears, who would it be?

There will be no shortage of storylines when the Chicago Bears (7-7) host the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) at Soldier Field on Sunday Night Football.

From Mitchell Trubisky vs. Patrick Mahomes to Matt Nagy vs. Andy Reid, there will be no shortage of storylines heading into this game.

Following a 12-4 season where they won the NFC North, the Bears have  flat-lined this season in the midst of offensive struggles that have, unfortunately, defined their season. They’ll miss the playoffs for the eighth time this decade.

But the Chiefs, on the other hand, have continued their dominance and look primed to return to the AFC Championship under the leadership of Mahomes and a defense that’s beginning to find its footing.

Which begs the question — which Chiefs player would you want on the Bears? (Although, I’m pretty sure what the consensus will be.)

VOTE!

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4 takeaways from Broncos’ 23-3 loss to Chiefs

The Broncos went into snowy Arrowhead Stadium in Week 15 and came away with a 20-point defeat against the Chiefs. Here are our takeaways.

On a snowy day at Arrowhead Stadium, the Denver Broncos saw one streak sadly come to an end while another unfortunately continued.

The Kansas City Chiefs have now beaten the Broncos nine straight times. The Broncos’ two-game winning streak is now a thing of the past as well.

The game was never close as the Chiefs controlled from the outset. The Broncos weren’t able to muster up much offense and had only a field goal to show for their efforts.

With the loss, the Broncos drop to 5-9 on the season and will return home to face the Detroit Lions next Sunday. But before we talk any more about next week, let’s take a look back at this loss.

1. The snow was a big factor

(Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)

Yes, the Chiefs had to play in the same elements and had no problems, but the snow really slowed down what the Broncos wanted to do in this one. It could have been worse if the Chiefs didn’t have a heated field, but the conditions were far from ideal.

The Broncos mustered just 251 total yards on the day (52 yards rushing) and just could not get going. The same team went up and down the field against the Houston Texans last week.

That likely had more to do with the field conditions than it did the Chiefs’ defense, which is average at best.

2. Travis Kelce is a Bronco killer

(Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)

Kelce probably gets a big grin every time he sees the Broncos are next on the schedule. He has had some huge games against them during his career and Sunday was no different.

Kelce caught 11 passes for 142 yards in the game. Every time Patrick Mahomes needed a play, he looked Kelce’s way. Kelce was making the catches with ease and seemed indefensible at times.

In future meetings, the Broncos need to find a strategy to slow the talented tight end down.