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Disaster Recovery Week 15 - Studs turned Duds

Welcome to Disaster Recovery, where each week I'll examine why your studs played like duds. This isn't a place to find out why you should have benched a player for somebody on your bench. Disaster Recovery is to examine the guys who you didn't think twice about benching, and deciding if you should be panicking at all about their value moving forward.

The players covered in this column will usually have to be in the RotoBaller top-10 at their respective positions, but it may vary depending on the status of the players each week.

In a week dominated by running backs, we saw a complete lack of production from many of the top ranked receivers. Antonio Brown and Keenan Allen both suffered injuries while many just struck out in a crucial week for fantasy owners.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Week 15 Duds

Adam Thielen (WR, CIN) (#7 WR)

What Happened: Thielen caught three of his five targets for 33 yards in a rout of the Bengals

How Did It Happen: The Vikings backfield dominated this game, with Murray controlling the game on the ground and McKinnon torching the defense in the passing game. Case Keenum only threw 23 passes, with eight of those looks going to McKinnon and six going to Stafon Diggs. Minnesota didn't need much from Thielen this week.

Panic Meter: Low. This was Thielen's worst game of the year. It may have came at a terrible time for fantasy owners, but you should just be grateful for the fact that Thielen was likely a huge factor in you even getting to the playoffs. Should you be concerned that Thielen's two worst games of the season have come in the last three weeks? Maybe a little, but I'd still roll him out as a WR2 play against Green Bay this week.

 

Russell Wilson (QB, SEA) (#1 QB)

What Happened: Funeral arrangements are being made for Russell Wilson's MVP chances after the Seahawks suffered a brutal beatdown at the hands of the Rams. Wilson compelted 14 of his 30 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown while adding 39 yards on the ground. He also fumbled twice and lost one of them.

How Did It Happen: This play sums up the brutal afternoon for Wilson and the Seattle offense. The Rams dominated this game from the opening kickoff. Seattle couldn't make anything happen, and Wilson was lucky to get a touchdown.

Panic Meter: Low. This was more of a win for the Rams than it was a loss for the Seahawks, as insane as that sounds after a 42-7 blowout. The Rams came into this game with a purpose. They won this game in the trenches, with the offensive line pushing Todd Gurley to his best game of the year and the defensive line pushing Wilson to his worst game since Week 1.

Lets not forget the fact that Wilson had multiple touchdown passes in eight straight games entering Sunday. He will be fine. The Cowboys may come in just as hungry as the Rams in Week 16, but their defense isn't half as freighting as the Rams. Wilson owners shouldn't even consider removing him from their lineup.

You can use all of this information to understand why Doug Baldwin (#8 WR) had his worst game of the year. For Baldwin, the panic meter is low. 

 

AJ Green (WR, CIN) (#7 WR)

What Happened: On the opposite site of the Vikings dominating victory, AJ Green was blanketed,

How Did It Happen: Green faced a tough matchup against Xavier Rhodes and the Vikings dangerous defense. Owners had to be a bit wary here, but its hard to bench AJ Green this late in the season. The Bengals had one passing play go for more than 20 yards and only had 161 total yards on the day. Nobody won here.

Panic Meter: Medium. The Bengals are awful. They have been outscored 67 to 14 in their last two games, and Green has suffered greatly because of this. But can you really bench AJ Green during championship week? Green has been fine fantasy option for most of the season and hasn't really been a bust on the year. If the Bengals can show any signs of life next week, I expect Green to have a nice day. We can only hope they can show up to a decent matchup with Detroit.

 

Julio Jones (WR, ATL) (#2 WR)

What Happened: In a Monday night showdown against a team that he absolutely obliterated in Week 12, Jones caught just three of his eight targets for 54 yards in a narrow victory against Tampa Bay.

How Did It Happen: Jones had two different deep balls that could have went his way, but one was broken up thanks to a delayed throw by Matt Ryan, and the other went through his hands. The game was controlled by DeVonta Freeman, who led the team in rushing yards, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown.

Panic Meter: High. I know that Jones appears in this column all the time and that we all know what to expect with him at this point, but this performance really leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Jones had 253 yards and two touchdowns the last time he played Tampa Bay. Its almost comical that he couldn't even muster up 100 or a single touchdown in his follow-up performance.

Jones has been one of the most frustrating players to own this year. A consensus top five pick, he has scored a touchdown in just two games this year and hasn't had the yardage or even the receptions to make up for it given his ADP. He has a tough matchup against New Orleans this week. The good news is that Jones played well against New Orleans in Week 15. The bad news is that the Saints will be out for revenge.

Should you bench Julio Jones? Probably not, but the crazy thing is that I'm not certain about it for the first time in 16 weeks. Owners truly blessed in the receiving core may want to go with their gut if they think they have enough firepower to replace him in the lineup. Jones can go for 40 points at any given moment. But it might be the smart play to not deal with the stress this week.

 

More Week 16 Lineup Prep




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