X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Smashmouth - Offensive Lines Impacting Fantasy Football For Week 15

Steve Halupka ranks the best & worst offensive lines in the NFL heading into Week 15 of the 2017 NFL season. This could impact fantasy football value at RB.

Congratulations to those that have either advanced in the playoffs or made the playoffs due to their performance in Week 14. Now as teams push even closer to a fantasy championship, they need to be sure of who they are starting week in and week out.

Those owners need to not only determine the best player vs. player matchups at the quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end positions, but also determine which offensive lines could potentially succeed, vaulting their offenses to fantasy viability. Will the Eagles still be a top fantasy offense even without Carson Wentz (they should be this week at the Giants)?

As fantasy owners made the final decisions for the lineups on Sunday morning, it can be valuable to examine the progress some offensive line units have made throughout the season. The Jacksonville Jaguars have started to play much better as a unit, leading to a Blake Bortles revival and the San Francisco 49ers are riding high after Jimmy Garoppolo has taken over as their starting quarterback. This week both the Jaguars and 49ers offensive lines go under the microscope to see how they could potentially impact fantasy teams in the playoffs.

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

 

Offensive Line to Watch - Jacksonville Jaguars

The entire NFL has been waiting for the Jaguars to finally collapse and return to mediocrity, but that simply won’t be the case this season. Their defense is one of the best units in the league and Jags offense has been consistent enough to put points on the board in big spots. This past week they faced one of their stiffest tests against the Seahawks. Even with a variety of injuries on defense, the Seahawks have one of the best front sevens in the NFL.  The Jaguars offense was able to consistently make play after play on their way to a 30-24 victory, including a few big plays downfield. This was one such play in the third quarter where the Jaguars offensive line was able to give Blake Bortles a clean pocket. Both tackles, rookie Cam Robinson and Jermey Parnell, are able to kick/slide and mirror their defenders so Bortles can set up and deliver a strike to Keelan Cole for a massive touchdown.

The most impressive member of this offensive line has been center Brandon Linder. Linder is the number seven center according to Pro Football Focus on the season grading out at a 78.2. He was impressive in both the run and passing game, especially in the running game repeatedly able to lock onto linebackers and make lanes for Leonard Fournette. In this first quarter clip, Linder is able to turn the shoulders of the down lineman so guard AJ Cann can attempt to get to his block. Linder then locks onto linebacker Bobby Wagner allowing Fournette to get to the second level.

This run could have been much more if AJ Cann was able to keep his feet on the combination block. Cann struggled in this game mightily as he has throughout the entire season. Cann is the number 44 ranked guard according to Pro Football Focus and struggles to keep his balance in the run game consistently. Even in the clip above Cann loses his footing and balance leading to him falling off the block. He’s currently grading out at a 40.2 in the run game according to PFF and has been a detriment to this offensive line as a whole. Early in the first quarter Cann did not show the necessary awareness and got in the way of a screen pass. If that pass was completed it would have went for at least a first down, if not more. The Jaguars do go back to the screen game later in the third quarter and it’s executed quite nicely. Linder and left guard Patrick Omameh get out cleanly and lead the way for Fournette as they lock onto defenders, allowing an alley for Fournette to turn up the field.

While this offensive line has struggled in spots throughout the season, especially at right guard, it has been quite the improvement over 2016. Jermey Parnell and Cam Robinson at the tackle position have allowed Blake Bortles to have time in the pocket to make plays down the field and rely on the play-action passing game due to their commitment to the run.

 

Fantasy Impact

Stock Up: Dede Westbrook

One of the best skill players in the preseason, Dede Westbrook has translated a lot of what people saw in August to the field in November and December. Westbrook has seen at least six targets in each game since his return to the lineup and caught at least five passes in each of his last three games. He should be able to continue to stretch the field as the offensive line provides enough protection for Blake Bortles to deliver. He should be an every-week flex play going forward for the fantasy playoffs and a dynasty asset for years to come.

 

Stock Up: Blake Bortles

After running for his life in 2016, Blake Bortles has been more upright in 2017 thanks to the improved play of his team upfront. The Jaguars running game has been dominant at times, alleviating a lot of the pressure that has been put on Bortles in the past few seasons to win games on his right arm alone. Bortles is delivering his second best season as a pro, grading out at an 80 according to PFF and should be considered a safe streaming option this week for the fantasy playoffs.

 

Offensive Line to Watch - San Francisco 49ers

Another much maligned group throughout the season, San Francisco has been able to look more like a professional offense after starting goldenboy Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo has graded out at an 81.2 so far according to PFF, no easy feat with the lack of talent at the skill positions. He is a tough passer that is extremely accurate on all middle of the field throw as well as other throws under 20 yards downfield. Garoppolo has the ability to stand in the face of pressure like this clip below. He takes a deep drop and the offensive line holds up well. The issue comes when running back Carlos Hyde is unable to pick up a blitzing linebacker, who ends up nearly face to face with Garoppolo, but Garoppolo never waivers. He sits in the pocket and delivers a strike to the right side for a first down.

While there have been breakdowns across the offensive line, allowing pressure on Garoppolo, the running game finally started to come to life in Week 14. Carlos Hyde was the beneficiary of some great schemes early and often. The 49ers used a zone run scheme in the first clip, and the backside of the offensive line, right guard Brandon Fusco and right tackle Zane Beadles do a good job sealing the backside defenders. Beadles has struggled this season, grading out at just a 30.9 according to PFF, but this is one of his better blocks of the day. The 49ers also use the motioning Kyle Juszczyk to wall off Jadeveon Clowney off the right edge. Hyde is able to get up to the second level for a great gain.

The 49ers do have at least one consistent force on their offensive line that has been their left tackle for a decade in Joe Staley. Staley is once again performing at a high level, grading out an 82.3 according to PFF. He’s been nearly as good run blocking (80.3 grade) as he does pass blocking grade (81.9) good for the number 10 offensive tackle the league. Getting back right tackle Trent Brown, who is a top-20 PFF graded tackle in his own right, would be a huge help to trying to solidify this group. If Brown is able to return prior to next week, I would expect to see some great performances in the running and passing game.

 

Fantasy Impact

Stock Up: Marquise Goodwin

Goodwin has been the main beneficiary of the move to Jimmy Garoppolo. Goodwin has obvious track star speed, but is now turning into a craftier NFL receiver. He is able to run many of the routes in the route tree and also seen at least eight targets in the two games Garoppolo has started. Goodwin should continue to see some deep shots as Garoppolo has a quick release to get the ball down the field and the offensive line, particularly Staley and Brown, protect Garoppolo. Goodwin is an every week WR2 in all formats and should be trusted in this round of the fantasy playoffs.

 

Top Five Offensive Lines

1) Philadelphia Eagles
2) Pittsburgh Steelers
3) Dallas Cowboys
4) Minnesota Vikings
5) New Orleans Saints

 

Bottom Five Offensive Lines

32) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
31) New York Giants
30) Houston Texans
29) San Francisco 49ers
28) Seattle Seahawks

 

For any questions about offensive line play in the NFL, feel free to contact me @TheRealHalupka on Twitter.

 

More Week 15 Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NBA

Bones Hyland Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Joe Flacco

Browns Not Considering Benching Joe Flacco After Week 2
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP