Fantasy Football 2017: Saving best for last in Week 15
By Dan Salem
The best matchups were saved for last and your Fantasy Playoffs were never hotter! This is your Fantasy Football 2017 Game of the Week for Week 15.
Each week during the NFL season, certain games stand out. These are not necessarily the games with the most on the line or with the most impact on the standings. Instead, they hold the most star power and fantasy football implications.
These are the games every fan needs to watch, from the die hard to the guy pressured into joining a fantasy league with work associates. This is the fantasy football 2017 game of the week for NFL Week 15.
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate Fantasy Football 2017 in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
Fantasy Football 2017 Week 15
Now that college football has entered hiatus, we have our first Saturday NFL games of the season. The afternoon game is terrible, but the evening game has promise! In fact, a lot hinges on that evening game between the Chargers and Chiefs. It isn’t in the discussion for fantasy football 2017 game of the week, though. That comes down to a Sunday early game.
Game of the Week
Todd Salem: This is Week 15, Aaron Rodgers‘ target return date. With the Green Bay Packers still clinging to playoff contention, I say he hits that return date while simultaneously making his game against the Panthers the game of the week.
There is not a single person who wants Rodgers back more than Jordy Nelson. Nelson has fallen off the edge of flat earth with Brett Hundley as quarterback even though he’s one of the best weapons in the sport. With Rodgers back, we not only have Rodgers playing, but we have Nelson. The Packers still have Davante Adams too, as well as a brand new horrible backfield rotation with Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. Everything is primed for the Rodgers-led passing attack to wreck havoc.
And standing in its way are the rejuvenated and rolling Panthers. Cam Newton isn’t putting up huge numbers, but he has nine total touchdowns to just one turnover in his last five games. Devin Funchess has become a top option during the same time period, and Jonathan Stewart is coming off of his best game of the season.
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Since it seems unlikely Green Bay will actually fight back into the playoffs, there are certainly games with more on the line this week. But no other contest has this star power at the quarterback position, flanked by skill players who could lead fantasy teams through the playoffs.
Dan Salem: Okay, I hear what you are saying. Rodgers is back, so we must all watch. Green Bay is likely exciting with him under center, but there are two games which top Packers versus Panthers in my mind. There are too many question marks on both sides of that matchup. One of the games is a battle for AFC supremacy. The other is a battle for NFC West supremacy. All four teams have more often than not put up stellar offensive performances.
The first is the grudge match between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. It’s not the top game of Week 15, but it’s damn close. Holding it back is the potential for a defensive struggle. But the Rams and Jared Goff have scored 30+ points in four of their last six games. Seattle has scored 20+ points in five-straight games and Russell Wilson needs a big performance to edge up the MVP ladder. Because the NFC West is basically on the line, this will be a matchup full of fireworks and great fantasy numbers.
Ultimately week 15 comes down to New England Patriots versus Pittsburgh Steelers. I hear your Rodgers versus Newton and raise you Tom Brady versus Ben Roethlisberger. If there’s truth to the rumors, this might be the final time these two legends face off in the regular season. Both teams are in the playoffs, but homefield advantage is critical. Just look at what happened to New England on the road last week!
NFL 2017: 20 Bold Predictions For Week 15
The Patriots rarely lose two games in a row and always bounce back from a loss with a vengeance. You know this game will be high scoring. Dion Lewis has been sneaky great the last month at running back for New England. Antonio Brown is making his own MVP case for the Steelers. Neither team seems to be stopping anyone on defense, so let the fantasy points flow. I love this legendary rivalry and it just happens to be our Fantasy Football 2017 game of the week.