Tyrone Tracy Jr. had a remarkable showing in Week 14 against the Saints. The Saints ranked a dismal 32nd against the run entering that week, and Tracy took full advantage. He transformed 26 opportunities into 83 yards and a touchdown, playing an impressive 84% of the snaps, which was his highest since Devin Singletary's activation. He handled a whopping 26 out of 28 backfield opportunities, showcasing his dominance. However, this week's matchup poses a major concern. The Giants are substantial 15-point underdogs against the Ravens, and Baltimore allows a mere 3.5 rushing yards per play, the least in the league. With the Giants projected to score just 14 points, the touchdown upside for Tracy is significantly lower. If you have a better option, it might be wise to consider starting them instead.
Despite the concerns, Tracy's performance in Week 14 was a testament to his skills. He was able to exploit a favorable matchup and make the most of his opportunities. But now, facing a tough defense like the Ravens, he'll need to rely on his passing-game role to make an impact. It will be a challenging week for Tracy, but his potential still exists.
Brian Robinson Jr. finds himself in an incredible position this week. After a bye week, he gets to take on the Saints. The bye came at the perfect time as Robinson has been battling knee and hamstring injuries for the past few months. But in Week 13 before the bye, he made a strong statement with a 40-yard touchdown on his first carry. He finished the game with 109 total yards and a score on 17 touches. The most impressive part was that he achieved this in just three quarters as the Commanders dominated the Titans and pulled some starters, including Robinson, in the fourth quarter.
Now, Robinson enters the week as a must-start against the Saints' 32nd-ranked run defense. We saw how Tyrone Tracy Jr. had success against New Orleans last week while running behind the Giants' bottom-10 offensive line. The Commanders are seven-point favorites this week, and in six completed games as a favorite this season, Robinson averages 14.7 fantasy points on 16 touches per game. With his recent form and the favorable matchup, Robinson is set to shine in Week 15.
Rico Dowdle continued his streak of career-best performances last week. In Week 13 against the Giants, he topped 100 rushing yards for the first time in his career and earned a career-high 25 touches and 123 total yards. This led to him finishing as a top 10 weekly RB for the third time this season. And in Week 14, his production improved even further. He produced a new career-high with 141 total yards on 19 touches, and his 7.4 yards per touch was the best of his career.
Dowdle has been capitalizing on strong matchups in the past few weeks, and he has another one this week. The Cowboys are going on the road to face the Panthers, and the game has a one-point spread, indicating a close contest. This benefits Dowdle as he should see carries in all four quarters if the game script remains neutral or positive for Dallas. Carolina allows the most rushing yards per game and second-most rushing touchdowns this season, making Dowdle a must-start option.
Bucky Irving re-injured his back last week and didn't return in the second half, leading to Rachaad White and Sean Tucker splitting the backfield touches. At first glance, White seemed to be the clear workhorse with 73% of the second-half carries. But upon closer examination, in the first three drives of the second half, White had 39 yards on five opportunities, while Tucker had 47 yards on four opportunities, including a 34-yard run. Tucker was the more explosive back before the final drive.
If Irving is officially out for Week 15, Tucker becomes a sleeper option. The last time Tucker got an extended run was in Week 6 when he totaled 192 yards and two touchdowns. With Irving's status uncertain, Tucker could step up and make an impact in the backfield.
The Colts are coming out of their bye week and showing signs of improvement on defense. They have gotten healthier since the first month of the season when they were vulnerable to opposing rushing attacks. Despite this, their defense is still available in over 80% of Yahoo leagues, which is quite surprising when considering their fantasy playoff schedule.
This week, they face the Broncos. Bo Nix has been performing well this season, but he's not at the level where you fear him throwing multiple touchdowns every week. In the last game against the Browns, he threw two interceptions and completed just 51% of his passes. In Week 16, the Colts will face the Titans, who allow the most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. Will Levis has been better lately, but he still turns the ball over at a high rate. There's also a chance of Mason Rudolph starting in future weeks due to Levis' injury. In Week 17, the fantasy championships, the Colts get to face the Giants, who allow the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. If the Colts' defense is still available in your league, it's definitely worth stashing.
Isiah Pacheco had a disappointing performance last week in his second game back from injury, producing only 7.1 fantasy points. This was a letdown for those who had relied on him in the fantasy playoffs. But there is some good news to take away.
His underlying usage was encouraging in Week 14. His snap count increased from 33% to 48%, and more importantly, he earned 70% of the backfield carries compared to 50% in the previous week. This led to 16 touches for Pacheco compared to just six for Kareem Hunt. It appears that Pacheco is back to being the Chiefs' workhorse back, and his usage is trending in the right direction.
This week, he'll face a shaky Browns run defense. Cleveland allows the 10th-most rushing yards per game and fourth-most rushing touchdowns this season. The Chiefs are four-point favorites and projected to score 24 points. According to RotoViz game splits tool, in seven similar spots as the starter, Pacheco averages 13.4 fantasy points per game on 18.3 touches per game. With these favorable factors, Pacheco is a viable start in the first round of your fantasy playoffs.