Is it just me, or is the back half of the 2025 fantasy football season starting to feel a little like the movie Groundhog Day, where the same events occur repeatedly? After crossing my fingers that managers would finally experience some semblance of normalcy with a slate of games when players continually met their projections, instead, I was greeted with more landmines left and right.
Finding consistently productive players has been an exercise in patience this year, especially at running back and wide receiver. For every Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a Justin Jefferson and Emeka Egbuka is hiding around the corner. Navigating through those “dud” performances requires a strong roster from top to bottom, capable of overcoming hiccups from key performers.
Though scoring was up in Week 14, it typically came at the hands of tertiary options that were barely started in most formats. I’ve crossed my fingers that you were fortunate enough to find a waiver wire gem or two that carried you through to the finish line, as we enter the playoff season.
Here are a few of the more notable performances from Week 14 around the league.
Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 14
Quarterback
Stud: Josh Allen (QB – BUF)
Look on the weather, ye mighty and despair. Cold-weather Josh Allen has arrived. In one of the marquee matchups of the week, Allen was able to single-handedly carry Buffalo to a victory, passing for 251 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 78 rushing yards and a score on the ground. Cincinnati’s defense refused to guard Buffalo’s tight ends all afternoon, leading to Dawson Knox (6/93), Dalton Kincaid (4/41/1) and Jackson Hawes (1/3/1) feasting.
A costly red-zone fumble by running back James Cook seemingly opened the door for Allen to take off scrambling whenever he wished for the remainder of the afternoon, and the Bengals had gaping holes for Allen to exploit. The season’s QB1, Allen will need to remain sharp in Week 15 on the road against New England in a battle that will determine the AFC East.
Stud: Shedeur Sanders (QB – CLE)
Following three games in a row when he appeared absolutely lost under center, expectations were tempered that Shedeur Sanders would all of a sudden thrive against Tennessee. Yet he did. Sanders passed for 364 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon, adding another 29 yards and a score on the ground when scrambling for a late fourth-quarter touchdown.
Sanders’ accuracy was still middling (he completed fewer than 55% of his passes on the afternoon), but Sanders was able to spread the ball around effectively to his biggest playmakers, especially Harold Fannin Jr. (8/114/1) and Jerry Jeudy (3/76/1). Despite losing 31-29, the fifth-round selection was able to show head coach Kevin Stefanski that he should start for the remainder of 2025, in an extended audition. Sanders and Cleveland travel to Chicago for Week 15 in a difficult matchup against an opportunistic Bears team.
Dud: Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC)
Patrick Mahomes continued his yo-yo tendencies with a horrific dud against Houston at home, where he completed just 42% of his passes for 160 yards and three interceptions. In a “must have” game for Kansas City to keep their playoff hopes alive, Mahomes was shut down by Houston’s smothering defense, which didn’t allow Rashee Rice or Travis Kelce to take over the game at any point. Under constant pressure, Mahomes tried to fit throws into tight windows all afternoon, and his receivers didn’t help his cause by committing six ugly drops.
The Chiefs will need to win out to keep their Wild Card hopes alive. They host the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 15. The Chargers allow the second-fewest passing yards per game and surrender an average of just 21 points per game. Mahomes will need to don his Superman cape to win.
Dud: Jayden Daniels (QB – WSH)/Marcus Mariota (QB – WSH)
After missing several games with a dislocated left elbow, Washington made the curious decision to allow Jayden Daniels to start in Week 14, despite Washington being all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Given the start, Daniels began the afternoon completing just nine passes on 20 attempts for 78 yards and an interception, before being pushed to the ground and taking a hit on his previously injured elbow. Daniels appeared shaken up and walked over to the medical tent, where team doctors examined him.
Listed as questionable, Daniels didn’t return to the contest and instead ceded reps to Marcus Mariota, who was equally awful. Eager to end the game, Washington attempted just four passes with Mariota, who threw an interception and lost a fumble in the process. Give credit to Minnesota’s defense, who refused to allow either option yards and had their ears pinned back all afternoon.
Running Back
Stud: Tony Pollard (RB – TEN)
Tony Pollard was exceptional on Sunday and finished with his best game of the year, rushing for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. This was a surprising finish from the veteran, considering that Cleveland’s defense had previously been very stingy against the run. Tennessee was able to generate holes along the offensive front all game long, and Browns defenders continually failed to arm tackle Pollard in open space. This was the first time Pollard finished above the century mark for yardage, and his most touches in a game this season.
By taking the ball out of Cam Ward‘s hands and adopting a ground-and-pound mentality, the Titans might just have something. Tennessee will look to keep the momentum going in its contest against San Francisco during Week 15, against a 49ers defense decimated due to injuries.
Stud: Blake Corum (RB – LAR)
I won’t go so far as to say that there is any “changing of the guard” in Los Angeles, but Blake Corum has indeed appeared the better running back over the last two weeks. In three quarters of action (the entirety of the Rams’ starters were pulled in the fourth quarter), Corum rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Los Angeles has been content with giving Corum and Kyren Williams close to equal touches down the stretch, rotating the backs on each drive in the second half of games.
Due to the Rams’ prolific passing attack, it is difficult for defenses to load the box against Corum or Williams, allowing them to pick up chunks of yardage at a time. The Rams currently sit atop the NFC standings and will look to fend off Detroit at home during Week 15, in one of the marquee matchups.
Dud: Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)
The Miami Dolphins entered Week 14 with a clear game plan — stack the box and don’t allow New York to gain any momentum behind their running game. After quarterback Tyrod Taylor was removed from the game with a groin strain in the first half, Miami ratcheted up the pressure even further, bottling up Breece Hall for 43 yards on 14 carries, en route to a 34-10 thrashing. If there is a silver lining for Hall, it is that backup Isaiah Davis poses no threat to his starting role. Expect Hall to continue dominating touches, barring the team shutting him down with an injury.
Game script constantly works against Hall, with a dilapidated New York defense surrendering points in droves early, forcing the Jets to abandon the running game in an effort to remain competitive. We’d expect more of the same during Week 15 on the road against a surging Jacksonville team.
Dud: Bijan Robinson (RB – ATL)
Bijan Robinson managers knew it was going to be uphill sledding against a stout Seattle Seahawks defense, and their fears were met on Sunday. Playing without wideout Drake London yet again, Atlanta attempted to lean on its running game to propel the offense, handing Robinson 20 carries and giving backup Tyler Allgeier 11. To his credit, Robinson rushed for 86 yards (something Saquon Barkley has only done twice this year), but he failed to find the end zone and didn’t contribute much in the passing game.
Robinson reached 1,000 rushing yards on the season amidst Atlanta’s 37-9 loss, but his statistical line ultimately rang hollow. The hope is that London will be able to retake the field during Week 15 against Tampa Bay, which will ease some of the defensive pressure off of Robinson.
Wide Receiver
Stud: Michael Wilson (WR – ARI)
At this point, it is getting a little uncanny how Michael Wilson manages to go nuclear each game that Marvin Harrison Jr. does not take the field. Similar to his breakout performances in Weeks 11-12, Wilson finished with an incredible 11/142/2 line on the afternoon, as the focal point in Arizona’s passing game. His 16 targets led the Cardinals by far, dwarfing even those that went to Trey McBride (nine). The game script leads Arizona to quickly revert to pass-first mode, especially when the team is placed in a massive hole like they were on Sunday.
Harrison was unable to practice due to a heel injury in even a limited capacity last week, and with the Cardinals sitting on a 3-10 record, it does not make much sense to rush him back. Wilson should be viewed as a mid-range WR2 if Harrison sits out. The Cardinals travel to Houston during Week 15 against a very stingy Texans secondary.
Stud: Ryan Flournoy (WR – DAL)
In a high-flying offensive showdown against Detroit, Ryan Flournoy finished with career highs in receptions (nine), receiving yards (115) and targets (13), sliding into the Cowboys’ alpha role after CeeDee Lamb exited in the third quarter with a concussion. The second-year wideout will continue to be heavily leaned upon as Lamb works his way through the league’s strict concussion protocol procedures, and would work opposite of George Pickens if Lamb fails to take the field.
Flournoy is sure to be one of the week’s top waiver wire targets, as the overwhelming majority of players who suffer concussions miss at least one game before returning to action. Dallas invites Minnesota to its home in Week 15 for a must-win game to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Vikings are the fifth-best defense against the pass (they allow just 172 yards through the air each week), and this will be a significant test for quarterback Dak Prescott.
Dud: Rashee Rice (WR – KC)
Kansas City struggled mightily to move the ball against Houston during Sunday Night Football, and Rashee Rice had issues creating space against the Texans’ secondary or catching the ball when it was thrown in his direction (he finished with just four receptions on eight targets). Rice entered Week 14 on an absolute heater, with 16 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns over his prior two contests.
All that went out the window against Houston, which made a point of taking away both Rice and tight end Travis Kelce. Since returning to action in Week 7, Rice has put up WR1 numbers consistently, and we’d expect a bounce-back effort against Los Angeles during Week 15. Rice’s managers should have confidence in a rebound performance.
Dud: Davante Adams (WR – LAR)
Davante Adams’ streak of six consecutive outings with a touchdown reception came to a screeching halt against Arizona, as he finished with his lowest output of the season, catching just four passes on six targets for 29 yards. With Los Angeles dominating Arizona out of the jump, it became unnecessary for the Rams to pass the ball, and the team preferred to play it safe in the second half, limiting Matthew Stafford‘s throws before eventually resting all their starters in the final quarter.
The 32-year-old Adams still leads the league in touchdown receptions (14), and we’d be willing to chalk this poor performance up as a fluke, with game script playing the most significant role. Additional rest will only benefit Adams, as he is coming off a hamstring injury. Look for Week 15 to be a more competitive contest against Detroit during a highly anticipated matchup.
Tight End
Stud: Harold Fannin Jr. (TE – CLE)
Harold Fannin Jr. was the centerpiece of Cleveland’s passing game, leading the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards on the afternoon. After a midseason drought where he was playing second fiddle to David Njoku each game, the Browns have begun to shift the momentum back to the rookie again. With veteran Njoku suffering a knee injury on a touchdown reception mid-game against Tennessee, we’d expect Cleveland to play things conservatively and sit him out until he returns to full strength.
This allows Fannin to remain as the 1A (1B, at worst) alongside Jerry Jeudy in the passing game. Cleveland squares off against Chicago on the road during Week 15. Look for the Bears to jump out to a quick lead in this contest so that they can secure a Wild Card berth.
Dud: Tyler Warren (TE – IND)
Tyler Warren’s Week 14 was one to forget, as the rookie managed to post his worst performance of the year, securing just two receptions on six targets for 15 yards. Quarterback Daniel Jones tore his Achilles early in the contest and will be out for the remainder of the season. With Anthony Richardson on injured reserve (IR), Indianapolis will turn to rookie Riley Leonard to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Leonard appeared more comfortable throwing the ball to wideouts Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce over Warren, and doesn’t have the same tendency to push the ball downfield as Jones. Warren’s short-term outlook is murky. Expect the Colts to lean on Jonathan Taylor and their running game to keep them competitive in contests for the remainder of 2025.
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