Welcome to the last iteration of Fantasy Fallout! If you’ve been following me this year, I’d just like to thank you for reading. It’s been a pleasure to put this article out each Sunday, and I hope that it’s been helpful. Anyway, we have no time to waste as the fantasy finals approach, so let’s get started!

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Dalvin Cook got hurt.
Story: Cook left Sunday’s game against the Chargers with a shoulder injury. He’d suffered a shoulder injury a few weeks back, buck Mike Zimmer said it wasn’t the same injury. Zimmer also said he had no timeline for Cook’s return. The running back had run just nine times for 27 yards before leaving, and he is questionable at best for next week. Backup Alexander Mattison also sat out this week, which gave Mike Boone control of the backfield. He ran for 56 yards and two scores on his 13 carries.

Fallout: Uh-oh. If you rode Dalvin Cook to the fantasy playoffs, you might not have him for the finals, and that’s if you survived his low-scoring performance this week. His loss catapults Mike Boone to the top of this week’s waiver-wire adds, especially as the Vikings have the Packers next week, who give up 120.9 rushing yards per game. While either Cook or Mattison would start over Boone, I’m not sure if either will play. Cook looked badly injured, and Mattison did not practice at all last week. You should keep an eye on the Minnesota injury report as next week approaches, but Boone’s upside in a run-heavy offense makes him worth a waiver add before your fantasy championship.

Without Mike Evans: Chris Godwin went down (and Breshad Perriman scored three touchdowns).
Story: In the third quarter, Godwin suffered a non-contact hamstring injury eerily similar to the one Mike Evans suffered last week. He had to be carted to the locker room. He had caught five of his seven targets for 121 yards before suffering the injury. Meanwhile, Perriman and Scotty Miller led the way for Tampa Bay’s receiving corps, scoring four touchdowns — although Miller left early after re-aggravating a hamstring injury of his own.

Fallout: Just as we all predicted, the receiver to own in Tampa Bay for the fantasy finals will be… Breshad Perriman. The ex-Raven has flashed for Tampa, as he’s now caught 25 passes for 409 yards and five touchdowns. He’ll take on Houston’s secondary next week, and prior to this week, they were allowing the sixth-most receiving yards per game at 281.2. Without Godwin and Miller, O.J. Howard led the Buccaneers in targets this week with 8. Look for Howard to be a good play next week, while Miller could be an option at WR3 — unless he can’t play, in which case Justin Watson becomes a much riskier WR3 option.

Without Derrius Guice: Dwayne Haskins led Washington’s offense.
Story: Surprisingly, Bill Callahan opted to throw the ball often against Philadelphia. While the Eagles haven’t been great against the pass, Callahan had been committed to the run since he replaced Jay Gruden. But he gave Haskins a chance to shine this week, and Haskins came through — the rookie threw for 261 yards and two scores.

Fallout: Haskins’ success was good news for Terry McLaurin owners, as Scary Terry caught five passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Down both Paul Richardson and Trey Quinn, depth receiver Steven Sims finished as Washington’s second-best receiver, catching five passes for 45 yards and a score. But you shouldn’t chase the points and add either Sims or Haskins going into next week. While Washington will take on the Giants’ similarly weak secondary, New York is far worse than Philadelphia against the run. Instead, you can expect Adrian Peterson to have another RB2-type week on the ground at Haskins’ expense.

Without Marvin Jones: Danny Amendola led the Lions in receiving.
Story: Now that Jones is on injured reserve, the Lions offense took a different appearance on Sunday. Amendola earned 13 targets from David Blough, the team-high by an eight-target margin over Kenny Golladay. Amendola caught eight of his targets for 102 yards and no scores.

Fallout: The Lions had to throw the ball to keep up with Jameis Winston — and because they were without running back Bo Scarbrough. Wes Hills filled in for Scarbrough, and he scored twice on ten carries for just 21 yards. Amendola is a safe waiver add this week even if Scarbrough returns. He’s earned 29 targets in Blough’s three games, and although he’s only totaled 168 yards in that span, his 16 receptions (5.3 per game) make him a valuable addition in PPR leagues. Although the Lions take on the impressive Broncos defense next week, Amendola should continue to get enough dump-off use to retain fantasy value.

Without Calvin Ridley: Julio Jones dominated the passing game.
Story: Jones earned a whopping 20 targets against the 49ers, and he caught 13 of those passes for 134 yards and two scores — including the game-winning touchdown. His 20 targets were 14 more than anyone else in the offense, as both Austin Hooper and Russell Gage got six.

Fallout: The Falcons had to throw a lot in this one, as the 49ers held Devonta Freeman to a pedestrian 39 rushing yards. The Falcons take on the Jaguars next week, and Jones is locked-in as an elite WR1 option. However, he’s unlikely to repeat this level of usage, especially since the Jags are much worse against the run. While Jones is still a safe bet, look for Devonta Freeman to explode for low-end RB1 numbers next week.

Without D.J. Chark: Keelan Cole led the Jaguars in receiving, and Chris Conley snagged two touchdowns.
Story: Chark injured his ankle last week, and so the Jaguars had to gameplan without him. Cole earned the most receiving yards at 76 yards on three receptions, while Conley caught four passes for 49 yards and two scores. Dede Westbrook only caught two passes for 14 yards. Leonard Fournette led the Jaguars in total receptions with five.

Fallout: Gardner Minshew targeted Conley (8) Fournette (7) and Cole (6) most often, while Westbrook only earned four looks. I was guilty of hyping him up before this week’s game, but if Chark misses more time next week, it looks like Conley is the receiver to own. Jacksonville takes on the unimpressive Atlanta defense next week, so don’t be surprised if Conley can post low-end WR3 numbers — but don’t expect him to score twice again. I’d also look for some positive regression for Dede Westbrook, as he had been averaging 7.5 targets per game since Jacksonville’s bye before this week.

Without Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor: Greg Ward was the only Eagles wide receiver to catch a pass.
Story: Ward, a college quarterback, caught seven of his nine targets for 61 yards and the go-ahead touchdown. After the Eagles placed Jeffery on injured reserve and held Nelson Agholor out of this week’s game, they didn’t have many options left in the passing game. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was the only other Philadelphia wideout to earn any targets, although he did not catch either of them.

Fallout: Ward is a neat speculative waiver add this week. Jeffery won’t be back this season, and neither Arcega-Whiteside nor Agholor are much competition. While Carson Wentz prioritized his tight ends and running backs in this one, Ward still led the team in targets and had the quarterback’s trust during the game-winning drive. He also had nine targets last week, proving that the Eagles see him as an important part of their passing attack. If you’re desperate for a receiver going into Week 16, he offers low-end WR3 appeal as the Eagles play a must-win game against the Cowboys.

Miles Sanders destroyed Washington.
Story: Sanders was arguably the more significant development out of Philly’s offense. With Jordan Howard still sidelined, Sanders posted career-highs in carries (19) and receptions (6). He turned those 25 touches into 172 yards and two touchdowns, good for 6.88 yards per touch. Since 122 of those yards came on the ground, his yards per carry was a still-impressive 6.4.

Fallout: We knew Sanders could succeed in a committee, but today we saw him succeed as a workhorse. He earned his most touches since Week 13 when he had 22 against the Dolphins. Since Howard hasn’t made much progress in recovering from his injury, Sanders could play a workhorse role next week against Dallas. They’re a mid-pack defense against the run, so look for Sanders to finish as a high-end RB2 if Howard sits. If he plays, Sanders is a lower-end RB2 while Howard is a touchdown-dependent RB3.

A.J. Brown earned 100-plus yards again.
Story: Brown exploded for 153 yards and two scores last week, and he broke the 100-yard barrier again versus the Texans. He caught 8 of his career-high 13 targets, turning them into 114 yards and one touchdown. His longest play was an impressive 60-yard reception early in the first quarter.

Fallout: The receiver is proving that he can produce in both long-yardage and short-yardage situations. Brown has now gone over 100 yards in three of the Titans’ four games since their Week 12 bye. While Brown is certainly an interesting option for next week against New Orleans, he’s far from a locked-in WR1. Ryan Tannehill attempted his second-most passes as the Titans’ starter this week, which skewed some of Brown’s stats upward. Additionally, slot receiver Adam Humphries could return, while the Titans may rely more on Derrick Henry if he gets healthy enough to log practice reps. Don’t chase the points — Brown is a high-upside, low-floor WR2.

Anthony Miller and Allen Robinson had huge days receiving.
Story: The duo combined for 16 receptions, 243 yards, and one score. Miller caught nine of 15 targets for 118 yards and the touchdown, while Robinson took in seven of his 14 targets for 125 yards. Aside from Tarik Cohen, no other Chicago receiving option earned more than four looks from Mitch Trubisky. Their usual third option, Taylor Gabriel, has now missed three games after he suffered a concussion in Week 12.

Fallout: Miller is looking like one of the best late-season waiver additions this year. He has now logged 21 receptions, 300 yards, and two scores over the past three weeks. He’ll look to continue that success against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16, although he’s likely no longer still on your waiver wire. Robinson, meanwhile, earned his second-career 1000-yard season this week. He hadn’t hit that mark since his legendary 2015 with Blake Bortles. He’s locked in as a WR2 in next year’s fantasy drafts.

Kenyan Drake ran for four touchdowns.
Story: Drake joined an elite group of running backs tied for the sixth-most rushing yards in a single game on Sunday. Others tied at this mark include Emmitt Smith, Shaun Alexander, and LaDainian Tomlinson — as well as Aaron Jones, who posted four rushing touchdowns earlier this year.

Fallout: Arizona’s backfield is safely in Drake’s hands, as the ex-Dolphin earned 22 carries to David Johnson’s three and Chase Edmonds’ zero. Drake takes on the Seahawks next week, and while they are a top-16 defense against the run, they give up 107.3 rushing yards per game. He’ll slide in as a low-end RB1 now that he’s won control.

Melvin Gordon fumbled twice.
Story: The Chargers’ lead back put together an uninspiring performance in Week 15. He ran seven times for 28 yards, adding 36 yards through the air on five receptions — and he put the ball on the ground twice. His mistakes led Anthony Lynn to put in Justin Jackson for a few snaps, although Gordon came back into the game after one series.

Fallout: Don’t panic, Gordon owners. The Chargers know what they have in him, and there’s a reason why the star running back was only benched for one drive. The Chargers struggled on the ground and through the air this week, but look for them — including Gordon — to rebound against the Raiders next week. He posted a 22-108-1 stat line against Oakland his last time out, and I expect him to post similar numbers again.

Touchdown Celebration of the Week

Greg Ward couldn’t hold back the emotions after catching the go-ahead TD. His journey has been awesome:

🔸QB at Houston in 2016
🔸Cut in training camp 3 years in a row
🔸Played in the AAF
🔸7 catches and his first career TD todaypic.twitter.com/JznyCuqXbr

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 15, 2019

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Isaiah Sirois is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Isaiah, check out his archive and follow him @is_sirois.