Evan Tarracciano | Mon, Dec 15th 2025, 1:20pm EST

Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 15 (2025)

It is utterly astounding how fast 2025 has zipped along. Each year as the preseason approaches, I try to remind myself to enjoy the upcoming fantasy football season to the fullest, since it is gone before we know it. It felt like just yesterday I was in the middle of writing draft guides, picking my favorite rookies to endorse, poring through depth charts for sleeper selections and watching the NFL Draft with bated breath.

Two blinks later, here we are.

Week 15 (for most leagues) represented the first round of the fantasy playoffs. I sincerely hope that all my followers were able to take part, and that my guidance played a small role in assisting you along the way.

Starting on a positive note — scoring finally returned in full force. With no NFL teams on a bye and the playoff landscape starting to take shape, offenses made it a point to score in droves, leading to the second-highest number of touchdowns scored through the conclusion of the 4:00 ET games (71). The week started with a bang on Thursday Night Football, with Atlanta managing to upset Tampa Bay 29-28 on the road, on the heels of an epic performance by tight end Kyle Pitts. Things were bookended with another upset, with Minnesota crushing Dallas’ playoff hopes in “Jerry World,” and the lightbulb turning on for quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Sadly, the weekend wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Arguably, the league’s best offensive and defensive players (Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons) tore their ACLs, leaving a bitter taste for their fanbases to swallow. Though scoring was up around the league, several touchdowns were scored by players who were universally not rostered (let alone started), causing aggravation and heartache. I’m crossing my fingers that you were able to dodge those scenarios.

Here are a few of the more notable performances from Week 15 around the league.

Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 15

Quarterback

Stud: Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAX)

You’re going to see a common thread with players in the “stud” column this week — many of them had underperformed for the entirety of 2025, only to go nuclear in full force during Week 15. A common sentiment on social media was “Man, XYZ player is totally going off today. It is a shame that he is currently riding the pine on my bench.”

Trust me, I get it. Trevor Lawrence had a career day against the New York Jets on Sunday, passing for 330 yards and five touchdowns, and adding another 51 rushing yards and a touchdown on five rushing attempts.

Gang Green seemed totally uninterested in tackling during this contest, and even with the Jaguars ahead, they continued to press the pedal down. Lawrence faces much stiffer competition in Week 16 on the road against Denver. They are surrendering fewer than 200 passing yards per game and the third-fewest points allowed per game (18.6). Despite Lawrence’s recent surge, it will be difficult to view him as a must-start player.

Stud: Bo Nix (QB – DEN)

Bo Nix was surgical in Denver’s 34-26 victory over Green Bay, picking apart the Packers for 302 passing yards and four touchdowns. One can point to the loss of Micah Parsons mid-game as the turning point that allowed the passing game to truly open things up, but Nix was impressive even before that happened. Each touchdown pass went to a different receiver, and three players saw six targets or more.

It was a welcome sight to see Nix’s connection with Courtland Sutton (7/113/1) blossom, with Denver making it a priority to get him involved early. Nix currently sits as the QB8 on the season, and will look to claim homefield advantage throughout the playoffs in one of the marquee matchups in Week 16 against Jacksonville. The Broncos are undefeated at home this year, thanks to their elite defense stepping up in the second half of close contests.

Dud: Joe Burrow (QB – CIN)

Joe Burrow had one of the worst starts of his career on Sunday, passing for just 225 yards and two interceptions against Baltimore in a must-win matchup to keep the Bengals’ playoff hopes alive. Cincinnati’s offense appeared to move the ball with ease until it reached the Ravens’ red zone, only to constantly stall out or turn the ball over when things mattered most.

Burrow was incredibly critical of his play following the conclusion of the contest, stating, “There’s not a team in the NFL that would have won the game today if I were their quarterback.” Succinctly put, and well stated. The bigger question now looms large: Does Cincinnati sit Burrow for the remainder of 2025, knowing the Bengals have been eliminated from the playoffs and he is already playing through injuries?

Dud: Dak Prescott (QB – DAL)

Ready? Here we go. Lord, I’m thankful to not hear that cadence again anytime soon. Dak Prescott faltered in a must-win matchup against Minnesota, passing for 294 hollow yards. He played well enough to continually move the ball into Vikings territory, but neither CeeDee Lamb nor George Pickens consistently created separation and turned into a true difference-maker.

Of Dallas’ five red-zone trips, they were able to convert just two into touchdowns, with both scores coming on the ground. Dallas isn’t technically eliminated yet. If they manage to win their last three remaining contests and Philadelphia loses its final three games, they would clinch the NFC East. Call us skeptical of that happening. Still, with a flicker of light remaining, we’d expect Dallas to try their best in Week 16 at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Running Back

Stud: James Cook (RB – BUF)

Whatever reservations Buffalo had about signing James Cook to a contract to begin the offseason, I’m willing to wager that they are glad to have him in their corner long-term. With the Bills getting crushed 21-0 early on, the team leaned on Cook’s legs to generate offense, and a New England defensive front that has held running backs in check all year long. Cook ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns, adding another score on a short reception just before halftime.

Buffalo’s lack of an alpha option at wideout has allowed more touches to be funneled through Cook, who has consistently rewarded the Bills with fantastic production at every turn. He currently sits as the RB6 on the season, and his services will be required down the stretch, with Buffalo in the midst of a three-game winning streak. The Bills go on the road in Week 16 against Cleveland, and we’d expect Cook to have another strong performance as a high-end RB1.

Stud: TreVeyon Henderson (RB – NE)

It is a rarity to select two stud running backs from the same contest, yet that is how the game script rolled out in this game. Thankfully, TreVeyon Henderson operated as the clear No. 1 RB for New England, out-touching cohort Rhamondre Stevenson 16 to nine, and turning his touches into 161 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

Henderson has become the big-play threat that everyone envisioned, and it is comforting to finally see the Patriots’ coaching staff putting faith into the rookie. Despite dropping this game 35-31 at home, New England remains atop the AFC East and will look to bounce back against a surging Baltimore Ravens team that has begun to turn things around. Baltimore has struggled against the pass this season, so look for Henderson to get involved on checkdowns and screen passes early and often.

Dud: Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)

Shortly before the game of the week started against the Rams, the broadcasting crew shared a statistic that caught my ear: Detroit’s record when Jahmyr Gibbs manages to find the end zone versus otherwise (8-0 heading into Week 15 when he scores, 0-5 when he doesn’t). Apparently, Dan Campbell didn’t get the memo. Amidst a high-scoring 41-34 loss to the Rams, Gibbs was given just 13 rushing attempts and was mainly used as a checkdown option for quarterback Jared Goff, rather than a focal point of their offense.

Gibbs’ 58 scrimmage yards were the lowest mark since Week 9, and couldn’t have come at a worse time for Detroit. The Lions now sit on an 8-6 record and are clinging to dear life to nab a Wild Card berth, hoping that divisional foes Chicago or Green Bay manage to falter down the stretch. Look for Gibbs to rebound in Week 16 against Pittsburgh at home.

Dud: Quinshon Judkins (RB – CLE)

No one on the Cleveland Browns has suffered with the change in quarterback more than Quinshon Judkins, who has rushed for 50 yards or fewer in three of the last four contests. A middling workload and lack of holes to exploit have simply put too much onus on Judkins to generate value, and Cleveland abandoning the run when falling behind in games has become a predictable malfeasance. I’d try to paint a rosy picture, saying that Judkins will turn things around, but I’m skeptical that this coaching staff has the capability of being patient with the running attack.

Cleveland takes on Buffalo during Week 16, and the Bills currently allow the third-most rushing yards each week (over 150 on the ground per contest). Though the matchup looks enticing, I get the sneaky suspicion that the Bills will be up early in this game, which is a negative game script.

Wide Receiver

Stud: Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET)/Jameson Williams (WR – DET)

I included both wideouts since they currently rank WR1 and WR3 on the week, and each deserves a moment in the sun. Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with his best game of the season, going ballistic — 13/164/2 on 18 targets. Jameson Williams was close behind at 7/134/1 on nine targets. Detroit’s lack of production from the tight end position since Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright went on injured reserve (IR) is noticeable, as the team now funnels looks primarily through St. Brown and Williams alone.

Clinging desperately to the hopes of securing a Wild Card berth, Detroit hosts Pittsburgh in Week 16, and I’d envision the Lions continuing their aggressive mentality of putting the ball into the hands of their playmakers. St. Brown’s performance currently ranks as the best one at the wide receiver position in 2025, and it is possible he has a repeat down the stretch.

Stud: Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)

Puka Nacua torched Detroit’s secondary all afternoon, catching nine of his 11 targets for 181 yards, and this was despite missing time in the second half due to a cramping issue. Seemingly every drop back, quarterback Matthew Stafford found a wide open Nacua, who routinely torched Detroit’s beleaguered secondary for 20 tards per reception. Cohort in crime, Davante Adams, was held in check and then forced to leave after aggravating a hamstring issue he had been playing through.

We’d be surprised to see Adams return on a short week, with the Rams squaring off on the road against Seattle on Thursday Night Football. It is scary to think of how many targets Nacua will draw in the game, even in a difficult matchup against a strong Seahawks secondary.

Dud: George Pickens (WR – DAL)

Following a quiet performance in Week 14 against Detroit (5/37) when George Pickens appeared utterly disinterested in playing half the time, his poor effort was called out by the Dallas media. Rather than responding to the criticism and having a bounce-back effort, Pickens continued to turn towards the shadows and finished with his second-worst output of the season, hauling in just three receptions for 33 yards in a losing effort against Minnesota.

From a top-down perspective, it is curious that Dallas didn’t force the ball into his hands more often, especially with Dak Prescott recording 38 attempts. A balanced approach on offense is typically beneficial, but given the stakes that the Cowboys have been playing for of late, this wasn’t nearly an aggressive enough response during a must-win game. Hopefully, Pickens will turn things around in Week 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers, who also have playoff aspirations.

Dud: Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)

Someone might want to remind Justin Herbert that Ladd McConkey plays for this team and that he is fully capable of handling more looks within the offense. Following a spectacular rookie season in 2024 when he finished with a fantastic 82/1,149/7 stat line, McConkey’s workload was dramatically reduced, with Los Angeles siphoning away his looks to Keenan Allen or Oronde Gadsden II instead. Over the last two weeks, McConkey has just three receptions for 32 yards on eight targets.

McConkey’s diminished totals of late can be partially attributed to squaring off against difficult opponents who placed additional coverage his way, but we don’t want to detract from the point too much. Los Angeles needs to be better about getting the ball into his hands. The 10-4 Chargers travel to Dallas to face a secondary that is routinely torched. Look for a bounce-back performance from McConkey.

Tight End

Stud: Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)

Holy smokes. Apparently, Kyle Pitts was trying to fit a season’s worth of production into one game. With Tampa Bay refusing to pay him any attention whatsoever, Pitts was peppered with a season-high 12 targets, catching 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns — by far the best game of his career. Known as a walking punchline in fantasy circles for the past three years, Pitts already has set a career high with 73 receptions and four touchdowns, with multiple games remaining.

The health status of wideout Drake London is by far the most important variable moving forward for Pitts’ continued dominance. If London continues to slow-boat his knee sprain and remains off the field, expect another big game from Pitts against Arizona in Week 16, in what looks to be a shootout.

Dud: Hunter Henry (TE – NE)

During the first half of Sunday’s game against Buffalo, New England had no desire to pass the ball, given their success gashing the Bills on the ground as they grabbed an early lead. Trying to win the game with time of possession instead of continuing to keep the hammer down, Drake Maye only attempted 23 passes all afternoon, completing just 14 of them.

Hunter Henry drew a paltry three targets all game, as New England was desperately trying to keep the lead intact. Henry’s usage was the lowest since Week 8, and we’d have to expect better days are on the horizon against Baltimore in Week 16, a secondary that has struggled to hold leads and keep receivers out of the end zone.

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