Fantasy News & Analysis

Fantasy Game Notes: The key stats of Week 15

Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrates a two point conversion in the fourth quarter as Pittsburgh Steelers safety Sean Davis (28) looks away at Heinz Field. The Patriots won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

The playoff picture is starting to take shape around the league. In the AFC, the Steelers and Patriots will make repeat appearances, while the Chiefs are likely to join them. Meanwhile, in the NFC, the top five seeds might not be locked in, but there's some separation, meaning the Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Saints, and Panthers are all likely in.

What do those five teams have in common? Well, none of the five appeared in the 2016-17 playoffs. The sixth NFC spot is a battle between the Falcons, Cowboys, Seahawks, Lions, and Packers, all of whom made the playoffs a year ago.

Since 2010, no conference has had only one repeat playoff team from one year to the next. In fact, only last year's NFC field saw as few as two repeat appearances. Since 2010, each conference has seen an average of about 3.5 playoff teams repeat year-over-year, peaking in the AFC having five repeat playoff teams between 2011-12 and 2012-13.

What's that mean for fantasy? Well, not much, except for the fact that we can't just assume a team that is good one year will be good the next. Teams rise and fall, perhaps even more these days than in recent history.

Fantasy stats can come from anywhere. The box scores give you those stats. PFF Fantasy goes deeper, offering up a more in-depth look at the statistical takeaways from each game. Below are all the games of Week 15.

Denver Broncos 25, Indianapolis Colts 13

Detroit Lions 20, Chicago Bears 10

Kansas City Chiefs 30, Los Angeles Chargers 13

Buffalo Bills 24, Miami Dolphins 16

Baltimore Ravens 27, Cleveland Browns 10

Minnesota Vikings 34, Cincinnati Bengals 7

New Orleans Saints 31, New York Jets 19

Philadelphia Eagles 34, New York Giants 29

Washington Redskins 20, Arizona Cardinals 15

Carolina Panthers 31, Green Bay Packers 24

Jacksonville Jaguars 45, Houston Texans 7

Los Angeles Rams 42, Seattle Seahawks 7

New England Patriots 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 24

San Francisco 49ers 25, Tennessee Titans 23

Dallas Cowboys 20, Oakland Raiders 17

Atlanta Falcons 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21

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