Fantasy News & Analysis

Immediate fantasy football takeaways from NFL Week 15 Thursday Night Football

Inglewood, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 34-28 in overtime on Thursday Night Football, which moves them a step closer to clinching the AFC West.

Their strategy was similar to so many wins of the past, as they threw a lot to Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. The Chargers offense was also very successful, but it was stopped on fourth down three times in addition to turning the ball over twice.


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Table Notes
  • Snaps include plays called back due to penalties like offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
  • Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
  • Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.

Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers

  • Tyreek Hill: 12 receptions, 148 yards, 1 TD (3.4 YPRR)
  • Travis Kelce: 10 receptions, 191 yards, 2 TD (44 yards after contact)
Kansas City Chiefs Snaps Routes Run Targets Carries
WR
Tyreek Hill 59 43 12 0
Demarcus Robinson 49 37 3 0
Byron Pringle 46 36 4 0
Mecole Hardman 31 20 4 1
Marcus Kemp 2 0 0 0
TE
Travis Kelce 55 40 13 0
Noah Gray 20 9 0 0
Blake Bell 15 3 0 1
HB
Clyde Edwards-Helaire 50 32 4 9
Darrel Williams 21 15 1 5
Total 71 50 43 18
Los Angeles Chargers Snaps Routes Run Targets Carries
WR
Mike Williams 64 32 9 0
Keenan Allen 62 33 9 0
Josh Palmer 32 21 1 0
Jalen Guyton 27 18 2 0
Andre Roberts 1 0 0 1
TE
Jared Cook 42 29 6 0
Tre' McKitty 41 10 1 0
Stephen Anderson 38 8 1 0
Donald Parham 2 2 1 0
HB
Justin Jackson 42 24 1 13
Austin Ekeler 27 14 4 12
Joshua Kelley 13 4 0 7
Total 79 42 35 36

Monitor Austin Ekeler‘s injury: Ekeler was a game-time decision coming into the game due to an ankle injury he suffered last week. He still started the game but didn’t get to play his usual allotment of snaps. He and Justin Jackson basically split snaps, but Jackson carried the ball more often and ran more pass routes. Los Angeles has an extended week off, so chances are Ekeler will be closer to 100% next week, when he should play his usual amount of snaps then.

The Chargers' new third wide receiver: Josh Palmer started playing more at the beginning of November, as he eventually started splitting playing time with Jalen Guyton. Keenan Allen missed last week, allowing Palmer to play even more. He caught five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown, which was enough for Palmer to play more than Guyton. Palmer reeled in a highlight catch in the fourth quarter to help Los Angeles extend a drive. He didn’t score a touchdown like Guyton, but this was still a positive step forward in his career.

Monitor Donald Parham‘s injury: Parham suffered a scary injury on the first drive. We hope that he is doing well and recovers quickly. Los Angeles already utilized a four-man rotation at tight end, so this became a three-man rotation after the injury. Both Stephen Anderson and Tre’ McKitty played more, as both caught a pass. It didn’t impact Jared Cook’s playing time. If Parham misses time, the Chargers should continue using this strategy.

Kansas City without Josh Gordon: Kansas City missed a few players due to COVID-19, and Gordon was the most notable for fantasy football. He was one of the top three wide receivers on the Chiefs' depth chart, and he caught his first touchdown a week ago. He took Demarcus Robinson’s job, so Robinson played much more in his absence. Robinson didn’t catch either of his targets. It wouldn’t be surprising if Kansas City tried to upgrade this position in the offseason.

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