Advertisement

Thursday Fantasy Fliers, Week 15: Kerwynn Williams and Jared Cook

Andy Behrens
·Fantasy analyst

Please remember, friends, that the players we discuss in this feature are FLIERS. Hail Marys. Emergency options for desperate owners. No one is claiming these guys are must-add, must-start fantasy assets. They don't get the green light in 8 and 10-team leagues. Here, we try to assist deep league managers with dire needs.

For fantasy purposes, Thursday's game between the Cardinals and Rams could be a deep well of sadness. It certainly doesn't have a shootout vibe.

[Join FanDuel.com's $2M Week 15 fantasy league: $25 to enter; top 17,475 teams paid]

Arizona has allowed just 18.3 points per game on the season, the third lowest number in the league. St. Louis stopped giving up points two weeks ago, pitching back-to-back shutouts against Oakland and Washington (winning by a combined score of 76-0). These defenses have each forced 23 takeaways on the year, tied for seventh-most in the NFL. The Cards rank sixth at defending the run, the Rams tenth. Both Ds have had success hunting quarterbacks, combining for 66 sacks on the season (31 for Arizona, 35 for the Rams).

Basically, the fantasy community can expect a long, ugly night. It seems unwise to bet big on the first game of Week 15. Tre Mason remains on the approved list — he's near the bottom, but he makes the list — and so are both of tonight's D/STs. But that's pretty much it.

For those of you who play in XXL-sized leagues, these two characters are in the discussion as well...

RB Kerwynn Williams, Ari (18 percent owned, 3 percent started)

So the past week has treated Williams fairly well, at least professionally. He was elevated from the Cards' practice squad on Friday, then surprisingly handled the bulk of the backfield touches against the Chiefs on Sunday. Williams finished with 19 carries for an even 100 yards versus KC, which of course landed him squarely in the fantasy pickup conversation. He's a small, quick-cutting runner (5-foot-8) who delivered huge stats back in 2012 at Utah State (2209 scrimmage yards, 20 TDs, 6.9 YPC, 45 REC), then held his own at the combine (4.48 speed, good shuttle). You can check the collegiate highlights right here.

Williams made stops with Indy and San Diego before finding his way to Arizona's roster; when Andre Ellington checked out, Kerwynn stepped up. He'd apparently been a terror on the scout team for Arizona...

“He had been making our defense look like fools,” linebacker Sam Acho said.

...which led to last week's opportunity. Officially, Stepfan Taylor remains the starter in the Cards backfield, but, as you've surely learned by now, starting status isn't necessarily a huge deal. Williams shouldn't lack for touches on Thursday. Again, the problem is the opponent. The Rams defense has only allowed 256 total rushing yards to running backs over the team's last five games (3.4 YPC); Ellington ran for just 23 yards on 18 carries against St. Louis back in Week 10.

Bottom line: For me, Williams ranks as only a fringe flex option in Week 15, a desperation play for fantasy owners. Ideally, in the playoff semis you have more reliable options with friendlier matchups. But if you're playing in the sort of league in which every team's lead back is owned, then someone needs to scoop up Kerwynn. I've added him in two leagues (of many), but can't say I'm starting him myself.

[Week 15 rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver | Tight End | Kicker | DST]

TE Jared Cook, STL (30 percent owned, 13 percent started)

Look, I'm probably the wrong guru to give you a hard-sell on Jared Cook. He's never been one of my pet players. He's a sketchy play in the best of matchups, always a threat to give you two catches for 19 yards. But we also have to acknowledge that Cook, for whatever reason, always seems to do his best work in December (splits here). He delivered a pair of scores against Washington on Sunday, and he's about to face a defense that's been remarkably generous to opposing tight ends.

The Cards have allowed the most receiving yards to the tight end position this season (875), and the same was true last year (1156 yards, 16 TDs). Cook himself delivered 84 yards and a touchdown against Arizona a few weeks back, and he had 190 yards and two scores against the Cards last season. If you've been playing the wire at TE all season, he's clearly worth a look this week. I'm actually starting him somewhere, which almost never happens.