1. Jamaal Charles, Running Back, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 15 Statistics: Eight attempts, 20 yards, Eight receptions, 195 yards and five touchdowns (51.50 points)
It goes without saying that Charles is the No. 1 fantasy running back at this point in the season. His record-setting performance against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday pretty much cemented his status as the best overall player, fantasy or not, at his position in the entire National Football League. He tied Doug Martin's performance from last season as the No. 4 overall single-game fantasy running back output over the past dozen years.
Charles now has a comfy 56-point lead over his closest competitor at running back, LeSean McCoy. That difference of four fantasy points per outing may have made a difference in your fantasy league. As it is, if you started Charles in Week 15, you likely either moved on to the championship or won the crown. That's how amazing his singlular performace was on Sunday.
2. Alex Smith, Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs
Week 15 Statistics: 17/20, 287 passing yards, four rushes, 17 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions (31.18 points)
Smith put up top-five fantasy quarterback numbers for the fourth time in five outings on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. He set a new career high with five touchdown passes (four two Jamaal Charles), became the 22nd quarterback in NFL history to post a perfect quarterback rating and finished as the No. 2 overall fantasy quarterback behind Nick Foles.
The amazing aspect about Smith's performance on Sunday is that his five touchdown passes traveled a total of 13 yards. Yeah, this is what we are talking about when we bring up YAC (yards after the catch), which is the bread-and-butter of the West Coast offense.
3. Matt Cassel, Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings
Week 15 Statistics: 26/35, 382 passing yards, three attempts, 19 yards, three touchdowns and one interception (29.18 points)
Raise your hands if you saw this coming. Cassel, seemingly Minnesota's final option at quarterback, took on the first-place Philadelphia Eagles without the services of Adrian Peterson. The veteran was set to fall flat on his face, right? That's not at all how it worked out. He tallied over 400 total yards with three scores, including a 57-yard touchdown strike to open the scoring in the first. Overall, Cassel finished Week 15 as the fourth-ranked fantasy quarterback (pending tonight's game). This won't be enough for Minnesota to foolishly believe he is the quarterback of the future, but it was a nice performance nonethelss in Minnesota's surprising 48-30 win.
4. DeSean Jackson, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
Week 15 Statistics: 10 receptions, 195 yards and one touchdown (25.50 points)
Nick Foles targeted Jackson a total of 16 times on Sunday, connecting on a 30-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter to get Philadelphia back in the game. Sunday's performance represented the the second time this season that Jackson has gone for 190-plus yards. He finished as the No. 1 fantasy receiver and is now the sixth-ranked fantasy receiver through 15 weeks. He is also just five points behind Demaryius Thomas, who ranks third in that category.
5. Matt Flynn, Quarterback, Green Bay Packers
Week 15 Statistics: 26/39, 299 yards, four touchdowns and one interception (25.66 points)
If you bought into the idea that any quarterback going up against the Dallas Cowboys defense this week would have a stellar fantasy day, you might have won your fantasy football championship on Sunday. After a slow start in the first half, in which many fans were demanding that Mike McCarthy put Scott Tolzien in, Flynn responded by putting up four second half touchdowns in leading Green Bay to five consecutive touchdown-scoring drives.
His performance didn't only keep the Packers in the midst of the NFC playoff race, it likely signaled that Aaron Rodgers will see the field with something to play for over the course of the last two weeks of the season. How ironic is that? Put up a stellar outing, fully knowing that it means you will be benched the following week. Such is the case when you are backing up one of the best quarterbacks in modern NFL history. As it is, Flynn didn't only win some of you a championship on Sunday, he mighthave given Green Bay a solid long-term No. 2 option. That's huge.
Here is a look at your top overall fantasy performers thus far in Week 15 with Monday Night Football yet to be played...