Fantasy Fallout: Thomas Rawls delivers again, Jameis Winston enjoys big day

ByTRISTAN H. COCKCROFT
November 23, 2015, 12:36 PM

— -- No Marshawn Lynch? No problem.

Seattle Seahawks rookie Thomas Rawls, who filled in for the injured Lynch (abdominal), led all players with 36 fantasy points on Sunday. It was Rawls' fourth career NFL start, and in those four he has scored a combined 72 fantasy points. Only five active running backs scored more in their first four career starts:

(Note: On the list below, Arian Foster is on injured reserve and Pierre Thomas is currently a free agent, but both are technically "active" NFL players.)

Rawls' 36 fantasy points were also more than Lynch has scored in all but one of his 127 career games; Lynch's only better day was his career-best 40 fantasy points against the New York Giants in Week 10 of the 2014 season, which was his 113th career game and 102nd start.

Unfortunately, as the news of Lynch's inactive status broke late in the afternoon -- around 3 p.m. ET -- many owners were unable to swap him out in time. Lynch was started in 50 percent of ESPN leagues in Week 11, which actually exceeded the 37 percent of ESPN leagues in which Rawls was owned. And with the Seahawks announcing after the game that they'll have Lynch's injury examined by a specialist, could there be a more obvious handcuff situation?

Rookies grab the headlines

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston might have tied an NFL rookie record for passing touchdowns (five) on Sunday, matching the marks set by Ray Buivid (1937) and Matthew Stafford (2009), but in fantasy terms, Winston's effort actually wasn't as historic. Winston's 29 fantasy points, the second-best total by any quarterback in Week 11, tied for 14th best among rookies since 1960. Russell Wilson (39 in 2012) holds the rookie standard; Stafford's five-touchdown game earned him 32 fantasy points and a higher spot on the list; Cam Newton had three games worth 30-plus as a rookie; and Robert Griffin III also had three worth 30 or more.

More significant about Winston's performance has been his full-season performance: He now has 165 points through his first 10 NFL starts. Since 1960, only 12 quarterbacks had more through their first 10 starts:

Note the inclusion of Newton, Griffin, Culpepper, Tebow, Brunell, Brooks and Kaepernick, all of whom were (or are) mobile quarterbacks, as Winston is. It's for that reason that Winston's early success isn't an indicator of future potential. Newton's career provides the most encouraging such comparables, but Griffin, Tebow and Kaepernick are less optimistic such examples.

Winston was started in only 7 percent of ESPN leagues on Sunday.

End zone-ophobia ... Part 2?

Sticking with the Buccaneers, Doug Martin on Sunday amassed 235 yards rushing, his second-best single game total. Unfortunately, he failed to reach the end zone, costing his owners a greater point total and stalling his game at a mere 23 fantasy points. Only two running backs since 1960 scored more fantasy points in a game in which they scored zero touchdowns: Darrin Nelson (24, 1983 Week 11) and Barry Sanders (24, 1994 Week 11). Maybe it's a Week 11 thing? Sanders was the only running back during that time span to rush for more yards, totaling 237 in his game.

This isn't the first time this season that we've seen a player score 20-plus points in a game in which he failed to score a touchdown. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown totaled 28 fantasy points (45 in PPR scoring) in Week 9, the most scored by any player who didn't have a touchdown of any kind (passing, rushing, receiving or return).

Miscellany

  • Cam Newton paced all quarterbacks with 30 fantasy points (pending Monday's action), giving the Carolina Panthers signal-caller a total of 213 for the season. He is now within four of Tom Brady for the lead -- though Brady plays on Monday -- and Newton is now on pace for 341 fantasy points, which would be his best single-year total since his rookie season in 2011 (352).

    Incidentally, Newton's 30-point game gave him 11 of at least that many in his five-year NFL career, tying him with Daunte Culpepper for the sixth-most such performances since 1960. Only Drew Brees (17), Steve Young (16), Tom Brady (15), Peyton Manning (13) and Aaron Rodgers (13) have had more.

  • Despite a challenging matchup with New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins scored 23 fantasy points on Sunday to pace his position in scoring. Though Revis missed the final 20 minutes or so of the game, Hopkins beat Revis multiple times, including one-on-one for a 61-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Apparently, fantasy owners weren't scared off by Revis Island, as Hopkins was started in 97 percent of ESPN leagues.

    Remarkably, this wasn't the best fantasy score by a wide receiver facing one of Revis' teams in a game in which he played: Randy Moss scored 24 fantasy points for the New England Patriots versus Revis' Jets in Week 1 of 2007, in Revis' NFL debut, while Rishard Matthews scored 24 fantasy points for the Miami Dolphins versus Revis' Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10 of 2013.