How messed up are the Chiefs right now? Patrick Mahomes' (ACL) availability probably isn’t a top three concern heading into 2026. A “fast healer” in an era of condensed recovery timelines, Mahomes will likely be out there for Week 1.

Now, how he will fare is another story. Mahomes will be coming off by far the worst stretch of football of his career, and accuracy — especially down the field — that was a frustratingly persistent issue this season could be further marred by his lower body not yet being back to full strength.

Because there is a difference between “being ready to play” and “being ready to play up to your usual standards.” Players now come back faster than ever, but for every 2012 Adrian Peterson, there are probably two 2021 Cam Akerses. Players “get back,” but not necessarily to where they once belonged, at least immediately.

Mahomes is an antsy sort. He’s not going to want to sit around. Hopefully he doesn’t rush. Whatever form he arrives back in will be complicated by a roster showing its creakiness and recent lack of care around the edges. The skill corps still isn’t deep enough after years of attempted draft fixes, while the running game is now nonexistent. The offensive line is obliterated by injuries, and the defense is aging.

The Chiefs were going to need a reinvention with or without Mahomes’ injury. Now they might need a full reset. You can only paper over your issues for so long, even if you have prime-era Mahomes. Now you have Mahomes on the wrong side of 30 with a reconstructed knee. This needs to be a thoughtful revamp. Hopefully Andy Reid, who has remade himself several times before, has one more Houdini act in him.

Five Week 15 Storylines

Trevor Lawrence has career day as Jaguars continue to come together. The best game of Lawrence’s life put an exclamation point on his best month. Lawrence has been one of the most valuable players in football over the past four weeks, a phrase I never thought I would utter. It has coincided with increased confidence and experience in Liam Coen’s system, and greatly increased health and depth in his skill corps. Brian Thomas Jr. and Brenton Strange are finally back and producing, and Jakobi Meyers is the trade addition rug really tying the room together. The schedule has been soft, but as we like to say, good players have great games against bad teams. That’s a good thing, not a nit to be picked. So what is Lawrence going to do against one of the best teams, the 12-2 Broncos and their shutdown defense on the road? We don’t know, other than we have to find out outside the top 12 at quarterback for the fantasy semis. Lawrence is earning benefit of the doubt. He does not yet have set-and-forget QB1 trust against a D leading the league in sacks and surrendering the third fewest passing yards.

Davante Adams goes down with hamstring issue ahead of short week. This one changes the fantasy calculus. The wide receiver position's pre-eminent rim finisher will not be out there for the semis, and there’s no obvious place to turn in the Rams’ offense or the waiver wire at large. The “top adds” this week are perennial potential additions like Luther Burden III and Jayden Reed, who have already been scooped up in the most competitive formats. Tutu Atwell is probably the most sensible Los Angeles addition, but Sean McVay keeps expanding his rotation at wideout and tight end, rendering Atwell the most unsatisfying of dart throws. The real fallout might be in the Rams’ backfield, where Adams’ lost goal-line looks should trickle down to Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. I’m skeptical the winner will be Colby Parkinson, whose scoring binge has probably had as much to do with the defensive attention Adams commands as it has Parkinson “earning” looks.

Philip Rivers doesn’t really turn back the clock, but he makes time earn it. Although it was an easy topic to joke about, I was not kidding when I said Rivers against the Seahawks was the game I was most excited to watch all season. What we got was something of a faded memory. Rivers was recognizably himself, but that wasn’t an NFL quarterback. Shuffling around the pocket, Rivers’ always tough-to-watch heaves were now true shot-put passes. Rivers has no arm strength and even less athleticism. It was difficult to come out of the experiment thinking it was a good idea, and yet… the Colts almost won. One of the best teams in football required the assistance of a walk-off field goal to win. Rivers is losing his boxing match against Father Time but still landing a few punches. The task will only grow more difficult. Getting your 44-year-old body ready for one game is one thing. Keeping it healthy for four in a row is another. Sunday was a triumph of the human spirit. In fantasy football? Get your Colts out of your lineup.

Christian Watson takes one step back after his recent steps forward. Watson is a long-beleaguered player finally getting his flowers. Sunday, as was probably always bound to happen, some of them ended up in the dirt. Watson’s “chest” issue is good news in that it’s not a soft-tissue injury, but bad news in that it’s yet another ailment for one of the league’s most snakebitten players. Although it is reportedly not as bad as feared/expected, he will be on the wrong side of questionable for the fantasy semifinals. That leaves the standard failed Packers skill corps gaggle behind him. Maybe Romeo Doubs will score a touchdown. Maybe Jayden Reed will stack up PPR points. Maybe Matthew Golden will hit a big play. Maybe Brett Favre will join Philip Rivers and come out of retirement. We had come around to trusting Watson. We like very little of what’s left in his wake if he’s forced to miss Week 16.

Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers fade from relevance ahead of fantasy semis. It’s best to avoid sweeping statements in fantasy football. “Bench all Raiders” isn’t really useful advice. Now, that being said, it will certainly be an intrusive thought if you witnessed Sunday’s 31-0, no-show loss against the Eagles like I did. I thought things couldn’t get worse without Geno Smith. They did. I thought it would be almost impossible to render Bowers and Jeanty questions marks. They are. Bowers less so. Even in Sunday’s darkest moment, he produced 8.8 PPR points. He’s the one thing still going in this offense. Another shutout loss will be possible against the Texans, but Houston allows more fantasy points up the seam than on the outside. You probably don’t have any better options, anyways. Jeanty, on the other hand? At best a poor man’s Breece Hall in this broken offense, he’s probably more like a rich man’s Kenneth Gainwell. You hope for 3-4 catches and maybe 1-2 goal-line carries. Jeanty is no longer someone you are forcing into fantasy lineups.

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Questions

1. How can you even look yourself in the mirror if your team falls from the IN THE HUNT playoff graphics before the Dolphins?

2. Did we hallucinate the Titans firing Mike Vrabel and replacing him with Brian Callahan?

3. Is Nine going to have to “hit" the Griddy?

Early Waivers Look (Players rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues)

QB: C.J. Stroud (vs. LV), J.J. McCarthy (@NYG), Aaron Rodgers (@DET), Tyler Shough (vs. NYJ), Bryce Young (vs. TB), Kirk Cousins (@AZ)
RB: Blake Corum, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Michael Carter, Jawhar Jordan, Audric Estime
WR: Luther Burden III, Adonai Mitchell, Jayden Reed, Jayden Higgins, Josh Downs, Jalen Coker
TE: Dalton Schultz, Colston Loveland, Colby Parkinson, Theo Johnson, Dawson Knox
DEF: Vikings (@NYG), Saints (vs. NYJ), Patriots (@BAL)

Stats of the Week

Trey McBride’s weekly averages in five games with Kyler Murray under center: 6/55/0. Trey McBride’s weekly averages in nine games with Jacoby Brissett under center: 8/88/1.

Davis Mattek on the broken Las Vegas Raiders: "In consecutive games, the Las Vegas Raiders have run: 42 plays, 49 plays and 48 plays. The league average is 61.5."

Via Gregg Rosenthal: “The Jags have averaged 32.9 points in seven games since their bye.”

Awards Section 

Week 15 Fantasy All-Pro Team: QB Trevor Lawrence, RB Travis Etienne, RB James Cook, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR Puka Nacua, WR Jameson Williams, TE Kyle Pitts

Week 15 All Bank Examiner Squad: QB Joe Burrow, RB Bucky Irving, RB Kenneth Walker III, WR Justin Jefferson, WR Ladd McConkey, WR George Pickens, TE Mark Andrews

The, OK Yeah, That Might Get The Defensive Coordinator Fired Even If It’s Week 16 Of A Doomed Season Award: The Jets having zero interceptions on the season.

Jets Tweet of the Week: “Folk’s FG makes it 21-10. A money kick; Folks earns another $125,000 in incentives. #Jets”

Griddy of the Week: J.J. McCarthy, apparently much to coach Kevin O’Connell’s dismay.

Please Don’t Instantly Kill Any Good Vibes By Losing To The Saints Anddddddddd They Lost To The Saints Award: The Panthers.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy led his team to a 34-26 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football on NBC in Week 15. The highly scrutinized quarterback threw for a season-high 10.4 yards per attempt while producing his second consecutive three-touchdown outing.

Technically, the Cowboys can still secure a playoff spot, though the odds are stacked overwhelmingly against them.

The Cowboys (6-7-1) host the Chargers (10-4) in Week 16, while the Vikings (6-8) visit the Giants (2-12).

SNF Fantasy Standouts

• J.J. McCarthy QB, Vikings: 250 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, one interception, four carries for 15 yards and one touchdown. McCarthy used his javelin thrower’s lead-foot release to link up with wide receiver Jalen Nailor for a 20-yard touchdown in the first quarter, anticipating Nailor’s separation in the end zone. The two connected again in the fourth quarter from four yards out. Between the Nailor scores, McCarthy ran one in after faking the handoff to running back Jordan Mason for a one-yard score. 
• Jalen Nailor WR, Vikings: Three receptions, 47 yards and two touchdowns on five yards, one carry for minus-two yards. Nailor did a good job of separating from his coverage defenders this evening.
• Javonte Williams RB, Cowboys: 91 rushing yards and one touchdown. Williams played through a left shoulder injury suffered on the Cowboys’ first drive. It was an admirable showing for a player who was clearly in pain, flexing and extending his left arm regularly between plays.

SNF Fantasy Flops

• Justin Jefferson WR, Vikings: Two receptions and 22 yards on eight targets. Jefferson’s on-field connection with McCarthy remains a work in progress. He notably had a three-yard, second-quarter touchdown called back. 
• George Pickens WR, Cowboys: Three receptions and 33 yards on six targets. Pickens failed to make up for last week’s lackluster showing and has now been held under 40 receiving yards in consecutive games.

Usage Notes

• Malik Davis’ usage: Davis led the Cowboys’ backfield by playing on 37-of-57 offensive snaps. He rushed eight times while earning three targets, playing on 5-of-7 third-down snaps, 5-of-5 two-minute drill snaps and 8-of-12 red zone snaps. 
• Vikings backfield touch counts: Starting running back Aaron Jones rushed 12 times for 34 yards and caught 3-of-3 targets for 31 yards. Backup running back Jordan Mason rushed 10 times for 29 yards. Jones’ passing game involvement helps mildly offset his inefficient rushing performance.
• Brandon Aubrey’s usage and results: Aubrey converted just 4-of-6 field goals and 2-of-2 extra points. The Cowboys lined up for a field goal in the first quarter and ran a trick play in which the holder flipped the ball to Aubrey in stride, as the Cowboys’ kicker took off running for a first down. Although the play was successful, Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker could be seen running free down the field, open for a pass if Aubrey had chosen to throw it. It was a missed opportunity on an albeit exciting play.

Injury Watch

• Javonte Williams RB, Cowboys: Williams suffered a left shoulder injury on the Cowboys’ first drive, but returned in time to score a one-yard touchdown at the end of it. He ceded significant snaps to No. 2 running back Malik Davis while working with the Cowboys’ training staff. Williams could be seen initiating contact with his right shoulder whenever possible thereafter.

Waiver Wire Radar

• Malik Davis RB, Cowboys: Davis should be added off waivers. Williams will likely undergo further testing and be limited in practice throughout the week.

One Big Stat

Astonishingly, McCarthy’s 250 passing yards against the Cowboys are a career-high.

Coming Monday at Rotoworld:

- Rotoworld Football Show: Week 15 Sunday Recap

- Sunday Aftermath article by Patrick Daugherty

- Week 16 Waiver Wire article by Kyle Dvorchak

- Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry LIVE at noon ET on YouTube

- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Q&A with Patrick Daugherty & Kyle Dvorchak