Deep Sleepers and Tight End Stars Dominate a Wild Fantasy Quarterfinal Weekend

Shawn Siegele
December 20, 2021

In a wild, weird Week 15, fantasy sleepers came out of the woodwork and joined the star tight ends at the top of the leaderboard.

It was another big Zero RB week with Duke Johnson and Jeff Wilson joining the unstoppable, borderline inhuman Jonathan Taylor as RB week-winners. It was a big Zero RB week, but not the right Zero RB week for many tournament teams, as Leonard Fournette, Cordarrelle Patterson, and James Conner slipped the slipper just when fantasy managers needed them most.

The worst news occurs in Tampa, where Fournette left with a hamstring injury. Early reports have him missing the next two weeks and dealing a potential death blow to fantasy title hopes. Ronald Jones entered and ripped off a 30-yard gain. He offers reality fans hope that 2021 could play out just like 2020, only with the RB roles reversed. Jones averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season and went over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 14 games. He’s a far less intuitive receiver but a far more explosive runner, providing a big-play element the Bucs may find helpful with Chris Godwin also lost for the regular season.

Just How Valuable Were the Tight Ends?

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

Please subscribe For Full Access to all RotoViz content and tools!

What’s included in your subscription??

Exclusive Access to RotoViz Study Hall
- A treasure trove of our most insightful articles that will teach you the metrics that matter, time-tested winning strategies, the approaches that will give you an edge, and teach you how to be an effective fantasy manager.
Revolutionary Tools
- Including the NFL Stat Explorer, Weekly GLSP Projections, NCAA Prospect Box Score Scout, Combine Explorer, Range of Outcomes App, DFS Lineup Optimizer, Best Ball Suite,and many, many, more.
Groundbreaking Articles
- RotoViz is home of the original Zero-RB article and continues to push fantasy gamers forward as the go-to destination for evidence-based analysis and strategic advantages.
Weekly Projections
- Built using RotoViz’s unique GLSP approach.
Expert Rankings
And a whole lot more…

Shawn Siegele

Author of the original Zero RB article and 2013 NFFC Primetime Grand Champion. 11-time main event league winner. 2015, 2017, 2018 titles in MFL10 of Death.

The Banana Stand: Projecting Every Remaining NFL Game and Counting Down the Top 16 Teams

Shawn Siegele December 4, 2025

Shawn Siegele has some fun with the ESPN Playoff Machine, projects every remaining NFL game, and finishes his 1-32 NFL team rankings with the top-16 teams in the NFL. The ESPN Playoff Machine allows us to simulate the remaining NFL games in a variety of ways. Before actually picking every NFL game the rest of the way, let’s take a peek at what some of…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

The Banana Stand: Giving Thanks for This Whole Fantasy Football Project (And Breaking Down Thanksgiving Matchups)

Shawn Siegele November 26, 2025

Week 12 finished with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, perhaps the perfect encapsulation of a hobby that can only deliver joy because it also carries heartbreak. I’m thankful for both. In today’s Banana Stand, I’ll give thanks for a hobby and the people in it. I’ll detail the crazy high of finishing an undefeated FFPC season with a 197-point outburst, and…...

Membership Required

You must be a member to access this content.

View Membership Levels

Already a member? Log in here

The Banana Stand Week 12: What You Can and Can’t Exploit When Taking On the NFL’s 16 Worst Teams

Shawn Siegele November 21, 2025

Shawn Siegele ranks every team in the NFL and provides a deep breakdown for fantasy managers and reality enthusiasts alike. Apologies for getting the Banana Stand out a day late this week. My Week 12 concept ended up being a two-parter, and even splitting it resulted in a bigger project than I anticipated. Having closed on the dynasty trade deadline — updated rankings are ready…...