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It was a career day for Williams, who ranked second among Jets receivers in routes (30) and third in snaps with 41. Williams has played primarily on special teams this season and currently leads the league in punt return yards (396) and has two punt return touchdowns. He seemed to show good chemistry with Brady Cook, who he has presumably spent a lot of time with in practice, but his strong performance in Week 15 could warrant a stronger look over the final three weeks of the season. Williams has played 30-plus snaps and run 20-plus routes in back-to-back weeks. He’s worth a stash in deeper leagues ahead of next week’s game against the Saints.

Smith scored the second of two rushing touchdowns by Pittsburgh tight ends, setting a new NFL record as the first team in history with two rushing scores by different tight ends in the same game. Leave it to Arthur Smith to be responsible for a record like that. Smith’s outing was otherwise far from noteworthy while playing in a four-man rotation at tight end for the Steelers, with all of Smith, Pat Freiermuth (three catches for 45 yards), Darnell Wshington (three catches for 25 yards), and Heyward (four carries for four yards and a touchdown) getting in on the action.

Metcalf’s modest target total was a product of a game environment in which the Steelers were really never pushed, with their defense holding the Dolphins to just three points through the first three quarters. He salvaged his fantasy outing by turning into a one-man wrecking ball in the third quarter, catching a pass over the middle of the field between two defenders before bouncing off one, stiff-arming another, and out-running two more on his way to the end zone. Metcalf has returned modest fantasy production in the low-volume Pittsburgh offense this season, potentially cratering his dynasty value moving forward. That said, he gets the pass-funnel Lions in Week 16.

Gainwell drew the start with Jaylen Warren battling an illness, although the two backs would share primary duties throughout. It was Gainwell that was the much more efficient back, gaining 126 total yards to the 48 yards of Warren on five more touches. The Pittsburgh backfield remains one of interest considering Arthur Smith is at the helm, with the biggest detractor being a typical timeshare between the top two options. Gainwell’s eruption in the first week of fantasy playoffs highlights the upside if one of the two sees more primary usage, making Warren’s status one to monitor in the coming week of practice.

Multiple records and milestones were reached in this one. First off, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was full-on Arthur Smith-ing as the Steelers became the first team in NFL history with rushing scores by two different tight ends in the same game, the first scored by Connor Heyward on Pittsburgh’s version of the tush push from one yard out and the second a rushing score by former Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith for the revenge narrative. Second, the Steelers scored on four consecutive possessions for the first time since 2018 to break the game open in the third quarter. Third, their defense held the Dolphins to -20 total yards in the third quarter, the fewest for any team in a quarter since at least 2019. And finally, Rodgers moved into third in career games with two or more touchdown passes after connecting with Marquez Valdes-Scantling and DK Metcalf in the third quarter. Rodgers was not tasked with much while attempting only 27 passes due to the defensive battle and remains an uneasy start in fantasy circles in 2025.

Waddle’s four targets ranked behind running back De’Von Achane and tight end Darren Waller, largely held down by a dysfunctional offense that managed only three points through the first three quarters. It was then Waller who took advantage of prevent coverage in the final frame, catching six of his seven receptions and both touchdowns in the final 15 minutes. The veteran speedster briefly departed for unknown reasons, something fantasy managers will want to monitor closely in the coming week of practice after the Dolphins were eliminated from postseason contention.

Six of Waller’s seven receptions came on three fourth quarter possessions as the team entered desperation mode after falling behind 28-3, two of which were touchdowns. The first was a “yolo” ball thrown by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into Waller’s vicinity, with the former basketball player high-pointing the football over Asante Samuel Jr in the corner of the end zone. The two would then hook for a touchdown from 13 yards out on the subsequent possession as Waller broke free of his defender in the end zone. Waller’s best game of the season could not come at a better time for fantasy managers in the first week of the playoffs. He gets a golden opportunity for a curtain call performance against the Bengals in Week 16, who rank dead last in the league in fantasy points allowed per game to opposing tight ends.

Achane did effectively everything for the Dolphins except find the end zone, responsible for 18 touches on a night the team ran only 48 offensive plays, four of which went down as sacks. That meant Achane accounted for 41% of the team’s available opportunities, a completely asinine workload in today’s NFL. The final box score also fails to tell the full story behind Miami’s struggles as they managed just three points through the first three quarters and somehow lost 20 yards on two possessions in the third quarter. The loss eliminates the Dolphins form postseason contention while the recent surge in workload should keep Achane firmly entrenched as a surefire first-round pick in 2026 fantasy drafts.

The Dolphins gained just two first downs in the first quarter as Tagovailoa threw a badly under-thrown interception on the team’s second possession. They would then manage a lone field goal in the second frame to take a 7-3 deficit into the half before losing 20 yards on two third quarter possessions. It wasn’t until going down 28-3 that the Dolphins showed any signs of life, with Tagovailoa connecting with veteran tight end Darren Waller for consecutive touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make the final score appear far less dire than the first three quarters would have indicated. One of the final plays of the game summed up Tagovailoa’s night succinctly when he tried to call a timeout as the play clock expired, only to be ridiculed by the Steelers defenders for not having any timeouts remaining. The loss eliminates the Dolphins from postseason contention in yet another forgettable season under head coach Mike McDaniel.

Reports surfaced earlier Monday that Mahomes was seeking a second opinion before the surgery was performed. That was evidently accomplished in short order considering the team announced Monday evening that the franchise quarterback underwent successful surgery on the torn ACL Monday evening. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Mahomes also tore his LCL, although that does not necessarily influence the expected recovery timeline. Preseason and camp are almost entirely out of the question for the star quarterback, although he appears likely to push to avoid the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the 2026 regular season.

Warren was a surprise addition to the team’s injury report earlier Monday but avoided inactivity after going through pre-game workouts. It remains to be seen if he will assume a normal workload, although fantasy managers are likely forced to start Warren with this the final game of Week 15. Inactive for the Steelers are WR Roman Wilson, QB Will Howard, OL Andrus Peat, DT Brodric Martin-Rhodes, OLB T.J. Watt, and DT Derrick Harmon.