Week 15 NFL Advanced Analytics Superstars

Running Back: David Johnson

David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals
29 Rushes, 187 Yards, 3 Touchdowns
4 Receptions, 42 Yards, 4 Targets
NEP: +17.15

David Johnson truthers broke out the bubbly Sunday night, after watching Johnson run through a porous Eagles run defense that allowed him 187 yards and 3 touchdowns. Johnson added 42 receiving yards on just 4 receptions, capping off not only Week 15's best running back performance by numberFire's metrics, but the best performance we've seen all season.

The Northern Iowa rookie's +17.15 NEP was the best individual performance of the ear, even eclipsing Devonta Freeman's impressive outings from earlier this year. What makes it really special is that most of our top performers are boosted by strong receiving games, as receptions are able to elevate a player's NEP quickly. Johnson was able to find big holes on the ground instead, finding tons of room on his 29 carries and capitalizing on that volume for an incredible performance in Week 15.

Johnson now elevated his cumulative Rushing NEP to the second-highest among all running backs this season, despite having only 105 carries. His Total NEP -- which factors in receiving as well -- is the third-highest at the position, only 0.6 points away from leading all running backs. Johnson led all running backs this week in fantasy scoring, putting up a monster 44.9 PPR points and propelling most fantasy squads to Week 16 championships.

Danny Woodhead finally returned to fantasy relevance this week after four weeks of lower than top-24 performances. He scored four total touchdowns and finished this week with a +10.20 NEP. The multi-faceted Matt Forte got it done on both the ground and the air, accumulating 100-plus total yards and a score. Mike Gillislee had an efficient day following LeSean McCoy's injury. Gillislee broke free for a 60-yard rushing touchdown to help boost his NEP and join this week's list. Joique Bell saw only 10 touches but was able to reach the end zone against the Saints, picking up 71 rushing yards in the process. Despite playing from behind for the entire game, Duke Johnson picked up 85 yards on offense with just a handful of carries and receptions.

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