Week 15 NFL Advanced Analytics Superstars

Wide Receiver: Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
16 Receptions, 189 Yards, 18 Targets, 2 Touchdowns
NEP: +18.00

For the third time this season, Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown takes home the honors as this week's top NEP performer, tying DeAndre Hopkins for most among all receivers.

Brown was able to maneuver through Denver's highly touted secondary, finding holes to hook up with Ben Roethlisberger with relative ease. He finished the day hauling in 16 of his 18 targets for 189 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. All of these were season-highs allowed by Denver's defense, as they've been the top-ranked secondary that had allowed only two 100-yard receivers and two touchdowns allowed to receivers all year.

No matter what defensive formation the Broncos lined up in, Brown was able to find ways to make plays routinely this week. His smooth route running and uncanny ability to connect with Big Ben make him a weekly highlight reel waiting to happen. 12 of his 16 receptions were able to move the chains or find the end zone.

Brown's +18.00 NEP this week raised his cumulative Reception NEP to second-highest among all receivers, same as his Target NEP. Brown led all wide receivers in fantasy points in Week 15, putting up 46.9 PPR points. In a rough year for many early-round fantasy draft picks, Brown continues to provide consistent high-end fantasy outings.

Looking at the rest of this week's top receivers, Emmanuel Sanders had one of his best performances of the season, catching 10 passes for 181 yards and a score. Same went for Jordan Matthews, who, after several disappointing weeks, was able to have a nice individual performance catching 8 of 11 for 159 yards and a touchdown. Sammy Watkins tried to keep the Bills in their game this week, catching two scoring passes and surpassing the 100-yard mark. Ted Ginn Jr. and DeSean Jackson utilized their deep speed and were able to provide big plays for their respective teams.