Returner Recap and Latest News: Week 16

Photo: Jasen Vinlove, USA Today Sports

Individual returner projections for each week are included in your MyFBG projections and rankings automatically. My returner projections are included in the default projection set with David Dodds' offensive predictions. Choose David as the source, and then choose a scoring system in which you have included points for return yards.

The base return projections for a week can be seen on this page. You can also go to the content for the week and use the Returner Projections link to get there.

Week 15 Recap

The top of the rankings for Week 15 were filled with players who rarely have appeared there in the past. Benny Cunningham led the league with 4 kick returns for 188 yards for the Rams, while Kaelin Clay made an argument that Tampa Bay should have at least held onto him past training camp as he picked up 180 combined return yards for Baltimore. Quan Bray was best amongst the punt returners with 4 punts returned for 67 yards in a Colts loss to the Texans, and was 6th overall for the week.

Seahawks returner Tyler Lockett retook the lead for the season as previous leader Cordarrelle Patterson was generally kicked away from in the Vikings game against the Bears. With four players over 900 total return yards there should be a number of players who break the thousand yard mark this year, though the overall leader may not reach some of the heights we have seen in past seasons.

All Week 15 Returners

Below are all returners for Week 15.

Returners Year to Date

Here are the top 40 returners for the year by total return yards.

Week 16 Outlook

Job Changes

Marcus Thigpen was released by Buffalo this week. The Bills could go back to Leodis McKelvin for punt returns, or could look to one of their younger receivers to get involved on punts and possibly kickoffs. Walter Powell and Greg Salas could be possible returners for them this week.

The Raiders put a healthy Taiwan Jones back on kick returns, but Jeremy Ross continued on as the punt returner. Ross only managed 2 returns for -3 yards, while Jones handled 4 kickoffs for 92 yards.

The Panthers went into Week 15 with a running-back-by-committee approach to fill in for Jonathan Stewart. While Fozzy Whittaker was mentioned prominently in that mix, he received only 2 carries during the game. Meanwhile, Carolina had Joe Webb III handling a number of the kickoffs, perhaps expecting Whittaker to be busy in the running game. 

Stefon Diggs had the only kick return for the Vikings in their Week 15 game against the Bears. Cordarrelle Patterson was still back as a returner on all of the kickoffs, but on the kick that Diggs returned the Vikings had 3 returners deep with Patterson in the middle. The kick went to the corner of the end zone where Diggs was waiting. This was possibly a response to an earlier kickoff that also went into a deep corner which Patterson was not able to reach in time. 

INJURIES OF NOTE

Cecil Shorts was forced to leave the Texans' game with a groin injury. Early comments from the coaching staff were not optimistic about his chances of playing Week 16. Keith Mumphery took back over on punt returns with Shorts out.

Danny Amendola is dealing with a knee injury that may keep him out this week for the Patriots, even if only to keep him healthy for a playoff run. Keshawn Martin would be a likely choice to take back over punts should Amendola be out. 

Andre Roberts was in a timeshare at best as a returner, but his season is ending as Washington sends him to injured reserve. Jamison Crowder continues to handle punts while Rashad Ross has handled kickoffs whenever he has been active.

Omar Bolden suffered a hamstring injury that did not heal in time for him to play in Week 15. Jordan Norwood was the beneficiary of Bolden's absence when it came to kickoff returns. He and Andre Caldwell split time though Norwood saw the bulk of the returns.