As Santana Moss once said: “Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games.”

He’s not wrong — and big-time plays are objectively a fun time. The crowd roars, fantasy points are scored: The world is a better place when ballers go out on the football field and BALL.

Today’s goal: highlight every remaining team’s most explosive playmaker. I didn’t use a STRICT criteria to accomplish this, but did craft the following formula to at least give us a baseline idea of each player's explosiveness and ability to create big plays:

  • Playmaker rate: ((10-plus yard rushes * 3) + (15-plus yard receptions * 3) + (TDs * 6) + (forced missed tackles)) / (targets + rush attempts)

Limitations of the formula include the lack of passing metrics, kick/punt return touchdowns not being included (there were only 12 return scores all season anyway), and the reality that certain players are schematically utilized in more big-play-friendly “gadgety” roles.

The top overall players in total “Playmaker points” this season were Christian McCaffrey, Raheem Mostert, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb and Travis Etienne, although their respective large workloads that featured plenty of ho-hum carries limited their “Playmaker rate.” I'll consider both factors in the following ranks but will ultimately lean toward those who have produced big-plays at more efficient rates compared to those who have mostly just benefited from immense volume.

Every remaining team’s most explosive playmaker is listed below in no particular order. As always: It’s a great day to be great.

Baltimore Ravens: WR Zay Flowers

  • Receiving: 77-858-5
  • Rushing: 8-56-1

The electric rookie receiver earned the nickname “Joystick” during training camp and it’s easy to see why: Flowers ranked fourth in missed tackles forced per reception this season on his way to constantly making defenders look silly in the open field.

Flowers *just* edged out QB Lamar Jackson in terms of his playmaker rate (1.05 vs. 1.04), undoubtedly thanks to his strong end of season stretch:

  • Week 12: 5-25-1 receiving, 1-37-1 rushing
  • Week 14: 6-60-1
  • Week 15: 1-7-0
  • Week 16: 9-72-1
  • Week 17: 3-106-1

The Ravens needed someone to step up in the passing game after losing Mark Andrews (fibula, IR); kudos to the 2023 NFL Draft’s 22nd overall pick for being that guy, pal — the Texans had better hope they do a much better job getting him to the ground this time around.

Buffalo Bills: RB James Cook

  • Rushing: 237-1,122-2
  • Receiving: 44-445-4

Cook managed to rank first in explosive receiving rate (22.7%) and sixth in explosive run play rate (13.9%) among RBs with 50-plus targets and 150-plus carries, respectively. He’d be even higher on this list if it wasn’t for a trio of dropped TDs (one, two and three), but hey: It’s Cook’s ability to win downfield that earned him those sorts of targets in the first place. No RB had a higher average target depth than Cook (2.4) with a minimum of 25 targets.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) finds room to run against the Steelers.

The rushing ability on display was truly solid, as Cook averaged a robust +0.45 rushing yards over expected per carry — tied for the eighth-highest mark in the NFL.

While Josh Allen might be the TD scorer, the Bills’ second-year talent undoubtedly provided plenty of sparks this season on the back of 1,567 total yards. This was never more apparent back in Week 14 against this very same Chiefs defense when Cook posted 10-58-0 rushing and 5-83-1 receiving lines — Buffalo might need a similar effort this time around if they hope to avenge their 2020 and 2021 playoff losses to the Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs: WR Rashee Rice

  • Receiving: 79-938-7

This offense was sputtering following their 17-21 loss to the Eagles. They had scored just nine, 14 and 17 points in the previous three weeks, lacking any sort of consistent playmaking ability outside of TE Travis Kelce and RB Isiah Pacheco.

Enter: Rice, who was finally given a near full-time role in Week 12 and has done nothing other than rip off productive performances ever since.

Rice has especially shined with his ability after the catch. Per ESPN’s Advanced Receiver Ratings, only Deebo Samuel and Nico Collins posted a better YAC rating than Rice in 2023.

While both Travis Kelce and Rice collected 21 receptions of 15-plus yards, the rookie managed his total on 17 fewer targets. Kudos to him and Justin Watson (team-high 17 yards per reception) for supplying largely the only consistent juice to this WR room all season long.

Houston Texans: WR Nico Collins

  • Receiving: 80-1,297-8

Yes, Collins has won plenty downfield this season by making some great adjustments and/or simply getting open enough to receive some b-e-a-utiful deep balls from C.J. Stroud.

And yet, it was the YAC ability from the third-year talent that proved most impressive. Collins trailed only Deebo Samuel in yards after the catch above expected as well as in ESPN’s YAC Receiver Rating.

It’s rare to find WRs that manage this sort of elite after the catch goodness alongside Collins’ heightened volume and aDOT.

Collins has saved his best for last, ripping off 6-96-1, 9-195-1 and 7-80-0 receiving lines since getting Stroud back under center in Week 17. Get your popcorn ready for a rematch against the same Ravens defense that held Nico (6-80-0) relatively in check.

San Francisco 49ers: WR Brandon Aiyuk

  • Receiving: 75-1,342-7

This one was tough because the 49ers obviously boast such a ridiculously deep group of playmakers:

  • Aiyuk is the only player in the entire NFL averaging an explosive catch (15-plus yards) on over 50% of his receptions (55%).
  • Deebo Samuel provided plenty of booms as a receiver (60-892-7) and rusher (37-225-5) — particularly when fully healthy down the stretch (nine TDs in his last six full games).
  • George Kittle is the only TE to average an explosive catch on at least 40% of his receptions. Second-place TE Kyle Pitts is only at 30.2%.
  • Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL in explosive run plays (10-plus yards) while also supplying plenty of goodness through the air on his way to capturing fantasy MVP honors.

Jan 7, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) celebrates after a play against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Ultimately, the former WR gets the nod because it's not supposed to be this easy to rack up yards. Consider: Aiyuk’s 1,342 yards are the most in a season with fewer than 110 targets since the metric began being tracked back in 1992.

The 2023 49ers join the 2018 Chiefs and 2016 Falcons in a three-way tie for the most explosive passing offense since 2010. Up next is a Packers pass defense that ranked … 24th in explosive pass play rate allowed this season. Gulp.

Detroit Lions RB: Jahmyr Gibbs

  • Rushing: 182-945-10
  • Receiving: 52-316-1

Gibbs (14.8%) only trailed Christian McCaffrey (16.2%) when it came to explosive run play rate (10-plus yards) this season. And he did so in style, making some truly ridiculous moves on his way to racking up 1,261 total yards and 11 TDs.

The consistency with which Gibbs has ripped off big plays this season managed to dissuade the fine folks at DraftKings from even setting a line for his longest rush prop in recent weeks.

While both Amon-Ra St. Brown (119-1,515-10) and Sam LaPorta (86-889-10) deserve plenty of credit for also creating plenty of big plays, it was Gibbs who consistently appeared to be shot out of a cannon upon getting the ball in his hands. The Lions will need their stud rookie to be on top of his game against the Buccaneers’ sixth-ranked defense in fewest receiving yards allowed to opposing RBs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: WR Mike Evans

  • Receiving: 79-1,255-13

Brutal Wild Card drop aside: Evans has adjusted to life with Baker Mayfield under center better than anyone could have possibly imagined. Overall, the NFL’s leader in receiving TDs (13) racked up the third-most receiving yards of his career (1,255) while averaging a ridiculous 15.9 yards per reception.

Sure, plenty of Evans’ big plays simply consist of the big-bodied beast proving to be too big, strong and fast to handle down the field. However, his 2023 contributions after the catch have gone under the radar: Evans’ average of 4.4 yards after the catch per reception is the highest mark of his career by a full 0.7 yards.

While guys like Chris Godwin and Rachaad White have provided consistent production as well, nobody has been more important to the weekly success of this Bucs offense than Evans. He’ll need to be FAR better than he was in Week 6 against this Lions defense (4-49-0) for the Bucs to have a chance at pulling this upset this weekend.

Green Bay Packers: WR Jayden Reed

  • Receiving: 64-793-8
  • Rushing: 11-119-2

Reed certainly benefited from the likes of Christian Watson (hamstring) and Aaron Jones (hamstring) missing plenty of time throughout the season, but the 2023 NFL Draft’s 50th overall pick still deserves credit for making the most out of his opportunities down the stretch on his way to ripping off PPR WR12, WR11, WR25, WR50, WR6, WR17, WR4 and WR24 finishes in his last eight games of the year.

And he looked good doing it. Reed’s rookie comp group is borderline erotic.

While Jordan Love has gotten a lot of additional help from RB Aaron Jones, WR Romeo Doubs and even WR Dontayvion Wicks in recent weeks: Reed has been the offense’s big-play spark plug on the ground and through the air largely all season long.

Most Explosive Players