DFS Alerts
Amari Cooper will not play this week
Last week we saw a very questionable Cooper give it a go in a key matchup vs the Chiefs. Cooper lasted less than 15 snaps last week, and it’s no surprise that he will miss this week’s game vs Cowboys. The Raiders are preparing for a primetime game against the Dallas Cowboys in week 15. With Copper out, we can look for Michael Crabtree to see a large number of targets. In last week’s game, Crabtree had 13 targets and could turn out to be an excellent target for any slate that features the Sunday night game.
Don't Overlook This Stud WR
Rostering New Orleans skill position players can become frustrating on a weekly basis, but second year wideout Michael Thomas has picked up where he left off last year as the most consistent wide receiver for the Saints this season. Currently leading the Saints in every statistical receiving category entering Week 15, the former Buckeye has remained a favorite target of quarterback Drew Brees this season, especially in the red zone where he ranks fourth among all NFL receivers in red zone target market share.
Value RB With Lead Role
If you’re looking for value at running back this week, consider taking Mike Davis, who has established himself as the feature back in Seattle’s offense. He draws a sneaky good matchup against a Rams defense that can be exposed on the ground away from home, as they’re entering Week 15 ranked 19th in run defense DVOA while surrendering 145.2 rushing yards per game on the road this season. He has yet to find paydirt in three games this year, but few running backs can match his workload at his very reasonable price this week.
Alvin Kamara clears concussion protocol
Coach Sean Payton confirmed on Friday that Kamara has cleared the concussion protocol and will play this week. WIth a high price tag on DraftKings Kamara will need to continue to make the most of his touches in order to pay off his salary. From a team standpoint, the Saints appear closer to getting back to full health and the offense should continue to score a ton of points. The Saints also had Ted Ginn back at practice on Thursday and he appears ready to play in week 15.
Big Divisional Game Should Mean Big Points For This WR
The Green Bay – Carolina matchup gets a big boost with the expected return of Aaron Rodgers this weekend, and one beneficiary could be Carolina’s leading receiver Devin Funchess. Funchess leads the Panthers in targets (97), receiving yards (762), and receiving touchdowns (7) this year, and has at least six targets each of the past twelve weeks. This week Funchess draws a Green Bay pass defense that is near the bottom of the league in both completion percentage allowed (31st) and yards per passing attempt allowed (28th). Despite four touchdowns in his last four games, Funchess is still a bargain as the 13th-most expensive WR on FanDuel at $7,300, and the 14th-most expensive WR on DraftKings at $6,600.
Wide Receiver Could Shine in Big Divisional Showdown
It has been nearly impossible to slow Russell Wilson down this season, and one of the biggest beneficiaries has been Wilson’s favorite target, Doug Baldwin. Baldwin leads Seattle in targets (101), receptions (66), and receiving yards (860) and was even able to put up 78 yards and a touchdown last week against Jacksonville, the toughest passing defense in the league this year. Baldwin gets a much easier time this weekend against a Rams defense that has to travel to Seattle and play in one of the toughest road stadiums in the league, after allowing over 300 passing yards and four passing touchdowns to Philadelphia at home last weekend.
Look For This QB To Get Back On Track This Week
After a disappointing performance against a weak Miami defense on Monday Night Football last week, Tom Brady and the Patriots will look to get back on track against an overrated Pittsburgh defense that has faced just one elite QB this entire season. Brady enters week 15 averaging 315 passing yards and over three touchdowns per game over his last six meetings against Pittsburgh. He won’t be cheap, but with plenty of mouths to feed in an unpredictable offense, paying up for Brady takes the frustration of sacrificing salary at your skill positions in the event the Patriots opt to spread the ball around during this contest, making him a solid overall option to target in a game that should play at a very fast pace.
Don't Overlook One of the Top QBs in the Game This Weekend
The Saints have run the ball more this year and have two talented and capable running backs in Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. But this is still the New Orleans offense captained by Drew Brees, who is fifth in the league in passing yards (3,569), and sixth in passing attempts (442). Sure, there is an expectation that the Jets offense will stall badly with Bryce Petty at the helm, and the Saints could jump out to an early lead and run the ball for most of the game. But for tournament play, isn’t it worth considering Drew Brees at home as a 16-point favorite against a defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league in passing yards per game allowed, passing yards per attempt allowed, and passing touchdowns allowed? Brees is the second-most expensive QB at $8,400 on FanDuel, but only the sixth-most expensive on DraftKings at $6,500, and is a clear candidate to end up as the top point scorer this weekend.
Bengals defense banged up vs Vikings
The Bengals will be without Burfict, LB Kevin Minter (IR), and CB Dre Kirkpatrick against the Vikings on Sunday. The Vikings are 11-point home favorites, setting up well for a Vikings offense that has shown the propensity to score this season. All of the key players for the Vikings should be in play this weekend, and if the team gets out to a big lead expect both Jerick McKinnon and Latavius Murray to carry a heavy workload on Sunday. Murray in particular looks to be a favourite to see increased work as he has average over 17 touches per game over the last seven weeks.
Big-Play Wide Receiver Could Get Overlooked As Large Favorite This Weekend
Michael Thomas ranks sixth in the league in targets with 125, fifth in receptions with 85, and sixth in receiving yards with 992. He also faces a Jets passing defense that ranks 19th in passing yards per game allowed and 18th in passing yards per attempt allowed. True, the game script is a concern with the Saints sitting as 16 point favorites, but that should lead to a much lower ownership for Thomas as fantasy players load up on New Orleans Running Backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. With Drew Brees at the helm Thomas is still a good bet to get a touchdown at home, and is an appealing tournament play at $7,400 on DraftKings and $8,100 on FanDuel.
Pay Up For This Elite RB
After a slow start to open the year, Bell has resumed his heavy workload and is fresh off his best fantasy output of the year in last week’s victory over Baltimore. Things get much easier for Bell this week taking on a Patriots defense that has been shredded on the ground this year and ranks dead last in run defense DVOA. In a game that should play at a very fast pace in Pittsburgh this weekend, expect Bell to be worth every penny of his steep price tag as the Steelers look to continue their AFC dominance.
Tyler Kroft and Giovani Bernard on track to both play, Mixon still questionable
Both Kroft and Bernard are no longer on the injury report and will be ready to play on Sunday vs the Vikings. In what is shaping up to be a very tough matchup, players from the Bengals offense should be considered as GPP only flyers for week 15. Joe Mixon appears to be highly questionable with a concussion, but if he were to play, then the little value Benard has immediately goes away due to the potential timeshare.
Other tagged players: Giovani Bernard, Joe Mixon Dual-Threat QB Gets a Matchup at Home Against Poor Pass Defense
The return of Aaron Rodgers to the Packers makes their offense more potent and more pass heavy, and that could benefit the quarterback the team is facing this weekend, Cam Newton, more appealing as well. Cam is fourth in average FanDuel points among QBs active this weekend, and gets the benefit of playing at home against a Green Bay pass defense that ranks 31st in completion percentage allowed and 28th in yards per passing attempt allowed. Newton is only the 7th-most expensive Quarterback on FanDuel at $7,900 and is an even bigger bargain on DraftKings where is the 8th-most expensive QB at $6,400.
Don't Sleep On This Veteran TE
One of the only reliable receiving options on a run-first offense, veteran Delanie Walker can can pay enormous dividends with proper game flow on his side. This is exactly the situation Walker should find himself in this week against a weak San Francisco defense in a game the Titans will likely throw more than they intend to. Currently second among all NFL TEs with 91 targets this season, Walker’s matchup on paper may not seem ideal against San Francisco’s stingy TE coverage, but they have allowed big games to the elite TEs they have faced this year. This bodes well for Walker, who shouldn’t draw much double coverage during this game with the 49ers likely selling out to stop the run, making him a solid option that might go overlooked due to a perceived difficult matchup.
Potential Shootout Could Mean a Big Day for this QB
The game with the highest Vegas point total this weekend features the quarterback with the most pass attempts this season facing one of the most vulnerable pass defenses in the league. Ben Roethlisberger tops the league with 502 pass attempts, ranks second in passing yards with 3,744, and faces a New England pass defense that ranks 29th in the league allowing 254 passing yards per game. The projected game scenario works in Roethlisberger’s favor as well, with the Steelers coming into the game as 3-point home underdogs, Big Ben could be throwing the ball late in the game trying to match the high-powered Patriots offense. Roethlisberger is the fifth-most expensive quarterback on DraftKings at $6,700 and ranks sixth among QBs on FanDuel at $8,000.