Okay everybody, welcome, gather around– we’re going to get this meeting started… I’ll go first. My name is Kyra and I decided to play Keenan Allen in all of my lineups with limited snaps during the fantasy football playoffs. (“Hi Kyra!”) We will meet here weekly with the Keenan Allen support group to find ways to cope with this terrible decision and work our way back to trusting him in our lineups ever again. With that being said, some of my fantasy hopes and dreams may be demolished this weekend and that’s okay because God, or maybe someone else (probably), has created Daily Fantasy Sports to keep us entertained. My specialty!
So here is the real welcome message you are used to! We have no time to waste… you know what day it is. It’s Saturday morning DFS and Chill, so grab your coffee, grab your beer, grab some egg nog and a Christmas cookie that your wife has been slaving over this past week — however you do the damn thing — because we are back in full force and ready to find you those awesome values you have all come to know and love each week! Today is going to be a great day because IT’S SATURDAY FOOTBALL! And no, I’m not just talking about college! We have some real NFL football to watch later before getting us ready for some MORE football all day tomorrow. My favorite. Football on football. I don’t know about you, but I can never get enough and if it’s played seven days a week, I would be a much happier human. Also a much more stressed human, but somehow still happy– I’m a glutton for punishment. Anyway, this Sunday slate is a beaut and has plenty of opportunities for us to take advantage of and make ourselves a quick buck before the season is gone right before our very eyes. Let’s go kash out!
Looking for more help building DFS lineups? We’ve put together our DFS Matchup Report for Week 15, showing who has the best (and worst) matchups.
QUARTERBACKS
Tom Brady (Draftkings: $6,600 / FanDuel: $7,900)
Does he figure it out this week? Brady always has a moment of clarity at some point in the season where he just “figures it out.” But who the heck is this guy in Tompa Bay? I mean, really, what is with the roller coaster of emotions? For example, in Week 10, Brady was ranked as the QB1 on the week and then, following it up in Week 11, finds himself as the QB19. Then, he shoots back up to the QB5 in Week 12. Week 13, he has the bye, gets a little rest, some life back into him… we think he’s coming back refreshed better than ever? I mean, he’s out there trying to play a game of golf with Bruce Arians to build some chemistry with his coach, but can’t, and finishes Week 14 as– the QB31. Yikes! If I wanted this much up and down, mumbo jumbo, tremendous highs to match with tremendous lows, I would just become an Eagles fan. Oh, wait! Yep, as I said, I’m a glutton for punishment.
But honestly, what better time to get it together than against his SuperBowl LI rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. The Buccaneers run game is a little murky this week with Ronald Jones’ status up in the air to get the ball moving on the ground, so why not Tom Brady and his passing attack? The Falcons give up the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. He has to be in a “get right” spot to gear down for the playoffs, and with a squad that features players like Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski, how can someone do bad versus the Falcons? Both offenses rank near each other, respectively, and the Buccaneers defense has been suspect at times this season. It really comes down to if Atlanta can keep up with Tampa to keep the fantasy points flowing. With an implied 50.5 over/under point total, it doesn’t seem too out of the realm of possibilities. I’m willing to take the gamble on which Tom Brady we see this week and hoping that last week’s bad match-up sets us up for the pattern of a good week this week. Fire up the old GOAT at the discounted price!
Jared Goff (Draftkings: $6,300 / FanDuel: $7,800)
I’m pretty sure I swore off allowing myself to ever suggest Jared Goff again after he was in a smash spot against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10 and just completely kicked the bucket. I mean, not entirely, because he did throw for 302 yards, but somehow never managed to find himself a touchdown in the game. But, that’s old news, and this week we are going to put on a brave face and trust that Goff can get it done for us against the New York Jets. He is in a similar spot when we found him against Seattle, where the Jets defense is just bleeding points at every position. They allow nearly 300 passing yards a game and a league-high 28 passing touchdowns. It’s really not hard to convince people to play all their fantasy-relevant players against the Jets at this point, as it’s basically a fantasy cheat code. They are bound to have a good day no matter the position. I mean, if you really need the push to use Goff, then consider the fact that a quarterback has thrown for at least two passing touchdowns in nine of the Jets’ 13 games. Goff is an easy choice at this price point for me.
Honorable Mention: Jalen Hurts (Draftkings: $5,900 / FanDuel: $6,900)
Deep Sea Dive: Mitchell Trubisky (Draftkings: $5,500 / FanDuel: $7,000)
RUNNING BACKS
Cam Akers (Draftkings: $6,600 / FanDuel: $6,700)
Didn’t I just say to start all your players against the Jets? Yeah, I did, because I damn well meant it. (You can see a player from the Rams at each position in this article, so we are just moving down the list.) Cam Akers has really come into his own the last two weeks, hasn’t he? Finally, here in Week 15, we have a running back on this Rams offense we can actually trust with confidence. It took a while, but people, we’ve made it! One rookie running back after the other is just breaking out all over the place. Clyde Edwards-Helaire had his coming out party early; Antonio Gibson showed up mid-season; D’Andre Swift followed suit; Jonathan Taylor finally came to the party a couple of weeks ago; now Cam Akers– here you are! What a nice end of the season set of matchups to make him worth the wait. This week, it’s the god damn Jets! And okay, I want to pause and bring us to the realization that not everyone can feast on the Jets. Someone is going to have to famine while others feast. A lot of the time, it does end up being opposing team’s running backs versus the Jets, but not this week. I think the skill position they’ll lack giving up some points to is the tight end position. Akers is getting a big-boy workload now, seeing 21 and 29 rushing attempts the last two weeks. He’s what’s hot and poppin’ right now in the fantasy football world, and this is probably the cheapest you are going to find him for the rest of the fantasy season. Take advantage!
J.K. Dobbins (Draftkings: $5,900 / FanDuel: $5,900)
Well, Mr. Dobbins, we’ve been waiting. Speaking of break out parties, I do believe this will be our invitation to Dobbins’ party this weekend. He’s had himself a couple of good games here and there, but nothing we could really rely on and dive headfirst into, believing this week will be the week. Mark Ingram is basically eliminated from the equation now after failing to log even a single touch in Week 14 and playing only one snap. But, things don’t come so easy because Gus Edwards has also been productive and isn’t going anywhere. Still, I find it hard to believe that with Dobbins’ 2nd round draft capital, they wouldn’t want to get him involved here at some point. It’s going to happen eventually. Hopefully, it’ll be this season. If not, there will be plenty of opportunity for both Dobbins and Edwards to have productive fantasy days against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. The Jags are similar to the Jets in not only that they both have a J in their name, but both have defenses that bleed points to every relevant fantasy position. The Jaguars have allowed 160 total yards per game to the running back position, which bodes well for the timeshare he may face with Gus Edwards. Teams are just running the ball all the hell over the Jaguars on nearly half their plays per game at 47.1%. You know who loves to run the ball? The Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens run the ball a little more than half their plays at 53.7%. This, to me, just sets up for Dobbins to show the world the talent that awaits, lingering in the belly of the beast. We’ve seen him run people over while at Ohio State. Let’s get ahead of the game this week and start Dobbins. It’s time to get this breakout party started!
Honorable Mention: J.D. McKissic (Draftkings: $5,700 / FanDuel: $5,800)
Deep Sea Dive: Jeff Wilson, Jr. (Draftkings: $5,100 / FanDuel: $5,800)
WIDE RECEIVERS
Cooper Kupp / Robert Woods (Draftkings: $7,000 and $6,800 / FanDuel: $7,100 and $7,400)
The trend keeps going to start your fantasy players versus the Jets! It can honestly be either receiver’s game this week — or both — when it comes to Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. Wide receivers have averaged 41.5 PPR points per game against the Jets this season, and that’s plenty of fantasy goodness to go around between the two. Robert Woods has recently pulled ahead of the competition, averaging a larger target share in this Rams offense, but with two studs like this, I’m confident rolling with either guy. You may as well go for the cheaper option in whatever platform you choose to use. The New York Jets are allowing the 8th most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers. They are both a safe play to build around this week.
Brandon Aiyuk (Draftkings: $6,300 / FanDuel: $6,900)
A lot of rookie love in this article this week, but how can you not love Brandon Aiyuk against Dallas? Low-key, he has been an absolute superstar, posting nearly 20 fantasy points per game over his last five games. He has gone for over 90 receiving yards in four of those five games and scored three touchdowns. People aren’t talking about this guy enough! This week, he has no competition for targets, seeing as fellow wideout, Deebo Samuel, is out this week. In games where there was no Deebo (or no Deebo for most of the game), Aiyuk’s stat lines are 8/91/1, 7/75/1, and 10/119/0. That’s juicy, and I want him absolutely everywhere in all my DFS, redraft, and dynasty lineups across the board. I am going full Brandon Aiyuk this week, pushing all the chips in. I’m cool to bet the house on him, let’s freakin’ go! He’s facing a weak Dallas secondary, who allow the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers. If Dallas can find any way to put up some points against the 49ers, the answer back is Brandon Aiyuk. Look the hell out, because he is in for a monster game.
Honorable Mention: T.Y. Hilton (Draftkings: $5,500 / FanDuel: $6,800) I think FanDuel is on to us with this pick *hmph*
Deep Sea Dive: Russell Gage (Draftkings: $4,700 / FanDuel: $5,700)
TIGHT ENDS
T.J. Hockenson (Draftkings: $5,200 / FanDuel: $6,200)
Yeah, I realize that neither Hockenson, nor Rob Gronkowski, come all that “cheap” this week, especially on FanDuel, but we’re hard-pressed to find good tight ends this season, so let’s just appreciate the value here, okay? This week, outside of Travis Kelce — if you want to pay a whopping 8k for at tight end — this is as good as it gets. Hockenson has really had the opportunity to shine this year with star wide receiver Kenny Golladay not playing most of the season. Hockenson has essentially been the next best tight end after guys like Kelce and Darren Waller. So when you see he’s priced at a wee bit of a discount, you should hop on the opportunity, especially with Hockenson going up against a swiss cheese defense like the Tennessee Titans. The Titans allow the 13th most fantasy points per game to the tight end position. That doesn’t really tell the whole story though. The Titans may sound like an okay defense versus the tight end, at first, but that is mostly due to the fact that teams have not thrown much to their tight ends against them. Why? Because you can beat the Titans any other which way you’d like on defense. So when you get the teams who do target their tight end position more than others, it makes for a productive fantasy day at the position. The Titans are one of six teams who’ve allowed at least 2.0 PPR points per target to tight ends. When you get the consistent tight end, matched with the targets, matched with the star wide receiver being out, matched with the whopping 2.0 PPR points per target, you get the recipe for a high upside/safe-floor tight end. I know that we have a changing of the guard here at quarterback, as it’s looking like it’ll be Chase Daniel this week, but we have seen Daniel target Hockenson once on a touchdown back in Week 8 of this season (if that counts for anything to you). So do what you will with this information, but I feel pretty confident with Hockenson in my lineup.
Rob Gronkowski (Draftkings: $4,200 / FanDuel: $6,300)
Who would have ever thought I’d be writing about starting Rob Gronkowski in 2020? It’s weird, and we’re into it, so here we go. Gronk is actually a top 10 fantasy tight end this season in case you weren’t paying attention to that sort of thing. He’s also been pretty reliable in matchups that favor the tight end position. This is one of them, seeing as the Atlanta Falcons give up the 6th most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. Last week, he put up a total dud in what should’ve been a plus matchup for him. However, he did salvage his day using the one reception he caught for a two-yard touchdown catch. Prior to last week, he had been pretty consistent, seeing 6+ targets in seven out of his last 10 games. We are going to chalk last week up as an outlier. I think Gronk is still heading in the right direction with this offense, and he’s more than capable of putting up TE1 numbers this week. The price is right in both formats– let’s do a Gronk spike to end the week.
Honorable Mention: Irv Smith, Jr. (Draftkings: $3,600 / FanDuel: $5,400)
Deep Sea Dive: Dan Arnold (Draftkings: $3,500 / FanDuel: $5,200)
D/ST
Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans (Draftkings: $3,600 / FanDuel: $4,900)
Kansas City Chiefs vs New Orleans Saints (Draftkings: $3,300 / FanDuel: $4,300)
Honorable Mention: Seattle Seahawks vs Washington Football Team (Draftkings: $3,100 / FanDuel: $4,500)
Deep Sea Dive: San Francisco 49ers vs Dallas Cowboys (Draftkings: $3,100 / FanDuel: $4,200)
Looking for more great Week 15 content? Check out Josh’s Confidence Plays and Ryan’s Streams of the Week!