Welcome back for the Week 15 edition of FanDuel NFL lineups. We’re a Daily Fantasy Football column focused on top picks and best value for your weekly FanDuel NFL lineups. We arm you with information for a big FanDuel NFL payday each week.
In week 14, we had some solid results. While Carson Wentz eventually tore his ACL and ended his amazing MVP-potential season, he still threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns before exiting the game with the injury. Even more incredible, he through his fourth touchdown AFTER the injury occurred. In total, Wentz piled up 28.24 FanDuel NFL points and supported our argument for one of the top quarterbacks in week 14.
Related to the Wentz pick, we targeted a very cheap Trey Burton. Wentz continued to look toward the tight ends, hitting not only Burton for two of his four touchdowns, but also hit Brent Celek for a touchdown. Burton ended the night with 71 receiving yards, along with his two touchdowns, totaling 21.6 FanDuel NFL points. Also, with a $4,500 salary, Trey easily justified our best value pick argument.
We were big on LeSean McCoy, but we were nervous about the quarterback play. With the large amounts of snow piling up during the game, the Bills immediately had to depend on McCoy‘s legs. LeSean had experience playing in a heavy snow fall game when he was with the Eagles, and put up a similar performance. In the end, McCoy burned up 156 rushing yards and added a touchdown for 21.6 FanDuel NFL points. McCoy was one of the best picks of the week.
At wide receiver, our three big targets Michael Crabtree, Alshon Jeffery, and Jarvis Landry consistently provided double-digit FanDuel NFL points, totaling over 45 at the end of the slate. We’ll try to find another great combination like that for week 15.
With one game already played on Thursday, and two games played on Saturday, we’re only focusing on the 13 games remaining from Sunday through Monday. Now, let’s get start on your NFL DFS optimal lineup with the Quarterbacks…
FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 15 – Quarterbacks
Top Picks
On October 8th, Russell Wilson ($8,400) struggled against the Rams in Los Angeles. Wilson only threw for 198 yards on 24 completions, a touchdown, and an interception. And untypical for Wilson, he only had 16 rushing yards on five attempts. In total, he only had 12.52 FanDuel NFL points. For that reason, we may see many FanDuel NFL players fade Russell this week, which would be great.
Since the game in L.A. against the Rams, Wilson has provided 20+ FanDuel NFL points in seven of his last eight games. And when under 20 points, Russell still had 19.42 points against a good Cardinals passing defense. Russell is hot right now!
Last week, we struggled to recommend Wilson against one of the leagues best passing defenses, in Jacksonville. But while Russell threw three picks, he still had 271 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, and three touchdowns. Wilson ended the game with 24.84 FanDuel NFL points against one of the best defensive teams in football. Now, Wilson is averaging over 24 FanDuel NFL points-per-game, and against a Rams team who just gave up over 28 points to Wentz last week, we love Wilson in week 15.
PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS: The best in football stats just got better. Elite packages now on sale!
Cam Newton ($7,900) has been hard to predict this year. In late October, Newton struggled against a solid Bears defense, not even reaching ten FanDuel NFL points. Cam then struggled against a terrible Buccaneers defense, but exploded against a touch Dolphins defense in mid-November, with 35.66 FanDuel NFL points, his most of the season.
Last week, we recommended fading Newton, he was playing at home but against the Vikings, one of the most difficult defenses any team has faced this season. But Newton still provided over 200 total yards, a passing touchdown, with an interception.
Cam was too expensive for a 15.48 result, but given the circumstances, it was an impressive performance. Also, that means Newton now has 15+ FanDuel NFL points in each of his last five games. This week, with the Packers defense at home, Cam has a very good shot at hitting over 20 FanDuel NFL points.
Other Top Option
So far this year, the Cincinnati Bengals haven’t been the ideal defense to target. But Case Keenum ($7,400) has been defying those match-up odds since the end of October. Since Sam Bradford went down with an injury, but even with Teddy Bridgewater lurking in the backup spot, Keenum has been absolutely dynamic at quarterback this year for the Viking.
Over the last six games, Keenum has 16+ FanDuel NFL points in each game. In those six games, Case has two or more touchdowns in five games, but he still had 300 total yards for 17.2 points against the Rams. This week, Keenum and the Vikings are facing a Bengals defense who appears to be falling apart as their season is already over.
Fades
Tom Brady ($8,800) – We realize recommending fading Brady for two straight weeks may seem insane, but something is wrong with Tom. Over the last two weeks, Brady has struggled to put up over 250 passing yards, even while behind most of each game, and has one touchdowns along with three interceptions. There’s also a rumor Brady is still dealing with his Achilles injury. Facing the Steelers is unlikely the remedy.
Tom Brady (Achilles) was a limited participant at practice today, per the team’s injury report.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 23, 2017
Aaron Rodgers ($8,500) – We really want to love Rodgers in his collarbone come-back game. But playing a tough Panthers defense in Carolina seems like a terrible way to get back into the swing of things. Aaron may defy odds and provide over 15 FanDuel NFL points, but it’s more likely he struggles in this one, before we see A-Aron again.
FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 15 – Running Backs
Top Picks
At running back, lets go straight to the elephant in the room. Le’Veon Bell ($9,400) is, by far, the best pick of any FanDuel NFL player this week. Even with only 48 rushing yards last week against the Ravens, he had 77 yards on nine receptions, from ten targets, and three total touchdowns. Lev is one of the rare running backs who can give you 35 FanDuel NFL points with only 13 rushing attempts.
This week, Bell and the Steelers are facing a surprisingly terrible Patriots defense in 2017. New England is only giving up 19.2 points per game, fifth best in the NFL. So there’s concern about his touchdown ability this week, but they’re giving up the 29th most yards per game, making Bell and obvious 15+ FanDuel NFL point play.
However, we’re concerned about his salary. With the potential for a lack of touchdowns this week, $9.4K is an awful lot to pay, considering the risk. If you can afford Bell, play him, but there are better options on the board.
Instead of Bell, Alvin Kamara ($9,100), or LeSean McCoy ($8,500), we like Todd Gurley II ($8,400) the most at running back this week. The Seahawks have a solid rushing defense, but they just gave up over 100 yards to Leonard Fournette ($8,000) along with a touchdown last week.
Also, Gurley put up over 140 yards from scrimmage against the Eagles, the best rushing defense in the NFL, and two touchdowns. So, no, we’re not worried about this match up. In fact, if you look at Gurley’s results over the last eight games, he’s been on a consistent roll. Todd should see the end zone this weekend, and likely gets another 100+ of total yards from scrimmage.
Other Top Options
Aside from a 46 total yard and no touchdown result against the Titans on November 4th, Alex Collins ($6,600) is on a roll since emerging as the top running back for the Ravens in late October. And lately, the Ravens have been leaning heavily on Collins, getting over 15 carries per game in the last four weeks.
Alex also has five touchdowns, at least one in each game, over the last four games for the Ravens. Last week, Baltimore traveled to Pittsburgh to face a tough Steelers rushing defense. But Collins touched the ball 20 times, for 120 yards rushing and 46 yards receiving, along with a touchdown. In total, Collins had 23.6 FanDuel NFL points against a tough defense. This week, Alex gets another tough rushing defense, but one not nearly as capable as the Steelers in 2017.
He’s not as cheap, and he’ll likely be low-owned because of the match up against the Panthers, but Jamaal Williams ($7,300) could be a sneaky great play this week. As mentioned, the Browns have a surprisingly solid rushing attack, but they gave up over 100 yards from scrimmage to Williams last week, along with two touchdowns and 27.3 FanDuel NFL points.
Jamaal now has five touchdowns, two from receiving targets, over the last three games. This week, the Packers have a tough match up against the Panthers in Carolina, and Rodgers is back on the field. But we think it’s likely the Packers will want to lean on Williams running game to avoid putting so much pressure on Aaron in his first game back from a collarbone injury.
Fades
Samaje Perine ($6,700) – He’s been on a bit of a roll since Chris Thompson fell to an injury, ending his season. And Perine will continue to get the heavy dose of carries for Washington, with few capable running backs left on the depth chart. But the Skins are hosting a Cardinals defense who has been capable of stopping most NFL running attacks this season, and while they’re struggling to put up much offense, the Cardinals still have a great defense. Samaje will struggle on Sunday.
Leonard Fournette ($8,000) / Joe Mixon ($6,700) – This is an injury fade. Hopefully by now FanDuel has pegged Mixon as ‘out’, and Fournette is rumored to be out as well. So don’t even consider either rookie, as they continue to deal with injury issues.
FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 15 – Wide Receivers
Top Picks
Like Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown ($9,300) is another obvious pick this week. The Patriots defense has given up too many yards in the air and on the ground to avoid two of the best offensive talents in the NFL this season.
But like we mentioned before, we’re worried about touchdowns, and while Brown had 213 yards last week, he also had a fumble and no touchdowns. Still, a 26.8 FanDuel NFL point result without a touchdown is impressive, and he’s an elite pick, also too expensive.
Instead of Brown as a top pick, we like Julio Jones ($8,400) more. In late November, the Falcons passing game appears to finally awaken under their new offensive coordinator. Against the Seahawks, Jones had 10 targets for five receptions and 71 yards.
Even better, the following week Julio had 12 receptions on 15 targets, for 253 yards and two touchdowns. That was against the same Bucs passing defense Jones will see this week. It’s unlikely Julio yields identical results, but we know 100+ receiving yards and a touchdown is highly likely on a cheaper salary than Brown.
All week Devin Funchess ($7,300) has been questionable, and there was skepticism Funchess would play this week. But Ron Rivera recently confirmed Devin will be on the field in Carolina for a juicy match up against the Packers.
Since Kelvin Benjamin was traded to the Bills, Funchess has been a heavy target from Newton, getting seven to 12 over the last two months. In the last four games, Devin has 60+ yards per game and four touchdowns. In this match up, 100+ yards and a touchdown is very feasible.
Jaguars rookie Dede Westbrook ($5,700) finally got a shot this season with six targets for three receptions and 35 receiving yards on November 19th against the Browns. Unfortunately, Dede also had a fumble. But since that game, Westbrook is rapidly emerging as a top receiving target for the Jags.
Over the last three games, Dede saw eight to ten targets, has five to six receptions, and is averaging over 60 receiving yards per game. Also, last week against a, still, tough Seahawks passing defense, he had a touchdown and 16.6 FanDuel NFL points. This week, Westbrook and the Jags have a favorable passing match up, and he’s a bargain at this salary.
Other Top Picks
He doesn’t have the greatest match up this week against the Bills, but Jarvis Landry ($7,100) is the Dolphins target machine, getting six to ten every game, with 40 to sixty yards, and a solid chance for a touchdown each game. Landry is also a rushing option for the Dolphins, touching the ball in many scenarios.
Larry Fitzgerald ($7,300) seems to have fallen on many FanDuel NFL players radars, to our benefit. Fitz is still seeing the ball nearly ten times every week, and often gets five to ten receptions. Larry is also still a big touchdown target for the Cardinals, although their passing game is failing this week.
The Cardinals are facing a Redskins defense who looked great at the start of the season, but is now hobbled with a large amount of injuries. Fitzy should have a great week this week, on a low ownership percentage for DFS NFL.
It’s hard to believe after only two weeks, but Josh Gordon ($7,500) is a solid FanDuel NFL target this week. The Ravens defense has been mediocre this season, but it may not matter. Flash is burning defensive backs already, piling up over 150 receiving yards and a touchdown in his first two games. This week, Gordon should continue to roll.
Fades
A.J. Green ($7,700) – Green is one of the leagues top wide-outs, but the Vikings pass defense is one of the best in the league, and won’t be afraid of Green. There are too many better options than A.J. this week, at all salary levels.
Mike Evans ($6,900) – In theory Evans could be a sneaky great play this week. In late November, Mike had 12 targets against the Falcons, along with six receptions and 78 yards. But the Bucs passing offense is off the rails, and Evans had only 33 yards or less over the last two weeks against terrible defenses.
FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 15 – Tight End / Kicker / Defense
At tight end, Rob Gronkoswki ($8,500), Zach Ertz ($7,900), and Jimmy Graham ($6,700) are the most attractive picks. But Gronk is dealing with a potentially declining performance from Brady, we don’t yet know the impact Foles will have on Ertz, and Graham is incredibly inconsistent.
Since mid-October, Delanie Walker ($6,500) has been consistently solid. Walker is seeing five to ten targets per week, has four to seven receptions, and two touchdowns. This week, Walker has an ideal match up against the 49ers struggling defense, and at this salary, he’s the best option we have at tight end.
Like the tight end position, there are plenty of options at kicker. But this position typically provides more consistent results. Justin Tucker ($5,100) is one of the best kickers in the NFL, and with the match up against the Browns, Justin will likely get several chances for three-point attempts, along with a few extra points.
Unlike last week, there is a plethora of options on defense. The Jacksonville Jaguars ($5,900) hosting the Texans provides the best opportunity of any team. But the Jags are expensive. Still, if you can afford them, take them.
For a more affordable option, consider the Philadelphia Eagles ($4,700). There will be many FanDuel NFL players who assume an overall performance drop from the Eagles, but Wentz wasn’t the reason the Eagles defense has been so good this season. The Eagles are hosting one of the worst offenses in the NFL, and they will be eager to maintain their dominance on defense.
So after reviewing all of the options, we put together our favorite lineup for the day. Here’s a look at our Final FanDuel NFL for Week 15 of the 2017 Season:
QB – Wilson (SEA $8,400)
RB – Gurley II (LAR $8,400)
RB – Collins (BAL $6,600)
WR – Funchess (CAR $7,300)
WR – Fitzgerald (ARI $7,300)
WR – Westbrook (JAC $5,700)
TE – Walker (TEN $6,500)
K – Tucker (BAL $5,100)
D – Philadelphia Eagles ($4,700)
This leaves us with $0 left, maximizing our picks using value in two receiver positions, defense, and kicker and loading up on some big point potential at quarterback, running back, and receiver.
Note: This is a recommended lineup after discussing our top options for the week. You should use this as a guide, and provide your own input when building FanDuel NFL lineups. We are not telling you, or selling you, to use this lineup.
Good luck with your FanDuel NFL plays for week 15 of the NFL season, and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR on Twitter for all the late breaking lineup news and roster updates!