DraftKings NFL: Best lineup for Week 15

3 of 6

FOXBOROUGH, MA – DECEMBER 02: Adam Thielen #19 of the Minnesota Vikings scores a touchdown during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images) /

Wide Receivers

Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings vs Miami Dolphins – $8600

The Vikings offense as a whole has been struggling and has led to the team making a change at offensive coordinator. That may be bad news for the passing game. Coach Mike Zimmer has been adamant about running the ball more. Part of the allure for Adam Thielen has been opportunity. If Minnesota shrinks the passing attack Thielen may struggle. He’s coming off a solid game and gets a Dolphins defense expected to be missing their top corner. Thielen is a strong play but does offer risk with the coaching change.

Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers vs New England Patriots – $8500

JuJu Smith-Schuster – $8000

The two Pittsburgh Steelers’ receivers are once again in the top five. Antonio Brown ranks second while JuJu Smith-Schuster comes in at five. This could and should be a big week for both players. They’ve statistically been about even the last five to six weeks. With a big game against the Patriots coming up, expect both to see plenty of targets against a relatively soft secondary. New England ranks a little better than league average at stopping opposing receivers. Those are misleading stats though because they’ve only played one other top-10 fantasy receiving duo.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons vs Arizona Cardinals – $8200

The Atlanta Falcons are struggling, but that is not due to the play of Julio Jones. It went from mind-boggling how many yards Jones was getting compared to touchdowns, to now being right in line. Jones has progressed to the mean if that is a thing. This week he gets an extremely tough matchup with Patrick Peterson. If you love watching two of the game’s best dueling it out, this is the matchup for you. Jones’ expectations need to be tempered but his floor is decently high just given his talent level.

Odell Beckham Jr, New York Giants vs Tennessee Titans – $8100

Another resurgent push to end the season has been Odell Beckham. After missing last week’s game, it looks like the Giants will be getting their star receiver back. There is still a small chance of New York making the playoffs and they’ll need Beckham to do it. The Titans secondary has some big names that have struggled to stop receivers. They rank 10th in points allowed to the position. Beckham, if healthy, is a solid play with the Giants and Eli Manning playing the best football of 2018.

Value Wide Receivers

Sterling Shepherd, New York Giants vs Tennessee Titans – $4400

This is a tough week for value at wide receiver. An option to keep an eye on is Sterling Sherperd. Should Odell Beckham once again miss this game, Shepherd becomes a must play. The Titans are struggling to stop receivers and will pay plenty of attention to Saquon Barkley. Look for Shepherd to have a career week if Beckham is out.

Dante Pettis, San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks – $4400

The same price point as Shepherd is rookie receiver, Dante Pettis. Despite seeing Marquise Goodwin return, Pettis still produced last week. This week he gets a tough Seattle defense but should see an even bigger role. The 49ers threw almost 50 times two weeks ago in this same matchup. Game script favors the passing attack and Seattle has surrendered the 11th most points per game to receivers over the last four weeks. Pettis is not just a deep threat but has a massive ceiling because of his ability to stretch the field.