DFS Cash Game Plays: NFL Week 15

Jordan Love (DK: $6,200, FD: $8,000) took a minor step back against the Giants in New York on Monday Night Football, but he still threw the ball 39 times. He turned the ball over twice which is unlikely to happen again and now faces the Buccaneers who give up the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, including the fourth-highest yards per completion of all NFL teams. 

Matthew Stafford (DK: $6,000, FD: $7,200) is on a roll the last three weeks that rivals his best days in Detroit or at any point in his career. The Rams averaged 34 points per game the last three weeks on the back of Stafford who averaged 37 pass attempts and 3.3 passing touchdowns per game in that span. With Kyren Williams, Cooper Kupp, and Puka Nacua all healthy Stafford looks like an exceptional option against the Commanders who have given up the most passing touchdowns in the league. 

Running Back

Christian McCaffrey (DK: $9,300, FD: $10,500) is going to be hard to fit on both DK and FD this week unless a lot of unexpected value opens up, but this is definitely to matchup in which to play CMC. You may recall McCaffrey had four total touchdowns when these two teams last met, and while we don’t need that kind of production, we know his touchdown opportunity is among the highest in the league. The Cardinals have given up top-five numbers in both rushing touchdowns and receiving touchdowns to running backs. 

Kyren Williams (DK: $7,500, FD: $9,600) has a workload lately that is almost as elite as Christian McCaffrey. He has played on 90%+ of the snaps in back-to-back weeks and tied his career high on Sunday with 28 touches. That’s three straight games with at least 22 touches and now he gets Washington who gives up over 4.4 yards per carry on the season and the second-most receiving touchdowns to running backs. 

Tony Pollard (DK: $6,700, FD: $7,000) has four straight weeks of top-16 finishes in PPR formats, so he has turned the corner, particularly from a touchdown regression standpoint. He has three scores in the last four games after none from Weeks 2-10. Buffalo has a reputation of a stout defense up front, but they allow the third-most rushing yards per attempt this season (4.7 yards), and they allow the fourth-most receptions to the running back position. 

Ezekiel Elliott (DK: $5,800, FD: $6,500) didn’t feel great to start against Pittsburgh last week, and he still isn’t the most appealing option, but a running back who has 20-touch upside needs to be in our cash player pool. Elliott had a crazy 29 touches for more than 140 yards and a score last week. Now he gets a tough Kansas City rush defense, but he can overcome those matchup problems purely by volume at this salary. 

Wide Receiver

CeeDee Lamb (DK: $9,200, $FD: $9,200) probably can’t be in the same lineup with Tony Pollard, but with the Cowboys putting up 30+ points regularly, why not get them both on the squad? The Cowboys are projected to score 24 points against Buffalo, so they will be moving the ball in this one. He has at least 17 fantasy points in eight straight games and seven touchdowns in the last seven games. On FanDuel, his $9,200 salary seems too cheap for the massive usage he will have, but he is also the primary spend-up on DK with Tyreek Hill battling injury. 

Deebo Samuel (DK: $7,700, $8,400) has seen his salary rise $2,100 in four weeks on DraftKings as he keeps putting up massive fantasy days. He has 22, 37, and 38 fantasy points in the last three weeks and now faces the Cardinals who give up explosive plays like they are water in the Arizona desert. The salary could be prohibitive on DK if you want two other studs, but Samuel is playing better than almost anyone right now, and should continue to be a focal point for Brock Purdy. 

Rashee Rice (DK: $6,100, FD: $6,500) has 29 targets over the last three games for the Kansas City Chiefs. The other seven wide receivers on the roster have a total of 28 in that span. Patrick Mahomes has keyed in on Rice lately, and he has become his primary weapon in the air, particularly in the Red Zone. Rice has seven Red Zone targets in the last three weeks and no other wide receiver has more than one. 

Wan’Dale Robinson (DK: $3,700, FD: $5,300) is not a sexy name to roster in DFS, but he is getting 5-7 targets a week now from a suddenly competent Tommy DeVito and has at least four receptions in three of his last five games. Robinson and maybe someone like Demario Douglas represent our best pure punt options on the slate this week, and he will help you get two studs in your lineup. 

Tight End

Trey McBride (DK: $5,200, FD: $6,600) is back in our lives with an elite usage rate since Zach Ertz was sent out of town. McBride has a 27% target share over the last three weeks and is now up to sixth among all tight ends in total targets for 2023 despite seven total targets through his first four games. san Francisco is a tough matchup, but the Cardinals should be trailing all game, leading to a pass-heavy approach. 

Logan Thomas (DK: $3,700, FD: $5,100) has one of the best possible matchups of the week against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams have allowed the most touchdowns (7) and the fourth-most DraftKings points per game to the tight end position (14.8). Thomas had only one target in his last game but averaged close to six in the four contests before that one. 

Chig Okonkwo (DK: $2,900, FD: $5,000) may have an even better matchup than Logan Thomas and has less team competition and a lower salary this week. He will likely be my DK cash game tight end against a Houston defense that has given up the most receptions and second-most receiving yards to the position this year. 

Defense/Special Teams

Atlanta Falcons DST (DK: $3,600, FD: $4,500) wins the lottery this week for the team playing Bryce Young now that they have told him to just chuck the ball downfield. Last week against New Orleans, the short-throw Bryce Young disappeared and he started heaving it downfield, offering up four sacks, two fumbles, and just six points to the Saints defense. I don’t think they will be chalkier than the Rams, but they have the opportunity for the most sacks + turnovers. 

Los Angeles Rams DST (DK: $3,100, FD: $4,300) faces Sam Howell and the Commanders, the team with the worst offensive line protection in the league. Howell has 58 sacks taken this year, 10 more than any other quarterback entering Week 15. Aaron Donald and crew should be able to manufacture some serious pressure as touchdown favorites against the Commanders. 

Cash Game Sample Lineup

Using the players listed above, you could construct a roster that looks something like this. However, remember that this is just a suggested build and could change drastically by the time the games kick off on Sunday.  You should come to your own conclusions and build a cash game roster that suits the players you prefer and your style of build.