NFL Draftkings Picks
Despite two games being played on Saturday this week, we still have 11 games on the main slate. The biggest obstacle may just be will there be anyone healthy to play. Covid is running rampant over the NFL this week and 75 players tested positive on Monday, with several more being added to the list throughout the week. There are other injury situations to monitor on top of and as always, be sure to check the inactive lists and follow the breaking injury news. It can often result in a “free square” for your lineup. Each week Fantasy Data will bring you 20 players that we like for the Draftkings Sunday main slate. Let us get right to it.
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Studs to Splurge For
Here we will highlight two players at each position that are in the top-five of their respective position and are deemed worthy of “paying up” for in your lineup. Please note these players will likely be highly owned so if you are looking to differentiate, you will want to pull more players from the next two sections.
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers | $7500 | GB @ BAL
Aaron Rodgers said he suffered a “setback” on Sunday night versus the Chicago Bears, but there has not been any talk of him missing the game on Sunday. If the veteran ends up suiting up, this is a great matchup. The Baltimore Ravens rank 21st against the position and Rodgers is red-hot, averaging 32.81 DK points over the past three games. The only concern here might be if the Ravens can keep pace if Lamar Jackson does not end up playing. Even so, Rodgers may accumulate enough points before the Packers take their foot off the pedal to still be viable.
Matthew Stafford | $7000 | SEA @ LAR
Another red-hot quarterback with a good matchup is Matthew Stafford. The former Detroit Lions signal-caller has put up 20 or more DK points in three straight and the Seattle Seahawks rank 12th against the position. When these two teams met in Week 5, Stafford posted 17.5 points in a 26-17 victory over their division rivals. The dynamic of the Rams offense has since changed with the loss of Robert Woods and the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. There is some value here as well as Stafford averages the third-most points on the slate but is priced as the fifth highest.
Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott | $7300 | DAL @ NYG
Tony Pollard missed last week with an injury and has yet to resume practicing. Ezekiel Elliott struggled last week in his absence but has a much better matchup this weekend against a New York Giants team that is 25th versus the position. The Giants have been very good against the pass as of late and given the recent struggles of Dak Prescott, a heavy ground attack seems prudent. Look for Elliott to bounce back in a big way in Week 15.
Cordarrelle Patterson | $6900 | ATL @ SF
Despite a tough matchup in Week 14, Cordarrelle Patterson posted double-digit points for the third consecutive week and has done so in all but two games this season. The San Francisco 49ers have been susceptible to the run in 2021, ranking 18th versus the position. The Atlanta offensive line is atrocious and they would be wise to limit Matt Ryan’s pass attempts in this one depending on game flow. Patterson excels in the passing game as well so he is safe even in a negative game script. This game has one of the higher totals on the slate at 46 so points should be scored on both sides.
Wide Receiver
Deebo Samuel | $ 8200 | ATL @ SF
We just mentioned the total in this one and we would be remised if we did not discuss Deebo Samuel. Samuel returned in Week 14 and went right back to his touchdown scoring ways. While he only saw one target in the passing game, Deebo rushed the ball eight times for 37 yards and said score. The versatile offensive weapon has 11 touchdowns on the year and an Atlanta defense that ranks 28th versus receivers and 24th against running backs is not likely to slow him down. Elijah Mithcell is still banged up so the 49ers may choose to limit his carries, leaving more work for Samuel in this one.
Diontae Johnson | $7500 | TEN @ PIT
The price continues to climb for Diontae Johnson, and rightfully so. The man is a target monster, racking up 61 of them over the past five games. The lowest point total over that span was 14.3 in Week 10 versus the Detroit Lions. Johnson is just two weeks removed from a 33.5 point performance against a Ravens secondary that is just as bad as the Titans one the Pittsburgh Steelers are about to face. For the season, the high-volume receiver is averaging 19.2 points per game, the fourth-best on the slate. This game has major playoff implications and should be competitive throughout.
Tight End
George Kittle | $7500 | ATL @ SF
George Kittle has been unstoppable of late. Since returning from injury in Week 9, the stud tight end has scored 24.1 DK points or more in three of six games and is averaging 22.58 points per game despite putting up 2.3 points in Week 12 versus the Minnesota Vikings. As is the case with backs and receivers, the Falcons cannot stop the tight ends, ranking 14th against the position. The 49ers are projected to score the second-most points on the slate (27.75), meaning there is plenty of room for fantasy goodness in this one. Play all the Niners.
Mark Andrews | $6400 | GB @ BAL
Travis Kelce has lost his spot as the TE1 on the season and has been overtaken by Mark Andrews. This play will depend on the health of Lamar Jackson. Andrews did see nine targets in Week 14 after Jackson went down, but backup Taylor Huntley was only able to connect with the big target on four of them. This game has shootout potential if Lamar plays and if he does, Andrews will be his favorite target as usual. The Green Bay Packers are solid against the position, ranking 13th, but Oklahoma grad is matchup proof anyways.
Sleepers to Separate From the Pack
Up next we give you some players to help differentiate your lineup from the masses and give you the edge you need to compete in some of the bigger tournaments. Just like the section above, we highlight two players at each position except now instead of studs, you get players that are expected to be less than 10% owned on the main slate.
Quarterbacks
Jalen Hurts | $6600 | WAS @ PHI
All indications point to Jalen Hurts returning in Week 15 to face the division rival Washington Football Team. This is a team that happens to rank dead last against the quarterback position. The versatile quarterback is a value this week coming in $900 cheaper than Aaron Rodgers who only averages .01 more points per game than Hurts. In his lone start against Washington, the second-year quarterback put up a modest 17.3 DK points against them. Hurts has 30 point upside as evidenced by his Week 11 performance against the New Orleans Saints.
Jimmy Garoppolo | $5800 | ATL @ SF
We have spoken at length about how much we like San Francisco in this one. While risky, Jimmy Garoppolo could be a slate breaker if he gets on a roll. We mentioned that Elijah Mitchell is still banged up and since we like all of the pass catchers in this one (even Aiyuk), it makes sense to at least consider rostering the man who will be delivering the passes to them. Jimmy G has hit for 30 once this season and could do it again, the problem is if Deebo Samuel gets it going on the ground, the floor is not very high here.
Running Backs
Melvin Gordon | $5900 | CIN @ DEN
Melvin Gordon came back from injury in Week 14 and put up over 100 yards and two touchdowns against the Detroit Lions. Another good matchup is on hand against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that ranks 22nd against the position. Javonte Williams missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday but is expected to play. If the rookie does end up missing the game, Gordon becomes almost a must-play. Even if the veteran has to split duties again with Williams, he is a solid play at a decent price.
Rashaad Penny | $5400 | ATL @ CAR
Head coach Pete Carroll had already come out and stated that Rashaad Penny deserved a chance to take over as the lead back in Seattle. Alex Collins has since been placed on the Covid list and will be out in this one. The matchup is not great, the Panthers rank 16th against the run. This play is more about volume and price. Penny will get the lion’s share of the work in the backfield and at just $5400, should have no problem paying off his price in Week 15 against Carolina.
Wide Receiver
Chase Claypool | $5900 | TEN @ PIT
If you do not want to spend up for Diontae Johnson but still want a good piece of the Steelers against a bad Titans secondary, then Chase Claypool could be your guy. After being beaten up for making boneheaded plays in Week 14, the second-year speedster from Notre Dame may be extra motivated to silence his critics. This is the epitome of a boom or bust play, but Claypool did see nine targets last week and should be heavily involved again if the Steelers plan to keep pace with the Titans.
DeVonta Smith |$6100| WAS @ PHI
DeVonta Smith has been struggling of late after riding a bit of a hot streak at the halfway point of the season. A matchup against the 29th ranked Washington Football Team may be just what the doctor ordered for the rookie to get well again. Smith seemed to struggle to find chemistry with Gardner Minshew in Week 13 before the bye and if Hurts does end up being ruled out, we do not like this play nearly as much. The decrease in production coincided with a decrease in targets. The Alabama grad has only seen four targets each of the past two games. Look for that to change against the division rivals in Week 15. The price is coming back down and now is a good time to roster the 2020 Heismann Trophy winner.
Tight End
Mike Gesicki | $5000 | NYJ @ MIA
Jaylen Waddle has been ruled out of Sunday’s game with the New York Jets. The same Jets that cannot stop anyone, anywhere, at any position. The multiple targets Waddle sees have to go somewhere. Enter Mike Gesicki. New York ranks 26th against the position and the Penn State grad saw 11 targets in the Dolphins last game. Look for that to continue in Week 15 as Miami steamrolls their division rival and wins their seventh in a row with Gesicki heavily involved.
Zach Ertz | $5400 | ARI @ DET
Another tight end that may see increased volume due to a star receiver being out is Zach Ertz. Deandre Hopkins is done for the regular season and Ertz had been heavily involved in the passing game before the injury. The former Eagle caught five of seven targets in the Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The high volume should continue against the Detroit Lions, especially with James Conner and Chase Edmonds still nursing injuries.
Fantasy Data Favorites
In this section, we will give you one play from each position for the week that we like the most. This will be a player that likely will give you a high upside at a lower cost than their counterparts and also come with a low ownership projection. Here you go!
Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger | $5600 | TEN @ PIT
The price for Ben Roethlisberger only went up $300 despite the 28.82 point performance in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings. We already talked about how much we like the receivers in this one so it makes sense to consider Big Ben as well. Roethlisberger has been better of late, putting up 19.34 points or more in three of his last four games. There is a bit of a high floor here. The Titans are second in the league against the run which should lead to a high volume of pass attempts for Pittsburgh. It is do or die for their playoff hopes as well so it should be competitive throughout.
Running Back
James Robinson | $5400 | HOU @ JAX
It is hard to imagine that there are too many people out there happier that Urban Meyer got fired than James Robinson. The usage was so bad that his price has dipped down to $5400 for Week 15. The matchup does not get much better either. The Houston Texans rank 27th against the position and are allowing 26.4 DK points to running backs. Robinson has 20 point potential any time he touches the field and gets the workload that he deserves. It will be a popular play this week, but at the price and the matchup, it is a fade at your own risk situation.
Wide Receiver
Brandin Cooks | $5800 | HOU @ JAX
If you decide to roster Robinson, we like the idea of bringing it back with Brandin Cooks. Davis Mills is back at quarterback and in his first start since Tyrod Taylor was benched, the rookie targeted Cooks 11 times. The journeyman wideout turned those targets into 21.1 points versus the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14. Look for Houston to be playing from behind against a rejuvenated Jacksonville team at home and look for Cooks to be the prime beneficiary of that game flow.
Tight End
Dawson Knox | $5100 | CAR @ BUF
Dawson Knox makes his second straight appearance here. Last week we were rewarded with 19.0 points from the young tight end against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Carolina Panthers travel to Buffalo in Week 15 and bring with them the 11th ranked defense against the tight end. Here is the thing. The Bills have no running game and the Panthers are quite good versus the run anyways. Look for Knox to be targeted heavily again (if Josh Allen plays), especially if Emmanuel Sanders misses this one on Sunday.
Summing It All Up
As we all know, football is unpredictable, we make these picks using the data available to us at fantasydata.com and try to help our readers make educated, thoughtful decisions when creating their DK lineup. If you find this helpful or have any comments, be sure to notate them below. Thank you for reading.
