If you’ve never played weekly salary-cap fantasy games, you’re missing out on what’s quickly becoming the hottest new trend in fantasy football and a great way to make some quick cash. No longer are you locked into a team for an entire season (or longer) and subject to the pain of injuries and poor performance. Instead, each week you pick a new set of players to fill your lineup. This is an exciting format that takes away a lot of the stress that goes with season-long fantasy leagues.
For those not familiar with DraftKings’ format, you are awarded a total budget of $50,000 to fill a roster of nine players (QB, RB1, RB2, WR1, WR2, TE, FLEX (RB/WR/TE), K and DST). You must pick players from at least two different NFL teams that represent two different games that week. The scoring rules are similar to most PPR scoring leagues, but you can check out the details over at DraftKings for more information there.
Now that we’ve gotten the introductory information out of the way, here’s the most valuable DraftKings lineup for Week 15.
Quarterback
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys ($7,800)
Romo gets a bad wrap for his inconsistency, but the reality is that he’s actually averaging 18.8 fantasy points per week this season and has a great matchup for a potential bounce back from last week’s less-than-stellar performance in the cold in Chicago. The Green Bay Packers’ injury depleted secondary come into Week 15 ranked 25th with a -29.6 grade. They’re allowing 246.8 passing yards-per-game, the 12th most in the league, 7.8 yards per attempt and just under two touchdowns per game. They’ve also intercepted just seven passes this year, the second fewest in the NFL. Romo is a nice bargain at just $7,800 and has the best matchup for success among quarterbacks in his price range.
Running Back
Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs ($8,500)
By now it should be clear that you just need to have Charles in your lineup every week. Select him first, and work your way out from there. The Oakland Raiders are the 22nd ranked run defense, currently sporting a -23.0 grade and have allowed over 1,600 total yards and 12 total touchdowns to opposing running backs. Charles has put up big numbers against much better defenses this year, so he should be able to shred the Oakland defense with ease.
Shane Vereen, New England Patriots ($7,500)
Vereen had a huge Week 1, amassing over 150 total yards and slashing the Buffalo Bills defense. Unfortunately he suffered a leg injury in that game and was lost until Week 11. But since returning, he’s caught on in a big way, averaging 22.8 fantasy points-per-game, thanks mostly in part to his role in the passing game. With 12 receptions on 15 targets last week against Cleveland, Vereen had 153 yards, including 88 yards after the catch.
With Rob Gronkowski out, it’s likely Vereen will get near 25 targets in the passing game, maybe even more. Which is great news this week against the Miami Dolphins, who have surrendered over 1,900 yards and 12 touchdowns to opposing running backs. Miami’s pass-coverage unit is currently ranked 13th with a +5.8 grade and has allowed just four touchdowns to opposing receivers all season, which means Vereen could be the focal point of New England’s offense and have a huge day.
Wide Receiver
Pierre Garçon, Washington Redskins ($6,000)
Washington will look to go vertical with Kirk Cousins under center and facing the Atlanta Falcons putrid secondary, which currently sports a -23.6 grade and is surrendering 245.8 yards through the air each week. Garçon has had a great year, averaging 16.8 points-per-week and is a great value at $6,000, especially as a WR1 and true No. 1 on the depth chart.
Brandon LaFell, Carolina Panthers ($3,800)
The Panther’s running backs are all banged up and the New York Jets have the top-rated run defense in the league, currently sitting 42.6 points ahead of the second team with a +109.8 grade. They’ve only allowed more than 80 rushing yards once this season and are just dominant — which means Cam Newton will not be dazzling with his footwork and will be forced to stand in the pocket and move the ball downfield.
The good news is that as unstoppable as their run defense is, the Jets rank 30th in pass coverage with a -54.3 grade and have allowed over 254 passing yards-per-game and 24 passing touchdowns, the eighth most in the league. LaFell is team’s No. 2 receiver and has averaged just over 10 points-per-week this season. He should see enough targets to give you some solid points and is an absolute steal at just $3,800.
Tight End
Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears ($4,000)
Bennett continues to drop in price from week-to-week and his 10.9 points per game this season are just begging to be plugged into your lineup at $4,000. Bennett and Jay Cutler did some nice work together this season, so Bennett should see an uptick in targets with Cutler’s return. The Cleveland Browns are also struggling against opposing tight ends this season, allowing 631 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, the fourth most in the league this season. This is a sneaky-good start.
Flex
Alfred Morris, RB, Washington Redskins ($5,900)
The best way for Washington to establish a vertical attack is to lean on a strong running game and the play action. The Falcons are allowing 133.6 yards per game to opposing running backs this season, the third-most in the league and have given up 12 rushing touchdowns. Not surprisingly, they’re currently rated 21st in run defense with a +0.1 grade. Morris should easily put up 12-14 points this week, which is great production at just $5,900.
Kicker
Garrett Hartley, New Orleans Saints ($3,000)
New Orleans is coming off a huge win against a team much better than the St. Louis Rams and will be playing indoors, meaning ideal conditions for a kicker. Hartley is far-and-above the best option of the cheapest kickers. Plug him in and be be grateful for his 8-9 guaranteed points.
Defense and Special Teams
Buffalo Bills ($3,500)
The Cheap defenses this week have some terrible matchups and there’s no real gem of the bunch, which forced me to go much more expensive than usual this week with the Bills. But, they are averaging 8.3 fantasy points-per-week and are facing the Jacksonville Jaguars. While it’s not an ideal matchup, it’s better than most of the others. You should be able to count on 6.5-9 points this weekend, which is good enough to get the job done.
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