DraftKings NFL Lineup - Week 15 Top Picks and Plays

Dec 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Washington defeated Philadelphia 27-22. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports DraftKings NFL

DraftKings NFL Lineups – Week 15

Excited but sad — that about sums up my emotions entering week 15 of this NFL season. I am excited for the playoffs to begin and see who will be crowned the Super Bowl Champ this year. But, sadness sets in when I realize there are only a handful of weeks left before the DraftKings NFL season comes to an end and there is nearly 7 months with no football! I guess the only thing we can do is make the best of what time we have left and root like hell for our teams.

Last week was another successful one with my cash game lineup posting a 159.32. All our 50-50’s and double up’s cashed and if you played the lineup you should have doubled your bank roll. Most importantly, my prediction of a Giants Sunday night upset was realized so the day ended well. Like many others, my lineup was carried by the all world performance of Le’Veon Bell and his 54.8 fantasy points. Looking towards this week, it will be hard to not roster someone who just posted over 50 points and is in another good match-up. Before we go there, lets shake things up a bit this week and do 2 lineups. The first lineup will be for the 14 game slate from Sunday to Monday and the 2nd lineup will be the 13 game “Main” slate for Sunday. So let’s start our Draftkings NFL Lineups for Week 15 with the Quarterbacks:

Quarterbacks: Week 14 was an overall success for our lineup but, quarterback was one position that did not carry the day. Eli was my choice against a Dallas passing defense that has a lot of holes in it. However, the game was all defense but for 2 plays but, I do not envision a repeat of that with this weeks picks. First, Kirk Cousins has been hit or miss this season but, he is facing a Carolina defense that is certainly not “Super” in 2016. Carolina has given up the 28th most points to opposing QB’s and has been very susceptible to the pass. In 2016 they have given up more than 3,500 passing yards, putting them in 30th place.

Our second QB is actually not having a good year as he is ranked at the bottom in most passing statistics. Tyrod Taylor is in a good matchup this week with Cleveland, who is near or at the bottom in passing and rushing defense and FP’s given up to QB’s. Cleveland is ranked 31st in QB FP’s given up and this is the first time since week 2 that Taylor will have his #1 & #2 receiver on the field together. Add in the fact that Taylor has contributed 471 yards and 6 touchdowns with his legs and the potential for a big day is apparent.

Sun-Mon Slate – Kirk Cousins

Sun Main Slate – Tyrod Taylor

Running Backs: Our RB1 for both lineups this week is simple: Le’Veon Bell. After 54.8 points last week and a divisional matchup against the 25th ranked rushing defense with over 1500 yards given up, it is a no brainer.

Our RB2’s differ and our main slate will be another beast running back. David Johnson is the overall fantasy points leader for 2016 and this weeks matchup will only add to that total. The Saints have given up the 27th most FP’s to running backs and they may drop down another place or two after DJ is done with them. Whether it’s through the air or on the ground, there is only one other back that can keep up and he is our RB1.

Our RB2 for the Sun-Mon slate is in a great matchup that I have targeted multiple times this year. If you have followed me this year, then you know I always check who is playing the 49ers and look to roster the opposing running back. This week is no different but, the only issue we face is which Falcon running back to roster? Freeman and Coleman have flip-flopped back and forth for big game output and last week it flipped back to Coleman. It was mainly due to the game being a blowout and Freeman given rest the entire 4th quarter. This week has blowout potential too but, I am choosing to roster Devonta Freeman. He is the better “runner” and the 49ers can’t stop anyone. But, more importantly, I see the 49ers keeping this game close enough to keep the starters rolling for all 4 quarters.

Sun-Mon Slate – RB1 – Bell, RB2 – D. Freeman

Sun Main Slate – RB1 – Bell, RB2 – D. Johnson

Wide Receivers: Our main slate receivers all fall in the low to mid tier as we paid up at running back for Bell & Johnson. WR1 has Brandin Cooks facing off with Arizona’s Marcus Cooper. The weak link in the Cardinals secondary is rated a 40.2 by PFF thus, giving Cooks a favorable matchup. Our WR2 is the Vikings Adam Thielen and our WR3 is Jeremy Kerley. Thielen has outgained the other Viking receivers in 3 of the last 4 contests and he has solidified himself as a go to guy for the Vikings. Kerley has regained his role as the most targeted receiver in San Francisco. He is up against the worst passing defense in the NFL and it should allow him and Kaepernick to have a good day.

The Sun-Mon Slate has three receivers that have high floors and each has become a an often targeted receiver on their teams. WR1 has Jamison Crowder against the Panthers. As mentioned earlier, the Panthers are not sporting a super bowl defense this year. WR2 is Tyreek Hill against the 31st ranked passing defense of the Titans. Finally, with Julio Jones out again and Sanu seemingly never grabs the top spot, I will roll with Taylor Gabriel against the 27th ranked defense against wide receiver FP’s scored.

Sun-Mon Slate – WR1 – B. Cooks, WR2 – A. Thielen, WR3 – J. Kerley

Sun Main Slate – WR1 – J. Crowder, WR2 – T. Hill, WR3 – T. Gabriel

Tight Ends: Our main slate tight end is matched up against the worst team in giving up FP’s to tight ends. Charles Clay has also become one of the Bills most often targeted receiver. With Watkins and Woods in the lineup together, that should cut into his targets a bit. However, given other teams success at targeting the TE against Cleveland, I expect the Bills to continue the trend.

The Sun-Mon Slate tight end is facing off against the 30th ranked defense against TE FP’s. However, we are not rostering the TE1 but going for the TE2 of the Redskins. Vernon Davis has been a bit of a surprise in his resurgence this year with the Redskins. With Jordan still not 100%, i am expecting Davis to pick up the slack. The Panthers continually get burnt by tight ends and i see Cousins hooking up with Davis regularly Monday night.

Sun-Mon Slate TE – V. Davis

Sun Main Slate TE – C. Clay

Dec 11, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; San Diego Chargers running back Kenneth Farrow (27) runs after losing his helmet in the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Chargers 28-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Flex: Our Flex position is being rostered by the same player in both lineups this week. With Melvin Gordon going down last week, Kenneth Farrow came in and took over. He finished with 55 yards rushing and caught 6 passes for another 23 yards. Now he has a full week of preparation as the lead back this week. It also helps that he is facing the 26th ranked rushing defense in Oakland. Therefore, I see a very good day for Farrow and at a bargain price of $4,400.

Sun-Mon Slate Flex – Kenneth Farrow

Sun Main Slate Flex – Kenneth Farrow

Defense: Both defense choices are born from choosing the best defense we can with the budget left over. The Sun Main slate I am going with the Steelers in a tough divisional matchup. The Steelers always seem to play the Bengals tough and get multiple turnovers. I expect this weekend to follow that game plan again.