4 NFL FanDuel Studs to Target in Week 15
There are only three weeks left as Thursday Night Football kicks off this evening. But, there's no time for sadness -- it's time to get those buckies in DFS play.
As is the case when playing any sport on FanDuel, it’s imperative to hit on the high-priced players in your lineup. They require a big chunk of your salary, and when paying up for a player, you shouldn’t have to worry about him letting down your lineup.
Here are four studs who should prove to be worth their high price tag.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans
FanDuel Price: $8,200
Projected Points: 22.5
The Houston Texans face a major showdown to winning the AFC South, and if they can ride the arm of Deshaun Watson, they may cement their status as a division winner.
So far this season, per our per-play metrics, the Tennessee Titans rank only 16th against the pass this year -- and it's easy to see why. Over the last four weeks alone, they've been roasted through the year for two 300-plus yard games, including 433 yards by Patrick Mahomes.
Watson, meanwhile, has performed like a beast this year. In peeking at Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per drop back, Watson ranks ninth with a mark of only 0.21 this season, well above the NFL average of 0.08. Bookmakers seem to think points will be scored here, and the Texans' implied team total of 24.00 points isn't too shabby.
Projected for the second-most points on the main slate, Watson could be in line for a big day.
Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings
FanDuel Price: $8,500
Projected Points: 19.7
A week after 20 touches and a 14.5-point FanDuel day, Dalvin Cook appears to be in line for an even bigger scoring afternoon in Week 15.
One simple reason to be bullish on Cook is that Alexander Mattison, who has been stealing touches from Cook, didn't suit up in practice Wednesday. That may seem inconsequential at first glance, but he did rock 16 touches in Week 14.
Secondly, the Los Angeles Chargers, Minessota's opponent this week, are strong against the pass recently, but getting ripped on the ground, allowing 9 of 13 opponents to log 80 or more rushing yards against them.
Need a run-heavy game script? This checks that box, too. They are 2.5-point favorites with a solid 23.75-implied team total.
This all seems to add up to a big day for Cook.
Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
FanDuel Price: $8,400
Projected Points: 16.3
With Mike Evans reportedly set to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, it is time to fire up stud wide receiver Chris Godwin, who could obliterate a weak Detroit Lions team.
First, let's expose the Lions. They've allowed two monster passing games in the last four weeks of 300-plus yards, and they clock in 23rd overall against the pass. They also get almost no pressure against the opposing quarterback, ranking fourth-worst in Adjusted Sack Rate.
And the Bucs? We know they are pass-happy, notching a 1.65 pass-to-run ratio, and they sport a very solid 25.00 implied team total.
If Evans were to miss time, expect Godwin's already juicy 21.9% target market share to be quickly on the rise and post a huge day.
George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers
FanDuel Price: $7,200
Projected Points: 11.9
After struggling through some challenging weeks at the beginning of the 2019 season, George Kittle has come out blood-thirsty and is producing some massive efforts.
Over his last four weeks, Kittle has roasted teams for some of his best games of the season, topping 16.9 FanDuel points in three of the four games.
And this week? He only faces an Atlanta Falcons team that has been crushed through the air (ranking 28th against the pass) and have allowed an average of 12.6 points-per-game to opposing tight ends.
If you can afford him, roster Kittle.
Matt Kupferle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matt Kupferle also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username MKupferle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
