NFL

5 NFL FanDuel Value Plays to Target in Week 14

One of the crucial aspects of daily fantasy football is unearthing cheap production.

Our projections can help you do just that by allowing you to sort players by their point-per-dollar value. A lot of times, the top value plays come as a result of injury situations, meaning it's imperative to see inactives on Sunday morning before setting your lineups.

When looking for a salary-saving option, check out one of these main-slate players this week.

Week 14 of the NFL is here! We have a loaded 11-game slate, and there are plenty of options across the board. Let's take a look at some value plays to help you afford the top stars on the main slate.

DJ Chark, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars ($5,900)

A number one wide receiver under $6K in this economy?

That is what we have with DJ Chark, who has a great matchup in front of him that you want to attack. The Jacksonville Jaguars are at home to host the Tennessee Titans, where the total is set at 53.5. It shouldn't come as a surprise, but the Jaguars are 7.5-point underdogs, which should put them in a negative game script. This is good for Chark, who leads the Jaguars in targets (72) and receptions (43) while being tied for the team lead in touchdowns (4) and red zone targets (9).

Given his role and production within the Jaguars' passing offense, Chark shouldn't be this cheap. Of course, we have to note his lack of production in his last three games, where he had a total of 138 yards on 10 catches and no touchdowns. He also missed one game recently due to an injury, so it's been a while since we saw what Chark's ceiling can look like.

But that can all change this week since the Titans are allowing a whopping 34.3 FanDuel points per game to opposing wide receivers, which is the fifth-worst in the league. With their secondary being so weak, Chark is primed for a big game, all while coming in under $6K.

Ty Johnson, RB, New York Jets ($5,500)

With questions surrounding the New York Jets' backfield, we could be getting a bit of value this week.

In Sunday's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Jets running back Frank Gore left the game early with a concussion and didn't return. Gore was injured on the second play of the game, which meant we saw plenty of backup running back Ty Johnson, who stepped up to play a major role in the offense. He ended with 22 carries, 104 yards, and a touchdown while adding 2 receptions for 13 yards. This is an encouraging sign of things to come, considering the Jets' other backup running back, Josh Adams, only had eight total touches.

If Gore is unable to play this week, Johnson could be in for another big week. While the Jets don't have a good offense, the volume of opportunities for Johnson shouldn't be overlooked, especially in a great matchup. That matchup is facing off against the Seattle Seahawks, who are allowing the ninth-most (22.2) FanDuel points per game to opposing running backs. The role is certainly there for Johnson, who could be in line for another 15-plus touches against a weak defense.

Anthony Firkser, TE, Tennessee Titans ($5,100)

If Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith is out again, Anthony Firkser could be a value play.

Jonnu Smith was out last week against the Cleveland Browns, and that led to the Titans using three different tight ends. Geoff Swaim played on a team-high 53% of the offensive snaps but only saw a single target. MyCole Pruitt played on 44% of the offensive snaps and finished with 14.7 FanDuel points, but it's a bit skewed. Pruitt caught a 22-yard touchdown -- his only reception of the game -- but also recovered a fumble for a Titans touchdown. He essentially got a free 6.0 FanDuel points for being in the right place. The important thing to take away was the fact he ended with only two targets.

Finally, we have Firkser, who ended with 51 yards on 5 receptions from 7 targets. This right here. This is what we want to be looking at since Firkser was tied for the second-most targets (7) and tied for the most (2) red zone targets. Both Swaim and Pruitt aren't pass-catching tight ends. Snap counts are important, but they aren't everything. The targets are ultimately more important, and Firkser is the player seeing them when Smith is out.

Nelson Agholor, WR, Las Vegas Raiders ($5,200)

The Las Vegas Raiders are coming off a big win against the New York Jets and are set for a very interesting game against the Indianapolis Colts this week.

From the start, this game is appealing for fantasy players, with the over/under set at 51.5, the spread being only 2.5 points in favor of the Colts, and both teams carrying implied totals over 24.00. All three of these things are good to see, as it should be a higher scoring, close game. Speaking of the Colts, they are only allowing 27.9 FanDuel points per game to opposing wide receivers this season, which is the 10th-fewest in the league. While it might not be the best matchup on paper, there is more than meets the eye.

Raiders wide receiver Nelson Agholor leads the team with 913 air yards and has the second-highest (14.0) average depth of target (aDoT) on the team. This is what we should be focusing on, considering the Colts' secondary is struggling in recent weeks against the deep ball. According to SharpFootballStats, over the last four games, the Colts are allowing a 67% receiving success rate to deep left passes, a 57% receiving success rate to deep middle passes, and a 44% receiving success rate to deep right passes. This has translated into a passer rating by zone of 110, 141, and 52, respectively.

This is very encouraging with Agholor logging 26 targets over the past three weeks, putting him at 62 targets for the season, which is the third-highest on the Raiders. It's not as if you are taking a shot on a player who only sees a few targets per game -- Agholor is a consistent option for the Raiders' passing game.

Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals ($5,700)

While the past few weeks haven't been productive for Giovani Bernard, the matchup this week is too good to pass up.

Bernard and the Cincinnati Bengals are up against the Dallas Cowboys, who've been a team to target all season long. The Cowboys are near the bottom of the league when it comes to most fantasy points allowed to nearly every position, and you should continue to attack them. When it comes to running backs specifically, the Cowboys are allowing 23.7 FanDuel points per game, which is the sixth-worst in the league.

Bernard has a floor of two targets per game over the last eight games, giving him a consistent base of points. While this game only has an over/under of 43.5 points, the matchup and role are there for Bernard.