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It's hard to accept that we are down to the final four weeks of the NFL season. The good thing, though, is we get some Saturday football. There are two games this Saturday. Two interesting games. The Raiders and Browns should be entertaining, especially with so many COVID cases running through the Browns locker room. The COVID cases likely open up a ton of value and make things a bit risky. So keep a close eye on the news as some could return.
We get a great AFC battle between the Patriots and the Colts for the nightcap. Two outstanding defense versus two teams that love to establish the run. Will JT run wild, or will Belichick shut down the Colts' running stud? Does Mac Jones pass all over the Colts, or do the Pats try and run wild. It should be a fantastic game that could resemble an AFC Championship-type game. Finding the right pieces in the nightcap with so much value in the early game will be the key to the two-game slate.
In this article, I will be providing you with my Week 15 Saturday daily fantasy football lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings. These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. Please also check out our weekly DraftKings DFS lineup picks and many other great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win big! Also, feel free to give me a follow on Twitter @bdentrek.
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UPDATE: It was announced on Friday afternoon that the Raiders-Browns game has been postponed until Monday due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Stay tuned for any changes with players being active and passing COVID-19 protocols in time for Monday.
Quarterbacks - NFL DFS Lineup Picks
Mac Jones, QB - NE at IND (DK: $5,400, FD: $7,000)
On a slate with some suspect QB play, Mac becomes intriguing. Before throwing just three passes in his last game, Mac has looked good. He has completed 19 or more passes in three straight games and scored 19 or more fantasy points in two of the three games. Mac has also thrown at least one touchdown pass in each of the three games and at least one in all but three total games this season.
This Saturday, he takes on the Colts, a strong defense but a defense that can be thrown on from time to time. The Colts are 18th on the season versus quarterbacks (2nd over the last four games). They allow an average of two touchdowns per game and nearly 20 fantasy points per game. The Patriots will look to run first, but Jones could get things going against the Colts with an implied team total of 22. Jones makes for a contrarian play instead of the popular Derek Carr and Carson Wentz.
I was planning on writing up Case Keenum, but he has now tested positive for COVID. So pay attention to the news as a lot is bound to change as the week goes on. On paper, Carr is the best play this week, but he will be extremely popular on a small slate.
Running Backs - DFS Lineup Picks
Jonathan Taylor, RB - IND vs. NE (DK: $9,200, FD: $10,200)
JT is the highest-priced player on this two-game slate, and he is worth every penny. This slate has tons of value, making it easy to roster Taylor. JT is coming off another monster week where he ran for 143 yards and two more touchdowns versus the Texans. Taylor has now run for 100+ yards in seven of his last ten games while scoring 19.7 or more points in all ten games. His consistency and overall fantasy production are unmatched right now, and you need to play him Saturday, even against the stout Patriots defense. (I will say fading JT will immediately make your lineup different than most, which is not the worst GPP move.)
Taylor will take on a Patriots defense that ranks 12th over the last four games versus running backs. They allow an average of 111 rushing yards over the previous four games and 4.5 receptions, and over 20 fantasy points. The Colts are two-point favorites with an implied team total of 24. It should be a back and forth game and a game where the Colts rely heavily on Taylor. He's expensive but a phenomenal play that will be very difficult to avoid.
Nick Chubb, RB - CLE vs. LV (DK: $7,800, FD: $8,000)
Not sure you've noticed (kidding), but the Browns are having quite an issue with COVID this week and are now down to their third-string quarterback in Nick Mullens. They will need to rely heavily on their big-time back in Chubb. Chubb is coming off back-to-back lackluster weeks, but that won't stop us from playing one of the better backs on the slate.
Chubb takes on one of the worst rush defenses in football in the Raiders, who rank 30th on the season versus opposing backs and 31st over the last four games. Over the previous four games, they are allowing over 100 rushing yards per game and over seven receptions on their way to over 30 fantasy points. The Raiders are torched by running backs, making for a great breakout spot for Chubb this Saturday. Their poor play versus backs also makes D'Ernest Johnson a sneaky GPP play with Kareem Hunt out.
Also Consider: Josh Jacobs (LV at CLE) $6600/$7200, D'Ernest Johnson (CLE vs. LC) $4,800/$5,700
Wide Receivers - DFS Lineup Picks
Hunter Renfrow, WR - LV at CLE (DK: $7,300, FD: $7,500)
Oh my goodness!!!! Look at Renfrow's price!!!! Now that we have done that, we can discuss how Renfrow is worth every penny. In recent weeks, he has been fantastic without a receiver who will be spending many years in jail and their stud tight end Darren Waller. Since the Raiders' bye week, Renfrow has been targeted nine times in five of six games. Over that span, he has scored 17 or more PPR points and 22 or more PPR points over the last three games. This Saturday, the Browns secondary will be missing some key players, and Renfrow should beast out again for the Raiders and hopefully your DFS lineups.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR - CLE vs. LV (DK: $4,500, FD: $5,800)
I was much more excited about playing DPJ with Keenum at quarterback. I still do not mind him with Mullens, but we need to remember that it may be more challenging for DPJ. With all that said, he's still in play as he will be the WR1 this Saturday due to players on the COVID list. Before the Browns' COVID issues, DPJ saw five or more targets in three straight games. He went off last week with five receptions and 90 yards. DPJ will be lining up in the slot, taking Jarvis Landry's spot, a great place to beat up the Raiders. It's a Raiders defense that ranks 15th versus opposing receivers over the last four games. Look for DPJ as value and now a much lower roster rate.
Kendrick Bourne/Jakobi Meyers, WR - NE at IND (DK: $5,300/$5,100, FD: $6,000/$5,900)
The receiving duo for the Patriots is very much on the radar tonight. Bourne and Meyers have been putting together strong seasons of late, which should continue versus the Colts on Saturday. Both lead the Patriots in targets and target share over the last four games (before the three pass game). Meyers also leads the receivers in snap rate over that stretch at 81%, and Bourne leads all receivers in red-zone% at 15.38% and trails only tight end Hunter Henry. So if Mac gets to dealing, Bourne and Meyers should get theirs. Meyers will be more popular as he has been more consistent, but Bourne has shown 20+ point upside on multiple occasions.
Also Consider: T.Y. Hilton (IND vs. NE) $4,200/$5,600, Zay Jones (LV at CLE) $3,600/$5,100
Tight Ends - DFS Lineup Picks
Harrison Bryant, TE - CLE vs. LV (DK: $2,500, FD: $4,500)
Well, we have another value on the Browns, thanks to COVID. Both tight ends Austin Hooper and David Njoku will be out due to COVID, which opens up the playing time for Bryant. Last week, Bryant caught all three targets for 50 yards as he filled in for Njoku, while Hooper also had a nice day. Now he is the lone tight end in an offense that will need all the help they can get against the Raiders. Bryant also helps to take on a Raiders team that ranks 31st on the season versus tight ends and 23rd over the last four games. The Browns love throwing to their tight ends, and the Raiders get beat by them. Seems like a perfect storm. Worth monitoring, Njoku returned to practice in a limited fashion on Thursday. If he plays, both are solid values, and I lean towards Njoku at $2800 on DK and $5000 on FD.
Also Consider: Hunter Henry (NE at IND) $4,200/$6,000, Foster Moreau (LV at CLE) $3,700/$5,500
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