NFL DFS RB Coach Week 15: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
We turn the NFL DFS page over to Week 15. Last week was a bit of a mixed bag as we hit on guys like Derrick Henry, Ezekiel Elliott, and Zonovan Knight, but whiffed on D’Andre Swift and D’Onta Foreman. Enough about Week 14 though. As we head into Week 15, we get the inclusion of Saturday games, so we have two slates to break down and a lot of backs to target. Who do I like and why? Let’s dive into the top plays, values, and fades for NFL DFS action on DraftKings and FanDuel for Week 15!
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NFL DFS RB Top Plays
Saturday Slate
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Cook has been pretty hit-or-miss this season and he really struggled last week against the Lions, rushing 15 times for just 23 yards, but I like him to bounce back this week. He has been better at home this season, averaging 84.4 rushing yards per game and 16.5 DK points, compared to 59.8 rushing yards and 13.9 DK points per game on the road. The Colts defense has been struggling against the run lately. The Cowboys pair of backs had no issues against them and the week before that; they couldn’t stop Benny Snell (which is saying something).
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
Dobbins made his return to action last week (first game since Week 6) and he played great, rushing 15 times for 120 yards and a touchdown to finish with 21 DK points. He led the Ravens backfield in touches and for that to be the case in his first game off IR, you have to love him coming into this game against Cleveland. The Browns rank as a top-three matchup for running backs this season and the Ravens are going to once again feed Dobbins (and Gus Edwards too for that matter) the rock and try and ground & pound their way to a road victory.
James Cook, Buffalo Bills
Rookie Cook seemed to be breaking out after a great Week 13 in which he rushed 14 times for 64 yards and caught SIX passes for 41 yards to finish with 16.5 fantasy points, but that didn’t seem to mean a whole lot in Week 14 as he went from 20 touches to five and scored just 2.5 fantasy points. It’s hard to have any clue what his usage could be this week, but he is cheap and there is some upside there. This game between the Bills and Dolphins will likely be high-scoring and that could make Cook a sneaky good play at a dart throw price tag.
Sunday Main Slate
NFL DFS RB Top Plays
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Last week I wrote, “This feels like it will be one of those Henry games where he racks up 30 carries, 120+ yards, and a score or two.” He went and did just that (outside of the carry total) as he finished with 121 rushing yards and a touchdown. He could have been in for a bigger day had the Titans not been blown out in the second half by the Jags as he did the majority of his damage in the first half of the game. I like him once again this week as the Chargers rank as a good matchup for running backs and based on the fact that (as you can see in the image below) Henry has been incredibly good on the road this season.
NFL DFS RB Mid-Tier Plays
Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
I am not a Sanders guy and for the most part that has gone well, but he is cooking right now, scoring 34, 11.8, and 31.5 DK points over his last three games (after failing to score 6 points in either game prior to this stretch, funny how that works). He is a low-floor, high-ceiling type of play right now and is perfect for GPP action as we shoot for the moon. He has a nice matchup on tap this week against the Bears as they rank as a top-five spot for running backs this season. The Eagles should be able to win this game and the game flow should work in Sanders’ favor.
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
Last week I wrote, “He has scored 15+ points in five straight games and is the goal line back of a high-powered offense.” He kept the good times rollin’ as he once again found the end zone and finished with 17.1 fantasy points. He was out-scored by Pollard again, but he is also far cheaper than Pollard. This is another week where you can pick your poison between him and Pollard and both to make for good plays, but I am going to lean toward Zeke as he has been more consistent and is considerably cheaper. The Jags are a good matchup for running backs and the Cowboys should have no issue scoring against them in this one.
NFL DFS RB Value Plays
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Pacheco has been playing fine, scoring between 12.3 and 16.2 fantasy points in four straight games. He is showing the ability to offer a solid floor, but a high ceiling hasn’t really existed. However, I think this could be the week where we see a ceiling / full-on breakout game. The Texans are terrible and rank as the number-one matchup for running backs. The Chiefs could easily be up three touchdowns by halftime in this game and Pacheco will likely get about 20 carries in this one. I expect him to score over 20 fantasy points for the first time in his career.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
Hubbard isn’t starting, but he is getting plenty of work and has looked good. He has 17 and 14 carries over the last two games and last week he rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown while catching all three of his targets to finish with 18.9 fantasy points. I think we will continue to see pretty split work between Hubbard and Foreman and Hubbard comes in a considerable amount cheaper. The Panthers are a run-first offense right now and will continue to feed their backs, which should work out just fine in this matchup against the Steelers as their offense is pretty putrid.
NFL DFS RB Fades
Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
Mixon made his return last week and looked great, rushing 14 times for 96 yards (6.9 YPC) while catching two passes for 10 yards, so why is he a fade? I don’t like the way Perine is cutting into his work (Perine had a touchdown, four rushes, and five targets last week) or the fact that the Bengals are facing the Bucs. Tampa Bay ranks as one of the toughest matchups in the league for running backs this season, so there’s not a whole lot to like with Mixon here.
Other Potential Options Based on Injury Updates to Starters
Damian Harris / Pierre Strong / Kevin Harris, New England Patriots
Dare Ogunbowale / Rex Burkhead, Houston Texans
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Player News
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Dolphins released LS Blake Ferguson.
The team also waived CB Ryan Cooper Jr., DT Neil Farrell and OL Chasen Hines. Ferguson has been the team’s long snapper for five seasons and earned a three-year contract extension just before the 2023 season. He should be able to find work snapping footballs farther than the average snap elsewhere in the league.
DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman believes rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa “could make his earliest impact on special teams.”
It’s not much of a surprise, as most rookies cut their teeth with special teams duties. Twentyman mentioned return duties as a possibility, though the former Razorback never returned kicks or punts in college. At 6'4/212 with 4.43 wheels, TeSlaa is an explosive athlete who never translated his physical traits to on-field production at Arkansas. The Lions clearly saw potential for him to do so in the pros and traded two future third-round picks to move up to No. 70 overall for him. It’s going to be a slow burn for TeSlaa in the pros, making him a dynasty-only fantasy option.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.