XN Sports will present values and picks for DraftKings each and every week throughout the season for all your daily fantasy needs. Check out all the contests at DraftKings here, and be sure to enter the Week 15 freerolls right away.
If you have not played on DraftKings yet, be sure to make your first deposit which will earn you a free spot in a paid tournament. Why play DraftKings? In addition to being one of the most aesthetically-pleasing websites on the internet, DraftKings offers user-friendly scoring and rules which can be found in full here. In addition, there is no kicker so any of those six field goal days will not ruin your weekend.
The details of this week’s contest:
Contest Details
-DraftKings $100K Play-Action
-Turn $2 into $10,000
-$100,000 in Total Prizes
-$10,000 First Place prize
-Just $2 to enter
Without further ado, your value plays and lineups for Week 16.
Value Plays
Quarterback
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs ($5,600)- I’ll be honest. I see myself actually spending up for quarterback quite a bit this week. However, you should always try a few value quarterbacks in some GPP tournaments, as it allows you to stack your roster elsewhere. Alex Smith fits the bill, coming in at just $5,600 and riding a hot streak. Smith has thrown for 290 yards in two straight games, and over his last four outings, has tossed two scores three times. The matchup is my favorite, as I continue to pick on the Steelers’ horrible secondary that has surrendered 15 passing scores over their last five games, coming in at over 2.5 per. Opposing passers are also averaging a healthy 253.4 passing yards per game on the season, the eighth-most in football. Meanwhile, only three teams in the league have allowed more touchdowns through the air than Pittsburgh’s 28. And I love the production quarterbacks have had against the Steelers as of late, and for the most part, it’s a motley crew.
Week 10: Michael Vick– 139 yards, 2 TD. 39 rushing yards (QB10)
Week 11: Zach Mettenberger– 263 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT (QB9)
Week 13: Drew Brees– 257 yards, 5 TD (QB3)
Week 14: Andy Dalton– 302 yards, 2 TD, 1 rushing TD (QB7)
Week 15: Matt Ryan– 310 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT (QB2)
Running Back
Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills ($5,500)- If you’re familiar with me and my work, you know that FJax is probably my favorite player in the NFL. I’m a Bills fan, but even if I wasn’t, how can you not love a guy who just plays the game the right way? Buffalo’s leader continues to serve as a value for daily fantasy owners, and now that he’s fully healthy, the workload has returned. Jackson has 20 carries in two of his last three games, touching the ball a total of 65 times over those three contests. That’s nearly 22 offensive touches per contest for the oldest back in all of football. On a site like DraftKings that awards a full point per catch, Jackson is an ideal candidate, as he’s caught at least three balls in all but one game this year, averaging just under five receptions per game for Buffalo. Meanwhile, Jackson will shoulder the load against a bad Raiders defense that is surrendering the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing backs (24.02), as well as 4.4 catches per game to rushers. And Oakland has coughed up a receiving touchdown to a running back in four straight games, which puts an elite pass-catching back like Jackson in an awesome spot on Sunday.
Wide Receiver
Steve Smith Sr., Baltimore Ravens ($4,100)- Smith’s big play game has fallen off, as he hasn’t had a 100-yard outing in any of his last eight games. But he’s still a big part of the Baltimore offense, seeing 16 targets over his last two contests. He’s also averaging six receptions per game during that span, and his price has come down so much that guys like Greg Jennings, Percy Harvin, and Reggie Wayne are actually more expensive. I’ll take a shot on Smith at such a discount, facing a bad Texans secondary that has allowed 19 touchdowns to receivers this year, good for the third-most in the NFL. Opposing number one receivers have destroyed the Texans secondary all season long, as wideouts are averaging 26.67 fantasy points per game, also the third-most in football. I think the Baltimore passing attack can make some noise in this game, and Smith could very well get back on track here.
Tight End
Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts ($3,800)- Allen can be a bit volatile in daily fantasy because he’s often touchdown dependent. But since 28 percent of his total receptions this year have gone for touchdowns, I’m willing to roll him out there in a potential shootout against the Cowboys this week. But there is some PPR potential for Allen here, too, as Dallas has allowed the most tight end receptions on the year (92), and over their last seven home games, the Cowboys have allowed six touchdowns to the tight end position. Tight ends are scoring almost a full touchdown per game against Dallas this season, and if you’re not paying up for Rob Gronkowski, Allen is my favorite tight end option for Week 16.
Lineup 1
QB- Aaron Rodgers
RB- Fred Jackson
RB- Pierre Thomas
WR- Randall Cobb
WR- Jordy Nelson
WR- Steve Smith Sr.
TE- Rob Gronkowski
FLEX- Joseph Randle
D/ST- Dolphins
Lineup 2
QB- Alex Smith
RB- C.J. Anderson
RB- Joseph Randle
WR- A.J. Green
WR- Calvin Johnson
WR- Steve Smith Sr.
TE- Dwayne Allen
FLEX- Fred Jackson
D/ST- Seahawks
