Like any healthy market, price fluctuations are expected for players in daily fantasy football (NFL DFS). Exploring those fluctuations can often reveal bargain players to target after down weeks or players that are rising too high in price above future expectations.
Each week, we will analyze one player at each position that has notably increased and decreased in price.
Notable NFL DFS Price Increases
Josh Allen, QB (Buffalo Bills) Week 13 DraftKings Price $7,800; Week 14 DraftKings Price $8,000
One of the most consistent players in fantasy football, Josh Allen hit a rare trifecta on Sunday night with two passing, one rushing, and an incredible receiving touchdown in the snow. The last came on a surprising last-second pitch back from Amari Cooper, culminating in a superman dive at the pylon from the Bills quarterback.
Allen has seven straight 20+ DraftKings point games with a mix of running and passing prowess. He has three straight games with a rushing touchdown and is averaging 5.8 carries a game. His passing totals are down a bit to 224.3 yards/game from 253.3 in 2023, but he continues to rack up top-10 fantasy weeks with six in his last seven games.
The Rams are a middle-of-the-road defense, ranking 16th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Allen is one of the safer plays on the board at the position.
Bucky Irving, RB (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Week 13 DraftKings Price $5,800; Week 14 DraftKings Price $6,600
Bucky Irving went into full breakout mode on Sunday with the best performance of his career in the Buccaneers’ overtime victory in Carolina. The rookie running back rushed 25 times for 152 yards and a score, in addition to three catches for 33 yards.
Coming on the heels of his previous career-best game in Week 12 with 151 total yards and a touchdown, Irving has clearly asserted himself as the lead back in Tampa Bay with 69% of the running back carries against Carolina.
With three straight top-10 running back weeks in a row, Irving is an obvious lineup choice against the Raiders, who allow the 16th-most fantasy points to running backs.
Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.
Mike Evans, WR (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Week 13 DraftKings Price $6,700; Week 14 DraftKings Price $7,200
Mike Evans returned to his usual spot at the top of the Buccaneers pass catching pecking order on Sunday. In his second game back from injury, he caught eight of 12 targets for 118 yards and a touchdown.
The veteran wideout attracted 54% of the wide receiver target share from Baker Mayfield. He’ll need that same level of targets to reach the 1,000-yard threshold for a record 11th straight season to start his career. The Buccaneers will likely do all they can to get him there while they fight for a playoff spot down the stretch.
Tampa Bay takes on the Raiders defense, and sits just outside the top 10 in fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. Expect his price to stay above the $7,000 level for the foreseeable future.
Brock Bowers, TE (Las Vegas Raiders) Week 13 DraftKings Price $6,000; Week 14 DraftKings Price $6,500
The rookie tight end could be the lone bright spot in a disappointing 2024 Raiders campaign. Brock Bowers continues to impress in perhaps the greatest rookie season in the history of the position.
Bowers eclipsed double-digit catches for the third time this season on Friday with 10 grabs on 14 targets for 140 yards and a score. His consistency is remarkable, with eight top-10 fantasy finishes out of 12 games this season. He has been a top-24 tight end in every single week.
With few elite tight end fantasy options, Bowers is at the top of the list to make good on his elite price tag this week. The Buccaneers allow the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code LABS1 for a $1500 deposit match.
Notable NFL DFS Price Decreases
Kirk Cousins, QB (Atlanta Falcons) Week 13 DraftKings Price $6,000; Week 14 DraftKings Price $5,500
The massive offseason contract for former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins looked justified after the Falcons’ 6-3 start, but a closer look shows his two massive games against Tampa Bay may have skewed that outlook.
Recently, Cousins has looked immobile and has six interceptions over the last three games without a single passing touchdown. Atlanta fans are beginning to clamor for a switch to rookie Michael Penix Jr. after Cousins threw the ball four times the Chargers defense on Sunday.
Motivation certainly should not be a factor this week as Cousins returns to Minnesota for the first time after six seasons wearing purple. Brian Flores will undoubtedly have some surprises cooked up for the Falcons, but Cousins did go against him in practice for a year before leaving town.
Breece Hall, RB (New York Jets) Week 13 DraftKings Price $7,500; Week 14 DraftKings Price $7,000
The talented Jets running back tied his fewest touches of the season on Sunday with just 13 opportunities as New York squandered a lead to lose to the Colts. Breece Hall still managed 5.0 yards per carry but failed to score for a lackluster fantasy day.
Hall sits just outside the top-10 in fantasy scoring this season for running backs, which seems like a solid feat in the tumultuous Jets season with Aaron Rodgers at the helm and a mid-season head coach change.
With New York out of the playoff picture, it would not be a surprise to see them give a bigger workload to rookie Braelon Allen and curb Hall’s carries over the last part of the season. Be careful looking at this as a discount value.
Justin Jefferson, WR (Minnesota Vikings) Week 13 DraftKings Price $8,100; Week 14 DraftKings Price $7,800
Arguably the best wide receiver in the game, Justin Jefferson has produced unusually mortal fantasy results over the last four weeks and has been held without a touchdown in the last six games.
If defensive penalty yards caused by wide receivers were included in fantasy scoring, Jefferson would likely top the charts on a weekly basis. But the physical coverage and multiple defenders have also produced bigger opportunities for the other Minnesota receiving threats in Jordan Addison and TJ Hockensen.
It’s not often that Jefferson sees a noticeable salary drop. He could easily rebound this week against the Falcons. Few other receivers in the league have drawn at least eight targets in nine of the last 10 games.
Kyle Pitts, TE (Atlanta Falcons) Week 13 DraftKings Price $4,600; Week 14 DraftKings Price $4,100
With the struggles of Kirk Cousins over the last month, Kyle Pitts has suffered on the other end. He has not topped four catches since Week 7 and has only found the end zone three times this season.
The talent and athleticism are still unquestionable for Pitts, but at some point he must turn that potential into performance. One catch for nine yards over the last two games is not going to cut it as a starting fantasy option.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Daily Fantasy Football Week 17 NFL DFS Stacks and Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel
Week 18 NFL DFS WR Picks Breakdown: Ja’Marr Chase is a Stud
NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Rules and My Favorite Angle for Sunday’s Wild Card Round
NFL Wild Card Round DFS Top Model Picks and Value Plays on DraftKings and FanDuel
