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
Sam Darnold, QB (Minnesota Vikings) Week 14 DraftKings Price $6,100; Week 15 DraftKings Price $6,600
What an incredible turnaround season for Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings. He put together his best performance in a season of solid quarterback play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. With Kirk Cousins making his return to Minneapolis on the opposing sideline, Darnold made the home fans happy with five touchdowns and 347 passing yards.
Darnold has four top-10 fantasy finishes in the last six weeks and has amassed 11 touchdowns to zero interceptions in the last four games. Although he doesn’t add much fantasy value with his legs, Darnold is a virtual lock to complete at least 20 passes and top 235 yards through the air with scoring potential to his array of talented targets in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson.
The Vikings beat the Beats 30-27 just three weeks ago, and Darnold finished with 24.10 DraftKings points. He is a strong bet to reach those numbers again this week.
Chuba Hubbard, RB (Carolina Panthers) Week 14 DraftKings Price $6,200; Week 15 DraftKings Price $6,500
A mid-season contract extension showed how much confidence the Carolina Panthers have in Chuba Hubbard as a part of their backfield. With rookie Jonathon Brooks suffering yet another season-ending injury, Hubbard regains his lead role in an offense that has shown promise over the last few weeks.
Hubbard saw 97% of snaps on Sunday in the Panthers’ close loss to the Eagles. He carried the ball 26 times for 92 yards and a touchdown and added four catches for 15 yards. His receiving capabilities are somewhat limited with just one game over 20 receiving yards on the year, but he has managed to find the end zone five times in the last five weeks.
Dallas is a juicy matchup for opposing running backs as they rank 30th in fantasy points allowed to the position. Even with the price hike, Hubbard is a strong lineup option in Week 15.
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Jordan Addison, WR (Minnesota Vikings) Week 14 DraftKings Price $5,300; Week 15 DraftKings Price $5,900
The rise of Sam Darnold has coincided with second-year wideout Jordan Addison excelling as Robin to Justin Jefferson‘s Batman. Addison has certainly benefitted from the defense shifting coverages to double-team Jefferson, and he has made the most out of those opportunities.
Addison received a season-high 12 targets on Sunday and caught eight balls for 133 yards and three touchdowns. It’s his first three-score game of his career and second 100-yard receiving game of the season.
In the last four games, Addison has earned at least 20% of the target share in each matchup and tallied 10 total red zone opportunities. Though the Bears have been strong against wide receivers in 2024, Addison and Jefferson pose a receiving threat not many other teams can muster.
Sam LaPorta, TE (Detroit Lions) Week 14 DraftKings Price $4,200; Week 15 DraftKings Price $4,400
Detroit continues to have one of the most efficient offenses in the league with Jared Goff under center with a bevy of offensive weapons. Those factors have capped the fantasy value of Sam LaPorta for most of the season after an incredible rookie year where he finished as the top fantasy tight end in the league.
LaPorta’s targets are down from 7.1 per game last season to 4.3 this season. That said, it appears Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson has made a concerted effort to include his tight end more recently with at least six opportunities in each of his last four healthy games. The upside is still higher for LaPorta than other tight ends in his salary range.
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Notable NFL DFS Price Decreases
CJ Stroud, QB (Houston Texans) Week 14 DraftKings Price $6,400; Week 15 DraftKings Price $6,200
The second-year quarterback has hit some mid-season struggles in Houston as the Texans sputter their way to the division title. CJ Stroud finished his rookie season 11th in quarterback fantasy points but currently sits 19th in 2024. He has failed to top 20 DraftKings points since Week 5 against the Bills.
Stroud is averaging 240 yards/game through the air and just 1.2 touchdown passes. Even with Nico Collins in the lineup, he has struggled to consistently take advantage of his wide receiver talent. He has a 3.5% touchdown rate and five weeks outside the top 24 fantasy quarterbacks in the last seven games.
Stroud faces a Miami defense ranked third against fantasy quarterbacks this season. The over/under is decent, and the game will be out of the elements in Houston. That said, this seems like a difficult spot to trust the Texans quarterback for a fantasy bonanza.
Alvin Kamara, RB (New Orleans Saints) Week 14 DraftKings Price $8,000; Week 15 DraftKings Price $7,700
At nearly 30 years old, Alvin Kamara continues to rack up total yardage no matter which quarterback is under center for the Saints. He’s earned at least 20 touches in 11 of 13 games this season, with an incredible 38 opportunities in Week 9 against Carolina.
Kamara has one of the highest fantasy floors due to his receiving prowess. He’s caught at least four passes in every game since Week 4. Unfortunately, the lack of scoring prowess in New Orleans has capped his fantasy ceiling. Has has failed to reach the end zone in his last 167 touches over the last seven games.
Even with Derek Carr potentially out for the rest of the 2024 season, Kamara should continue to see his usual workload. That said, his upside likely dips even further with the limited potential of either Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler running the offense.
DeVonta Smith, WR (Philadelphia Eagles) Week 14 DraftKings Price $5,800; Week 15 DraftKings Price $5,500
The Eagles continue to pile up wins in the NFC, but questions surrounding their passing game have arisen over the last month. DeVonta Smith missed Weeks 12-13 due to injury but still has not reached 40 receiving yards in a game since Week 9.
With such a potent running attack, Jalen Hurts has been limited to 200 yards/game through the air this season. His 1.2 passing touchdowns/game are limited by his 13 rushing scores on the season to go with Saquon Barkley‘s 11 touchdowns on the ground.
Smith has yet to reach the 100-yard mark this season and has not caught more than four balls in a week since Week 3. His five receiving touchdowns have propped his fantasy totals up to a respectable level, but without those scores, he is borderline unplayable most weeks in this low-volume passing attack.
Evan Engram, TE (Jacksonville Jaguars) Week 14 DraftKings Price $4,800; Week 15 DraftKings Price $4,600
Aside from the elite tight end options, touchdowns generally determine a player’s fantasy success at the position. Evan Engram continues to see consistent targets with 7.1 targets/game this season, but his lone touchdown and 7.8 yards/catch have stifled his fantasy impact.
Engram has caught between 4-7 receptions in each of the last seven games but has failed to top 45 receiving yards. He’s seen just five red zone targets on the season, and the Jaguars offense, with Mac Jones under center, has been held under 10 points in three of the last four games.
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