The NFL season is approaching the finish line, as Week 15 is upon us. As usual, DraftKings is opening contests and releasing salaries for the week ahead on Sunday evening. In the fast-changing landscape of the NFL, that leaves plenty of time for obvious value to appear.
Let’s take a look at a few players who stand out for Week 15, using the early projections in our NFL Player Models. Of course, these models update frequently. Things will likely change between now and Sunday, but it’s still good to have a plan of attack.
If there’s news between now and lock — and there will be — the models will update to reflect that.
As always, they’re powered by Sean Koerner — the most accurate fantasy ranker in the industry from 2019-2021.
For full access to our models, you’ll need to sign up for a FantasyLabs subscription:
NFL DFS Quarterback Values
Mike White ($5,400) New York Jets (pick ’em) vs. Detroit Lions (44.5 total)
Before exiting early in Week 14, White had scored over 50 DraftKings points in two weeks as a starter. While those games were against the bad pass defenses of the Vikings and Bears, Detroit isn’t much better.
Of course, his injury status is a major factor here. He was knocked out of the loss to the Bills on separate occasions with rib injuries and is officially day-to-day. Head Coach Robert Saleh said they expect to have him active against Detroit, but a lot could change between now and Sunday.
White would be even more appealing if this game was in Detroit, but the matchup with the Lions makes him interesting regardless of the venue. He’s far too cheap, given his production when healthy. If White is fully healthy, he’s a cash game lock and an interesting GPP option.
White leads all quarterbacks in Pts/Sal projection.
NFL DFS Wide Receiver Values
Garrett Wilson ($6,000) New York Jets (pick ’em) vs. Detroit Lions (44.5 total)
Wilson’s performance has heavily correlated with White’s this year. After a largely disappointing start to his rookie season, Wilson went off once White took over under center. Wilson topped 26 points in both games Mike White played fully.
For similar reasons as White, it’s an excellent spot this week for Wilson against the Lions. While his $6,000 salary seems high compared to what we had been paying for him, he’s averaging 10 targets over the past three games. That kind of workload usually garners a much higher price tag.
Wilson’s projections would take a significant hit if White were to be unavailable this week. As of now, he leads the slate in Pts/Sal projection at wide receiver — three Jets are in the top 10 — but keep an eye on the news about White’s status.
NFL DFS Running Back Values
Derrick Henry ($8,000) Tennessee Titans (+3) at Los Angeles Chargers
Henry is currently coming in third in our Pts/Sal projections at running back. However, the backs ahead of him are Rhamondre Stevenson (injured on Monday night, status uncertain) and Latavius Murray (third-string running back in a terrible offense).
Unlike those two, Henry has an excellent on-paper spot for Week 15. The Chargers are allowing an Opponent Plus/Minus Score of 10.0 to opposing running backs this season, the highest mark in the league besides Houston.
Henry should be the focal point of this offense unless the Titans fall far behind, and as just three-point underdogs, that’s not a major concern. Additionally, he’s been far more involved as a pass-catcher this season. He’s already set career highs in both targets and receptions with four games to go.
That gives him a bit of safety in situations where the game script turns against him. Of course, he also has massive upside, as 200 yards and a pair of scores is never out of the question. He’s a very strong play in all contest types.
NFL DFS Tight End Values
Evan Engram ($3,800) Jacksonville Jaguars (+4.5) vs. Dallas Cowboys (47.5 total)
Engram exploded for over 40 points last week, leading to an increase of $500 in his salary. While going back to him this week feels a little bit like chasing last week’s best lineup, there’s a reason for optimism for Engram again.
He’s sixth among NFL tight ends in targets on the season, and he plays a significant role in this Jaguars offense. With Trevor Lawrence and the offense, in general, playing better as of late, that role gets more valuable by the day.
His 14-point score against the Lions in week 13 is probably a more realistic goal for Engram, but that’s one he can get to most weeks. He’s tied with Tyler Conklin ($3,100) of the Jets in Pts/Sal projection while trailing only Travis Kelce ($7,800) in median and ceiling.
That’s a solid mix of savings and raw scoring potential.
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