The Week 15 NFL Dashboard
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Colts at Vikings
The Vikings will host the Colts as four-point favorites this Sunday. Sam Bradford and company are currently implied to score 24.75 points, while Andrew Luck and the Colts are currently implied to score 20.75 points. Let’s take a look at who will be taking the field this Sunday.
Indianapolis Colts
Writer: Ian Hartitz
QB – Andrew Luck
Luck didn’t practice Wednesday due to a sore throwing shoulder but returned Thursday; he’s expected to be good to go for Sunday. He faces a very tough Vikings defense that has allowed the third-fewest average fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season. Overall, the Vikings haven’t allowed a quarterback to surpass 20 DraftKings points in a game this season. Additionally, Luck could be without his No. 2 receiver Donte Moncrief (hamstring, questionable). Priced at $6,400 on DK, he should be considered a GPP-only option this week with his zero to one percent FantasyLabs projected ownership.
RB – Frank Gore
It’s no surprise that the 33-year-old Gore has failed to break off many big runs this season, but his lack of efficiency has been troubling. His averages of 4.3 yards per touch and 0.74 fantasy points per opportunity each rank outside of the top-40 running backs this season. The Colts’ offensive line isn’t great, but part of the blame can be placed on Gore himself. His average of 2.0 yards after contact per carry is tied for last among all running backs with at least 100 carries this season, per Pro Football Focus. Gore will have a tough time turning things around this week against a Vikings defense that has allowed just six rushing touchdowns this season – tied for the third-fewest in the league. He’s priced at $4,400 on DK with a +4.45 Projected Plus/Minus and has a 4.6-point projected floor.
RB – Robert Turbin
Turbin’s seven touches last week were his most in a game since Week 6. He shouldn’t be considered a fantasy option unless Gore misses some time.
WR – T.Y. Hilton
Hilton was dealing with a hamstring injury prior to the Colts’ Week 10 bye, but he’s shown in recent weeks that he’s fully recovered from the injury:
Per our Trends tool, he’s posted a +4.6 Plus/Minus with 75 percent Consistency and has averaged 21.3 DK points during his last four games. This week, Hilton has a tough matchup against a Vikings defense that is ranked fifth in Football Outsiders’ Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) against the pass through 14 weeks. Still, he’s lined up in the slot on 57 percent of his snaps this season, so he should avoid the Vikings’ talented outside cornerbacks Terence Newman and Xavier Rhodes. Hilton is priced at $7,300 on FD with a 97 percent Bargain Rating and has a +3.55 Projected Plus/Minus.
WR – Donte Moncrief
Moncrief (hamstring) is out for Week 15.
WR – Phillip Dorsett
Dorsett was targeted a season-high eight times last week . . . and gained 19 yards. He hasn’t scored a touchdown or gained more than 60 yards in a game since Week 4 and is a very tough sell as a fantasy option even if Moncrief is unable to play. While the Vikings defense ranks 11th in DVOA against No. 1 wide receivers, they improve to fourth and fifth against No. 2 and other wide receivers, respectively. Dorsett is minimum-priced on FD with an 88 percent Bargain Rating and faces a Vikings defense that has allowed 1.5 points below salary-based expectations to wide receivers over the past 12 months.
TE – Dwayne Allen and Jack Doyle
A week after Allen put up a 4-72-3 line on the Jets, he was targeted twice and didn’t record a reception. Meanwhile, Doyle led the way with a 5-55-0 line on six targets. Guessing which tight end will be featured in a given week is becoming as difficult to predict as the Eagles’ backfield. While the Vikings defense is much less imposing to tight ends without Harrison Smith in the lineup, both tight ends carry low enough floors to make them strictly GPP options. Allen is the cheaper option on DK this week, where his $2,600 salary comes with five Pro Trends.
Minnesota Vikings
Writer: Ian Hartitz
QB – Sam Bradford
Bradford’s next game this season with three touchdown passes will be his first. He’s thrown more than one touchdown in a game only three times this season and has exactly one 20-point performance on DraftKings through 14 weeks. While Bradford’s matchup against a Colts defense that has allowed the fourth-most average fantasy points to quarterbacks this season is tasty, he’ll have to overcome his recent decline in passing volume. He averaged 39.5 pass attempts during the team’s first four weeks after their Week 6 bye, but he’s fallen to just 36 pass attempts per game during the last four weeks. Bradford is minimum-priced on DK with an 83 percent Bargain Rating and has a 10.6-point projected floor.
RB – Adrian Peterson
Peterson (knee) has been activated from injured reserve and plans to play this weekend. He should immediately regain his role as a non-receiving declining workhorse in a subpar rushing offense.
RB – Jerick McKinnon
McKinnon has been very involved in the offense lately, averaging 15.75 touches per game since Week 11. He’s been especially involved as a receiver, as his 15 receptions over that span rank seventh among all running backs. With AD back, McKinnon is highly unlikely to be featured as a runner, but he could still see targets against a Colts defense that has struggled against receiving running backs through 14 weeks:
Per our Trends tool, running backs who have averaged at least three targets per game this season have posted a +7.14 Plus/Minus with 66.7 percent Consistency and have averaged 20.84 DK points against the Colts this season.
RB – Matt Asiata
Asiata’s 11 carries last week marked the first time since Week 10 that he had more than six carries in a game. He’s definitely not getting double-digit carries this week.
Asiata (ankle) was added to the injury report on Friday. He’s officially questionable for Week 15.
WR – Stefon Diggs
Diggs was one of the most featured receivers in the league from Week 8 to Week 10, as he was targeted 13-plus times per game during that span. The Vikings offense has not been as friendly to their No. 1 receiver lately, as he’s averaged just 6.66 targets per game over his last three games. This low usage is troubling for Diggs’ upside: His average of 8.5 yards per target ranks 53rd among all wide receivers this season. He’ll look to get back on track this week against a Colts defense that has allowed 23 passing touchdowns this season – tied for the eighth-most in the league. Diggs is priced at $6,200 on DK with eight Pro Trends and has a +4.58 Projected Plus/Minus.
WR – Adam Thielen
Thielen gained 101 yards on just five targets last week and has continued to produce in recent weeks:
Per our Trends tool, he’s posted a +5.60 Plus/Minus with 100 percent Consistency and has averaged 14.25 DK points over his past six games. Thielen has averaged only 6.66 targets per game over that span, but he’s been efficient enough to overcome the small workload. Overall, his averages of 2.0 fantasy points and 10.1 yards per target each rank among the top-20 wide receivers this season. Thielen is priced at $6,000 on FD with a +2.4 Projected Plus/Minus and has two to four percent FantasyLabs projected ownership.
WR – Cordarrelle Patterson
Patterson’s role in the offense has continued to diminish, as he’s now been targeted less than six times in three consecutive games. He’s averaging 6.3 yards and just 1.3 air yards per target — marks that each rank outside of the top-120 among all wide receivers. Put simply: There is nothing to suggest he’s due for a breakout. Unless you’re feeling risky and think Patterson is due for a return touchdown, he’s not a recommended fantasy option this week at $3,200 on DK.
TE – Kyle Rudolph
Rudolph has been featured in the Vikings offense all season, as he’s averaging a position-high 7.5 targets per game. He’s been especially involved lately: He’s been targeted eight-plus times in four of his last five games. This week, Rudolph faces a Colts defense that has struggled to slow down tight ends, as they’ve allowed 3.1 DK points above salary-based expectations to the position over the past 12 months. He’s priced at $4,300 on DK with six Pro Trends and has a +4.0 Projected Plus/Minus – the fifth-highest mark among all tight ends.
News Updates
After this piece is published, FantasyLabs is likely to provide news updates on a number of players herein mentioned. Be sure to stay ahead of your competition with our industry-leading DFS-focused news blurbs:
