DraftKings.com NFL DFS Week 15 Stack Picks for Cash and GPP Lineups
Week 15 of NFL DFS is already here, and everyone is looking score in one of the big-money daily fantasy football contests at DraftKings. Every week, we’ll take a look at the top stacks for players over at DraftKings, finding optimal combinations based on matchup, usage, and recent performance, among other noteworthy metrics.
As with any daily fantasy sport, the advice below is relevant for fantasy purposes. A player, stack, or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, gameflow, and more. This is important to keep in mind when constructing a roster at any daily fantasy sports site.
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Week 15 DraftKings.com NFL DFS Top Stacks
Cam Newton ($6.4K), Devin Funchess ($6.6K) vs. GB – CASH/GPP
While Greg Olsen is technically back in action, he has yet to contribute since returning from a lengthy layoff. And it’s not as if the Panthers especially needed him last week against the Minnesota Vikings. After all, Devin Funchess has stepped in nicely since Olsen’s injury and Kelvin Benjamin’s departure. As I wrote yesterday, I love both him and Cam Newton this week against a weak Packers defense.
Newton is very safe, having scored more than 15 DK points in each of his past four outings. He also has tremendous upside due to his ability to run, especially in the red zone. Meanwhile, Funchess has caught four touchdowns in four weeks. I don’t expect Olsen to see that much more work this week. Newton and Funchess serve as an excellent Cash stack, but there’s tournament upside as well.
Jay Ajayi ($5.0K), Philadelphia Eagles D/ST ($3.6K) – GPP
With the loss of Carson Wentz, the Eagles are turning to Nick Foles to lead this offense. Still, the NFC East leaders’ best chance to win comes through developing the run and their stout, oftentimes elite defense. Let’s start with Jay Ajayi. The former Dolphins starter hasn’t truly been unleashed since joining the Eagles, but the 15 carries he saw last week (for 78 yards) show the tide may be turning his way. He’s almost certainly the most talented back in this offense. While the Giants’ defense is better against the run than the pass, they still rank just 25th in rushing DVOA.
Meanwhile, the Eagles D/ST is coming off an embarrassing week against the Los Angeles Rams. This week, they get a Giants team that no longer has Ben McAdoo. Honestly, New York really hasn’t had anything to play for since Odell Beckham’s season-ending injury. I wrote yesterday that I don’t like taking defenses on the road if I don’t have to, but the Giants are a broken team, and the Eagles have an elite defensive unit.
Drew Brees ($6.8K), Alvin Kamara ($8.6K) vs. NYJ – GPP
While I originally expected to land on a Drew Brees-Michael Thomas stack (at least partially due to how much I like Thomas this week), I am now more intrigued by the higher-upside, high-leverage Brees-Alvin Kamara stack. The Saints are facing a defense this weekend that’s 27th in passing DVOA and 30th in WR1 DVOA. That said, they rank 31st in RB-PA DVOA, meaning elite receiving back Kamara is in a great spot this week.
While I expect Brees to get his, I like the upside Kamara brings. Regardless of gameflow, work is coming his way. Given his dud last week after leaving with a concussion, and his elevated salary, I expect ownership to be low. Stacking Brees and Kamara is a good way to get major leverage over the field.
Todd Gurley ($8.2K), Los Angeles Rams D/ST ($2.8K) vs. SEA – CASH
Just the words “Seattle Seahawks” make DFS players uneasy when rostering opposing offensive players. But the Seahawks’ defense is so ravaged by injury that this unit just isn’t that frightening. We’re talking about Todd Gurley here. One of the top backs in the league, Gurley has not scored fewer than 14 DK points in an outing since Oct. 8. He also has back-to-back 20+ DK point performances, including a nice 28.5 DK points against the Eagles last week.
As for the Rams D/ST, Russell Wilson is a problematic opponent. This is indeed a riskier play than Gurley, but they have also racked up six defensive touchdowns this season. Further, they managed eight DK points last week in spite of having allowed 48 real-life points to the Eagles. With six double-digit scoring performances on the year, including three 20+ point performances, the Rams are a high-upside defensive option.
Ben Roethlisberger ($6.7K), Le’Veon Bell ($9.3K) vs. NE – GPP
The Pats enter this game on a short week, and the Steelers at home are a tough team. While I do think Tom Brady will have a good outing mostly due to volume, I also think the Steelers will be doing a lot of scoring of their own. That starts with usage monster Le’Veon Bell, who has double-digit targets in three of the last four games. He has also scored between 29.3 and 39.5 in his last three outings. The New England Patriots rank 32nd in rushing DVOA, which makes another 30+ DK point game seem very possible.
Ben Roethlisberger, meanwhile, should have himself a field day. New England ranks 24th in passing DVOA. He has scored at least 28.96 DK points in three of his last four games, and he’s highly correlated with both Antonio Brown and Bell. Of those two, I prefer Bell if only because he could realistically see the same amount of targets as the wideout.
Samaje Perine ($4.8K), Washington D/ST ($3.3K) vs. ARI – Deep GPP
While Samaje Perine is three games removed from his last 100-yard rushing performance, this week he gets a matchup with the Cardinals. Arizona ranks third in rushing DVOA. As bad as that sounds, it’s important not to look only at opposing defenses. Gameflow is also important. This game should feature plenty of Perine.
Washington currently sit at -4.5 favorites, while Arizona is carrying an implied total of just 19.5. Sure, Kirk Cousins will throw this week, but last week Perine saw his carry count rise to 17, up from 12. Since Cousins should get out to a lead, Washington won’t need to resort to the passing game too much. This sets Perine up nicely for carry upside in the low-20s. On the other side of the ball, the Washington defense has looked bad the past two weeks. But in a must-win game this week, they get a good enough matchup to get back on track.
Other Stacks to Consider:
Mark Ingram, Saints D/ST
Tom Brady, Brandin Cooks
Drew Brees, Michael Thomas
Case Keenum, Adam Thielen
Marcus Mariota, Corey Davis
Joe Flacco, Danny Woodhead
Tyrod Taylor, Charles Clay
