December football surges on, and the fantasy football playoffs have officially begun in most leagues. Whether or not you made the dance, there’s always DFS to scratch your itch and help you win some holiday bonus money. The Sporting News has a fresh batch of DFS sleepers and value plays for you, to help you dominate your DraftKings, FanDuel, and SuperDraft tournaments this weekend.
The No. 1 key to success in daily fantasy: identifying value. You won’t win any DFS jackpots if you don’t get the most bang for your buck during lineup construction. Finding a balance between proven weekly studs and high-value sleepers is crucial, just like mixing in some affordable stocking stuffers with your kids’ big-ticket toys.
For years, this column has shined a light on the undervalued gems each week on DraftKings, FanDuel, and now SuperDraft. Anyone can spot the elite DFS stars — it’s the sleepers and value plays that separate lineups from the crowd and start making you some real money.
MORE NFL WEEK 15: Best bets and top props | Odds, lines, totals
Throughout the season, we highlight our biggest hits from the previous week to prove the effectiveness of our strategies. Let’s take a look at our list of successes from last week, with each player’s Week 14 salaries as well as their final DraftKings points production.
| POS. | PLAYER | WEEK 14 GAME | SALARY | POINTS |
| QB | Sam Darnold | Vikings vs. Falcons | $6,100 | 37.6 |
| QB | Kyler Murray | Cardinals vs. Seahawks | $6,000 | 20.0 |
| RB | Zach Charbonnet | Seahawks at Cardinals | $6,000 | 41.3 |
| RB | Isaac Guerendo | 49ers vs. Bears | $5,400 | 26.8 |
| RB | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | Giants vs. Saints | $5,800 | 19.3 |
| RB | Tony Pollard | Titans vs. Jaguars | $6,400 | 17.4 |
| WR | Jordan Addison | Vikings vs. Falcons | $5,300 | 42.3 |
| WR | Darnell Mooney | Falcons at Vikings | $5,500 | 23.2 |
| WR | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seahawks at Cardinals | $6,300 | 19.6 |
| WR | Ray-Ray McCloud | Falcons at Vikings | $4,500 | 17.1 |
| TE | Pat Freiermuth | Steelers vs. Browns | $3,800 | 13.8 |
| DST | San Francisco | 49ers vs. Bears | $3,100 | 13.0 |
| DST | New Orleans | Saints at Giants | $2,900 | 10.0 |
Bada bing, bada boom. That’s 13 big hits, including moonshots from our featured write-ups Darnold and Guerendo. We also struck gold on Charbonnet and JSN in the Seahawks’ beatdown of the Cards, and we were pleasantly surprised by Darnell Mooney’s resurgent performance.
Let’s carry over the momentum from that strong week and unveil our Week 15 DFS sleepers and value picks on DraftKings, FanDuel, and SuperDraft. We’ll highlight the most affordable high-value options at each position, as well as their listed cost or scoring boost on each DFS site.
Week 15 FANTASY FOOTBALL ROSTER MANAGEMENT
Lessons Learned | Stock Watch | Sleepers | Busts | Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em | Usage Report
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 15: Quarterback
Bo Nix, Broncos vs. Colts (DK: $6,300 | FD: $7,600 | SD: 1.35x)
Nix has been a regular fixture in our sleepers and value plays column, and for good reason. With significant starting experience from his college days, Nix already had a leg up on his fellow rookie QBs. Add a coach like Sean Payton, an atmosphere like Denver, and a wide receiver like Courtland Sutton, and good things will happen.
The Broncos are right in the thick of the playoff chase, and so is Indianapolis. The Colts also rank amongst the 10 most generous defenses to QBs in fantasy. Coming off a bye week with plenty of time to prepare for this one, look for Nix to exceed his average of 18.3 DK points, perhaps even finishing in the 29-31 range for the third time this season.
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins at Texans (DK: $6,100 | FD: $8,300 | SD: 1.4x)
Tagovailoa has quietly been one of the best QBs in the NFL since he got back from the third concussion of his NFL career. No hyperbole: he’s the QB2 over the past month, behind only MVP frontrunner Josh Allen. And yet, Tua comes in at a DK price $2,400 cheaper than Allen!
Even better, Tagovailoa has a far better matchup! Allen and the Bills face the Lions, who have surrendered the 6th-fewest DK points to QBs, while Tua draws a Texans team that has given up the 11th-most. Tua’s got a 31.5, a 28.2 and a 26.5 over the past three weeks — we’ll take the mean or median out of those numbers!
Other QBs whose Week 15 values exceed their price tags:
- Kyler Murray, Cardinals vs. Patriots (DK: $6,000 | FD: $7,800 | SD: 1.4x)
- Justin Herbert, Chargers vs. Bucs (DK: $5,900 | FD: $7,500 | SD: 1.4x)
- Bryce Young, Panthers vs. Cowboys (DK: $5,300 | FD: $6,800 | SD: 1.5x)
WEEK 15 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 15: Running back
Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders at Saints (DK: $6,200 | FD: $7,300 | SD: 1.3x)
Robinson was banged up for a little bit between Weeks 8 and 12, and he also fell victim to Jayden Daniels’ little midseason rookie wall. But he, Daniels and the Commanders looked fully healthy their last time out in Week 13, when B-Rob put up 20.9 DK points and Washington beat the Titans 42-19.
Now the stud second-year power back draws a Saints defense that has surrendered the 7th-most DK points to running backs. Even better, Robinson, Dan Quinn, Kliff Kingsbury and the Commanders are coming off a bye. Washington should command the time of possession battle (excuse the pun) since Derek Carr has been added to the Saints’ injury list. B-Rob cruises to another 20-something DK points.
Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots at Cardinals (DK: $5,900 | FD: $6,600 | SD: 1.35x)
The Cardinals have been really bad, and last week might have been the worst of the worst. They gave up 176 rushing yards to notorious plodder Zach Charbonnet and the Seahawks, and now they’re the 8th-most generous defense to opposing running backs. Mondre hasn’t been great (neither have the Pats in general), but he has come through in plus matchups. Play Stevenson with confidence.
Other strong Week 15 RB values (bold prices indicate volatilty):
- Rico Dowdle, Cowboys at Panthers (DK: $6,100 | FD: $7,100 | SD: 1.35x)
- Rachaad White, Bucs at Chargers (DK: $5,800 | FD: $7,200 | SD: 1.45x)
- Gus Edwards, Chargers vs. Bucs (DK: $5,300 | FD: $6,000 | SD: 1.55x)
- Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos vs. Colts (DK: $4,700 | FD: $5,000 | SD: 1.65x)
WEEK 15 WAIVER WIRE ADVICE
Full waiver wire list & FAAB recommendations | Top players to target
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 15: Wide receiver
Khalil Shakir, Bills at Lions (DK: $6,100 | FD: $7,000 | SD: 1.25x)
Shakir hasn’t received fewer than seven targets in a game since Week 6, and he’s averaging nine looks over Buffalo’s past three games. He’s also beating strong pass defenses, with DK performances of 22.9 vs. the Seahawks, 15 vs. the Chiefs, and 24.6 most recently vs. the Rams in Los Angeles.
The Lions are a strong defense, too, but not nearly as strong as they were at the beginning of the season. Detroit is banged up, so this could easily be another shootout for the Bills. Shakir will quietly continue to be Josh Allen’s No. 1 target, and don’t be surprised if Shakir outplays Amon-Ra St. Brown in this massive game.
Adam Thielen, Panthers vs. Cowboys (DK: $5,400 | FD: $6,100 | SD: 1.3x)
Thielen has been the primary beneficiary of Bryce Young’s late second-year breakout, with 46.1 combined DK points over the past two weeks. The veteran pass-catcher’s numbers during that span: 17 catches and a touchdown on 21 targets.
The fun should continue this weekend against the Cowboys, who have been utterly abysmal against the pass (252.3 pass yards over their past three games, 359 vs. Cincinnati last week). Sorry, Jerry Jones — you can’t stop the Thielen!
Other strong Week 15 DFS values at WR:
- Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins at Texans (DK: $5,700 | FD: $6,200 | SD: 1.3x)
- Jameson Williams, Lions vs. Bills (DK: $5,600 | FD: $6,400 | SD: 1.3x)
- Jerry Jeudy, Browns vs. Chiefs (DK: $6,200 | FD: $6,900 | SD: 1.25x)
- Xavier Worthy, Chiefs at Browns (DK: $5,100 | FD: $6,000 | SD: 1.35x)
- Josh Palmer, Chargers vs. Bucs (DK: $4,600 | FD: $5,500 | SD: 1.5x)
MORE: Learn about the SuperDraft Jackpot | How to play DFS
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 15: Tight end
David Njoku, Browns vs. Chiefs (DK: $5,200 | FD: $6,500 | SD: 1.15x)
We’ll come right out and say it — the tight end position has become such a barren wasteland that we must actively consider the 4th-most expensive TE on DK a legit value.
In the grand scheme of things, the difference between Njoku’s price tag and a sleeper like the next guy on our list, Ertz — or a dart-throw like the three other potential values we list below Ertz — is minimal compared to the difference in points we expect he and those other guys to have.
Look at Njoku’s last two weeks: 16 catches on 30 targets for 94 yards and three TDs (43.4 PPR points). That’s like fit Kelce stuff right there. Jameis Winston has been pumping the ball to the dreadlocked tight end like my friends have been pumping Bitcoin, and the results are there. And now they draw the second-worst TE defense in the NFL this week, at home at the Dawg Pound!? Sign us up.
Zach Ertz, Commanders at Saints (DK: $4,000 | FD: $5,200 | SD: 1.45x)
Ertz has been rolling lately, averaging 15.7 DK PPG over Washington’s past three games. He has a 21.6 percent target share during that span, so it’s safe to say that Jayden Daniels considers the veteran tight end his most reliable pass-catcher behind WR1 Terry McLaurin. Ertz should hurt this sinking New Orleans dumpster fire of an organization.
More Week 15 TEs worth a look (but really, all these options stink):
- Jake Ferguson, Cowboys at Panthers (DK: $3,800 | FD: $5,400 | SD: 1.5x)
- Grant Calcaterra, Eagles vs. Steelers (DK: $3,500 | FD: $4,900 | SD: 1.55x)
- Chig Okonkwo, Titans vs. Bengals (DK: $2,900 | FD: $4,900 | SD: 1.7x)
Best NFL DFS sleepers for Week 15: D/ST
New York Jets at Jaguars (DK: $3,000 | FD: $4,900)
It feels gross capitalizing on the Jaguars’ loss of Trevor Lawrence after the brutal hit he took in Week 13. But, at the same time, the NFL goes on, and we have to pick the best value options available to us if we expect to make money. The Jags with Mac Jones under center are the worst team in the NFL, and they’ll face an underrated Titans pass-rush this weekend. Woof.
Other decent D/ST plays for Week 14:
- Denver Broncos vs. Colts (DK: $3,200 | FD: $4,800)
- Arizona Cardinals vs. Patriots (DK: $3,000 | FD: $4,400)
