FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Afternoon-Slate Helper: Week 15

The Week 15 afternoon NFL DFS slate on FanDuel has five matchups, which kick off between 4:05 and 4:25 p.m. EST. All games have a total above 45, so this could be a high-scoring slate.

Our NFL DFS matchup heat map will be referenced for all implied totals and spreads throughout this article, so be sure to check it out.

Let’s check out the best plays at various prices on this short slate.

High Priced Studs

Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars ($7,700)

While Leonard Fournette continues to project as one of the best values on each and every slate, the Jacksonville Jaguars continue to get blown out by double-digit points regardless of their opponent.

The Jaguars are 6.5-points underdogs, so Fournette is at risk of losing ground work in the second half. But fortunately his passing-game role is solid, seeing at least six targets in each of the last six games.

While the Oakland Raiders are a strong favorite in this one, their defense ranks 30th in Adjusted Defensive Net Expected Points (NEP) per play. The Jags shouldn't struggle to move the ball in this one, keeping Fournette's involvement heavy throughout the contest. As he showed in Week 12, he can break the slate with multiple touchdowns when things go right for him.

Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams ($7,600)

Cooper Kupp's snap rate inexplicably plummeted to 34 percent in Week 14 due to the Los Angeles Rams playing more two tight end formations. That didn't stop him from handing in a respectable performance, as he caught all four of his targets for 45 yards and a touchdown.

The Rams will likely need him for more than 34 percent of snaps this week as they take on a Dallas Cowboys offense that ranks second in Adjusted NEP per play. With a high-octane offense on the other side of the ball, they'll want their best receiver on the field as much as possible.

Kupp also has the best matchup on the field as he'll be taking on Jourdan Lewis in the slot. Dallas ranks a middling 20th in schedule-adjusted pass defense, but Lewis is undoubtedly the weakest link. Look for Jared Goff and Kupp to get back on the same page.

Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns ($7,400)

Jarvis Landry has officially overtaken Odell Beckham as the alpha in the Cleveland Browns' passing game. While Beckham seems to be more injured than he's let on, Landry has taken over and hasn't looked back. According to airyards.com, over the last four games, Landry has paced his teammate in targets, yards, receptions, and even air yards.

As the primary passing-game option, Landry should dominate an Arizona Cardinals secondary that ranks 31st in schedule-adjusted pass defense. His primary cornerback should also be Byron Murphy, who has allowed a whopping eight scores in his coverage this season. Look for Landry to be dancing in the end zone this weekend.

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers ($7,200)

George Kittle may be the best football player in the NFL right now. Not only is he one of the most athletic and dynamic tight ends in the passing game, but he's also blocking like an offensive tackle and is a key cog in the San Francisco 49ers' run game. While you don't get fantasy points on FanDuel for blocking, you do pile them up when playing bad pass defenses.

That's exactly what's gonna happen this week, as Kittle gets to face an Atlanta Falcons secondary that ranks 28th in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play. It should be no surprise that Kittle is our highest-projected tight end on the slate.

Mid-Priced Upside Plays

Kenyan Drake, RB, Arizona Cardinals ($6,200)

Kenyan Drake spoiled everyone in his first game with the Cardinals, racking up 26.2 fantasy points against the second-best schedule-adjusted total defense. Since then, his schedule hasn't gotten any easier, as he's played a top-seven schedule-adjusted rushing defense in every game. While his fantasy point total hasn't reached the peak we saw against the 49ers earlier in the season, he's still dominating the opportunities in his backfield as he's seen the most carries and targets since joining Arizona.

That's excellent news for this week as he draws his first favorable matchup of his Cards career versus the Browns. Their defense has tumbled ever since Myles Garrett's suspension, currently ranking 28th in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play. If Drake sees his normal workload, his efficiency will push him into the elite tier of running backs on this slate.

Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers ($6,800)

Keenan Allen has struggled to hit his ceiling since a 37.1-fantasy-point outing against the Houston Texans in Week 3, but he has found a solid floor. Over the last four weeks, he's caught at least five balls and posted double-digit fantasy points in each game.

He has a chance to return to his ceiling this week as he gets Trae Waynes and a Minnesota Vikings secondary. They rank 10th in schedule-adjusted pass defense, but their offensive dominance allows for more passing opportunities for opponents. They have actually allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to receivers, meaning Allen should find success in this one.

Dede Westbrook, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars ($6,000)

With D.J. Chark unable to practice, Dede Westbrook should claim his role as the alpha in the Jaguars' passing game. Westbrook has already led all receivers in target share over the last three weeks, so Chark's absence should only help cement his role.

He should be able to turn his extra targets into production, as they draw an Oakland defense that ranks 30th in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play. Seeing as how they have lost their last five games by double-digits and are 6.5-point underdogs in this one, Jacksonville should be passing plenty. Fire up Westbrook as a high-floor receiver who could hit his ceiling in this matchup.

Bargain Bin Prospects

Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams ($5,700)

After Tyler Higbee inked a four-year contract extension and Gerald Everett sustained a knee injury, we really should have seen Higbee's ascension coming. The 27-year-old tight end has emerged as one of Goff's favorite targets, catching seven balls for over 100 yards in back-to-back games.

Everett has still not found the field yet, making Higbee another surefire starter against Dallas. The Cowboys have struggled in pass coverage without a healthy Leighton Vander Esch as they've allowed the sixth-most receptions to tight ends. Stacking this game won't eat up too much salary and should rack up plenty of fantasy points on this slate.

Jonathan Taylor Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice Jonathan Taylor Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jtsmittyyy. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.