Week 15 of the NFL season kicked off with a Thursday Night matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The playoff chase is in full swing, with the results of every matchup carrying a bit more weight. The Giants, Commanders, Saints, Cardinals, Falcons, Titans, Raiders, Browns and Jets have each been eliminated from postseason contention. With several high-profile games on the slate, the results of the weekend will have a significant impact on the postseason outlook.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action with DraftKings Sportsbook and DFS contests. As you seek to maximize your DFS lineups, here is a look at a few players in line to outperform their price point to help give you an edge across the Sunday slate. This article presents my top DFS lineup and the logic behind each selection.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford ($7,000)
Like a fine wine, Matthew Stafford has only gotten better with age. The 37-year-old has played the quarterback position as well as anyone this season, and bounced back from his two interception performance in Week 13 to get back on track in the previous matchup. Stafford is completing 66.7% of his passes for 3,454 passing yards, 35 touchdowns and four interceptions. He leads the NFL in passing TDs, touchdown percentage, QB Rating and adjusted net yards per pass attempt.
Stafford is averaging 20.9 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring. This ranks fifth among quarterbacks and 13th among all players. Los Angeles matches up with the Detroit Lions this week. This game is set to have plenty of points with both teams ranking in the top four in scoring, and the Lions ranking 18th in points allowed.
Other Considerations: Drake Maye ($6,700), Lamar Jackson ($6,400), Bo Nix ($5,900), Shedeur Sanders ($4,700)
Running Back
Quinshon Judkins ($6,300)
The Cleveland Browns have been eliminated from postseason contention, but have a new spark following the quarterback change. Shedeur Sanders is willing and able to throw the ball downfield. This has led to some increased rushing room for Quinshon Judkins, who has emerged as the clear lead back as the season progressed.
Judkins has 784 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 210 carries. He is looking to bounce back from a tough game last week against the Titans, in which he turned his 14 carries into just 26 yards. The Ohio State product finished with 9.4 fantasy points on DraftKings scoring, which was his second-lowest output of the season. Judkins is averaging 13.2 fantasy points per game and has tallied 20+ twice. He will face off with a Bears’ defense that ranks 27th in rushing yards allowed and 30th in net yards per rush attempt. Look for Judkins to return to his typical level of production as he continues to see the primary backfield touches.
David Montgomery ($5,000)
It has become increasingly clear that Jahmyr Gibbs is the top running back in the Lions’ backfield. But there is still plenty of room for David Montgomery to produce. Despite being the RB2, Montgomery has 603 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 129 carries. He’s scored in back-to-back weeks and ranks 28th among running backs with 11.4 average fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring. Montgomery has eclipsed this fantasy average in back-to-back games and scored as many as 32.4 fantasy points in a game this season.
Expect there to be plenty of points as the Lions face off with the Rams. Both teams have high-powered offenses, and the likelihood of slowing down the Rams is slim.
Other Considerations: Christian McCaffrey ($9,000), Saquon Barkley ($7,100), TreVeyon Henderson ($6,100), Kyle Monangai ($5,200)
Wide Receivers
Puka Nacua ($8,700)
Headlining the Rams’ offensive attack will be Puka Nacua. He has continued to establish himself as one of the premier pass catchers in football. Nacua leads the NFL with 93 receptions, along with 1,186 receiving yards and six touchdowns. His 22.7 fantasy points per matchup trails only Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the most by wide receivers, and is seventh among all players.
The Rams will likely pass often as the Lions rank 18th in points allowed. The two high-powered offenses will lead to a shootout, giving Nacua more chances to rack up fantasy points. Detroit ranks 19th in receiving yards allowed, 18th in net yards per pass attempt and 28th in passing touchdowns allowed.
Nacua is coming off a seven-reception performance for 167 yards and two touchdowns last week. This came out to 38.7 fantasy points on DraftKings scoring. It may be ambitious to expect him to replicate this level, but he’s tallied at least seven receptions in nine of the 12 games and seen double-digit targets in six games this year.
Tetairoa McMillan ($6,000)
Don’t look now, but the Carolina Panthers lead the NFC South with a 7-6 record. They have a great chance to improve to 8-6 as they face the 3-10 Saints. New Orleans has struggled on both sides of the ball, but ranks 20th in points allowed, 19th in passing touchdowns conceded and 15th in net yards per pass attempt.
Carolina selected Tetairoa McMillan with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 draft. His rookie season hasn’t been perfect, but he’s still pulled in 57 receptions for 826 yards and six scores. His 14 fantasy points per game ranks 19th among wide receivers. McMillan has tallied as many as 36 fantasy points in a game and enters this matchup having put up a double-digit fantasy points in four consecutive games.
Keenan Allen ($4,800)
After one season with the Bears, Keenan Allen made his return to the Chargers this year. While he is in the twilight years of his career, Allen has still pulled in 63 receptions for 644 yards and four scores. The Chargers are 9-4 and have an opportunity to slam the postseason window shut on their conference rival Kansas City Chiefs.
Allen has pulled in at least two receptions in every game this season and as many as 11 in a matchup. He is putting up 11.9 average fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring, which ranks 35th among wide receivers. Kansas City has shown some vulnerabilities in its pass defense, ranking 13th in passing yards allowed and 24th in net yards per pass attempt.
Given the Chargers’ offensive line issues, it’s likely they draw up quick passes on slants and curls. Justin Herbert has built trust with Allen over their careers, with Allen racking up over 1,100 yards and six touchdowns against Kansas City in his career (16 games).
Other Considerations: Rashee Rice ($7,700), Zay Flowers ($6,300), DeVonta Smith ($5,800), Jayden Reed ($4,500)
Tight End
Harold Fannin Jr. ($4,000)
One of the biggest beneficiaries of the Browns’ quarterback change has been Harold Fannin Jr. The 67th overall pick was off to a strong rookie season, even before this. Fannin has 57 receptions for 619 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Across his past three games alongside Sanders, Fannin has tallied 15 receptions for 197 yards and two touchdowns. He is coming off the first 100-yard game of his career in the previous matchup, pulling in eight catches for 114 yards and a score.
The Browns will be facing off with the Chicago Bears this week, who have been vulnerable defensively. They rank 25th in points allowed, 27th in yards conceded and 30th in passing touchdowns allowed. Opposing tight ends are averaging 6.1 receptions for 56 yards against the Bears this season, and they have allowed five touchdowns to the position. Fannin is producing 11.4 fantasy points per game on the year, which ranks 12th among tight ends on DraftKings scoring. Look for him to build off the 28.4 point fantasy output in the previous game as he continues to cement his spot as a go-to target for Sanders.
Other Considerations: George Kittle ($5,400), Dalton Kincaid ($4,500), Dallas Goedert ($3,800)
Flex
Jerry Jeudy ($4,400)
Sticking with the Browns’ pass-catching options, Jerry Jeudy has also benefited from the quarterback change. He is coming off a 76-yard receiving performance in the previous game in which he scored a touchdown for just the second time this year. Jeudy has pulled in 38 receptions for 497 yards and two scores this year, a far cry from the 1,229 receiving yards he generated last year. He is averaging just 7.6 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring, which is the lowest mark of his career and ranks 63rd among wide receivers.
But with Sanders playing to keep the starting quarterback job long-term and facing a vulnerable Bears’ defense, expect the Browns to air it out quite a bit. Chicago ranks 21st in receiving yards allowed, 29th in net yards per pass attempt and 30th in passing touchdowns conceded. Sanders and Jeudy have been just off on several big play opportunities and are due to connect soon. It takes just one massive gain for the entire outlook of his scoring production to shift completely. With a weak defense in front of them, I like the chances of it being this week and for his production to outperform the $4,400 price point.
Defense & Special Teams
Philadelphia Eagles ($3,800)
There is plenty wrong with the Eagles right now, but the defense has not been an issue. Philadelphia plays a bend-but-don’t break style of defense that ranks 21st in yards allowed, but just ninth in points conceded. They are getting to the quarterback at a high rate and have forced nine turnovers over the past five games. Even more encouraging, they will be facing a Las Vegas Raiders team that has been plagued with offensive struggles all year. The Raiders enter this matchup with a 2-11 record, ranking last in the league in scoring and 31st in yards gained.
Las Vegas will also be turning to Kenny Pickett at quarterback. While Geno Smith set the QB standard extremely low this year, the world knows who Pickett is as a quarterback. The Eagles should be very familiar with him, as he served as their backup last season. This is a get-right spot for the Eagles that they should be looking to take full advantage of.
Other Considerations: 49ers ($4,000), Seahawks ($3,700), Panthers ($3,100)
