December 16, 2016

Matt Terelle's Week 15 daily fantasy football advice and sleepers. NFL DFS lineup picks and value plays for Fantasy Aces at RB, WR, QB, TE, and DEF.

Hey there RotoBallers! In this article I will be taking a look at some of my favorite FantasyAces DFS lineups plays for the Week 15 slate.

These picks are based on a multitude of factors including matchup, talent, recent performance, and pricing on Fantasy Aces. Let's get to the picks!

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

Quarterback Plays for Fantasy Aces

Matt Ryan (vs. SF, $7,300)

It's a rough weekend for quarterbacks as many of the top options have tough matchups on tap. Aaron Rodgers takes on a surprisingly solid Bears defense, Drew Brees has six interceptions over his past two games and will face the Cardinals on the road, and Tom Brady will do battle with the elite Denver secondary. As a result, Ryan sets up as the top quarterback play on the slate. The San Francisco defense has been quite generous to opposing offenses this season and should pose no trouble for the Falcons, even if Julio Jones does not suit up. On the year, San Francisco's pass defense ranks 29th in the league in DVOA. The fast-paced Chip Kelly offensive system drives up their opponents' snap counts and has been fantasy gold for all parties involved over the past few years. 

Marcus Mariota (@ KC, $6,200)

Mariota shapes up as a fine second quarterback option on Aces this weekend. He's coming off his worst outing of the season as he passed for just 88 yards against Denver. Of course, the Broncos solid defense does that to most quarterbacks, so don't have any hesitation about putting Mariota back into those lineups in Week 15. He is the 19th most expensive quarterback on the site this weekend even though he has the upside to finish as a top-half QB1. The Titans need this game as first place in the AFC South will be on the line, so expect them to come out and play well against the Chiefs.

Running Back Plays for Fantasy Aces

David Johnson (vs. NO, $6,650)

Johnson makes another appearance in this space, but it is hard to get away from the ultra-talented second year back. He had a slow outing last week, at least by his lofty standards. He logged "just" 121 scoreless all-purpose yards against the Dolphins in a wet, sloppy game. His price actually dropped $150 from last week and he checks in $100 cheaper than Le'Veon Bell. Bell, due to recent bias, is likely to be much higher owned than Johnson after he rushed for over 200 yards and scored three touchdowns last week. Johnson is a great play against a Saints run defense that is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing runners.

Devonta Freeman (vs. SF, $5,700)

Freeman really let fantasy owners down last week, picking up just six rushing yards against the Rams while backfield mate Tevin Coleman stole all the glory by scoring twice. Don't let last week's disappointment steer you away from Freeman this week. The 49ers sport the worst run defense in the NFL, 31st in the league in DVOA according to Football Outsiders and are allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing backs. Freeman is still the Falcons' lead back and preferred goal line option, so he should see several cracks at reaching the end zone this weekend. I actually like a Matt Ryan/Freeman stack as you would then be likely to get exposure to most of the scoring Atlanta does against the hapless Niners. 

Wide Receiver Plays for Fantasy Aces

Sammy Watkins (vs. CLE, $4,750)

Watkins is a much better consideration in tournaments and should be avoided in cash games. That being said, he's primed to have his best game of the season against a struggling Cleveland secondary. Watkins appears to be doing a better job managing his foot pain as he played a season-high 94% of his team's offensive snaps last week against the Steelers. He also scored his first receiving touchdown. The Browns are expected to shadow Watkins with Joe Haden, but that is no deterrent as Haden's play has really slipped over the past season or so. Watkins has the kind of multiple touchdown, tournament winning upside that you should target in your lineups. At just $4,750, he's a steal on Aces this weekend. 

DeSean Jackson (vs. CAR, $4,400)

Jackson, like Watkins, is better suited for tournaments as he has displayed boom/bust tendencies throughout his career as a low-volume, big play receiver. That being said, there aren't many high-priced receivers I'm excited about playing this weekend as most of the elite guys have tougher matchups (Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham), inconsistency questions (Mike Evans), or injury concerns (Julio Jones). The Redskins take on a Panthers secondary that has really struggled to contain opposing receivers this season. Carolina is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to wideouts and the Redskins should be able to pass all over the Panthers this Monday night. They are probably going to have to as the Panthers' stout run defense should force Washington to take to the air early and often. 

Tight End Play for Fantasy Aces

Ladarius Green (@ CIN, $4,150)

Green certainly disappointed last week after his Week 13 coming out party. The big tight end caught just two passes for 25 yards against the Bills in Week 14, but his lack of production can be attributed to bad weather affecting Pittsburgh's game script. The Steelers went extremely run heavy in the second half of last week's game as Le'Veon Bell racked up 38 carries in the snow. Look for Green to bounce back in a big way against the Bengals this weekend. Green should be a major part of the Steelers' game plan as Cincinnati has a solid secondary which might be able to lock up Antonio Brown this weekend. That would force more action Green's way as the Bengals have struggled to cover tight ends this year. On the season, Cincinnati is allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to the position. 

Defense/Special Teams Play for Fantasy Aces

Buffalo Bills (vs. CLE, $3,300)

The Bills defense is in a great spot this weekend. They are huge -10 point home favorites against a hapless Browns offense in a game with an extremely low 41 point over/under. Cleveland has been one of the top teams in the league to target with opposing fantasy defenses. They are allowing the second-most fantasy points per game, mostly due to their porous offensive line which has allowed a league-high 48 sacks. Robert Griffin was a mess last week, blindly chucking deep passes down the field and badly missing his receivers on short routes. The Bills should be able to dominate this game defensively. If you can't fit Buffalo's defense and need a value option, the Texans at home against the turnover-prone Jaguars are just $2,800 on Aces.