Week 15 DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks, Lineup Tips for Sunday

The 15th Sunday of the 2020 NFL season is here, folks, which means we're deep into the fantasy football playoffs. Hopefully your season-long teams have managed to get into the postseason, but for those sitting in the consolation bracket, daily fantasy sports (DFS) can provide a great late-season alternative.

With three games already in the rearview, we have just a 12-game slate Sunday. This means a smaller-than-usual player pool, which will be further drained by a few significant injuries. This doesn't mean that every lineup decision will be easy, though, and it will be vital to pay attention to the individual matchups.

Here you will find a look at the latest injury information for Week 15, along with some of the best matchup-based DFS plays and lineup tips for Sunday.

Injury Roundup

Associated Press

Michael Thomas

Perhaps the biggest injury news coming out of Saturday was the announcement that New Orleans Saints wideout Michael Thomas is going on injured reserve. Thomas hasn't been dominant in fantasy this season, but he's been a strong play recently when serving as Taysom Hill's security blanket.

Hill will be out in Week 15 as well—at least as the starter. The Saints plan to start Drew Brees, which should boost the points-per-reception (PPR) value of running back Alvin Kamara.

While Kamara is set to return to being a PPR machine, the New England Patriots are set to be without running back Damien Harris. This should boost the value of fellow Patriots back Sony Michel.

"He knows Damien is really playing well, and Sony is sort of waiting for an opportunity to show what he can do," Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears said, per ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Detroit Lions wideout Kenny Golladay and Atlanta Falcons wideout Julio Jones have both been ruled out for Sunday. So has San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel.

Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph will miss out for a second straight week with a foot injury. Cleveland Browns tight end Austin Hooper is questionable after missing Week 14 with a neck injury.

The New York Giants may face Cleveland without quarterback Daniel Jones. According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, the Giants will instead start backup Colt McCoy against his former team.

A complete injury report can be found at NFL.com.

Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press

Tom Brady

DFS Value: $6,600 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady may not have been a fantasy GOAT this season, but he's been more than serviceable. He's thrown for 3,496 yards with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He has also tossed at least two touchdowns in each of his past four games.

Expect that touchdown streak to continue Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2020, and they are not suddenly going to get better with three games left to play.

Brady isn't quite in the tier of players like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson in Week 15, but he should still be a high-upside play and offer strong DFS value. For added value, consider stacking him with wideouts Chris Godwin and Mike Evans and/or tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The Falcons have allowed the third-most points to opposing receivers and the sixth-most points to opposing tight ends this year.

Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

Associated Press

Derrick Henry

DFS Value: $9,500 DraftKings, $10,200 FanDuel

Is Derrick Henry a budget-friendly DFS option in Week 15? No. Is he still one of the best potential plays of the week? Heck yes. The Tennessee Titans standout is chasing 2,000 rushing yards this year and has established himself as the best pure runner in football.

"Now that I've been watching this guy for a couple years, he's definitely showing that he is that next best thing," Detroit Lions running back Adrian Peterson said of Henry, per Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official website.

Henry has a tremendous matchup in Week 15, as the Lions have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Henry doesn't carry a ton of PPR value, but he does carry the potential to approach the 200-yard mark Sunday.

While he is likely to do a lot of handing off to Henry, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill should still be a nice value stack. He had 212 passing yards and two touchdowns last time out and is set to face a Detroit defense that has allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

Brandon AIyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Jennifer Stewart/Associated Press

Brandon Aiyuk

DFS Value: $6,300 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel

There are a couple of reasons why Brandon Aiyuk should be considered a high-upside play in Week 15. The first is that the San Francisco 49ers rookie has been on a tear lately. Over his past five games, Aiyuk has racked up 495 yards and three touchdowns.

Second, the 49ers will be without fellow pass-catchers Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. This means Aiyuk will be the centerpiece of the San Francisco passing attack.

Lastly, Aiyuk has a strong matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Only the Minnesota Vikings have allowed more fantasy points to opposing wide receivers than Dallas this season.

While quarterback Nick Mullens hasn't quite been consistent enough to justify a stack with Aiyuk, 49ers running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. should be considered. The Cowboys have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs in 2020.

Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Tyler Higbee

DFS Value: $3,800 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee is more of a sleeper than a must-start. He's had just six receptions and 58 yards over his past two games, though he did find the end zone in Week 13.

If you are looking for a high-floor tight end, it's best to stick with the usual suspects, like Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. However, playing sleepers at tight end can allow managers to splurge at other positions, and Higbee should have plenty of upside.

No team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing tight ends this year than the New York Jets. That should provide the perfect opportunity for Higbee to have his best game of the season.

Higbee should also make for a solid stack with quarterback Jared Goff. The Jets have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2020.

Fantasy points allowed from FantasyPros.

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