DraftKings Reignmakers | Week 15 MAIN Slate Breakdown

This NFL season, we are pleased to have partnered with DraftKings as a content provider, covering their exciting new NFT-powered fantasy football game, DK Reignmakers! Each week in this space, we will be breaking down the upcoming Reignmakers NFL slate. Be sure to check out our Fair Value Card Estimates and Contest EV tool as you build your lineups.

Welcome to Week 15! This week features a three-game Saturday that includes two Pixel Vault Gated Contests that require cards from the Pixel Vault Special Edition set. I will be posting a separate slate breakdown to cover this slate, while this breakdown will focus on the Sunday slate, along with the Thursday and Monday games.

Week 15 Headlines

• Arizona loses Kyler Murray to a torn ACL. Colt McCoy will close out the season for the Cardinals.
• Kenneth Walker (ankle) gets in a full practice on Tuesday after missing Week 14.
• Brock Purdy (oblique) was limited in practice ahead of the Thursday night game.
• Mike White (rib) sounds optimistic about his chances of playing in Week 15.
• Desmond Ridder will make his regular season debut against New Orleans.
• Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) and Damien Harris (thigh) are iffy in New England.
• Cincinnati is short-handed at WR due to injuries to Tee Higgins (hamstring) and Tyler Boyd (finger).

49ers @ Seahawks, Thursday 8:15 PM ET

The Seahawks come into Week 15 with questions at running back as Kenneth Walker, DeeJay Dallas, Travis Homer, and Tony Jones Jr. have all dealt with injuries of varying types and severities over the past few weeks. Starting at the top, Walker was held out of Week 14 after missing practice throughout the week with an ankle injury. The good news is that Walker was estimated as a limited participant in Monday’s practice and a full participant on Tuesday, which hopefully means he is trending in the right direction for Thursday. DeeJay Dallas looks to be further behind Walker in his recovery, as Dallas has been held out of practice to start the week. If Walker is in, I’m interested in him as a Captain option on the Thursday Showdown slate. But if Walker is out, this could be a messy situation.

DK Metcalf should be a popular Captain option on the slate, but don’t forget about Tyler Lockett, who has now out-targeted Metcalf in each of the last two games.

The 49ers have two big injury situations to monitor. For the purposes of this week’s slate, the easier one to parse is Deebo Samuel’s MCL injury. Deebo picked up the injury last week and he’s expected to return “at some point during the regular season,” according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. That almost certainly rules Samuel out for this week, and his absence would be a boost for Christian McCaffrey, who tends to operate in the same areas of the field as Samuel.

The other key injury on the 49ers' side is to Brock Purdy, who led the 49ers to victory last week in relief of Jimmy Garoppolo (foot). Purdy underwent an MRI for an oblique injury on Monday and he was estimated as a limited participant in practice on Monday and Tuesday. If Purdy is unable to go, it would be XFL alum and NFL journeyman Josh Johnson under center. Purdy and Johnson are unavailable in Reignmakers, which makes stacking the San Francisco side a tricky proposition on this slate. 

Best Buy: Christian McCaffrey ($8, $34.50, $400, $1,699, $13,999)

Steelers @ Panthers, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

The Steelers are another team dealing with issues at the quarterback position after Kenny Pickett was forced out of last week’s loss with a concussion in the first quarter. Pickett has been placed in the concussion protocol, and his Week 15 availability will be determined by whether or not he is able to clear the protocol by Sunday. If Pickett is unable to go, it will again be Week 1 starter Mitch Trubisky under center against the Panthers. In Trubisky’s most recent action in relief of Pickett last Sunday, Mitch threw for 276 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. With Pittsburgh facing long odds of making the playoffs, I’m not interested in either quarterback option. 

In the receiving game, George Pickens has disappointed those who were expecting a second-half breakout from the rookie wide receiver. Over the past two weeks, Pickens has posted target shares of seven and 10 percent as the clear third option behind Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth. Johnson’s prices are dirt cheap in the marketplace right now, and he’s the player I’d be interested in among this group. 

The Panthers have clawed their way back into the race for the NFC South and they find themselves listed as 2.5-point home favorites against the Steelers. In two games as the Panthers' starter, Sam Darnold is now averaging 142 passing yards per game as Carolina has attempted to win games on the ground. That has taken even DJ Moore – who was held without a reception in Week 14 – out of play among Carolina pass-catchers. But that has also meant plenty of opportunity for D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard in the backfield. With Darnold under center, the backfield duo has combined to rush the ball a whopping 76 times. Both backs serve as relatively cheap plug-and-play options with some longer-term upside should the Panthers remain in the hunt for the division. 

Best Buy: D’Onta Foreman ($1.75, $8.55, $111.12, $369, $1,600)

Lions @ Jets, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

Michael Carter (hamstring) returned from a one-game absence in Week 14, but it was Zonovan Knight who carried the load in the Jets' backfield for the third straight week. While it’s possible the team is easing Carter back in after the injury, I think the more likely scenario is that this will be Knight’s backfield moving forward.

Speaking of injuries, Mike White left the game twice against the Bills and was taken to a local hospital after the game for further testing on a rib injury he sustained. The move was described as precautionary, but I am viewing White as questionable to play in Week 15 for the time being. In the few snaps that White missed last week, it was Joe Flacco under center, but Zach Wilson was inactive for the game. Wilson may have a chance to start in Week 15 if White is held out. For what it’s worth, White has seemed optimistic about his chances of playing this weekend.

The Jets also lost Corey Davis to a head injury after nine snaps and it’s unclear early in the week whether or not Davis has been placed in the concussion protocol. With Davis out of the lineup, Elijah Moore posted a season-high 23 percent target share on an 82 percent snap share (his highest mark since Week 4). Denzel Mims would also be a candidate for increased playing time should Davis be unable to go this weekend.

The D’Andre Swift redemption arc stalled after one game, as it was Jamaal Williams once again operating as the lead back for Detroit in Week 14. Williams out-carried Swift 16-6 in that game, though both running backs had disappointing fantasy performances as it was Justin Jackson who scored the team’s lone rushing touchdown. Against a stout Jets' defense, I’ll be taking a wait-and-see approach with the Lions' backfield over the next week.

After throwing for 330 yards with three touchdowns against the Vikings, Jared Goff is now a back-end QB1 on the season, currently ranking No. 12 on the season in fantasy scoring among quarterbacks. With Detroit’s playoff odds improving every week, I’m starting to have interest in setting up a Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown stack down the stretch. It won’t come cheap, however, as Goff is currently priced as QB13 and St. Brown sits at WR3. DJ Chark Jr. is a more cost-sensitive stacking partner, and one that I’m growing more intrigued by as the team continues to bring Jameson Williams along slowly following his return from an ACL tear.

Best Buy: DJ Chark Jr., ($1.50, $7.99, $99.98, $250, $3,999)

Jaguars @ Cowboys, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

The Jaguars' offense had their best performance of the season in Week 14 against the Titans, scoring 36 points with most of that damage coming through the air. Trevor Lawrence had a breakout game on a 368-3-0 passing line with Evan Engram leading the way with 162 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Engram now has 22 targets over the past two weeks and he looks like one of the top tight end options in Deep Roster contests given the dreadful state of the position this year.

Travis Etienne Jr. had a disappointing 17-32-0 rushing line against the Titans, and even more disappointing was the fact that Etienne did not record a single target in the Jaguars’ best passing performance of the season.

Ezekiel Elliott out-carried Tony Pollard 15-10, marking the second consecutive game in which Zeke led the committee in usage. Pollard still got there on two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving), but this is a concerning trend as Pollard’s floor prices tick higher and higher. 

In the receiving game, James Washington made his Cowboys debut last week, but he was only on the field for 11-of-71 snaps. The WR2 role is becoming a bit crowded now with Washington, Michael Gallup, Noah Brown, and the newly-signed T.Y Hilton all competing for touches. While this is an offense I want to load up on ahead of the playoffs, my focus is limited to Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Dalton Schultz for now. 

Best Buy: Dak Prescott ($9.99, $37, $489, $2,500, $10,000)

Eagles @ Bears, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

Justin Fields ended up missing only one game with a shoulder injury he sustained in Week 11, and he picked up right where he left off in Week 13 against the Packers. In that game, Fields rushed for another 78 yards with a touchdown, and he has not rushed for fewer than 50 yards in any game since Week 5. Expect more on the ground this week from Fields, especially since the team remains without top receiving option Darnell Mooney (ankle). Chase Claypool has theoretical upside while Mooney is sidelined, but the production has not been there yet. Cole Kmet would be the player I’d choose to stack with Fields, but on a slate this large, it’s probably unnecessary. With Khalil Herbert (hip) eligible to return from IR at any time, I’d have a hard time pulling the trigger on David Montgomery right now. 

The Eagles breezed by the Giants in Week 14 and ultimately called off the dogs midway through the second half, which resulted in muted stat lines from Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and company. The game script will again be a concern here with the Eagles listed as nine-point road favorites over the 3-10 Bears, but the Philadelphia offense remains as strong a bet as any in Reignmakers. Keep an eye out for updates on Dallas Goedert (shoulder), who is eligible to come off IR this week after sitting out the past four games. In late November, there was hope that Goedert would be able to return to the lineup after missing the minimum amount of games.

Best Buy: DeVonta Smith ($3.99, $23, $229.99, $1,800, N/A)

Chiefs @ Texans, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

Last week, without Brandin Cooks (calf) and Nico Collins (foot), Chris Moore was a key feature in winning lineups thanks to a 10-124-0 receiving line. Moore is a career journeyman and he would only have value in the event both Cooks and Collins are once again out. Given Cooks’ frustrations with the team, I am not expecting him to suit up in Week 15 and I’m considering Collins questionable for now.

Dameon Pierce will miss this week’s game with an ankle sprain, and with Houston listed as a 14-point dog, I’m not interested in any Texans' running back here.

For the Chiefs, both Mecole Hardman (abdomen) and Kadarius Toney (hamstring) feel like they are close to returning, but with the Chiefs listed as two-touchdown favorites in this one, I would expect Kansas City to take a cautious approach here. While Kansas City has been short-handed at receiver and also without Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle), Jerick McKinnon has become very involved in the receiving game, and in Week 14, he led the team with 112 receiving yards and two touchdowns. McKinnon’s long-term role still feels uncertain to me, but he should be a strong option once again in Week 15.

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce remain as steady as ever, while JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have traded useful weeks of late. With so many moving parts in the receiving game, this is a spot where I would be simply looking to buy the most underpriced option among JuJu, MVS, and Toney in preparation for a Chiefs playoff run.

Best Buy: JuJu Smith-Schuster ($2.75, $16, $220, $925, $23,333)

Falcons @ Saints, Sunday 1:00 PM ET

Despite sitting only one game out of first place in the woeful NFC South, the Falcons have made the decision to jumpstart the Desmond Ridder era at QB coming out of their Week 14 bye. Ridder was the No. 74 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he’s an intriguing prospect from a fantasy perspective due to his rushing upside. Ridder rushed for 2,180 yards during his four seasons at Cincinnati, and he rushed for 59 yards in Week 1 of the preseason against Detroit. I’m not expecting much from him this week, but he’s a fun flier to take at his current cheap prices.

I have lower expectations for Drake London given the change at QB, but he’s still a fine option to play if you hold his cards. Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier have served as a true 50-50 committee at running back over the past two weeks, and I don’t expect that this offense will be productive enough to support either as a fantasy option as long as the workload is being split down the middle. 

The Saints are still technically alive in the NFC South as well, even at 4-9. As 3.5-point home favorites here, I have some interest in New Orleans’ run game, which should be more concentrated toward Alvin Kamara after Mark Ingram was lost for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Chris Olave remains the only interesting option in the receiving game, while Jarvis Landry has now been held to a 15 percent target share or lower in each of the past three games.

Best Buy: Desmond Ridder ($3.35, $11, $111, $550, $3,000)

Cardinals @ Broncos, Sunday 4:05 PM ET

This game may feature a battle of backup quarterbacks after Kyler Murray tore his ACL last week during Monday Night Football and Russell Wilson was placed in concussion protocol last week.

Neither team has any real playoff hopes, and with the Broncos being so injury-depleted on offense, the only option I’d be mildly interested in is Jerry Jeudy, who should see all the targets he can handle assuming Courtland Sutton (hamstring) remains sidelined.

Murray’s ACL injury will sideline him for the remainder of the 2022 season, meaning it will be Colt McCoy under center the rest of the way in Arizona. McCoy is capable as a backup QB, but with Arizona outside the playoff picture and without their franchise quarterback, I’m steering clear of the Cardinals’ passing game. I do have some interest though in James Conner, who has served as a workhorse back since the team traded away Eno Benjamin in Week 10.

Best Buy: James Conner ($3.98, $18.50, $199, $769.69, $6,100)

Patriots @ Raiders, Sunday 4:05 PM ET

The Raiders seem to have avoided a scare last week, as the finger injury that briefly took Josh Jacobs out of the game against the Rams appears to be minor in nature. X-rays taken during the game came back negative, but Jacobs is undergoing further testing to determine the extent of the injury. Assuming Jacobs is good to go against the Patriots, he’ll again be a high-end RB1, but keep in mind that with last week’s loss, the Raiders are very unlikely to make the playoffs, giving Jacobs four more games of utility this year, at most.

Las Vegas’ passing game struggled in Week 14 with Derek Carr throwing for only 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Davante Adams had a floor game, posting a 3-71-0 receiving line, but still dominated the team in targets. Brighter days are ahead for Adams this week against the Patriots.

The Patriots would prefer to win games on the ground, but the team is currently facing injuries to both of its top two backs after Rhamondre Stevenson left Week 14 with an ankle injury. Stevenson tried to return to the game before subsequently leaving for good. Damien Harris was already inactive with a thigh injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the past two weeks. Harris did travel with the team to Arizona, which perhaps indicates he is close to returning. Consider both backs questionable to play in Week 15 for now. In Week 14 after Stevenson left the game, Kevin Harris out-snapped (29-19) and out-carried (8-5) fellow rookie Pierre Strong Jr.

DeVante Parker was also knocked out of the game against Arizona with a concussion, while Jakobi Meyers was inactive for the game, also due to a concussion. The availability of New England’s top two receivers will be determined by whether or not they can clear the concussion protocol by Sunday. If they can’t, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, and Tyquan Thornton would be the next men up.

Best Buy: Davante Adams ($5.56, $22, $248, $1,650, $20,899)

Bengals @ Buccaneers, Sunday 4:25 PM ET

Last week, the Bengals combined for only three snaps from Tee Higgins (hamstring) and Tyler Boyd (finger) before both receivers left last week’s game. Higgins’ injury appears minor, as he was called “day-to-day” by head coach Zac Taylor on Monday, while Boyd “could miss a week or two,” according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Whatever the case with Higgins and Boyd, one thing seems clear to me: Ja’Marr Chase is going to be targeted heavily against Tampa Bay.

In the backfield, Joe Mixon was back on the field in Week 14 for the first time in three weeks after clearing the concussion protocol, and he responded with a nice 14-96-0 rushing line. Samaje Perine filled in admirably during Mixon’s absence, but Perine was back in his clear No. 2 role against the Browns with Mixon’s return.

The Bucs’ already-disappointing season got even worse in Week 14 when they lost 35-7 against the 49ers, and Tampa Bay’s lead in the NFC South is now down to a single game. From a fantasy perspective, the first thing I noticed from the boxscore was that Rachaad White out-carried Leonard Fournette 13-4 against San Francisco. I think this usage is a bit deceiving though, as the snaps were still split 53%/47% between the two backs. Compare that to White’s 90 percent share in Week 12 when Fournette was inactive and the backfield takeover narrative begins to fall apart. I think the split is more a function of game script than anything else, and Fournette was still involved in the receiving game where he had seven targets.

It may be time to sound the alarm on Mike Evans, who has been held under 60 yards in each of the past five games. Evans has not exceeded a 22 percent target share in any game over that same stretch. Chris Godwin has not been lighting the world on fire either, but he has still met or exceeded a 25 percent target share in six of the past eight games, and I’d prefer to take a chance on him over Evans.

Best Buy: Chris Godwin ($4, $20, $210, $1,400, N/A)

Titans @ Chargers, Sunday 4:25 PM ET

Last week, Derrick Henry was approaching 100 rushing yards early in the first half before the game script got away from Tennessee en route to a 36-22 defeat. Henry still finished with 155 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown, but it feels like there was meat left on the bone given his fast start. 

Without Treylon Burks (concussion), the Titans receiving game was led by Austin Hooper, who had 68 yards, while Robert Woods led wide receivers with 49 yards. Chigoziem Okonkwo had the most fantasy-viable performance, thanks to a receiving touchdown and two-point conversion. Hopefully, Burks will be able to clear the concussion protocol this week, and if that’s the case, I’d like him as a buy here. Otherwise, I’m unlikely to have interest in this offense beyond Henry.

For the Chargers, Mike Williams started and finished a game for the first time since Week 7 and the results were positive. Williams led the team in yardage and scored the team’s only receiving touchdown, though he was only fourth on the team in targets behind Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, and Gerald Everett. Williams has actually not been a target magnet this year even when healthy – through the first seven weeks, he exceeded a 22 percent target share only twice while posting four weeks below a 20 percent share. Williams is currently priced as WR8 using CORE Genesis pricing, and that may be a bit optimistic.

Williams’ return did not have a negative impact on Allen, who saw 14 targets for the second straight week, while both Josh Palmer and DeAndre Carter saw their snap shares decline with Williams back in the lineup. Justin Herbert is priced as the QB17 early in the week, and that simply feels too cheap.

Best Buy: Justin Herbert ($6.39, $25.95, $333.34, $1,899, N/A)

Giants @ Commanders, Sunday 8:20 PM ET

These teams met two weeks ago in a game that ended in a 20-20 tie, and Washington is listed as a 4.5-point home favorite here coming out of their Week 14 bye. 

In Week 13, Washington had moderate success against New York through the air, as Taylor Heinicke threw for a 270-2-0 passing line, with nearly all of that production going towards Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and Jahan Dotson. After a slow start to the season, McLaurin has begun to dominate the team’s target share in recent weeks – since Week 8, McLaurin has posted target shares of 35 percent, 44 percent, 30 percent, 27 percent, and 30 percent. This increased usage has come mostly at the expense of Samuel, who has not exceeded the 20 percent share mark since Week 7. Dotson is the wildcard here – he had been quiet since returning from injury in Week 10 before posting a career-high 23 percent target share before the bye.

In the backfield, Brian Robinson Jr. has wrestled away some of the rushing share from Antonio Gibson – Robinson has now out-carried Gibson 39-18 over the past two games, though Gibson’s snap and target share numbers remain relatively flat. With Washington serving as the home favorite in this one, Robinson should be set up for a heavy workload.

The Giants were blown out by the Eagles in Week 14, emptying the bench in the fourth quarter of the game, leading to disappointing fantasy performances from Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones. Barkley logged season lows across the board in rushing share, snap share, and target share, but he is poised for a bounceback performance this week. Richie James Jr. and Darius Slayton have some viability on the Sunday Night Showdown slate as stacking partners with Daniel Jones, but with the Giants’ odds of making the playoffs rapidly dropping, I’d view them as one-week plays for now.

Best Buy: Terry McLaurin ($3, $13.99, $139.99, $555.56, $3,999)

Rams @ Packers, Monday 8:15 PM ET

Baker Mayfield was serviceable in his first game with the Rams in Week 14, throwing for 230 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, adding another 10 rushing yards on the ground. On a full Sunday slate of games, Mayfield would be well off our radar, but on this week’s Monday Night Showdown slate, he’s in play as a contrarian captain option, behind Aaron Jones, Christian Watson, and Aaron Rodgers, who I expect will be more popular options.

Mayfield’s favorite targets last week were Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell, who combined for 17 of Mayfield’s 35 targets. Beyond Atwell and Skowronek, Van Jefferson is an interesting option on this slate – Jefferson has played every snap except two over the past two weeks, and he scored the Rams’ lone receiving touchdown last week. 

In the backfield, Cam Akers has now exceeded a 50 percent rushing share in each of the last two weeks. Prior to this latest stretch, Akers had not exceeded that mark in any game since Week 5. The team continues to bring Kyren Williams along slowly, even with Darrell Henderson Jr. now out of the picture, and Williams does not appear to be a threat to Akers for now. 

One contrarian captain option on the Green Bay side is Allen Lazard, who remains a steady option in the Packers’ receiving game. While all of the fanfare has gone towards Watson of late, Lazard actually leads Watson in targets 20-18 over the past three weeks. A similar case could be made for A.J. Dillon, who out-carried Jones 18-9 in Week 13, but that was due to Jones leaving the game briefly with a shin injury. Still, with the Packers’ playoff hopes circling the drain, it would not be shocking for the team to tilt the backfield usage in favor of Dillon down the stretch.

Best Buy: Baker Mayfield ($2.50, $9, $75, $420, $999.99)

That's All!

Be sure to check our Lucky Trader’s Player Card Estimate and Contest EV tools throughout the week, then head over to the Reignmakers Marketplace to start building your teams!