Week 15 kicks off with a matchup between the Buccaneers and Falcons. The Falcons have already been eliminated from playoff contention, while the Buccaneers are tied with the Panthers atop the NFC South. Let's dig into each position for the single-game contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Quarterback
It has been a rough stretch for Baker Mayfield ($10,000 DK, $12,200 FD), who has not surpassed 200 passing yards in a game since Week 10. Over his last four games, he has five total touchdowns and four interceptions. While he did have three touchdowns against the Falcons in Week 1, he was limited to 167 passing yards. The Falcons have allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards per game, so Mayfield might not come with a ton of upside in for Thursday night DFS lineups.
With Michael Penix Jr. (knee) out for the season, Kirk Cousins ($8,800 DK, $10,400 FD) is back under center for the Falcons. Over the last three games as a starter, he has 595 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Not working in his favor is that Drake London (knee) has been ruled out again. Still, the Buccaneers have allowed the sixth-most passing yards per game and are tied for the 10th-most passing touchdowns allowed. His salary isn't prohibitive for a quarterback, so he could be worth the risk.
Running Back
Since Mayfield has struggled, the Buccaneers could rely heavily on their rushing attack. It helps that they have Bucky Irving ($10,200 DK, $12,600 FD) back in the
Week 15 kicks off with a matchup between the Buccaneers and Falcons. The Falcons have already been eliminated from playoff contention, while the Buccaneers are tied with the Panthers atop the NFC South. Let's dig into each position for the single-game contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Quarterback
It has been a rough stretch for Baker Mayfield ($10,000 DK, $12,200 FD), who has not surpassed 200 passing yards in a game since Week 10. Over his last four games, he has five total touchdowns and four interceptions. While he did have three touchdowns against the Falcons in Week 1, he was limited to 167 passing yards. The Falcons have allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards per game, so Mayfield might not come with a ton of upside in for Thursday night DFS lineups.
With Michael Penix Jr. (knee) out for the season, Kirk Cousins ($8,800 DK, $10,400 FD) is back under center for the Falcons. Over the last three games as a starter, he has 595 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Not working in his favor is that Drake London (knee) has been ruled out again. Still, the Buccaneers have allowed the sixth-most passing yards per game and are tied for the 10th-most passing touchdowns allowed. His salary isn't prohibitive for a quarterback, so he could be worth the risk.
Running Back
Since Mayfield has struggled, the Buccaneers could rely heavily on their rushing attack. It helps that they have Bucky Irving ($10,200 DK, $12,600 FD) back in the fold. He has received 32 carries over two games since returning from injury, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown, and he's caught four passes for 46 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons defend the pass well, but they have allowed the ninth-most rushing yards per game. Sean Tucker ($2,400 DK, $4,200 FD) and Rachaad White ($4,200 DK, $7,000 FD) will likely also see some action, but not enough to consider them anything more than dart throws.
This might seem like a difficult matchup for Bijan Robinson ($11,200 DK, $13,000 FD) because the Buccaneers have allowed the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game. In their Week 1 matchup, he ran 12 times for just 24 yards. However, in that same matchup, he caught six of seven targets for 100 yards and a touchdown. The Buccaneers have given up 10.31 yards per target to running backs, which is by far the highest mark in the league. Even if Robinson doesn't do a ton on the ground, he can justify his salary with his contributions in the passing game. The running back on the Falcons to avoid might be Tyler Allgeier ($4,000 DK, $7,400 FD), considering that he has only 13 targets this season.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
It's slim pickings at wide receiver for the Falcons. Darnell Mooney ($6,600 DK, $7,800 FD) has combined for just three receptions for 31 yards the last two games, though he did have 74 yards and a touchdown in Week 12 against the Saints. He's still the top wide receiver option for the Falcons. David Sills V ($3,000 DK, $6,400 FD) is an interesting choice because he has four red-zone targets over the last three games, which he turned into two touchdowns. Dylan Drummond ($2,000 DK, $4,800 FD) is also in the mix, but he has a total of just 42 receiving yards over the last three games.
The Buccaneers have far better options at wide receiver. Mike Evans ($9,000 DK, $10,600 FD) is listed as questionable after missing the last six games with a broken collarbone. If he plays, the Buccaneers will finally have their top trio of Evans, Emeka Egbuka ($9,200 DK, $9,600 FD) and Chris Godwin Jr. ($8,400 DK, $9,000 FD)available. While Egbuka's production has been muted of late, he has received at least eight targets in seven straight games. It would help his cause if Evans misses another game, but even if Evans comes back, Egbuka might be the Buccaneers wide receiver to target.
Cade Otton (knee) is listed as doubtful, which means Payne Durham ($600 DK, $1,400 FD) could take most of the tight end snaps for the Buccaneers. He's not really someone to consider, but with Otton likely out, it provides a boost for the Buccaneers' wide receivers. Kyle Pitts ($6,400 DK, $8,400 FD) is listed as questionable for the Falcons with a knee injury after catching 13 of 18 targets for 172 yards in the last two games. In Week 1, he caught seven of eight targets for 59 yards versus the Buccaneers. If he plays, he might be the most appealing option among the Falcons' pass catchers.
Kicker
The Falcons' offense has struggled to score touchdowns, which has resulted in Zane Gonzalez ($4,600 DK, $6,200 FD) attempting nine field goals over the last three games with Cousins starting. He made 10, including three of his five attempts from at least 50 yards. The Buccaneers have a strong-legged kicker in Chase McLaughlin ($5,000 DK, $6,600 FD), who has made all nine of his attempts from at least 50 yards this season. However, he is only 4-for-7 on attempts between 40 and 49 yards.
Defense/Special Teams
Both the Buccaneers ($5,400 DK, $6,800 FD) and the Falcons ($3,400 DK, $6,000 FD) have allowed at least 24.1 points per game. They do generate interceptions, with the Buccaneers having 12 picks and the Falcons 10. A standout stat for the Flacons is that they have 43 sacks, which is the third-most in the NFL.
