This article is part of our King for a Day series.
With the prices for top players mostly climbing over the last few weeks, it's more imperative than ever to find bargain-bin options on DraftKings. Of course, you'll also want to mix in some of those superstars, and this week's primetime games have plenty.
Here are my favorite players for Week 15 on DraftKings…
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers, GB (vs. ATL), $9800 – Your biggest concern here is Eddie Lacy running wild, or else the Falcons' offense just not showing up. Even if both of those things happen, Rodgers should turn in a solid game, as it's hard to imagine he won't be efficient against the awful Atlanta defense. Now, if the Falcons offense can actually make a game of it and force Rodgers to keep throwing in the second half, we could be looking at one of the bigger performances by any quarterback this season. The price may be prohibitive for some, but Rodgers offers both the highest floor and highest ceiling of any signal-caller in Week 14. For icing on the cake, both Jordy Nelson ($8100) and Randall Cobb ($7400) can be had at a reasonable price.
Andy Dalton, CIN (vs. PIT), $6000 – Dalton has done nothing to shed his reputation for inconsistency this season, and while that might make him a shaky play in 50/50s, he offers excellent upside at a dirt-cheap price against the incompetent Pittsburgh defense. Last week's stinker versus Tampa Bay will throw many off the Red Rifle's scent, but he played through an illness during the contest, and still bounced back with a strong second half.
Other options:Eli Manning, NYG (at TEN), $6900
Notes: Manning, on the other hand, won't be a popular option, and he gets to face what may be the NFL's worst defense.
Running Backs
Eddie Lacy, GB (vs. ATL), $7800 – While it's probably not ideal to roster both Rodgers and Lacy, I plan on having one or the other in nearly all of my lineups. I actually think both will have excellent games, but the price tags are a bit too much to handle for players who are somewhat in competition for points. That being said, one of my favorite things about Lacy is his recent production catching passes, which represents a major shift from earlier this season. He has better hands than you'd expect of a 230-pound back, and the Packers have been creative with getting the ball into those hands. Lacy is also a strong candidate to top 100 rushing yards, a mark he fell just a bit shy of against the Patriots last week. The Packers have an overall lousy schedule for running back production, but matchups don't get much better than this week's.
LeSean McCoy, PHI (vs. SEA), $6400 – I've done my best to avoid the Seattle defense at all costs, but in a week with shaky mid-priced options at running back, McCoy is more than worth a shot. Since a surprising Week 10 dud against Carolina, Shady is averaging 125.7 rushing yards per contest. It really comes as no surprise that the Philly running game has looked so much better over the last few weeks, as the team's offensive line – arguably the best in the NFL – is finally healthy. I am a bit confused by McCoy's recent lack of production as a receiver, but history tells us that he should catch at least a couple of passes. That's especially true in this matchup, which could be problematic for Jordan Matthews and Jeremy Maclin.
Other options:Arian Foster, HOU (at JAX), $9300; Isaiah Crowell, CLE (vs. IND), $5000; Lamar Miller, MIA (vs. BAL), $4500; LeGarrette Blount, NE (at SD) $4200; Marion Grice, AZ (vs. KC), $4100; Jonathan Stewart, CAR (at NO), $3800
Notes: Foster is all but a lock for 20 DraftKings points, though he will take up a huge chunk of your budget. Crowell (hip) will be a solid option if he suits up, and if not, Terrance West ($3800) could be a strong play against Indy's shaky run defense. Just make sure to keep an eye on the situation, as there's been some chatter about third-string running back Glenn Winston ($3000) splitting touches with West in the event Crowell does not play. Miller draws a tough matchup for a second straight week, but he again comes very cheap for a clear lead back in a competent offense. Grice is an intriguing option if Andre Ellington (hip) doesn't play, as the Kansas City run defense has been awful in recent weeks. Stewart draws a fantastic matchup, but I still don't think I'll use him unless DeAngelo Williams (finger) sits.
Wide Receivers
A.J. Green, CIN (vs. PIT), $8200 – While the Steelers defense is bad as a whole, the secondary really deserves an extra share of the credit. Troy Polamalu is alive and kicking, but the rest of the well-aged defensive backfield appears marginally conscious. Cornerback Ike Taylor is nearing the end of the line, and while William Gay has mostly been solid the past few years, Kenny Stills pummeled Gay into oblivion last week. As good as Stills has looked recently, he's no A.J. Green.
Mike Wallace, MIA (vs. BAL), $5200 – You probably won't meet many people who think less of Wallace as a player than I do, but in this case, matchup and role overwhelm skill. Wallace and possession receiver Jarvis Landry ($5600) have been hogging the targets in a pass-oriented offense, which draws a matchup with arguably the league's worst secondary. No team has surrendered more DraftKings points to wide receivers, and Baltimore's sturdy run defense should only exacerbate Miami's tendency to abandon the run. Landry is also a strong option, even if you typically avoid possession receivers. Those eight-yard gains can easily turn into 20-yarders when facing a secondary as poor as Baltimore's
Charles Johnson, MIN (vs. NYJ), $4300 – Johnson played the most snaps of any Minnesota wideout in both of the last two games, as he seems to have leapfrogged not only Cordarrelle Patterson, but also a 31-year-old Greg Jennings. Johnson brings 4.4 speed in a 6-2 frame, and while he didn't do much with his snaps last week, he owns an 11-180-1 receiving line on 21 targets over the last three games. And, as conservative as Minnesota's offense may be, a matchup with the Jets probably isn't the best time to continuously pound the ball up the middle. Like Baltimore, the Jets are strong in the front seven but highly vulnerable on the back end.
Other options:Odell Beckham Jr., NYG (at TEN), $7700; Randall Cobb, GB (vs. ATL), $7400; Harry Douglas, ATL (at GB), $4500; Steve Smith Sr., BAL (at MIA), $4300; Stedman Bailey, STL (at WAS), $4300
Notes: Beckham should run circles around a Tennessee defense that seems to have given up on its season. Cobb is the preferred stacking partner for Rodgers, as Nelson not only carries a higher price, but also will likely spend more time lined up across from Desmond Trufant. Douglas is only a strong option if Roddy White (ankle) sits again, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. While an ongoing slump and highly difficult matchup will scare some away, Smith Sr. offers considerable upside at such a low price. Bailey has a 12-189-1 receiving line on 15 targets over his last two games, and he now gets to face the horrid Washington secondary.
Tight End
Jimmy Graham, NO (vs. CAR), $6500 – The tight end position has gotten the best of me this season, largely because I keep picking Graham for the weeks in which he struggles. However, with Graham's price back down below $7000, I'm going right back to the well, despite last week's zero-target performance. His health doesn't appear to be an issue, and the Saints' passing attack has been potent over the last few weeks. I'm also a fan of Washington's Jordan Reed, who seems to have excellent chemistry with Colt McCoy.
Other options:Greg Olsen, CAR (at NO), $4600; Jordan Reed, WAS (vs. STL), $4600; Delanie Walker, TEN (vs. NYG), $4200
Notes: Olsen (knee) hasn't reached the end zone since Week 6, but he and Kelvin Benjamin still figure to see plenty of targets against the lousy New Orleans defense, assuming the veteran tight end is able to play. While Reed isn't a guy I have much faith in, we saw last week that he has considerable upside, particularly with Colt McCoy directing the offense. Walker has been oddly inconsistent this season, but it's worth taking a shot at his ceiling in GPPs.
Denver Broncos vs. BUF, $2700 – This is far and away my favorite choice, as few teams can stack up to the Broncos in terms of defensive talent, yet only nine units come cheaper than $2700. Denver is coming off an excellent showing against the Chiefs, heading into a favorable home matchup with the sub-par Buffalo offense. With all of the other good defense-bad offense matchups carrying a price tag of $3400 or higher, the Broncos stand out as offering excellent value.
Other options:Detroit Lions (vs. TB), $3400; Kansas City Chiefs (at ARI), $2900; Oakland Raiders (vs. SF), $2100
Notes: The team defense prices have really spread out, and while I typically don't like to go north of $3000, the Lions are a relative bargain against Tampa Bay's awful offense. The Kansas City defense has fallen off over the last few weeks, but the combination of price and matchup is excellent. The Raiders are terrible at pretty much every aspect of the game, but the price makes their defense a viable option against San Francisco's below-average offense.
