5 Daily Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit in Week 15
New Orleans Saints Passing Offense
As we've seen all throughout this season, Drew Brees isn't quite his old self. Not only has he battled through injuries, but he has often lacked his trademarked consistency, both in actual football and the fantasy sense.
Things change when the New Orleans Saints are at home.
In the Saints' six home games this year, Brees has diced defenses to the tune of 96.29 Passing NEP and 0.37 Passing NEP per drop back. If we judged him solely based on his Passing NEP per drop back at home, he would be the league's most efficient passer.
On the road, Brees has played in six games, posting -7.26 Passing NEP and -0.03 Passing NEP per drop back. This would be the 35th best mark in the league, putting him right between Peyton Manning and Colin Kaepernick. Brees has accounted for over 100 more points when the Saints are at home than when they are on the road.
This has also translated into the fantasy side of things. He's averaging 25.73 points per game at home compared to 14.93 on the road, and the home total includes the game in which he sustained his shoulder injury. The Saints may not be the same dynamic offense they used to be, but they're close to it when they're playing in the Superdome.
The offense also finds itself in a great matchup this week against the Detroit Lions. They have been improving lately, but he Lions still rank 29th in Adjusted Defensive Passing NEP per play. They've had the good fortune recently of facing some mediocre competition, but even struggling quarterbacks such as Manning and Teddy Bridgewater have been fantasy-relevant against them. Brees is a solid tournament option this week on both FanDuel and DraftKings.
The pass catcher I'd covet most in a stack is Benjamin Watson. He presents every trait I look for in a tight end: he sees targets (averaging 9.33 per game since their Week 11 bye), the Saints have a high implied team total, and he's playing at home. When you add that the Lions have allowed 10 touchdowns to opposing tight ends (including the ever-elusive Justin Perillo), Watson becomes almost a no-brainer.
I'm not as enthused about Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead as I want to try to avoid any player being covered by Darius Slay. Snead carries less risk with his lower price tag and return to health, so I'd prefer to look his way if using a receiver. Both carry nice upside given the matchup, but the floor here doesn't appear to be as solid as Watson's. That's not to say you shouldn't use them; I'd just be more inclined to turn Watson's way when trying to get exposure to a potentially explosive Saints passing game.
