5 NFL FanDuel Value Plays to Target in Week 15

One of the crucial aspects of daily fantasy football is unearthing cheap production.

Our projections can help you do just that by allowing you to sort players by their point-per-dollar value. A lot of times, the top value plays come as a result of injury situations, meaning it's imperative to see inactives on Sunday morning before setting your lineups.

When looking for a salary-saving option, check out one of these main-slate players this week.

Week 15 of the NFL is here! We have a loaded 11-game slate, and there are plenty of options across the board. Let's take a look at some value plays to help you afford the top stars on the main slate.

Lynn Bowden Jr, WR, Miami Dolphins ($5,000)

The Miami Dolphins find themselves as 2.5-point favorites at home to host the New England Patriots this week and offer a bit of value.

It's Week 15 and the Dolphins are firmly in the playoff picture, something we haven't been able to say too often in recent history. However, they are dealing with a number of injuries, so let's break those down.

Wide receiver DeVante Parker is dealing with a hamstring issue, and his status is unknown for Sunday. Jakeem Grant is also dealing with a hamstring issue and is week-to-week. Both running backs Myles Gaskin and Matt Breida are on the COVID list, while Salvon Ahmed didn't practice last week and didn't play in their game. Oh boy.

This is a lot, and all of it led to Lynn Bowden Jr. seeing 9 targets in the passing game last week, bringing in 7 receptions and 82 yards, along with a single rushing attempt. He did all of this on 71% of the offensive snaps, which is what we should expect from him moving forward due to the volume of injuries on the Dolphins. That is a strong floor of targets considering Parker played in their Week 14 game.

If Parker ends up missing this game against the Patriots, Bowden seeing 10 targets isn't out of the question.

J.D. McKissic, RB, Washington Football Team ($5,800)

If Washington Football Team running back Antonio Gibson is out again, J.D. McKissic is a value option.

Gibson has been a fantastic option for Washington all season, but a turf toe injury kept him from playing last week against the San Francisco 49ers. In his place, we saw both McKissic and Peyton Barber see playing time in the backfield, with McKissic leading the way, playing on 65% of the offensive snaps. With that playing time, he racked up 11 rushing attempts for 68 yards, 4 targets, 2 receptions, and 18 receiving yards. Those numbers don't jump off the page, but we have to remember that Washington didn't have an offensive touchdown in that game. That limited his overall ceiling, but the touches in both the rushing and passing game are what's valuable here.

Hopefully, they can get the offense going this week because they'll need it against the Seattle Seahawks, who are averaging 30 points per game this season. Even though Seattle has a strong offense, their defense is lacking in several areas. They are allowing the 12th most (21.1) FanDuel points per game to opposing running backs this season. Many of those points allowed come via the passing game, with the fourth-most (77) receptions allowed and the seventh-most (561) receiving yards allowed to running backs.

With McKissic's dual-threat production ability, he should have a safe path to fantasy points in this game.

Jeff Wilson, RB, San Francisco 49ers ($5,800)

With San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert dealing with an ankle injury, Jeff Wilson could be in for a larger role.

Mostert played last week against Washington but only had 16 total touches and is now dealing with an ankle injury. Mostert also only played on 49% of the offensive snaps, while Wilson was right behind him at 48%.

This is very encouraging and hopefully shows Wilson will be the lead back if Mostert is unable to go. Wilson ended last week with 11 carries for 31 yards, along with 1 reception on 3 targets for 13 yards. On top of that, Wilson led the team with three of the four total red zone rushing attempts for the game.

This is all very good considering the 49ers are taking the Dallas Cowboys, who are allowing the sixth-most (22.9) FanDuel points per game to opposing running backs this season. While this game only has an over/under at 44.5 points, Wilson's role could be solidified in the offense if Mostert is ruled out. A $5.8K salary for a starting running back in this matchup is too good to pass up.

Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears ($5,300)

With one of the softest matchups on the slate, Chicago Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney is a clear value play.

Why is the matchup so soft? Well, the Bears are on the road to take on the Minnesota Vikings, who are allowing a whopping 35.0 FanDuel points per game to opposing wide receivers, which is the third-worst in the league. Right from the jump, this is a great matchup for the Bears' receivers, and Mooney has a clear path to production. Surprisingly, Mooney has the second-highest (14.57%) target share on the Bears this season behind Allen Robinson (25.75%).

Among the Bears' receivers with more than 20 targets, Mooney leads the team with a 13.3 average depth of target (aDOT) and is second on the team (982) in air yards. That big-play potential is always something you want to see in your lineups, especially when it comes with a value play. It's also great that this isn't really a dart throw on a receiver, as he has the second-most targets on the team! He is regularly involved in the Bears' passing game and happens to be in an amazing spot this week.

Chad Hansen, WR, Houston Texans ($5,600)

Is Chad Hansen a viable option this week for the Houston Texans?

At only $5.6K, it is very clear Hansen makes a good value play considering he has seen 14 targets in the past two games -- his only two games this season. Last week, Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks didn't play but is expected back this week versus the Indianapolis Colts. Now, you could be saying "Hansen saw most of those targets when Cooks was out last week and won't see them when he is back." That doesn't appear to be the case since Hansen saw seven targets in each of the two games, including one when Cooks played.

We know that Will Fuller is suspended for the rest of the season, presenting a need for the Texans to have a viable third wide receiver. Cooks and Keke Coutee have their roles pretty well established, with Hansen rising as their third option. This week's game against the Colts has an over/under of 51.5 and has the Texans as 7.0-point underdogs. This should put them in a game script for passing opportunities and open up chances for Hansen to continue racking up fantasy points.