With just a few more weeks left in the NFL regular season, teams are jockeying for playoff positions or fighting for their postseason lives.
The spread of Omicron is putting a wrinkle into Week 15, with numerous players possibly sitting out this week due to the NFL’s COVID-19 policies. That will also complicate DFS lineups, although we stand to benefit in lineup construction by players returning from injury who have missed large portions of the season.
Here are five players under $5,000 on DraftKings to consider this week.
Jeff Wilson Jr, 49ers RB ($5,000)
Value is hard to find at running back this week, and we have Wilson as our best $5,000 and below option. But, he’s a tenuous option at that. Starting San Francisco running back Elijah Mitchell still lies under concussion protocol and will likely miss the Week 15 game against the Falcons, making Wilson, who has his own nagging injuries, the likely starter. In the three games in which he’s gotten at least 10 touches this season, Wilson hasn’t scored more than 6.8 fantasy points on DraftKings. Atlanta offers a weak running defense, however, so Wilson could prove a sneaky good play this week.
AJ Green, Cardinals WR ($4,900)
DeAndre Hopkins will miss the rest of the season with an injured knee, opening up more opportunities for Arizona pass-catchers. While Green may be the old man in the Phoenix receiving corps, he’s put up solid numbers this season, including seven receptions on 10 targets for 102 yards last week.
Sterling Shepard, Giants WR ($4,700)
Like several Giants receivers, Shepard has missed a large chunk of the season. Last week, in his first action since Week 8, Shepard caught just two of four targets for 27 yards. But he faced a tough Chargers pass defense and had backup quarterback Mike Glennon tossing him the football. The sledding should be easier in Week 15 against the porous Dallas pass defense, and with Daniel Jones back under center.
DeVante Pakrer, Dolphins WR ($4,300)
Parker is another receiver who returned last week after missing a healthy portion of 2021, catching all five targets for 62 yards. That effort notched him his fourth double-digit fantasy outing in six games this season. With Jaylen Waddle out in Week 15 due to COVID-19 protocols, Parker is likely to ascend to his old No. 1 receiver option spot.
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins TE ($5,000)
Let’s turn to another Dolphins pass-catcher for our fifth option. Gesicki caught seven passes on 11 targets for 46 yards last week and faces a New York Jets team this week that ranks 26th against opposing tight ends in DFS. Gesicki has sneakily averaged 10.8 fantasy points per game on DraftKings this season as he’s not a tight end that gets a lot of fantasy attention.