Week 15 NFL FanDuel Salary Movers
Things can change quickly in fantasy football. To quote Ferris Bueller -- "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
We're here to "look around" and make sure we don't miss any week-to-week salary changes that could pay dividends on FanDuel.
Perhaps a player had an outlier performance and saw their salary rise too high, making them a sub-optimal play. Or, maybe a player saw an increase in their role but played on Monday night after salaries for the following week's slate already came out, and therefore they haven't been priced accordingly.
This week's article will take a look at which players' salaries have changed the most from Week 14 to Week 15.
Now that you're ready, let's get to it!
Quarterback
Eli Manning, New York Giants
Week 14 Salary: $6,000
Week 15 Salary: $6,800
For all old-timers who wish we could get back on the field one last time, that wish was granted to Eli Manning on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 39-year-old signal caller stepped back into the starting role with rookie Daniel Jones dealing with a high-ankle sprain.
Manning got it done in the first-half, completing long touchdowns to rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton for 35 and 55 yards as the Giants took an early lead. However, the tables turned, and the Giants' offense was severely inept in the second half as the Eagles came back to tie the game late in the fourth quarter and ultimately got the win in overtime. Manning completed just half of his passes -- 15 of 30 -- for 203 yards and the two touchdowns to Slayton. His 16.02 FanDuel points were his best mark of the year, after scoring 14.84 and 12.2 in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively.
Jones' availability for Sunday's tilt against the Miami Dolphins is still up in the air. He did return to practice Wednesday but took snaps with the second unit. If Jones misses another game, Manning will get another start and gets about the best match up one could ask for as Miami has the worst pass D in the league, per our schedule-adjusted metrics. At just $6,800, Manning looks like a nice value play based on our projection of 17.3 FanDuel points.
Other Big Movers:
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers: $7,800 | $8,400
Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans: $7,700 | $8,200
Drew Lock, DEnver Broncos: $6,800 | $7,400
Running Back
DeAndre Washington, Oakland Raiders
Week 14 Salary: $5,000
Week 15 Salary: $6,300
Prior to Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans, DeAndre Washington's season high in carries was six as he played behind rookie Josh Jacobs. With Jacobs out due to a shoulder injury, Washington stepped into the lead-back role and earned 14 rushing attempts, scoring on a 14-yard run in the first quarter.
He managed only 53 yards on the ground but was also involved in the passing game as the Raiders trailed in the second-half. He secured six of his seven targets for an additional 43 yards and 18.6 FanDuel points in the 42-21 loss. Washington's big day results in a $1,300 salary bump to $6,300 as he is the biggest mover of the week along with Raheem Mostert, who I touched on last week.
Jacobs had an MRI on his shoulder this week, and the results are encouraging for his Week 15 status. He has returned to practice in a limited basis, but his status for their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars is still uncertain as of Friday. If Jacobs is out again, Washington provides some salary relief and would be a good tournament play versus a weak Jags defense that has bled points to the running back position. In just their last four games, they've surrendered 93 FanDuel points to running backs.
Other Big Movers:
Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers: $11,000 | $10,400
Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers: $6,200 | $7,500
James White, New England Patriots: $6,000 | $6,800
Wide Receiver
Isaiah Ford Miami Dolphins
Week 14 Salary: $4,500
Week 15 Salary: $5,500
On November 27th, the Dolphins placed wide receiver Jakeem Grant on injured reserve and called up Isaiah Ford. Ford, a 2017 seventh-round pick by the Dolphins, had played sparingly in four games prior to his big day this past week, recording a season high snap rate of nearly 29 percent back in Week 4. Without DeVante Parker in Week 14, Ford became Ryan Fitzpatrick's go-to receiver, catching six of nine targets for 92 yards and 12.2 FanDuel points.
A 12-fantasy-point game doesn't grab your attention, but Ford did enough with his opportunities to get a $1,000 salary increase. Parker and Albert Wilson are still in the league's concussion protocol, leaving the Dolphins thin at the wide receiver position. If both remain out Sunday, Ford can expect another heavy dose of snaps, this time against a weak New York Giants secondary that ranks in the bottom-four in success rate allowed to wide receivers.
Other Big Movers:
Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $7,900 | $8,400
Emmanuel Sanders, San Francisco 49ers: $5,900 | $6,900
A.J. Brown, Tennessee Titans: $5,400 | $6,200
Tight End
Noah Fant, Denver Broncos
Week 14 Salary: $4,800
Week 15 Salary: $5,700
Prior to Sunday's 19.3-FanDuel-point outing, Noah Fant had scored 7.3, 2.9, and 1.0 points in his previous three games. With the quarterback change to Drew Lock, perhaps Fant can ascend up the tight end hierarchy.
Fant had his best game of the season a week ago, catching all four of his targets for 113 yards and a touchdown. The highlight was a 48-yard catch and run where he beat Houston Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph. His day was cut short due to a foot injury, stopping what could have been an even bigger output as tight end Jeff Heuerman caught a touchdown after Fant's exit.
Fant missed practice Wednesday but returned Thursday for a limited session. The Broncos certainly need their rookie playmaker this week to help keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs as Denver is 9.5-point road underdogs. Fant had five targets in their previous meeting but managed just one catch for seven yards. The Chiefs are vulnerable to tight ends, giving up 11.5 FanDuel points per game to the position, making Fant a viable option in your lineups if he plays.
Other Big Movers:
George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers: $6,700 | $7,200
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns: $4,900 | $5,500
Nick O'Leary, Jacksonville Jaguars: $4,500 | $5,300
