FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Helper: Week 15 Monday Night

With the Raiders-Browns game getting pushed to today due to COVID-19, we have ourselves a rare two-game Monday slate, with the other game being the originally scheduled bout between the Vikings and Bears.

The line has fluctuated a bit, but according to NFL odds, the Raiders are 3.0-point road favorites over the COVID-riddled Browns, and the game's 40.5-point over/under doesn't exactly scream shootout. The other game projects to be a little more fantasy-friendly (45.0-point total), with the visiting Vikings favored by 6.5 points.

The festivities get going at 5:00 pm ET with the re-scheduled Cleveland contest.

How should we tackle this slate?

Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Offense
Even though they're on the road, the fact that the Raiders are only slight favored against the Browns' depleted roster suggests that oddsmakers don't have a ton of confidence in them these days.

The good news is that it's pretty easy to narrow down the top fantasy options on the team.

Injuries have left Josh Jacobs ($7,400) and Hunter Renfrow ($7,400) with voluminous roles, making them the ideal guys to target.

Over the past two games, Jacobs has averaged 26.0 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) since Kenyan Drake was injured early in Week 13. Meanwhile, Renfrow is averaging 11.0 targets (28.4% share) across the last three with Darren Waller hurt. Even in an unexciting game for fantasy, we'll gladly take the usage these two are seeing.

Part of the reason for Renfrow's emergence is a lack of consistent wideouts behind him in Zay Jones ($5,100), DeSean Jackson ($5,200), and Bryan Edwards ($5,400). Jones has tallied the biggest target share of this group over the last three games (16.4%), but it hasn't amounted to much in the way of fantasy points. Jackson may very well be the best guy to take a chance on in case he busts out for a big play.

Waller's direct replacement has been Foster Moreau ($5,500), who's averaged a 90.6% snap rate the past three weeks. Unfortunately, that hasn't translated to much box score success, but a serviceable 12.1% target share keeps him in play at a tight end position lacking upside options.

Finally, Derek Carr ($7,600) is in play by default, but the quarterbacks in the second game are more intriguing in a potentially better game environment. If nothing else, Carr could have passing volume in his favor, though, as he's averaging 38.2 pass attempts and 302.0 passing yards per game this season.

Given the situation on the other side, the Las Vegas D/ST ($4,000) is a nice way to slash salary on defense.

Cleveland Offense
While there was a chance that some players on the COVID-19 list could get cleared this afternoon, it's already been reported that quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Nick Mullens did not clear protocols, so third-stringer Nick Mullens ($6,500) will get the start for Cleveland.

Throw in the team missing other key pieces like Jarvis Landry and Kareem Hunt, and it's difficult to get super excited about this offense.

The lone exception? Nick Chubb ($8,000), who will almost certainly be handed a massive workload given both the circumstances and Hunt's absence. With Hunt getting hurt mid-game last week, Chubb would see 25.0 adjusted opportunities and a season-high 65.6% snap rate, and both of those marks could go up in a pivotal game for a Browns team still fighting for a playoff spot.

Beyond him, it's tough to feel too comfortable in the passing game with Mullens under center, but Donovan Peoples-Jones ($5,900), Rashard Higgins ($4,700), and David Njoku ($5,200) will be his top weapons. Peoples-Jones played a season-high 91.8% snap rate last week and saw the second-highest target share (22.6%) behind Landry. He's the closest we have to a reliable pass-catcher on Cleveland.

Outside of a surprise upset over Dallas in Week 12, Las Vegas has lost five of the last six games and failed to score even 17 points in any of those losses. You could do worse than ride with the Cleveland D/ST ($4,100) in spite of the team's COVID issues.

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

Minnesota Offense
The night cap will be the far more popular game to target, and the Vikings ought to be the offense that draws the most attention of today's four teams.

Favored by nearly a touchdown on the road, you could argue that Kirk Cousins ($8,000), Dalvin Cook ($9,000), and Justin Jefferson ($8,800) are the top high-salaried plays at each of their respective positions.

Starting with Cook, he's a no-brainer play after a 34.7-point outburst off 33.0 adjusted opportunities in Week 14. So much for any health concerns? You're going to want him in plenty of lineups, particularly if you think the Vikings dominate this game from the start.

While Cousins isn't a guy we often gravitate towards on full slates, he's the only signal-caller amongst tonight's group to show any consistency, and his 19.7 FanDuel points per game actually ranks 10th at the position this season.

It might also surprise you that he's been one of the league's most efficient passers. Entering the week, Cousins' 0.24 Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per drop back ranks fifth among passers with at least 100 drop backs.

The matchup also checks out for Cousins, as the Bears rank 25th in schedule-adjusted pass defense, per numberFire's metrics. The only question is whether Chicago can put up enough of a fight to keep this passing attack involved.

With Adam Thielen ($7,500) going down early in Week 13, Jefferson's logged 14 and 15 targets the past two weeks with an absurd 40.3% target share and 56.1% air yards share. Thielen is technically a game-time decision, but seeing as he didn't practice all week, we should feel supremely confident in Jefferson soaking up targets regardless.

K.J. Osborn ($6,000) has been a bigger winner with Thielen sidelined, averaging 8.0 targets while playing 89.1% of the snaps the past two weeks. He's one of the better wideout values, and even if Thielen does ultimately play, you could still go with Osborn in the hopes that Thielen plays limited snaps or is a decoy.

The uncertainty surrounding Thielen makes him a risky play if he's active, but if the news sounds positive before the game, he could be worth a roll of the dice at what should be a lower roster percentage than usual.

The last key Minnesota pass-catcher is tight end Tyler Conklin ($5,700), who owns an 80.4% snap rate and 14.3% target share this season. Seeing as he's on the team with the highest implied team total (25.50), and there are no elite tight ends on the slate, he's probably the best bet to score a touchdown.

As the evening's biggest favorite, the Minnesota D/ST ($4,800) stands out, though you're paying a premium for their services. For that reason alone, targeting the early game may be the wiser choice.

Chicago Offense
Next to Cousins, Justin Fields ($7,000) is the other top quarterback play, and he comes at an appealing $1,000 discount. In his last three full games, Fields has posted 26.30, 19.14, and 20.36 FanDuel points while averaging 9.0 carries and 74.0 rushing yards per game. Minnesota ranks 25th in adjusted total defense and abruptly waived starting cornerback Bashaud Breeland over the weekend, so this isn't a daunting matchup for Fields, either.

David Montgomery ($6,800) has the lowest salary of tonight's starting running backs, and he gives us a fourth option enjoying fantasy-friendly usage at the position. Since returning in Week 9, Montgomery's averaged 23.8 adjusted opportunities and an 82.4% snap rate. Given the potential negative game script, his 16 combined targets over the past two games are also encouraging. The Vikings rank 30th in adjusted rush defense, as well.

While Fields still isn't someone we expect to rack up the passing yards, at least we know his targets are most likely headed towards Darnell Mooney ($6,100), especially with Allen Robinson on the COVID-19 list. In Fields' eight full games, Mooney leads the team with a 24.4% target share, and that was with Robinson hauling in a 20.4% share.

Cole Kmet ($5,000) hasn't shown much of a ceiling, but he's notched a 20.4% target share in those starts, as well, making him a viable salary-saver at tight end.

With Robinson and also Marquise Goodwin (doubtful), Damiere Byrd ($5,000). and Jakeem Grant ($5,200) are the next men up at wide receiver, though they're merely punt options. Byrd saw an 85.9% snap rate, compared to 66.2% for Grant, when Robinson and Goodwin were both out in Week 13.