Best Pick ‘Em Player Props: Week 15
by Ahaan Rungta, December 17, 2022Prop betting is a marketplace where a lot of value can be found especially for fantasy gamers! Which pick ’em player prop bets provide the most value this week?
Prop betting is a marketplace where a lot of value can be found especially for fantasy gamers! Which pick ’em player prop bets provide the most value this week?
When making start/sit decisions, matchups are important to consider. With the fantasy playoffs on the way, which wide receivers are facing tougher coverage this week? Which wide receivers should we consider benching because of.a tough matchup?
It’s easy to get enamored by late-round rookie quarterbacks. They always have a certain fire, and when they deliver in the spotlight America falls in love. Brock Purdy is the next candidate to test the waters of “the Tom Brady trajectory.” He produced 15.3 and 21.7 fantasy points in his two games as the team’s signal caller. Completing 70.7-percent of his passes with a 90.9 True Passer Rating, he’s quickly settling into Kyle Shanahan’s system.
The Jaguars entered Week 14 allowing the 8th-most passing fantasy points to QBs. They have allowed at least 27 points in three of their last four games. Dallas has a high-powered offense that has scored at least 28 in each of their last six games. Expect Prescott to wheel and deal against a mediocre Jaguars defense.
Etienne has not had a top-36 finish his last three games, with three receptions in that time, all in Week 13. Trevor Lawrence is leading the offense with his arm with the run game not of much use. Etienne has flashed great fantasy production, but his recent struggles combined with a bad matchup have him on fantasy benches to start the playoffs.
With the playoffs now in store, you will see a much briefer form of this column. In this version of the column, we will only use our streaming selections to help you lift that trophy. However, if you preferred the introspective, long-form version, not to worry. At the conclusion of the Regular Season, I will be back to offer a review of the best and worst takes from the column and lessons learned moving forward.
This season, only nine teams have allowed more tight-end receptions than the Detroit Lions. Now entering an offensive game script with a 51.5-point Vegas total (the highest on the Sunday afternoon slate) and a revenge narrative against the team that just traded him, it’s no surprise that T.J. Hockenson’s over 4.5 receptions prop is juiced to -130 on sportsbooks.
It’s concerning that in his last three games that Mike Evans hasn’t topped 11 fantasy points despite facing young cornerbacks that rank outside the top-50 in the Cornerback Rankings. Evans has faced two top-10 cornerbacks this season, resulting in two of his three worst performances on the season.
It’s time Derek Carr gets his flowers. Behind the disaster that is the Raiders, he is averaging 19.27 (No. 11) fantasy points per game and has thrown at least two touchdown passes in every game since week 9. What he lacks in efficiency, he makes up for with his aggression. He’s airing it out with 9.1 (No. 5) Air Yards per Attempt. With 30 (No. 3) Money Throws, we’re even seeing a clutch gene from Carr. He’s been automatic since week 9 and is a top-12 option against a Rams defense that has given up nearly 20 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks over the last four weeks.
The Titans allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to WRs entering Week 13. Their secondary has allowed three 100-yard receivers in their last two games. Starting slot corner Elijah Molden is hurt and has missed most of the season. So, Kirk is poised to see large volume against a weakened defense this week.
Neither George Pickens nor Diontae Johnson have scored over 20 fantasy points this season. Pickens has two top-12 finishes while Johnson has none. Pittsburgh has scored over 24 points in a game just once this season, while Pickett has thrown for over 200 yards once in his last five games.
This will be the last week I take a league-wide view of NFL backfields in this column. With the playoffs approaching and trade deadlines largely passed, the utility of analyzing players not already on your team, and not available on the waiver wire reduces significantly. That’s why, instead of focusing on usage shifts in backfields generally, I want to instead focus on the best opportunities for playoff running back stashes.