NFL DFS Showdown picks, lineup strategy for Bears vs. Commanders on Thursday Night Football in Week 5

The Chicago Bears (0-4) will travel to take on the Washington Commanders (2-2) in this week’s Thursday Night Football matchup. Ahead of the Week 5 action, let’s go over some picks from both sides that you can consider in your DFS Showdown lineups.

NFL DFS Showdown strategy: Bears vs. Commanders

Captain’s Picks

Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders ($15,300)

McLaurin had his best all-around performance in Week 4, catching 8-of-10 for 86 yards and 22.6 fantasy points at DraftKings. Mind you, that was against an Eagles team who are much better equipped to handle passing threats than the Bears are. Week 4’s performance set some season-highs for McLaurin, including receptions, targets, and yards. The Bears have allowed an average of 169.3 yards per game to opposing receivers, and as long as QB Sam Howell continues to toss the ball his way, expect him to put in a huge performance at home on Thursday.

Justin Fields, QB, Bears ($16,500)

Fields had his best performance of the season in Week 4 also, completing 28-of-35 throws for 335 yards, four touchdowns and one interception against the Broncos. He also added another 25 yards from four rushing attempts, amassing 32.9 DraftKings fantasy points in the process. The Commanders have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, giving up over 30 points to QBs in their last three outings. Despite the game’s outcome, expect Fields to put in another solid performance at FedEx Field.

FLEX Options

Sam Howell, QB, Commanders ($9,400)

Howell has been performing above expectations so far this season, averaging 240.3 yards per game with four touchdowns to his name. He put up 21.26 DKFP against the Broncos in Week 2 as he logged two touchdowns and 299 yards on the day, while putting in another good performance against the Eagles in Week 4 with 290 yards and another touchdown. Chicago’s pass defense isn’t much to talk about, meaning Howell could see some of those stats boosted at home against a subpar Bears team.

Khalil Herbert, RB, Bears ($8,600)

Like Fields, Herbert put in his best performance of the season last week against the Broncos. The 25-year-old broke three digits in rushing yards for the first time this season, totaling 103 yards from a season-high 18 carries. He also added another 19 yards and a touchdown by catching four of his five targets. It was his highest fantasy output of the campaign thus far, totaling 25.2 DKFP on the day.

Players to Avoid

Antonio Gibson, RB, Commanders ($3,200)

Gibson’s stock has been falling from week to week, starting out with an $8k price tag in Week 1 while diminishing consistently each week. He’s now playing behind Brian Robinson Jr., but he’s had a fairly disappointing season so far as Gibson has only logged 13 carries for 54 total yards through his first four games. It’s going to be a hard pass from me until he can turn his production around at least start scoring double-digit fantasy points.

Cole Kmet, TE, Bears ($6,400)

Kmet had a breakout game last week in the Bears’ loss to Denver, catching 7-of-9 for 85 yards and two touchdowns. It’s the first time he’s produced more than 7.8 DKFP on the season, but it’s hard to believe lightning will strike twice in a row. The Commanders have allowed significantly less points to opposing tight ends than the rest of the league, and I’d expect Kmet to have a quiet night on the road.