Week 5 of the NFL season is off to the races with the 49ers kicking things off with an overtime victory over the Rams on Thursday night. There will be football from start to finish once again this Sunday, with the Vikings and Browns kicking things off with a Sunday morning matchup. Bye weeks are beginning to take place, but there are still 10 games kicking off across the traditional Sunday slate.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action with DraftKings Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Sports. As you seek to maximize your DFS lineups, here is a look at a few players in line to outperform their price point to help give you an edge. This article will give my best lineup for the DFS content and the logic behind each selection.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Quarterback:
Dak Prescott ($6,000)
The Dallas Cowboys are off to a 1-2-1 start to the season through no fault of Dak Prescott. There has been a stark difference in productivity on both sides of the ball, with the defense leaving the offense hanging in a major way. Dallas ranks fifth in the league in scoring and has tallied the most total yards, but it ranks 31st in points allowed and is dead last in yards conceded. Prescott has held up his end of the bargain to this point and is playing some of the best football of his career in an individual sense. He has completed 72.9% of his pass attempts for 1,119 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions this season while adding 22 yards and a score with his legs. From a fantasy football perspective, Prescott is averaging 20.5 fantasy points per game, which ranks 14th among quarterbacks based on DraftKings scoring. He is coming off a 34.0-point performance against the Packers in his last game and will now face off with an 0-4 Jets team that ranks 28th in points allowed and 20th in yards given up. The Cowboys have some significant defensive issues and will need to put up points if they are to be competitive in any matchup. Expect Prescott to lead the charge this week and add to his impressive stat total on the season. He has played far better than the team’s record indicates, and expect this to be shown in his fantasy total in this friendly matchup.
Other Considerations: Jayden Daniels ($7,000), Baker Mayfield ($6,300), Kyler Murray ($5,900), C.J. Stroud ($5,200)
Running Back:
Jahmyr Gibbs ($7,700)
The Detroit Lions will face the Cincinnati Bengals this week, who are in full-scale free fall as a franchise. Joe Burrow’s injury has shaken the organization to its core, and it has dropped to 2-2 after a strong start. Cincinnati ranks 27th in points allowed and 30th in yards given up, as well as 30th in points scored and last in yards produced offensively. It failed to even pass the 50-yard line outside of its opening drive in its most recent loss to the Broncos. Detroit will be licking its chops at the chance to produce a blowout victory and expect Jahmyr Gibbs to be at the epicenter of the production. There are no longer any questions about his role within the offense, and Gibbs is on the short list of the most talented individual running backs in the league. Through the opening four games, he has tallied 271 rushing yards and four rushing scores while adding 79 yards through the air. His 19.8 fantasy points per game, based on DraftKings scoring, ranks fifth among running backs, and he has not tallied fewer than 15.0 fantasy points in a game this season. Cincinnati gave up 101 yards to J.K. Dobbins just last week and 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns to Jordan Mason the week before. Gibbs is a caliber of talent above either of those names and is averaging 19.5 touches per game. Don’t be shocked if he leads all players in fantasy production this week, and count on a strong performance from the Lions’ star running back.
Breece Hall ($5,600)
The New York Jets entered the season looking to build an identity as a hard-nosed defensive team that leans on its running game often. Self-inflicted penalties and turnovers have prevented this game plan from having any sort of success. However, the outlook for Breece Hall shifted following the news that Braelon Allen will be sidelined for 8-12 weeks with a knee injury. Hall has been the RB1 anyway, but Allen has been lurking over his shoulder and taken up 18 carries and the lone rushing score from the running back position for New York this year. Expect Hall to resume his place as the clear featured back, as has been the case for most of his Jets tenure. Through the opening four weeks, he has rushed the ball 52 times for 238 yards and added 108 receiving yards through the air. His lack of touchdown production has limited his fantasy football outlook to this point, but the matchup wth the Cowboys is a great opportunity to change this. He is still averaging 12.7 fantasy points per game and will face a struggling Dallas defense that ranks 31st in points allowed and dead last in total yards given up. Looking just at the run defense, the Cowboys rank 20th in yards allowed and 29th in rushing touchdowns conceded. Look for Hall to make the most of some expanded opportunities in this favorable matchup and for the Dallas defense to show little resistance throughout.
Other Considerations: Ashton Jeanty ($6,700), Javonte Williams ($6,200), David Montgomery ($5,200), RJ Harvey ($4,500)
Wide Receivers:
George Pickens ($6,600)
Pairing the quarterback and wide receiver is an intriguing fantasy football strategy when the situation makes sense. Plugging George Pickens into your lineup alongside Dak Prescott is a spot where it could produce some ridiculous scoring totals in this Week 5 matchup. Pickens is making his case for why he belongs higher on the list of best wide receivers in the NFL than he is typically talked about. With CeeDee Lamb sidelined due to injury, Pickens is being asked to be the Cowboys’ number one wide receiver and has looked the part. Through the first four games, Pickens has pulled in 21 of his 33 targets for 300 yards and four touchdowns. He is averaging 19.5 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring, which ranks fifth among all wide receivers. The Georgia product managed to put up 1,100+ receiving yards during a season in Pittsburgh despite some variable quarterback play, and Prescott has provided him the opportunity to make plays. Last week was the first full game that Lamb missed, and Pickens put up a season-best 33.4 fantasy points. Look for him to build off this momentum and have another strong showing against a vulnerable Jets defense.
Garrett Wilson ($6,100)
On the other side of the matchup, Garrett Wilson will also be ready to feast against this porous Cowboys defense. Through his first four games this year, Wilson has tallied 27 receptions for 311 yards and three touchdowns. He is averaging 19.0 fantasy points per game, which ranks seventh among all wide receivers. Looking at the Cowboys’ pass defense, they rank 32nd in yards allowed through the air, 31st in passing touchdowns conceded and 32nd in net yards per pass attempt. Wilson has tallied 20+ fantasy points in three of the four games this season, including against stiffer competition. New York is hungry to get its first win and will be looking to push its offensive total to a level the defense can protect. Count on Wilson being a driving force of this production and be in line for another strong fantasy football output.
Wan’Dale Robinson ($5,300)
The New York Giants received a jolt as a franchise from the quarterback change, with Jaxson Dart stepping in as the starting quarterback last week. The rookie led the team to its first victory by taking down the Chargers, and New York will now shift its attention to the New Orleans Saints. Wan’Dale Robinson entered the season expected to be a key part of the Giants’ passing attack, and these expectations have been further scaled up following the injury to Malik Nabers. Through the opening four games, Robinson has pulled in 18 of his 27 targets for 237 yards and a touchdown. He is averaging 12.7 fantasy points per game, which ranks 27th among all wide receivers. The Saints enter with an 0-4 record and rank 30th in total points allowed as well as 29th in passing touchdowns conceded. Robinson should see his offensive role scaled up with Nabers sidelined for the foreseeable future, and this is a friendly matchup for the passing attack. He has already pulled in as many as 142 receiving yards in a game this season, so expect the 24-year-old to be in line for another strong showing today.
Other Considerations: Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($7,100), Nico Collins ($6,800), Deebo Samuel Sr. ($6,300), Jaylen Waddle ($5,400), Christian Kirk ($4,300)
Tight End:
Tyler Warren ($4,700)
The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the more pleasant surprises to start this season. They hold a 3-1 record through the opening four weeks and have played with a level of overall competency that has not been seen in a few seasons. Tyler Warren has been a major source of the team’s offensive production. The Penn State product is a Swiss Army knife in his skillset, and the Colts have leaned on him heavily to start the year. Warren has tallied 19 receptions for 263 yards and also has a rushing touchdown to his name. He is averaging 13.0 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring, which ranks seventh among tight ends. The Colts will look to add to this strong start as they take on the Raiders this week. Las Vegas ranks 22nd in points allowed and 21st in yards given up through this point of the season. Warren trails only Michael Pittman Jr. in targets and receptions this year on this Colts team. Expect him to remain a key part of the offensive production and for Warren to be among the top tight ends in fantasy football again this week.
Other Considerations: Sam LaPorta ($4,200), Dallas Goedert ($4,100), Darren Waller ($3,500)
Flex:
Tony Pollard ($5,400)
The Tennessee Titans are making an early case for being the NFL’s worst team, and Cam Ward has not minced words when talking about it. But the NFL season does not slow down or wait for any team, and they will attempt to pick up their first win in this week’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. If there is one certainty about this Titans team, it is that Tony Pollard will continue getting touches. Through the opening four weeks, Pollard has run the ball 68 times for 261 yards and a touchdown while adding 55 receiving yards. His production comes more from volume than efficiency, but Pollard is still putting up 10.7 fantasy points per game on the season. Arizona ranks 23rd in yards allowed this year and is 2-2 on the season. He isn’t the sexy pick, nor does Pollard hold a massive ceiling for what his production could be. But no other member of the Titans has double-digit rush attempts on the season. Paying the $5,400 price point for this level of guaranteed touches and role with the offense is worth it in my mind.
Defense & Special Teams:
Houston Texans ($2,400)
It might surprise some people to learn that the Houston Texans currently have allowed the fewest points of any defense in the league. They have not given up more than 20 points in a matchup this season, and they most recently held the Tennessee Titans scoreless. Houston will now face off with a banged-up Baltimore Ravens team set to be without Lamar Jackson. While Derrick Henry is still a threat at the running back spot, the level of fear Baltimore instills does not quite compare with Cooper Rush under center. The Texans have 11 sacks and three turnovers forced this season. They rank ninth among defenses in fantasy production by averaging 8.0 fantasy points per game on DraftKings Sportsbook. Look for the Texans to build off last week’s scoreless outing and have success getting to Cooper Rush. There will be some struggles in the Baltimore offense with so much of their style dependent on Jackson’s abilities, so count on Houston having some success limiting the points on the board.
Other Considerations: Lions ($3,500), Giants ($2,900), Panthers ($2,500)
