FanDuel NFL: Quarterbacks Week 5

FanDuel NFL: Quarterbacks Week 5 is a column highlighting the best player, most affordable, and best value options for your FanDuel NFL lineups focusing on salary versus expected points. The intention of this article is to help you build your FanDuel NFL lineup for the most likely big payday each week.

I like to lean on FantasyPros for weekly point projections, the information is a result of consensus from many fantasy football experts.  I check the point projection results, which update daily, with the salary set by FanDuel for players each week.  

Entering week 5, we’ll see meaningful changes to salaries and projected points as QB’s like Matt Ryan continue to fly high and others like Cam Newton take hits and have injury concerns.  Oh, and Tom Brady is back!  Cross the following QB’s off your list, as they each have ‘Byes’ this week:

Blake Bortles

To help you optimize your FanDuel NFL lineups each week, we’re focusing on the Most Points, Best Affordable, and Most Value options.  This article will focus on the Quarterback position. Here’s a brief description of each category:

• Most Projected Points – Evaluation of top projected point options from FantasyPros
• Best Affordable – Your most affordable, best player, options leaving you with enough money for good players in other positions
• Most Value – Identify the cheapest players with the highest upside

Now, let’s take a look at the players everyone’s targeting:

Next: Most Projected Points - QB

Most Projected Points – QB

As we’ve already alluded to, and as we’re going to hear about all week, Tom Brady ($8,700 / 22.5) is back!  Brady will be taking control of a New England Patriots’ offense which was able to go 3-1 without him, using Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett at quarterback.  Garoppolo looked great, but was injured in week 2.  Brissett, well, Jacoby looks like a rookie.  Still, he was able to go 1-1 in his first two starts in the NFL, not bad.  So now, Tom Brady will take over a 3-1 team, he’s extremely pissed off with the NFL (4 game suspension for supposedly deflating a football), and his first game is against…the Cleveland Browns.  So it should shock no one Tom is your top projected quarterback for FanDuel NFL points in week 5.  Brady won’t have a cake-walk through the Browns’ defense, they’re not terrible, only mediocre.  But with many chips on Tom’s side week 5, he should beat Matt Ryan this week for most FanDuel NFL QB points.

Aaron Rodgers ($9,100 / 21.3) struggled in week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, but now that we’ve seen four weeks of the Vikings defense, we know it was more so Minnesota’s D, and not Rodgers.  Aaron had great weeks against the Jaguars and Lions, scoring 20+ FanDuel NFL points in each.  Coming off a bye, it’s likely Rodgers could have a good game.  However, Aaron is facing a Giants defense who’s only given up 6.8 yards per pass attempt, tied with the Patriots for 10th best in the NFL.  The Giants have only given up 4 passing touchdowns as well.  But, they don’t have an interception this year and only have four sacks.  This could be a good bye-week bounce back for Rodgers, but there’s risk.  He’s not worth $9,100 this week when you have Tom Brady and other cheaper, better, options.

Cam Newton ($9,300 / 21) is a top five projected QB this week.  The Panthers are 1-3 and Newton has struggled this year, at least compared to last year.  Still, Newton is averaging 21.17 points per game, 4th among all QB’s this year.  So Cam may seem like a risk, after last week, but he’s a consistently solid play each week.  The only problem, he’s not always the best value.  This week, Newton, if healthy, should bounce back against a weak Tampa Defense giving up 8.3 yards per pass attempt and 2+ passing TD’s per game.

Ben Roethlisberger ($8,600 / 20.8) and Philip Rivers ($8,300 / 20.6) round out the top five.  This week, Big Ben could be under-played against a New York Jets passing defense playing well below expectations.  The Jets have given up 9.7 yards per passing attempt, or practically a first down each pass attempt.  New York’s run defense is impressive, but they’re passing defense keeps opponents in every game and Big Ben will likely have a big day throwing to Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh against the Jets.  Oakland isn’t struggling as bad as the Jets defending the passing game, but Rivers should also have a good day, playing above his seasonal average of 17 FanDuel NFL points per game.

Next: Best Affordable - QB

Best Affordable – QB

If you asked me, two months ago, if Carson Wentz ($7,500 / 18.7) could be a top affordable option for FanDuel NFL QB in week 5 of this season, I would laugh so hard I may even shed some tears.  It’s amazing how quickly things seem to have changed for the Philadelphia Eagles in just a month.  Now having started all three games for the Eagles this season, and coming off a week 4 bye, Wentz is 11th among all quarterbacks with 17.62 FanDuel NFL points per game.  That’s impressive for a rookie quarterback.  In week 5, the Eagles face a Lions defense with a great corner back, Darius Slay, but overall a terrible passing defense.  The Lions are giving up over 8 yards per passing attempt, 26th in the NFL.  But worse, the Lions are giving up 3 passing touchdowns per game, 31st in the NFL.  Also, the average QB rating against the Lions defense is 120.2, easily the worst in the NFL.  Quarterbacks are feasting on the Lions.  This is a great week to only spend $7,500 on Carson, the best affordable option of the week.

While many may tout Kirk Cousins ($7,500 / 17.7) as a solid weekly play at QB on an affordable salary, this week I’m concerned about using Cousins.  The Baltimore defense is doing a solid job against the passing game, only giving up six yards per attempt, 2nd only to the Denver Broncos. The Ravens have been pressure the QB and piling up interceptions, five already, and with the Redskins offensive run game struggling, I suspect Cousins could have a rough day in Baltimore. On the other side of the field in the Ravens/Redskins game though, is Joe Flacco ($7,600 / 13.3).  Joe is only just over eight months removed from an ACL injury, and at times seems in pain on the field.  However, if he can continue to stay relatively healthy, he should get better as the season continues.  Flacco and Steve Smith have synced over the last two games, and each have had their fantasy value climb as a result.  This week, Flacco is facing a Washington team who’s struggling to stop the pass.  Flacco is another good affordable option in week 5, better than Cousins.

Next: Most Value - QB

Best Affordable – QB

Speaking of surprises like Carson Wentz, so goes Brian Hoyer ($6,000 / 17).  Hoyer always seems to emerge on a team with quarterback injuries, but it’s not because he’s just a good backup, many teams consider Hoyer a starting QB contender.  In Chicago, rumors are he may be making a case for Jay Cutler‘s job now.  Brian has only played in two games, and started one, last week against the Detroit Lions.  However, Hoyer looks rock solid so far, something you can’t say about Jay Cutler.  Brian has avoided throwing an interception in 97 attempts.  Hoyer has a 103.3 QB rating after two games, 5th in the NFL for Quarterbacks throwing at least 90+ attempts this season.  In week 5, the Bears play a Colts team struggling with passing defense, resembling the Washington Redskins struggles which we already discussed.  Get Hoyer while he’s cheap, and playing a struggling defense this week.

Next: FanDuel NFL Week 4 Mon-Thurs

Wrapping up, if you can afford Tom Brady, play him.  But, Carson Wentz is an outstanding affordable option this week.  If you need a cheap option likely to still get you solid points, Brian Hoyer is your man in week 5!  Good luck FanDuelers!