FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 5

We’re back with FanDuel NFL Lineups for the fifth week of the NFL season.  We’re a Daily Fantasy Football column focused on top picks and best value for your weekly FanDuel NFL lineups.  We arm you with information for a big FanDuel NFL payday each week.

Last week, Deshaun Watson ($7,300) was the quarterback to own, totaling 34.72 FanDuel NFL points in one game.  Watson had more points than any other player in week four, and is someone we should call keep an eye on moving forward.  However, it’s too early to crow Waston a top DFS option at quarterback this week.

Like every week, we were high on Aaron Rodgers ($9,100) and Tom Brady ($9,500) and neither disappointed with at or over 20 FanDuel NFL points, their consistent trend.  But paying that price each week is difficult, and is really the better bet in cash games.  One of our other QB picks, Trevor Siemian ($7,500) only provided 11.26 FanDuel NFL points and was mostly a disappointment.

But we did well sticking to the emerging Todd Gurley II ($8,000), who racked up 31 FanDuel NFL points against the Cowboys.  We stacked Gurley with Fournette, 22.5 points, and Blount, 12.6 points, and that worked out well in many of our lineups.  Another play we liked was Le’Veon Bell, who finally showed up and dominated the Ravens with 32.6 FanDuel NFL points.

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We already mentioned how Siemian didn’t pay off, and our Broncos stack only yielded a pathetic 6.3 total FanDuel points with the combination of Thomas and Sanders.  Alshon Jeffery was able to get a touchdown, but only had 29 receiving yards for a total of 10.4 FanDuel points.  But Jordy Nelson did was he does best and hauled in two touchdown passes for a total of 21.5 points.

Carson Wentz continued to target Zach Ertz ($6,900) often, piling up 81 receiving yards on five receptions and once again getting double-digit FanDuel NFL points.  Lutz nailed another consistent 10 points, and we are back to picking top defenses, with the Jags giving us 15 FanDuel NFL points on a $5,200 salary.  Now, we take what we learned in the first four weeks, and look toward week five.

Once again, FanDuel is offering several slate options, including a Thursday through Monday slate covering all 16 games.  We’re going to focus our lineup options on all 16 games, and you can pick as you like, to build your top lineups for each slate.  Hopefully this helps you cover the slates you’re targeting this weekend.

Now, let’s get starting with the Quarterbacks…

FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 5 – Quarterbacks

Top Picks

Tom Brady ($9,300) was hot coming into the game against a touch Panthers defense.  Brady had over 30 FanDuel NFL points in weeks two and three, piling up eight total touchdown passes.  Against the Panthers, Brady threw for over 300 yards again and had another two touchdown passes for over 20 FanDuel NFL points.  This Thursday, Tom gets a tough Bucs defense, but the GOAT is likely to get over 20 points again.  Brady is consistently a great play for cash games, if you can afford him.

He’s more expensive than Brady this week, but there’s a good reason.  Aaron Rodgers ($9,500) hasn’t been as consistently dominate as Brady, but against a good Bengals defense followed by a terrible Bears secondary, Rodgers totaled seven touchdowns in the last two weeks.  Aaron averaged around 24 FanDuel NFL points-per-game in the last two weeks, and that would’ve been higher had the Packers been able to throw the ball more against the Bears, if they trailed.

This week, Rodgers and the Packers head to Dallas for a prime match up on Sunday afternoon.  Dallas has got run over, giving up over 107 rushing yards per game this season.  But the Cowboys are worse against the pass, giving up an average of 231.8 yards per game, 20th in the NFL.  What makes this match up more intriguing, is the Cowboys offense.  It’s likely Dallas stays in this game, and this could turn into a shootout, making Rodgers the best play of the week.

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But for a similar reason we like Dak Prescott ($7,700) this week as well.  Prescott is cheaper than Rodgers and Brady, and could produce just as much, if not more, at home against the Packers.  Green Bay has done well preventing the pass this year, allowing only 188.5 passing yards per game, 5th in the NFL.

But outside of Morgan Burnett playing the slot corner, the Packers defensive backs haven’t graded well this year.  That result has more to do with the passing games they’ve faced, so far, this season.  Yes, the Packers only allowed 252 passing yards to Ryan and the Falcons, but the Packers fell quickly to the Falcons and Atlanta ended up rushing for 141 yards to close out the game.  Also, the Falcons have a new coordinator in Atlanta and haven’t been as successful.

Other Top Options

Tom Brady has been on fire lately, but the Patriots need him to be hot.  The Pats pass offense has been terrible so far, getting shredded by every team they face.  This week, the pats are facing one of the better young quarterbacks in the league, Jameis Winston ($7,700).  Winston has great offensive targets, and piled up over 330 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Giants last week.  For only $7,700, we should get around 25 FanDuel NFL points this week.

Speaking of the Giants pass defense, they’re hosting Philip Rivers ($7,300) and the L.A. Chargers this week.  Rivers passing game woke up a little against the Eagles last week, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns.  The Chargers and Giants are both fighting for their first win in week five, and it’s likely this one turns into a shootout.

Fades

Cam Newton ($7,800) – A lot of FanDuel NFL players are going to get sucked into playing Newton this week, and it’s a trap!  Newton finally had a great week against the Pats, last week, piling up over 34 FanDuel NFL points.  But the Lions defense has been on fire this season, and quietly.

Glover Quin is playing at an elite level at safety for the Lions, and Miles Killebrew isn’t far off from Quinn.  Funchess looked like a great receiving option for Newton last week, but he’s going to have Darius Slay, one of the best corners in the NFL, on him all game.  Cam and the passing game is a hard fade this week.

Ben Roethlisberger  ($7,900) – Jalen Ramsey has dealt with an ankle injury all season, but somehow continues to look like an elite corner, and is likely to be all over Brown.  The Jags defense is firing right now, and the Steelers won’t have much luck in the air.

Marcus Mariota ($7,800) – A match up against the Dolphins would be ideal, but keep an eye on his status.  Mariota is likely a game-time decision, not ideal for DFS players.

FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 5 – Running Backs

Top Picks

After a cold start to the season, the Steelers Le’Veon Bell ($9,500) exploded with 35 carries for 144 yards and two touchdowns.  Bell also saw six targets, had four receptions, and 42 receiving yards.  As a result, Bell totaled an awesome 32.6 FanDuel NFL points in week four.

This week, the Steelers face a tough Jaguars defense, in Pittsburgh.  At first glance, that may scare some FanDuel NFL players away from playing Bell, but that would be a huge mistake.  Yes, the Jags have the best pass defense in the NFL, but they’re also the worst run defense in football.  For that reason, everyone is running the ball on them, and the Steelers should have a similar game plan this week.  I would expect Bell to see the ball another 30+ times this week, and he should be the best running back option.  If you’re playing cash games, you have to have Bell on your team.

Don’t be fooled by the Seattle Seahawks defensive reputation, they’re 6th worst in the NFL at stopping the running game, giving up 134 yards per game.  This week, the Seahawks get to face Todd Gurley II ($7,800) and his re-emerging run game.  Gurley is averaging over 27 FanDuel NFL points-per-game, and that has been fairly consistent.  We saw Todd pile up over 200 yards last week, against Dallas, and he’s in a similar situation this week.

Other Top Option

Doug Martin ($6,600) is finally back from his four game suspension and he should have a great start to the season.  The Pats are worse at defending the pass so far this year, but they’re not much better against the run.  The Bucs likely need to pass the ball often, if they fall behind.  That’s probably why Martin has such a low salary.  But Doug is going to see the ball 20+ times and should be a solid double-digit FanDuel NFL point running back, making him a great play for cash games.

Melvin Gordon ($7,100) has been inconsistent and generally frustrating for DFS football players this season.  Gordon was a top-two tiered running back by many fantasy experts, heading into the start of the season.  But Gordon doesn’t have one 100 yard rushing game yet, because the Chargers keep falling behind quickly in games.  Not this week.

Everyone playing the Giants are figuring out how the run game is the best way to beat them.  The Giants fast-paced offense can be hampered if you slow the ball down when they’re on defense, and methodologically run the ball down the field.  The Giants are the 5th worst at stopping the run, giving up over 142 yards per game.  This is the day Gordon reminds fantasy football owners he’s still a great running back option.

The Jets are back to a great passing defense, now a top-ten team.  But they’re still giving up around 144 rushing yards per game, 4th worst in the NFL.  Duke Johnson Jr. ($6,000) is seeing his passing targets climb from five, to start the season against the Steelers, to ten last week against the Bengals.  DJ’s nine receptions for 47 yards, and rushing touchdown provided 16.5 FanDuel NFL points last week.

While the Jets are doing well against the pass, that’s mostly on the corners.  That makes Johnson more likely to pile up receiving yards.  This week against the Jets, Duke should continue to see seven to ten targets and get six to nine receptions.  If the Browns can get in the red zone a few times, Duke could see another rushing touchdown this week.  This is an affordable way to get double-digit FanDuel NFL points for Cash or GPP.

Fades

Kareem Hunt ($9,000) – This is a ballsy, and potentially stupid, call.  But, we’ll likely see Hunt hit a rookie wall against the Texans in Houston.  Kareem has over 100 rushing yards in three of his four games this season, but the Texans don’t allow more than 97 rushing yards per game.  Hunt has seen receiving targets, but outside of the opening game against the Pats, Kareem hasn’t done much with his receptions.  Also, the Texans have a top-ten pass defense.  Hunt may have a solid game, but not great.  So don’t waste $9K on this pick.

Jordan Howard ($6,700) – It’s tempting to go with the Bears run game given they’re finally letting Trubisky take snaps.  The Bears will probably play conservative football, and push the ball on the ground more.  But against the Vikings 3rd best run defense in the NFL, Howard and the Bears will struggle.

Bilal Powell ($6,600) – Another trap!  Powell looked great against the Jags last week.  You know, the worst run defense in the NFL?  And now the Jets are playing a bad Browns team.  But, the Browns have the 8th best run defense in the NFL, tied with the Panthers.  Powell and the Jets won’t have a great run day, and will be force to pass the ball more.

FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 5 – Wide Receivers

Top Picks

We already mentioned how Rodgers will continue to be an elite quarterback this week against the Cowboys, and Jordy Nelson ($8,600) will continue to be his elite target.  Jordy has five touchdowns in three games, and should have a few more on Sunday afternoon.  Jordy may not get you over 100 passing yards, but he’ll get you 20 FanDuel NFL points on an affordable salary.  Also, with Davante Adams potentially out, after taking a brutal hit last week, Randall Cobb ($6,600) should be a target machine this week.  A Packers passing stack will be chalky, but in cash games, it’s almost necessary.

Sticking with the same game, Dez Bryant ($7,800) has been unfortunate to get a top cornerback in coverage, each of the first four weeks of the season.  This week, at home in Dallas, Bryant should be set free, with no real coverage threat offered by the Packers.  Dez will get double-digit targets this week, and likely have over 100 yards with a touchdown or two.

For the same reason we like Winston and the Bucs passing offense this week against a terrible Pats passing defense, we also have to get Mike Evans ($8,900) on our cash-game lineups.  In each of the first three games for the Bucs, Evans has over 10 FanDuel NFL points, and twice has more than 15 points, thanks to two touchdowns.  Mike could see over 100 receiving yards this week, as he’s getting over ten targets again, and a touchdown.

Rivers could have another solid game in New York this weekend, and Keenan Allen ($7,500) is a target machine.  Allen has another shot at over 100 yards, and could see the end zone this week.  Tyrell Williams ($6,500) had a long touchdown pass against the Eagles last week, and is a great stacking option with Allen, or at least insurance, in what should be a pass-happy game.

Other Top Picks

Golden Tate ($6,700) is the top target receiver on the Lions this season.  Tate is averaging eight targets per game, but that would be higher if you don’t consider the Vikings game, a better-than-average pass defense.  This week, Tate is on the more friendly side of the Panthers corners, and it’s likely Stafford looks his way often.

Rishard Matthews ($5,600) appears to be a risky play this week.  The Dolphins have been advertised as a tough defense, but that’s mostly in the running game.  The Dolphins are giving up over 272 passing yards per game, 6th worst in the NFL.  I’m worried about this play if Mariota doesn’t play.  Matt Cassel didn’t look good last week, but that could change with more prep in week five.  Regardless, Matthews is seeing the most targets on the Titans, and $5.6K seems like a rock-bottom price for a guy who’s getting nearly ten targets per game.

The Ravens passing game has been terrible this year.  Actually, their entire offense has been horrendous.  We might see more of Alex Collins this week, but he’s been fumble prone.  So we have to believe the Ravens will air the ball out this week in Oakland, and the Raiders have struggled to defense the pass.  It’s an under-the-radar GPP play, but Jeremy Maclin ($6,500) is a solid option this week.

Fades

Antonio Brown ($8,800) – Brown is an elite wide receiver, but he’s playing against an elite corner, Jalen Ramsey.  Don’t risk your salary on this pick, there are too many better options.

Odell Beckham Jr. ($8,900) – Casey Hayward is one of the better corners in the NFL, and that’s who Beckham will see this weekend.  The Giants will want to pass the ball, in what is likely a close game, against the Chargers.  But the Chargers are one of the best pass defenders in the NFL.  Manning is more likely to target rookie tight end Engram and Shepard, over Beckham.

A.J. Green ($8,300) – I’ve been hot and cold with Green this week, but he’s clearly doing well under a better offensive coordinator in Cincinnati.  But the Bengals have the Bills in town this week, one of the best pass defenses in the league now.  For $8.3K, there’s too much risk here.

Devin Funchess ($6,300) – One of my favorite plays over the last couple of weeks unfortunately now has to face Darius Slay.  No thanks!

FanDuel NFL Lineups: Week 5 – Tight End / Kicker / Defense

Rob Gronkowski ($7,800) is expected to play on Thursday night, but is once again listed as questionable and there are injury concerns.  Paying $7.8K for a potential shortened game due to injury is risky.  Travis Kelce ($7,000) bounced back against Washington, last week, piling up 111 yards and a touchdown.  The game resembled his outcome against the Eagles, but Kelce has been inconsistent this season.  Against the Texans, I’m fading Kelce.

That leads me back mister consistent at tight end this year, Zach Ertz ($6,900).  Wentz consistently targets Ertz, throwing to him eight to ten times per game, and Zach has hauled in five to eight receptions per game and around 80 yards per game.  Only one of those receptions was a touchdown, but Zach is averaging around 12 FanDuel NFL points-per-game, tough to get from the tight end position.  Zertz is great for cash games.

A riskier move, but great for GPP, is Jared Cook ($5,300).  For only $5.3K, we’re getting one of the most consistently targeted, and reliable, receivers on the Raiders.  Cook has 25 targets, second only to Cooper, and a much higher reception percentage.  Jared is also leading the Raiders in receiving yards with 170, and has a touchdown.  This week, E.J. Manual is taking snaps for the Raiders, and he’ll likely lean on Cook often.

At kicker, I’m looking for another reliable option, and Eagles hero Jake Elliott ($4,700) continues to be a pleasant surprise.  After hitting a 61-yard field goal to win the game for the Eagles two weeks ago, Elliott made four field goals, in four attempts, against the chargers, and two extra points.  Jake had 19 FanDuel NFL points last week, and will likely have several field goal attempts this week against the Cardinals.

For the same reason I’m fading the Panthers receivers and Cam Newton this week, I love the Detroit Lions ($4,700) defense in week five.  First, many players will probably fade the Lions after what Newton and the Panthers did to the Pats last week.  But the Lions defense has been rock-solid in the first four weeks of football, averaging between 12 and 17 FanDuel NFL points-per-game.  Play them in cash and GPP this week.

So after reviewing all the options, we put together our favorite lineup for the week.  Here’s a look at our Final FanDuel NFL Week 5 lineup:

QB – Prescott (DAL $7,700)

RB – Gurley II (LAR $7,800)

RB – Johnson Jr. (CLE $6,000)

WR – Bryant (DAL $7,800)

WR – Evans (TB $8,900)

WR – Matthews (JAC $5,600)

TE – Ertz (PHI $6,600)

K – Elliott (NO $4,700)

D – Detroit Lions ($4,700)

This leaves us with $200 left, maximizing our picks using value in two receiver positions, defense, and kicker and loading up on some big point potential at quarterback, running back, and receiver.

Note: This is a recommended lineup after discussing our top options for the week.  You should use this as a guide, and provide your own input when building FanDuel NFL lineups.  We are not telling you, or selling you, to use this lineup.

Next: FanDuel NBA Preseason October 5

Good luck with your FanDuel NFL plays week 5, and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR on Twitter for all the late breaking lineup news and roster updates!