NFL FantasyDraft Week 5 Optimal Lineup
By Matt Vecchio
Welcome to NFL FantasyDraft Week 5 Optimal Lineup! Last week wasn’t our best week this season, but it was just that kind of week. We had a bunch of players have great weeks, but there were just so many points scored this week that is was tough to get the right combo to cash. We’re not going to be discouraged here and we are right back at in week 5.
This week we are looking at another high scoring week as the NFL offenses seem to run the league now. It is becoming very difficult for defenders to do their job and that just makes fantasy football more fun with all the points being scored. Looking at the early Vegas lines this week we are seeing 5 games at 49.5 or higher over/under which means lots of points again. The highest scoring game is looking like the Steelers hosting the Falcons this week at the big ketchup bottle. That game has an over/under right now set at 57.5 with the Steelers only being 3 point favorites.
NFL FantasyDraft Week 5 Optimal Lineup – Quarterback
Jared Goff ( $12,300) – As we saw last week Jared Goff is on fire to start the season. Goff seems to be a bit under priced this week at $12,300, especially with week he had last week. It seems like a lot people still give the Seahawks defense respect, but they are nowhere near the unit they once were just 2-3 years ago. When looking at the stats it looks like Seattle is actually doing well against the pass this season, but when you look deeper you realize they have not been tested like they will Sunday. This season Seattle has faced 4 of the worst passing offenses the league has to offer, with the best being Denver in week 1 who ranks 19th is passing yards per game. I will take my chances with Goff who is averaging 343 yards per game, good for 2nd in the league.
Other options : Ben Roesthlisberger (Pit), Matt Ryan ( Atl)
NFL FantasyDraft Week 5 Optimal Lineup Running Backs
Christian McCaffrey ($14,800) – McCaffrey and the Panthers are coming off the bye week this week and have a great match up this week in the Giants. New York is ranked 29th in the league allowing 126 yards per game on the ground. McCaffrey is the best offensive option the Panthers have, outside of Newton, and they try to get the ball into his hands as often as possible. In just three games this season McCaffrey has rushed 46 times for 271 yards, good for 9th in the league, but he also has 22 catches on 26 targets for 157 yards. McCaffrey has yet to find pay dirt this season but I don’t know how much longer that futility lasts.
James Conner ($13,700) – James Conner has done very well in the absence of Le’Veon Bell this season. Conner has 232 yards this season and 3 td’s to his credit along with 164 receiving yards . We have seen rb’s like McCaffrey, Kamara, and Bernard have great games catching the ball against the Falcons defense this season and Conner will be joining that list this week as well. Atlanta has allowed on average 10 receptions per game and 77.5 yards per game to running backs.
Aaron Jones ($9,100) – Jones led all Packer running backs in total snaps (29) and touches (12) last week against the Bills and this week he gets to run against a porous run defense in the Detroit Lions. The Lions have given up the third-most RB fantasy points-per-game (32.4) this season, so this match up sets up for a great day for Jones and the Packers.
Other options : Todd Gurley (LAR), Kareem Hunt ( Jax), Kenyan Drake (Mia)
NFL FantasyDraft Week 5 Optimal Lineup Wide Receivers
Julio Jones ($15,600) – Julio is having another great season in 2018, but he does have one issue, he hasn’t found the end zone this season. But how long can we really expectt Jones to stay touchdown-less? I have a good feeling that this week ends his touchdown drought against the Steelers. Julio is averaging 125.5 ypg and just shy of 22 fppg which is a nice floor for his price tag. Pittsburgh allows over 304 yards per game in the air this season, so it is a pretty safe bet that Julio will see his average in receiving yards and then some.
Cooper Kupp ($11,300) – Cooper Kupp was having a relatively quiet season going into week 4 last week against the Vikings, and then he exploded for 9/162/2 line. As I mentioned earlier people are still scared to play offensive players against the Seahawks, but I am not one them. I do not trust them and I believe their stats are a mirage. Kupp is such a dynamic player once he gets the ball in his hands, and that’s what the Rams like to do. The Rams are a fantasy football players favorite team because they don’t use their peripheral players to score, they give the ball to their studs, and that’s it. This is evident by the fact that only 3 receivers have been targeted by Goff this season. Any of the Rams receivers this week are good plays, but I am taking Kupp as my guy.
Dede Westbrook ($9,200) – Westbrook has caught 21 of 28 targets this season for 294 yards and a touchdown, resulting in 14 yards per catch. This week Westbrook and the Jaguars get the 31st ranked pass defense in the Kansas City Chiefs. I have a feeling that Jacksonville will have to try to keep up with Chiefs prolific scoring offense so that should result in a lot of passing attempts for Bortles and the Jags. In week 4 against the Jets Westbrook saw 13 targets, nobody else on the Jags offense saw more than 5. This fact is why I am taking Westbrook this week, he is obviously Bortles favorite target and he could explode this week against the Chiefs.
Other options : Antonio Brown (Pit), Adam Thielen ( Min), Corey Davis (Ten)
NFL FantasyDraft Week 5 Optimal Lineup Tight End
Vance McDonald ($6,700) – McDonald has been targeted exactly 5 times in every game this season and last week against Baltimore he caught all 5 for 62 yards. For this price you are not expecting much more than that. Atlanta has allowed 5 receptions and just under 50 yards per game to tight ends this season, which seems to be right on par with what McDonald has been giving the Steelers this season, so it seems like his floor is definitely safe this week.
More from FanSided
- Shohei Ohtani Rumors: The best trade package from every NL East team
- Cardinals Rumors: Surprise extension, Dylan Carlson-Yankees link, Rays trade idea
- USWNT vs. Vietnam: Key takeaways before they take on the Dutch
- NFL rumors: 49ers trending toward contract drama with defensive star
- Steelers avoid any camp drama with latest roster move
Other options : Kroft (Cin)
NFL FantasyDraft Week 5 Optimal Lineup Defense/Special Teams
Denver Broncos ($6,300) – Denver had the unenviable task of trying to shut down the Kansas City offense and they did a serviceable job. They were the first team this season to hold the Chiefs under 38 points, that bodes well for this week against the Jets. While the Jets did look like a great offense in week 1, they have been less than spectacular since. They haven’t scored more than 21 points in 3 straight losses since their 48 point outburst in week 1 win. They have a weak offensive line that allows defenders through to Darnold who is throwing over 1 interception a game and getting sacked around 3 times per game.
Other options : LA Rams, NY Jets
NFL FantasyDraft Week 5 Optimal Lineup – Sample cash game lineup:
Note: This is not meant to be a plug and play line-up and is meant for illustrative purposes to give you a foundation to build off each week in NFL DFS.
QB – Jared Goff
RB – Christian McCaffrey
RB – James Conner
WR – Julio Jones
WR – Cooper Kupp
TE – Vance McDonald
Flex – Aaron Jones
Flex – Dede Westbrook
D/ST – Denver Broncos
Next. NFL DFS Week 5 Game by Game Breakdowns. dark
Best of luck in your NFL DFS contests across FantasyDraft and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all the latest DFS news and analysis all season long!