DraftKings NFL Week 5: Top Picks and Lineup Strategy

Sunday's Week 5 slate includes 10 games, the fewest we've seen thus far as four teams are on byes. Expect the chalk to condense a bit more, and there's sure to be quite a bit of it with multiple key injuries at running back. Bucky Irving, Chuba Hubbard, James Conner, Trey Benson and Braelon Allen are outm and we didn't get most of that news until midweek so DraftKings wasn't able to properly adjust salaries. That will leave Breece Hall, Rachaad White, Rico Dowdle and Michael Carter considerably underpriced. There are expensive RBs in great spots too, and you can't play everyone, so difficult decisions will have to be made regarding where to save and spend. 

In this DraftKings breakdown, I've highlighted the top options for cash games and included some of my favorite options for GPPs as well. As usual, leverage and correlation are paramount to winning large-field tournaments. If you're only concerned with playing the "best plays," cash-games are better suited. Good luck. 

Note: All prices listed come from DraftKings, but most of the logic can be applied to other sites across the DFS industry. Discussion is limited to players from the "main slate" of games kicking off at 1 p.m., 4:05 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. EDT on Sunday. The strategy below is meant for large-field tournaments, where payouts typically are limited to ~20 percent of lineups, with the majority concentrated at the very top.

The Games

Point-Per-Dollar Value

These are the players with the best projections relative to their salaries — good plays both for cash games and large-field tournaments. While we don't want our GPP lineups to look like cash-game lineups top to bottom, there's nothing wrong with using a few chalky plays.

• RB Breece Hall vs. DAL ($5,600)

Hall was priced as though he'd be splitting work with Braelon Allen, but after Allen was injured Monday night, Hall should see a lion's share the opportunities Sunday. At $5,600, he'd be a bargain in any matchup, but the spot against Dallas is especially appealing. The Cowboys defense hasn't been able to stop anyone, and they've been cooked by RBs for 142 total yards per game. Normally, Hall would stand out even more, but there's a plethora of cheaper value on this slate due to injuries. Rachaad White ($4,700) will deputize for Bucky Irving, Rico Dowdle ($4,300) will start for Chuba Hubbard and Michael Carter ($4,000) is expected to see most of the carries for Arizona in the absence of James Conner and Trey Benson. Dowdle and Carter have favorable matchups while White's involvement in the passing-game gives him a higher floor. 

• WR Garrett Wilson vs. DAL ($6,100)

Wide receivers have exploded against the Cowboys this season: Malik Nabers (9/162/2) and Wan'Dale Robinson (8/142/1) had career days in Week 2, and the Bears followed suit, and most recently Romeo Doubs (6/58/3) had a field day. Wilson has seen a 36 percent target share in Justin Fields' three starts as the only legitimate weapon the Jets have at the position. He'll be popular in every format and rightfully so. If you're looking for something cheaper, Chris Olave ($5,200) continues to project well given that he's averaging over 10 targets per game through four weeks. He's coming off his first touchdown and gets a favorable matchup against the Giants this week. Elsewhere, Jaylen Waddle ($5,400) will look to fill the void left by Tyreek Hill, who was lost for season Monday night. The last time Waddle played a full game without Hill, he caught eight passes for 142 yards and a TD. 

Other Cash-Game Options

QB Justin Herbert vs. WAS ($6,100)

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QB Justin Fields vs. DAL ($5,600)

QB Sam Darnold vs. TB ($5,100)

RB Jonathan Taylor vs. LV ($8,000)

RB De'Von Achane at CAR ($7,300)

RB Breece Hall vs. DAL ($5,600)

RB Rachaad White at SEA ($4,700)

RB Rico Dowdle vs. MIA ($4,300)

RB Michael Carter vs. TEN ($4,000)

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. TB ($7,100)

WR Garrett Wilson vs. DAL ($6,100)

WR Quentin Johnston vs. WAS ($5,700)

WR Jakobi Meyers at IND ($5,600)

WR Jaylen Waddle at CAR ($5,400)

WR Chris Olave vs. NYG ($5,200)

WR Michael Pittman vs. LV ($5,100)

TE Trey McBride vs. TEN ($5,800)

TE Tyler Warren vs. LV ($4,700)

D/ST Arizona Cardinals vs. TEN ($3,600)

D/ST New Orleans Saints vs. NYG ($2,200)

Passing-Game Stacks

Stacks are the centerpiece of most tournament lineups, seeking to take advantage of positive correlations between players. It rarely makes sense to use a quarterback without one or two of his pass catchers, even if the player in question scores a decent portion of his fantasy points with his legs. Ideally, a stack also includes a pass catcher from the other side of the game, hoping to take advantage of a back-and-forth shootout. (Implied team totals are listed in parentheses.)

Dallas Cowboys (25) at New York Jets (22.5)

COWBOYS

The Dallas offense leads the league in yards and plays, they have the fifth-highest neutral pass rate and operate at the ninth-fastest pace. Their games have been filled with fantasy goodness and we should expect that continue based on how bad their defense has been. Dak Prescott ($6,000) looks like an elite quarterback again, and he's done it without CeeDee Lamb, for the most part. Lamb remains out, which means George Pickens ($6,600) and Jake Ferguson ($4,800) will continue to pick up the slack. Pickens exploded against the Packers last week with eight catches for 134 yards and two scores. Only Puka Nacua has more receptions than Ferguson, who's become Prescott's security blanket in the absence of Lamb. Jalen Tolbert ($3,600) has drawn six targets in back-to-back games and can be considered in large-field GPPs for leverage. The same goes for Javonte Williams ($6,200), who saw another 23 touches last week and scored 19+ fantasy points for the third time in four games. 

JETS

New York's offense hasn't been great, but they've shown glimpses and a matchup against Dallas is enough to give anyone hope. The Jets rank fourth in neutral pace and top 10 in explosive play rate. Justin Fields ($5,600) has played well enough to inspire confidence that he can succeed in this spot. We just saw him drop 28.1 DraftKings points against the Dolphins on the back of 226 passing yards and 81 rushing yards. After 29.5 fantasy points in Week 1 against the Steelers, he clearly has a ceiling based on how good he is as a runner. Garrett Wilson ($6,100) has drawn 8+ targets in all four games and had at least 82 receiving yards thrice. Second-round pick Mason Taylor ($2,800) is coming off the best game of young career after catching five passes on seven targets for 65 yards. Fields has always favored his TEs and Mason looks like one of the better cheap options on the board this week. Breece Hall ($5,600) will be one of the most popular RBs with Braelon Allen out injured. He's cheap enough and active enough in the passing-game to be paired with either Fields or Prescott. 

• Favorite Cowboys Stack: QB Prescott + RB Hall + TE Ferguson or WR Pickens
• Favorite Jets Stack: QB Fields + WR Wilson + TE Ferguson or WR Pickens

Washington Commanders (22) at Los Angeles Chargers (25)

COMMANDERS

The massive news for Washington is the return of Jayden Daniels ($7,000) after he missed the last two games with a knee injury. He'll be a leverage option this week, as most people will favor cheaper QBs, but there's plenty of value at the other positions to afford whoever you want. The Commanders ranked third and sixth in neutral pace in Daniels' first two starts and a matchup against the pass-happy Chargers looks like another spot for increased play volume. Terry McLaurin has been ruled out again, which means Deebo Samuel ($6,300) will be the No. 1 WR. He responded well in that role last week with six catches for 72 yards and a TD. Zach Ertz ($3,800) has already caught two touchdowns from Daniels this season and remains the favored red-zone target. 

CHARGERS

The Chargers continue to pass at a staggering rate, and that's likely to continue after they lost star offensive lineman Joe Alt and bruising RB Najee Harris to injuries. Justin Herbert ($6,100), despite being significantly cheaper than Daniels and Hurts, projects for the most fantasy points at the position this week. Quentin Johnston ($5,700) is coming off another big game while Keenan Allen ($5,600) caught at least five passes for the fourth consecutive week. He and Johnston have been so good that Ladd McConkey ($5,500) has yet to make his mark. With no touchdowns and only one game above 50 yards, he'll be a leverage option in tournaments. Omarion Hampton ($6,500) assumed an every-down role against the Giants and responded with 165 scrimmage yards  on 17 touches, showing serious speed on two long runs. He can be paired with either QB given his prowess in the passing-game, though I'd prefer him in Commanders stacks. 

• Favorite Commanders Stack: QB Daniels + RB Hampton + WR Samuel or TE Ertz
• Favorite Chargers Stack: QB Herbert + WR McConkey or WR Johnston +/- TE Ertz

Other Stacks to Consider

QB Jalen Hurts + WR A.J. Brown

QB Kyler Murray + WR Marvin Harrison or TE Trey McBride

QB Daniel Jones + WR Jakobi Meyers or WR Tre Tucker + TE Tyler Warren

QB Tua Tagovailoa + RB Rico Dowdle + WR Jaylen Waddle or TE Darren Waller

QB Geno Smith + RB Jonathan Taylor + WR Jakobi Meyers or WR Tre Tucker

QB Jaxson Dart + WR Chris Olave

QB Sam Darnold + RB Rachaad White + WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

QB Spencer Rattler + RB Cam Skattebo + WR Chris Olave

QB Bryce Young + WR De'Von Achane + WR Tetairoa McMillan

High-Priced Heroes

• RB Jonathan Taylor vs. LV ($8,000)

Taylor has played 83 percent of snaps and touched the ball at least 20 times in every game. He's the overall RB1 on the season despite being unlucky not to have a few more touchdowns. Daniel Jones has three one-yard rushing TDs, while last week Tyler Warren got one and Adonai Mitchell's needless hold took a 53-yarder off the board. The Colts have a 27-point implied total for their home matchup against the Raiders, Taylor projects for the most DraftKings points at the position and there's plenty of value to afford him. 

• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. TB ($7,100)

A matchup against Tampa Bay's pass-funnel defense is always an appealing target, and it's amplified this week by Smith-Njigba. Quiet by his standards the last two weeks as the Seahawks got out to big leads and didn't need him, Sunday should be different. Smith-Njigba projects as the top value at WR, and I'd expect him to be the most or second-most popular. That makes him essentially a lock, in my opinion, for cash-games considering all the value at RB.

Honorable Mentions: TE Trey McBride ($5,800); RB De'Von Achane ($7,300)

Fading the Field

Every week we see at least one or two players who are popular without the backing of a top point-per-dollar projection. In some cases it even makes sense to fade a player with a strong projection, particularly when there are good alternatives at the same position and price range.

• RB Rachaad White at SEA ($4,700)

White is underpriced for his role in the Bucs offense when they're without Bucky Irving, which will be the case Sunday. The problem is that three other RBs are significantly underpriced and White has the toughest matchup of the bunch. I also think Sean Tucker will have a significant role, and I can't say the same about Jets or Panthers backups behind Breece Hall and Rico Dowdle, respectively. I'll be rostering them, and maybe even Michael Wilson, ahead of White this week.

The Smash Spot

(Players in favorable spots to significantly outperform their salary.)

• RB Rico Dowdle vs. MIA ($4,300)

Most are expecting Dowdle to step right into Chuba Hubbard's role, which would mean about 80 percent of the backfield work. The Panthers have one of the better matchups, at home against a weak Dolphins defense. We saw Dowdle have big games for Dallas last season as a hard runner and capable pass-catcher. He has 100+ yard upside in this spot and considerable touchdown equity, assuming Bryce Young isn't awful. 

Honorable Mention: RB Michael Carter ($4,000)

The Bargain Bin

QB Sam Darnold vs. TB ($5,100)

QB Spencer Rattler vs. NYG ($4,800)

QB Bryce Young vs. MIA ($4,700)

RB Rachaad White at SEA ($4,700)

RB Rico Dowdle vs. MIA ($4,300)

RB Michael Carter vs. TEN ($4,000)

WR Jameson Williams at CIN ($4,900)

WR Rashid Shaheed vs. NYG ($4,500)

WR Troy Franklin at PHI ($4,000)

WR Malik Washington at CAR ($3,900)

WR Jalen Tolbert at NYJ ($3,600)

TE Mason Taylor vs. DAL ($2,800)

Injuries to Monitor

• TE Brock Bowers at IND

Bowers continues to be bothered by a knee injury and I'm content leaving him out of my player pool this week with McBride, Warren and Ferguson in more appealing spots anyway. If Bowers ends up sitting out, Michael Mayer ($2,600) would be an option for GPPs if you really need the salary savings. 

Weather

Nothing to worry about this week.