Injuries and the beginning of bye weeks will play a major role in DFS for Week 5. We are also missing some big names for the main Sunday slate on FanDuel, with the Rams and 49ers having played Thursday. Let's dig into the Sunday FanDuel NFL DFS slate and highlight some of the top players to consider.
The Games
A lot of the focus of NFL DFS picks is on individual players. Skills certainly matter, but finding game environments that are likely to promote a lot of points scored is a way to narrow the focus of our player pool.
| Over-Under | Road Team | Road Team Total | Home Team | Home Team Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.5 | Texans | 20.5 | Ravens | 19.5 |
| 44 | Dolphins | 22.5 | Panthers | 22.5 |
| 47.5 | Raiders | 20.5 | Colts | 27.5 |
| 41.5 | Giants | 20.5 | Saints | 21.5 |
| 47.5 | Cowboys | 24.5 | Jets | 23.5 |
| 43.5 | Broncos | 19.5 | Eagles | 23.5 |
| 41.5 | Titans | 16.5 | Cardinals | 24.5 |
| 44.5 | Buccaneers | 20.5 | Seahawks | 24.5 |
| 48.5 | Lions | 30.5 | Bengals | 19.5 |
| 46.5 | Commanders | 22.5 | Chargers | 24.5 |
There are three games with totals below 42 points and three with at least 46. The favorites with the highest totals include the Lions, Colts and Chargers.
Value Options
Woody Marks, HOU at BAL ($5,400): Nick Chubb averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry in each of his first six seasons in the NFL but a significant knee injury altered his career. He averaged 3.3 yards per carry last season and has averaged 4.0 with the Texans. Chubb is not a long-term part of the Texans' future, so it makes sense for them to give more looks to Marks. In Week 4, Marks turned a season-high 17 carries into 69 yards and a touchdown. He also caught four of five targets for 50 yards and another score. There is the potential for him to provide value against a Ravens team that has allowed the most FanDuel points per game to running backs.
Darius Slayton, NYG at NO ($5,400): The Giants will turn to Slayton to fill a large role with Malik Nabers (knee) out for the season. While not as explosive as Nabers, Slayton is a deep threat, posting an average depth of target of at least 12.1 yards in each of the last five seasons. In the two games that Nabers missed during his rookie campaign, Slayton combined for 14 receptions, 179 yards and one touchdown on 22 targets.
Other Value Options
QB Jaxson Dart, NYG at NO ($6,900)
QB Bryce Young, CAR vs. MIA ($6,600)
RB Cam Skattebo, NYG at NO ($6,200)
RB Rachaad White, TB at SEA ($5,200)
RB Kendre Miller, NO vs. NYG ($5,100)
WR Tetairoa McMillan, CAR vs. MIA ($6,200)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson, NYG at NO ($6,100)
WR Jaylen Waddle, MIA at CAR ($5,800)
TE Mark Andrews, BAL vs. HOU ($5,500)
TE Dalton Schultz, HOU at BAL ($4,900)
Stacks to Consider
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Washington Commanders
Justin Herbert ($8,000) struggled last week against the Giants due to a number of offensive line injuries, throwing for a season-low 203 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown. The offensive line could be an issue again in Week 5, but if they can keep Herbert upright, he has a favorable matchup against a Commanders defense that has allowed the third-most yards per pass attempt in the league.
Since the Commanders have been susceptible to giving up the big play, they have allowed 13 receptions of at least 20 yards. That fits right into the wheelhouse of Quentin Johnston ($7,500), who already has seven receptions of at least 20 yards. The Chargers have also looked his way when they get in close, giving him five red-zone targets on his way to scoring four touchdowns this season.
New York Jets vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys' defense has been awful. While they came away with a tie against the Packers last week, it was their offense that helped them avoid the loss. Jordan Love picked apart their secondary for 337 yards and three touchdowns while completing 72.1 percent of his passes. For the season, the Cowboys have given up 10 passing touchdowns while allowing quarterbacks to complete 73.3 percent of their pass attempts.
Justin Fields ($7,700) is not a prototypical passing quarterback, but this matchup should help him be productive through the air. His top receiver continues to be Garrett Wilson ($7,800), who has accounted for 36.5 percent of the Jets targets and 47.2 percent of their air yards. What also makes Fields very appealing is that he has run for 178 yards and three touchdowns over his three games.
Other Stacks to Consider
Lions: Jared Goff ($7,800) + Amon-Ra St. Brown ($9,300)
Colts: Daniel Jones ($7,400) + Michael Pittman Jr. ($5,900)
Cowboys: Dak Prescott ($7,300) + Jake Ferguson ($6,000)
High-Price Heroes
De'Von Achane, MIA at CAR ($8,100): The Dolphins' offense is going to look very different with Tyreek Hill (knee) out for the season. They still have Jaylen Waddle, but the depth at the position leaves a lot to be desired. Expect the team to rely even more heavily on Achane, who already has a 20.8 percent target share. With Achane contributing in both facets of the offense, he already has 389 total yards and four touchdowns through four games. He could dominate a Panthers team that has allowed the fourth-most yards per carry to running backs.
Nico Collins, HOU at BAL ($8,100): Collins is coming off a modest stat line against the Titans, catching four of six targets for 79 yards, and he only has one game with at least 100 receiving yards this season despite a 27.2 percent target share. That being said, the Ravens have allowed 33.3 points per game and are missing multiple key defenders, including cornerback Marlon Humphrey (calf). Slowding down Collins could be a problem.
The Smash Spot
Jahmyr Gibbs, DET at CIN ($9,000): Gibbs is a touchdown machine. With the Lions scoring at will last season, he had 20 total touchdownsm and he is at it again this year with four touchdowns through four games. He has also produced three games with at least 97 total yards. Multiple scoring opportunities could await him in a matchup against a Bengals team that has allowed 29.8 points per game, including six touchdowns to running backs.
