Each week, this article will shine the spotlight on players outside the top-12 at their respective position on DraftKings and FanDuel to help you win your contests in daily fantasy. This advice should help you avoid having a lineup full of players on many of the competition’s rosters. Therefore, giving you a chance to win big each week.
Football survived a crazy Week 4, but now Week 5 is lining up to be another doozy. Positive tests for COVID-19 show up daily, and many things could change between now and Sunday morning. For now, let’s hope that the only game missing from the main slate of DraftKings and FanDuel is the Buffalo Bills and Tennesse Titans game. That moves us to a season-low 11 games to pick apart this week. Still, there are many options for your daily lineups, and there will be a lot of big fantasy days to help win your contest.
Covid-19 is going to throw some wrenches into the daily fantasy machine this year. Make sure always to check your lineups before they lock, and feel free to reach out on twitter with questions. Good luck in Week 5.
Quarterbacks
Daniel Jones, NYG @ DAL ($5,400 DK | $7,000 FD)
To say that Jones’ second season in the NFL is not going is an understatement. The New York Giants leading man has thrown two touchdowns to five interceptions and lost two of his three fumbles on the year. Fortunately, a meet and greet with the Dallas Cowboys secondary is on the schedule. This game should be a fantastic opportunity for Jones to get his sophomore season back on track.
Over the last three weeks, the Cowboys allowed 12 passing touchdowns without forcing a single turnover. Jones will likely turn the ball over to end that streak, but he has a substantial opportunity to throw his first touchdown since Week 1. This game is tied for the second-highest over/under on the main slate at 54.5 points. If the over hits, it will be because Jones and the Giants finally showed some signs of a functioning offense.
Running Backs
Le’Veon Bell, NYJ vs. ARI ($5,100 | $6,000 FD)
The Giant’s neighbor, the New York Jets, has also had a miserable start to the season. Hopefully, getting their RB1 back will bring ignite a spark in the second-lowest scoring team. Bell is designated to return from the injured reserve on Sunday. New York Jets Head Coach Adam Gase has said Bell looks good in practice. Still, this is the Jets and Gase we are talking about, so keep an eye out for any wacky decisions coming out of the Big Apple.
Bell’s opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, gives him a good setup in his return to the gridiron. The Cardinals rank inside the bottom-10 in yards per game, yards per carry, yards per catch, and fantasy points allowed to running backs this season. Running backs are regularly finding the endzone versus them in the first four games. Five different running backs have crossed the goal line, and fantasy managers can expect Bell to become number six on that list when he is in your lineup this weekend.
Antonio Gibson, WAS vs. LAR ($5,000 | $5,800 FD)
As the season rolls into its second quarter, Gibson seems to be finding his footing in the Washington backfield. The rookie has carried the ball at least nine times in every game this season and is becoming more involved in the passing game. In Weeks 3 and 4, Gibson tallied eight targets and seven catches for 93 yards. The back has reached the endzone in three straight games and looks to keep the good times rolling against the Los Angeles Rams.
Gibson will have a different quarterback handing off and throwing him the ball this week with Kyle Allen taking over for Dwayne Haskins. Allen’s promotion is great news in the short term for Gibson. In 2019, Allen targetted Christian McCaffrey on 23.5 percent of his throw and peppered CMC with 115 targets for 97 catches and 836 in their 13 games together. Gibson could reach double-digit targets with Allen. The upside is well worth the value, and he is a great tournament play this weekend.
Wide Receivers
Terry McLaurin, WAS vs. LAR ($6,100 | $6,300 FD)
Despite a quarterback change from Haskins to Allen, McLaurin remains a great option in DFS. He’s caught four or more passes in every game this season and has topped the 80-yard mark in each of his last three games. F1 is seventh in the NFL with 41 targets and 27 catches. The sophomore also ranks fifth with 387 receiving yards. Despite those lofty statistics, he is only the 15th most expensive option on DraftKings this week.
The Rams will present a tough matchup for McLaurin. They come into the game as the sixth-best defense versus opposing wide receivers. Through four weeks, they have only allowed one receiver to reach 100 yards (Cole Beasley) and one receiver to catch a touchdown (Stefon Diggs). However, they can offer a firm floor in fantasy football as eight wide receivers have collected at least four passes versus the Rams secondary. McLaurin will reach that floor with ease, but his potential ceiling at $6,100 is why he is an excellent play for the main slate on Sunday.
Laviska Shenault, JAC @ HOU ($4,500 DK | $5,300 FD)
After being held below 40 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL games, Shenault had a mini breakout game versus the Cincinnatti Bengals in Week 4. The rookie saw six targets and caught five of them for 86 yards and got one carry for five yards. The Jaguars are not afraid to use him in many different ways, which will pay off versus the Houston Texans. Shenault is still battling with teammate Keelan Cole for the secondary role behind DJ Chark. Yet, his uptick in targets and catches suggest that the former-Colorado receiver is making a strong case to take over now.
The Texans are a middle of the road pass defense statistically this season, but that seems to result from their poor run defense. No. 2 wide receivers like Sammy Watkins (7/82/1) and Justin Jefferson (4/103/0) had tremendous success versus this secondary. Gardner Minshew has thrown the ball 40 or more times in three straight games, and that trend should continue to benefit Shenault. This divisional matchup has a 54.5 point over/under, so a shootout is in the cards on Sunday.
Tight Ends
Eric Ebron PIT vs. PHI ($4,000 DK | $5,100 FD)
Ebron’s recommendation comes with a warning as Diontae Johnson will play for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, it shouldn’t deter fantasy managers too much from playing Ebron on Sunday. Firstly, the tight end has a great matchup against an Eagles’ defense struggling to contain tight ends. Their defense already allowed big games to Tyler Higbee (three touchdowns) and George Kittle (15/183/1) through four weeks.
Secondly, Ebron’s targets, catches, and yards are increasing every week, and it peaked in Week 3 versus the Houston Texans. The former first-round pick collected five of his seven targets for 52 yards and a touchdown. He is the 16th-most expensive tight end on DraftKings, but Anderson Pickard has him as a borderline starter in 12-team season-long leagues this week. Take the savings at tight end and spend big elsewhere. He is projected to be rostered in five percent of lineups and makes for a great tournament play to round out the roster.
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