Welcome to the Week 5 NFL DFS main slate. I’m finding good success so far this season in head-to-head and double-up contests. Hopefully, you are, too. Before we dive into the Cash Game picks for this week, let’s get a few guidelines out of the way first. The “Cash Game Plays” weekly DFS article has been my bread and butter for the past few years. Evolving a little over the years, I now play almost as many tournaments as I do cash game contests.
The goal of the cash game article is to outline some of the safer plays while also providing options that will help you create the most optimal builds. The whole point of it all is to make some money. Sometimes we won’t, but the most important part is putting ourselves in the best position to do so. That goes without saying, but it can sometimes get overshadowed by the results on a week-to-week basis.
People only want to know how many points a guy scored, not necessarily the route they took to get there. DFS is not only a science but a math equation. Let’s dive in, put the pieces together, and try to solve it. With that said, here are the DFS Cash Game Plays for Week 5. If you’ve been riding with me all along, you know the drill. There will be a lock emoji next to a few of my favorite options. All the players mentioned in the article are viable for Cash Games, but those with that lock emoji will be fixures in my main lineup(s).
Quarterback
Kyler Murray ($8,000 DK, $8,500 FD) – Mainly on FanDuel
Kyler Murray is a fine option on DraftKings, but he’s a little pricey. I prefer using him on FanDuel given their salary cap flexibility and how much value there is at other positions. The last couple of weeks have been pretty “meh” fantasy-wise, but it’s only a matter of time before he drops another 30-burger. He’s still running the ball in the RedZone, with at least one carry in each game, and he has a rushing touchdown in three of the four games played so far. With one of the higher Vegas totals on the board, projections show Murray as one of the best values on FanDuel. I’ll trust the projections and spend up for him where I can.
Daniel Jones ($6,000 DK, $7,400 FD)
Daniel Jones might be one of the more pleasant surprises so far this season. In years past, he’s struggled with turnovers and a lack of consistency. However, this season, Jones has only thrown one interception and lost one fumble while holding a 98.3 passer rating and 66.7 completion rate. While he’s only thrown four touchdown passes, he’s averaging 47 rushing yards per game and has two touchdowns on the ground. The Giants are taking advantage of his mobility, and he’ll be playing in a great environment for points in Dallas. Similar to Sam Darnold a week ago, he could absolutely go off for 30-plus fantasy points.
Other Options: Dak Prescott, Trey Lance, Jalen Hurts
Running Back
Alexander Mattison ($5,500 DK, $6,500 FD) 
With Dalvin Cook ruled out at the last minute, Mattison is a lock this week against a terrible Detriot Lions’ run defense. Between his cheap cost and the matchup, Mattison should be in every lineup.
Derrick Henry ($9,000 DK, $10,400 FD)
Surely, the volume could go down for Derrick Henry with the return of A.J. Brown, but how much? Brown still could be dealing with an ailing hamstring injury and the Titans will likely want to hammer the ball on the ground with King Henry. Also, Henry has tremendous historical success against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 10 career games against them, he’s rushed for 5.51 yards per carry, 11 touchdowns, and over 100 yards per game. This season, he’s also getting more targets than Alvin Kamara and is five receptions away from tying his career-high. Jacksonville’s rush defense is a little improved from years past, but paying up for Henry is never a bad option.
James Robinson ($6,000 DK, $7,400 FD)
On the flip side, the Jaguars have a running back that is very much in play, as well. James Robinson continues to defy the odds when it comes to undrafted running backs. On Thursday Night Football last week, he scored two rushing touchdowns and played 95 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. (95 percent!) In the two games he played against the Tennessee Titans last year, Robinson averaged over six yards per carry. Now that Urban Meyer is realizing he needs to lean on his running back more and not pass the ball 51 times in a game, the Jaguars’ offensive efficiency is going up. Expect him to get plenty of volume in what could be a close game against a team that’s 24th in rush DVOA.
Leonard Fournette ($5,200 DK, $6,400 FD)
Do not let Bruce Arians fool you. Ronald Jones is not his guy. Despite scoring a touchdown last week, Rojo only played 17 percent of the team’s snaps and handled the ball six times. Uncle Lenny, on the other hand, ran 20 times for 92 yards and caught three of five targets for 47 yards with an 82 percent snap share. This is Leonard Fournette‘s backfield, and he finds himself in a good spot today facing the Miami Dolphins, who are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs.
Other Options: Najee Harris, Ezekiel Elliott, Damien Williams
Wide Receiver
Davante Adams ($8,200 DK and FD)
As a content creator and fantasy football writer, writing up Davante Adams is boring. He’s not a boring player by any stretch, but it’s becoming such a regular thing that I often wonder if I even need to write anything substantial under his name. Almost everyone that plays fantasy football knows he’s a great option week in and week out. Although he only produced 12.4 DraftKings points last week, he still caught six passes for 64 yards on 11 targets from Aaron Rodgers. It’s a situation where he could easily put up 35-plus fantasy points and no one would be surprised.
Meanwhile, his floor is double-digit points. There’s nothing wrong with spending up for Adams. In fact, he’s an absolute must-play for me on FanDuel because his price shouldn’t be the same as it is on DraftKings.
CeeDee Lamb ($6,200 DK, $6,900 FD)
Taking on the New York Giants at home, this game sets up to be one of the fastest-paced of the day. More plays equal more points. He’s a similar price as Amari Cooper on DraftKings and cheaper than him on FanDuel. I prefer CeeDee Lamb because he’s not coming into the game with any potential injury issues. Cooper is dealing with a hamstring and is expected to play, but what if that flares up during the game? I like the safety of Lamb, who can exploit this Giants defense.
Jakobi Meyers ($5,600 DK, $5,900 FD)
Jakobi Meyers has been building a strong rapport with rookie quarterback Mac Jones. He currently sits eighth in the NFL with 41 targets and has been a perfect fit for Bill Belichick’s short passing attack. Amazingly, Meyers has never caught a touchdown pass in the NFL. That’s right: in 33 career games, with 112 receptions and 1,334 yards, not one of them have put him in the end zone. Also, if he catches at least eight balls in this game, he’ll become the first Patriots wide receiver to catch at least eight passes in three straight games since Julian Edelman did it in 2016. He has a high floor due to his volume and you have to think he lands in the endzone sooner rather than later.
Other Options: Kenny Golladay (FD), Laviska Shenault, Brandin Cooks, Kadarius Toney, Justin Jefferson, Amari Cooper
Tight End
Darren Waller ($7,300 DK, $7,400 FD)
Darren Waller is a baller. The tight end position is razor-thin on this DFS slate without the likes of Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, and Kyle Pitts. As mentioned with Davante Adams, Waller has a 30-plus fantasy points ceiling and a double-digit floor. That’s huge at the tight end position, which is filled with a ton of question marks and unreliable sources.
Ricky Seals-Jones ($2,500 DK, $4,900 FD)
Once we got word that Logan Thomas was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, Ricky Seals-Jones popped up on our radar. To me, it’s simple: either spend all the way up for the most consistent option on the slate in Waller or go all the way down to Seals-Jones. He played 92 percent of Washington’s snaps last week and was targeted four times. I’m not super confident in him, nor do I think that he’s going to have a monster game. However, at this price, it’s all about not killing your lineup at a very thin position.
Other Options: Evan Engram, Mike Gesicki, Tyler Conklin
Defense/Special Teams
Spend down. You can get different in tournaments, but saving salary is the only thing you need to worry about in cash game contests. The quality of the defense doesn’t matter with how variant the defense position is in fantasy.
Washington Football Team ($2,300 DK, $3,800 FD)
Philadelphia Eagles ($2,200 DK, $3,500 FD)
Jacksonville Jaguars ($3,330 FD)
Good luck, and let’s win some cash!
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