Let’s start by saying, any picks used or mentioned for cash games can be played in tournaments. That’s an important thing to know and can sometimes get confusing when the two are discussed separately. For that reason, I’ve tried to avoid mentioning my cash game plays for this article.
There’s merit to using or fading individual players in tournaments, whether it be ownership expectations, bust potential, etc. But, as I said earlier, just about all of the cash game plays are viable for tournaments. If you’d like to see Cash Game Plays, you can check that out here. With that said, let’s get to some other picks for tournaments. Getting a mixture of popular and lower-owned players could be the best way to go. Let’s go for the big bucks. Here are my favorite GPP Plays, Game Stacks, and Dart Throws for Week 5.
Quarterback
Deshaun Watson ($6,900 DK, $7,900 FD)
I’ll be well over the field with Watson shares all over the place. I think this is finally the game we’ve been waiting for from him since the season began, and all it took was the firing of an inept head coach. The Jacksonville Jaguars scare absolutely no one. They are dead last in overall defense DVOA (16.2 percent) and DVOA against the pass (43.5%). Load up on Will Fuller and look for a big bounceback from Brandin Cooks.
Kyler Murray ($7,200 DK, $8,300 FD)
The New York Jets aren’t likely to keep pace with the Arizona Cardinals, especially with Joe Flacco under center. However, Murray can rack up points in a hurry via the air and the ground. Stack him with one of the guys I’m about to mention below and Christian Kirk, or feel free to play him solo. He could run for three touchdowns and capture all of the upside you need out of the position.
Other Options: Daniel Jones, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, any Cash Game QB
Running Back
James Conner ($6,900 DK, $7,000 FD)
Conner is one of my favorite GPP options out of any position on this slate. The Philadelphia Eagles are quite possibly the worst division leader of all-time to this point of the season. One doesn’t normally link the Eagles to having a bad rushing defense. However, they are very much middle of the road, ranking 15th in DVOA (-17.2 percent). After not playing last week, the Steelers are fresh, and Conner is coming off two straight 100-yard rushing performances.
James Robinson ($6,700 DK, $6,600 FD)
Don’t let the undrafted free agent thing fool you; Robinson is a horse. The Jaguars loved what they saw from him in camp and felt fine parting ways with Leonard Fournette. Robinson hasn’t disappointed. He ranks fourth in the league in yards from scrimmage behind some of the game’s most prominent names – Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones, and Dalvin Cook. The Houston Texans should be fired up today, and I expect them to play better, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that they’ve let running backs run wild against them so far this season. They are allowing 4.9 yards per carry through four weeks of play, the most overall rushing yards (651), and the second-most rushing touchdowns (six). Side bet – I like Robinson to get over his 20.5 receiving yards prop as well.
Other Options: Miles Sanders, Raheem Mostert, Antonio Gibson, any Cash Game RB.
Wide Receiver
DeAndre Hopkins ($7,900 DK, $8,700 FD)
Hopkins is arguably the best receiver in the game, and he’s getting overlooked this week due largely because his game isn’t expected to be one of the higher-scoring affairs. Hopkins could be lined up against Blessuan Austin, a 2019 sixth-round draft pick, and a limited participant in practice this week because of an ailing calf injury. I’ll take Nuk over him if that’s the matchup we get.
Michael Gallup ($5,400 DK, $5,700 FD) & CeeDee Lamb ($6,000 DK, $5,900 FD)
A ton of ownership is projected to be going in Amari Cooper‘s direction. Still, both of these receivers are capable of having big games, as evidenced by their production this season. Dak Prescott can support more than one weapon in this offense. Gallup and Lamb are in the same great matchup as Cooper, featuring the same quarterback, who is on pace to break the single-season passing yards record. If they stay under 10 percent ownership, where they are currently projected, I’ll gladly spend less money on them and differentiate myself from the field. It’s an easy pivot decision.
Other Options: Terry McLaurin, Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Russell Gage, Calvin Ridley, any Cash Game WR
Tight End
Tyler Higbee ($5,600 DK, $6,000 FD)
Expected to be less than five percent owned in tournaments, Higbee defines high upside with a side of high bust potential. In Week 2, he was super efficient, catching five passes for 54 yards, and scoring three touchdowns. While he hasn’t popped off since Week 2, the good news for Higbee is, he’s still playing a high percentage of offensive snaps (82.4 percent). He’s also accounted for 32.3 percent of the team’s receiving production overall. It’s only a matter of time before he has another big game.
Dalton Schultz ($4,800 DK, $5,300 FD)
While everyone wants to target the wide receivers in Dallas’ offense, Schultz has been rock solid since Blake Jarwin went down. In a three-week span, he has produced a total of 48.8 DK points, averaging 16.2 per week. The New York Giants defend respectably against the tight end position, but this could be a strong pivot off the rest of the Cowboys’ receiver corps. Maybe the G-men let Schultz slip through the cracks and get a couple of scores.
Other Options: Eric Ebron, Mark Andrews, Hayden Hurst, any Cash Game TE
Game Stacks
HOU vs JAC
ATL vs CAR
DAL vs NYG
KC vs LVR
Dart Throws
QB – Kyle Allen ($4,100 DK, $6,000 FD)
With Allen, the upside might not exist. We can’t, nor should we, put a whole lot of confidence in him. However, he’s extremely cheap and will allow you to load up the rest of your lineup, however, you choose. If he gets you 15-20 points and the rest of your lineup smashes, you are sitting pretty.
RB – Chase Edmonds ($4,700 DK, $5,900 FD)
Kenyan Drake has disappointed thus far. If that continues, it won’t be long before Arizona decides to give Edmonds the bulk of the workload. Even if that doesn’t happen this week, he continues to show good burst and explosion when he has the football in his hands. Additionally, they keep feeding him steady volume in the passing game, as he’s averaging 4.25 targets per game.
WR – Jeff Smith ($3,000 DK, $4,900 FD)
The New York Jets will be fielding a pro football team made of an offense that resembles talent you’d find at the high school level. And I don’t mean that in a good way as if they are budding future stars. Outside of Jamison Crowder, it gets ugly in a hurry. I say all that to say this; Smith is the wide receiver two this week. He’s coming off a big game, where he caught seven of nine targets for 81 yards. Maybe good OLD Flacco can find him once or twice for some big plays.
TE – Richard Rodgers ($2,500 DK, $4,300 FD)
Rodgers doesn’t inspire the type of confidence you look for in a Cash Game type of setting, or even a smaller field tournament. This is purely a large-field dart throw. If you believe the Philadelphia Eagles will continue to run many two tight end sets as they were with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, Rodgers could wind up with a couple of scores in Goedert’s place. Last week, Rodgers snagged three of his four targets, and the week before that, he was two-for-two. Maybe Carson Wentz starts trusting him a little more and gives him a red zone look or two.
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