Two games have been moved off of the main slate8, leaving us with ten games to sort through in Week 5. I’ll be breaking down each matchup, sharing my thoughts on player prices* and stacking opportunities. As you read, please note that the player names in bold are what I consider my “core” players or guys that I’m sliding into a large percentage of my lineups. Oh, and if you’re new to DFS, you should check out my DFS Tips and Tricks article here.
*All player prices referenced are from FanDuel.
Jaguars @ Texans (54.5 O/U)
The Jaguars and Texans haven’t been efficient on offense, but their respective defenses are even worse. We could see a lot of points in this game, and it’s a pretty easy matchup to stack. On the Houston side, you can stack Deshaun Watson ($7,900) with Will Fuller ($6,600) and even Brandin Cooks ($5,200), who will look to bounce-back after laying an egg in Week 4.
For Jacksonville, you can run back your Watson stacks with DJ Chark ($7,000) or Laviska Shenault ($5,300). Or, you can play them both with Gardner Minshew ($7,200) and run it back with Fuller. Alternatively, you could play James Robinson ($6,600), who is one of my favorite cash plays this week. He’s getting a ton of volume, and the Texans have been run over by just about everybody this season.
Bengals @ Ravens (51 O/U)
We’ve got the usual suspects for the Ravens. Lamar Jackson ($8,900) can always go for 30+ points, and you can stack him with Mark Andrews ($7,500) or Marquise Brown ($6,100). However, due to the low passing volume of the Ravens’ offense, I wouldn’t double-stack Lamar. Meanwhile, none of the RBs are getting enough volume to really pay off their price tags.
The Ravens’ defense has looked vulnerable at times this season, but it’s still hard to trust the Bengals’ offense in this spot. Still, the Bengals will be trailing, and they’ll need to score points somehow. I’m happy to run back my Lamar stacks with either Tyler Boyd ($6,000) or Tee Higgins ($5,400).
Panthers @ Falcons (54 O/U)
There are a ton of interesting players in this game, which should be high-scoring. The Falcons have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing QBs, so I love the idea of stacking Teddy Bridgewater ($7,100) with DJ Moore ($6,600) and Robby Anderson ($6,200). Anderson has been red-hot to start the season, and DJ Moore is due for a bounce-back game. He’s accounted for 41.9% of Carolina’s air yards, which is the 4th-highest in the league. The added beauty of this low-cost stack is that it allows you to jam in studs at the other positions. Mike Davis ($6,800) is a strong cash play, as well.
The Falcons’ side of the ball is trickier to stack. Matt Ryan ($7,700) is affordable enough, but his top receivers, Calvin Ridley ($8,300) and Julio Jones ($8,100) are banged up. I’m willing to stack Ryan with Ridley, who I do believe will suit up, but I’m avoiding Jones. To achieve the double stack, go with Hayden Hurst ($5,700) or Olamide Zaccheaus ($4,800), who caught 8 passes for 86 yards in Week 4. Todd Gurley ($6,700) is also an interesting option. He hasn’t looked great in a Falcons’ uniform, but he’s coming off his best game of the season, and the Panthers have allowed the 2nd-most points to RBs.
Raiders @ Chiefs (56.5 O/U)
The main pieces in this game are expensive, and they’re going to be chalky. Patrick Mahomes ($9,000) could easily finish as the QB1 on the slate, and his main pass-catchers, Travis Kelce ($7,800) and Tyreek Hill ($8,200) could finish at the top of their respective positions, as well. Stacking those three really limits your spending at other positions, but you could always go with Mecole Hardman ($5,100) or Sammy Watkins ($5,600) for some low-cost exposure to the league’s best offense. Finally, Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($7,900) is a fantastic option in tournaments and cash games alike against the Raiders’ 32nd-ranked run defense.
You can run back your Mahomes stacks with one of two players: Darren Waller ($6,800) or Josh Jacobs ($8,200). In a negative game script, Jacobs will have to be involved in the passing game to pay off his price. Meanwhile, Waller should continue to see a massive target share.
Cardinals @ Jets (47 O/U)
The Cardinals have a great matchup this week against the Jets. I love Kyler Murray ($8,300), especially in cash games, and it’s easy to stack him with DeAndre Hopkins ($8,700), who has one of the highest target shares in the league. We don’t have an obvious double-stack here, but Andy Isabella ($4,800) is my favorite option. He’s been getting more involved in the offense, and he has a penchant for big plays. Meanwhile, Kenyan Drake ($6,200) is super cheap and a great play on paper against this poor run defense, but he just hasn’t been impressive thus far. And the Cardinals D/ST ($4,200) just might be the best piece in this whole game.
If you choose to stack the Cardinals, run it back with Jamison Crowder ($6,300) or nobody. This may come as a surprise, but I’m not recommending Joe Flacco, Frank Gore, Braxton Berrios, or Chris Hogan.
Eagles @ Steelers (44.5 O/U)
This is not the week to stack the Eagles’ offense. You can’t rely on Greg Ward, or practice squad receivers, like Deontay Burnett and Travis Fulgham, to deliver week-winning performances against this tough Steelers’ defense. Miles Sanders ($7,500) is a viable option due to his high-volume role, but the matchup is suboptimal, to say the least.
The Steelers’ offense isn’t super exciting either, but there’s much more to work with. If you expect this game to exceed it’s projected point total, you can stack Ben Roethlisberger ($7,400) with JuJu Smith-Schuster ($7,300) or Diontae Johnson ($5,800). Just keep in mind that Johnson will see plenty of Darius Slay on the outside. I also really like Eric Ebron ($5,100) if you’re looking to save some salary cap. The Eagles have already allowed a 3-TD game to Tyler Higbee and a 15-catch game to George Kittle this season. However, if you expect the Steelers to win handily, you might be better off with James Conner ($7,000) and the Steelers D/ST ($4,400).
Rams @ Washington (45.5 O/U)
Lopsided matchups like this one rarely result in massive fantasy scoring. You can play Cooper Kupp ($7,200) or Robert Woods ($6,700) and hope one of them catches a couple TDs, but this isn’t a team I’m excited to stack.
For Washington, you can roll out Terry McLaurin ($6,300) in what should be a negative game script. He’ll be up against Jalen Ramsey, and he’ll have a new QB under center, but that’s exactly the kind of risk you can and should take in a tournament. Obviously, steer clear in cash.
Dolphins @ 49ers (49.5 O/U)
At the time of this writing, both Jimmy Garoppolo and Raheem Mostert are expected to miss this week’s game. If Mostert sits again, Jerick McKinnon ($6,400) is an excellent option against the Dolphins, who are allowing the 9th-most points to RBs. I also think Deebo Samuel ($6,000) could be a sneaky tournament option. He’s incredibly cheap, and all indications are that he’s fully healed from his broken foot. And, of course, George Kittle ($7,100) is always a good play if you can afford him.
On the Dolphins’ side, you can run it back with DeVante Parker ($6,400). Richard Sherman is set to miss another week, so Parker could rack up a ton of receptions as Ryan Fitzpatrick’s go-to receiver.
Giants @ Cowboys (54 O/U)
This week, we’ll see what happens when a stoppable force meets a moveable object. The incredibly stoppable Giants’ offense will have every opportunity to bounce back against this Cowboys’ defense, which seems to move out of the way of its opponents. I still can’t bring myself to stack Daniel Jones, but I think Evan Engram ($5,500) and Darius Slayton ($5,800) are solid run-backs for any Cowboys stack.
Dak Prescott ($8,300) is currently on pace for a staggering 6,700 passing yards. The Cowboys are running a ton of plays, and Dak Prescott is slinging the ball all over the place. Double-stack him with any combination of Amari Cooper ($7,800), Ceedee Lamb ($5,900), Michael Gallup ($5,700), or Dalton Schultz ($5,300). Or, if you want to go against the grain a bit, you could play Ezekiel Elliott ($9,000) instead, and count on a positive game script and a few rushing TDs.
Colts @ Browns (46 O/U)
The last game on the slate is a little underwhelming. Jonathan Taylor ($7,100) is seeing enough work to warrant tournament consideration, but it’s hard to get excited about anyone else on the Colts’ side.
Meanwhile, the Browns are up against a very tough defense. The Colts have allowed the 4th-fewest points to RBs, but I’m still willing to play Kareem Hunt ($7,100) as he should see plenty of work on the ground and through the air. You can also chase the points with Odell Beckham Jr. ($6,800), who always has the ability to pay off his price in just one play.
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