I know he wasn’t on the main slate, but I’ve never heard Wolf mention an obscure player’s name so many times before on a Sunday show. Then, the fact that he was answering every QB question with Fitzmagic only solidified what I know to be a brilliant mind at work. Make sure to tune into The Fantasy Tailgate every Sunday at 11 AM EST.
Irrationally angry $3400 Robert Tonyan ain't on the main Sunday Slate
— Wolf of Roto Street (@RotoStreetWolf) October 1, 2020
Anyways, onto the DraftKings NFL Week 5 Picks & Sleepers
Let’s ride.
QUARTERBACKS:
- DeShaun Watson ($6,900)
- While you can make a case for any of the QBs above him, Watson finds himself in a terrific spot at home against the Jaguars. They’re an extremely leaky defense that gives up about 30 points a game. Watson has a high upside thanks to his rushing potential, although he’s gotten away from it since Week 1. With all of his weapons healthy, and Bill O’Brien finally off the staff, this looks like a get-right game for Watson and the Texans.
- Teddy Bridgewater ($5,900)
- Recording his first multi-touchdown game of the season, Bridgewater is starting to grasp Joe Brady’s offense. What’s even more comforting is Bridgewater’s willingness to scramble and pick up yards with his legs. Carolina faces Atlanta this week, which has been a defense to pick on all season long.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick ($5,600)
- Last week’s darling came through with yet another 20+ point performance and only saw his salary increase by $200. While the 49ers are a more difficult matchup than the Seahawks and Jaguars, Fitzmagic has been getting it done both through the air and on the ground. He’s keeping them in games and giving the team every reason to delay Tua’s takeover.
- Kyle Allen ($4,100)
- Allen is a super punt if you really want to spend up at the skill spots after taking over for Dwayne Haskins. It’s a tough matchup with LA’s very good defensive front and Jalen Ramsey likely to shut down McLaurin. Still, he’s as close to the minimum as you’ll get at the position, and you’ll only need a score or two to reap the benefits.
RUNNING BACKS:
- Ezekiel Elliott ($7,800)
- Zeke checks all the boxes for a DK play at RB. Big home favorite, likely to get 20+ touches, and he’ll be involved in the passing game. He has yet to have a typical Zeke smash game because Dallas has generally trailed, and the ball has been glued to Dak’s throwing hand through the first few weeks. One would assume they finally get a game to feed Zeke and punish the Giants’ defense.
- James Conner ($6,900)
- Another RB in a high-powered offense that’s a large home favorite catches passes and has a path to 20+ touches. Since his mysterious benching in Week 1, the Steelers have really used Conner as a true workhorse RB1. Plus, Jerick McKinnon just had a fantastic night in a similar role for the 49ers against Philly. The Steelers are fresh off their ‘bye week’, so a little extra rest and time to prepare should only help the fragile running back.
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($6,800)
- If you haven’t noticed a trend, CEH fits the narrative of the two RBs above. He’s slightly underperformed on huge expectations, but he’s faced a difficult schedule while still maintaining a high volume of work. Now he enters the easy portion of the schedule against a Raiders defense that has been AWFUL against running backs. CEH looks like he’s in line for a monster day.
- Jerick McKinnon ($5,800)
- Operating under the assumption that Mostert remains out, McKinnon has been used in a high volume role in San Francisco. His usage in the passing game makes him even more valuable. Should he again be Shanahan’s lead back against Miami, McKinnon is in line for many touches and has shown he can produce scoring in every game so far this season.
- David Johnson ($5,200)
- While the numbers haven’t been there statistically, Johnson is operating as a true bell cow in Houston with a high volume of snaps and touches in the offense. This will be the Texans’ best game for a positive game script, as they’ll likely play with a lead, and it should be Johnson’s best chance to capitalize on his bell-cow role.
- Antonio Gibson ($5,000)
- The offense has looked gross, but Gibson has been one of the bright spots in Washington. The team decided to start Kyle Allen this week at quarterback, which is great news for Gibson. It seemed like nobody dumped off passes to their RB more than Allen last year with Christian McCaffrey. Gibson could be in line for even more touches in the offense, landing him in the 15-to-20 touch range against the Rams.
- Damien Harris ($4,300)
- Seeing his first action of the year, Harris looked like a reliable option the Patriots can use with Sony Michel sidelined (and potentially in the future). Though he saw limited snaps (27 of 76), he was given 17 carries on the day, which resulted in 100 yards. The game script forced New England into more passing situations, which got White and Burkhead on the field more often, but Harris showed he could produce in his role. With the QB situation still up in the air and a date with Denver upcoming, I’d expect a very conservative and run heavy game script from the Patriots this week. Harris could be a steal this low if he’s given another 15+ touch game.
WIDE RECEIVERS:
- Tyreek Hill ($6,900)
- He’s scored in every game this year, and simply nobody has the speed to keep up and cover Hill. The Raiders are playing without their first-round corner, Damon Arnette, making it even easier for Hill to capitalize on a weak secondary.
- DJ Chark ($6,500)
- In one of the highest projected scoring games this season, the Jags and Texans should be in a shootout this week. Chark has been Minshew’s favorite target for sure this year and has been a beast down in the red zone scoring three times in the three games he’s played. Last week, Adam Thielen was able to feast on the Texans secondary, and Chark should do the same.
- Robby Anderson ($5,900)
- Anderson’s game has changed since coming over to Carolina from New York. The speedy wideout has seen his ADOT drop but his target share jump considerably. He’s been the most consistent receiver in Carolina’s offense and now gets the Falcons defense in Week 5.
- Darrius Slayton ($4,800)
- He recently burned me, but I can’t stay away this week against the Cowboys. Teams have just unloaded on Dallas’ defense, and Slayton possesses the highest ceiling of Giants receivers with all the air yards he’s accumulated. His big play ability could finally come back into play for a team that’s struggled to move the ball effectively on the ground.
- Olamide Zaccheaus ($3,000)
- You may not know this creature, but he somehow caught Matt Ryan’s eye enough to put up 16.6 DK points on Monday night when Julio Jones left with an injury. He also got more snaps the week prior when Russell Gage missed time with his concussion. Zaccheaus actually played 76% of the teams snaps last game, immediately moving to the left outside receiver spot usually handled by Ridley. This week, Julio looks to be in serious jeopardy of missing the game, and with a bad Carolina defense coming into the turf in Atlanta, I’ve seen worse Hail Mary stone minimum plays.
TIGHT ENDS:
- Darren Waller ($5,900)
- Waller has been the target hog in Las Vegas’ offense, and he’ll be fed quite often this week playing Kansas City. The Raiders will have to play catchup with Mahomes on the other side, and Waller has been targeted heavily in the offense. Double digit targets and receptions certainly are in the realm of possibilities for Waller this week.
- Evan Engram ($4,600)
- He was the target hog in New York last week with 10 targets but only caught 6 balls for 35 yards. This production should open up more against Dallas, who has been terrible on defense, and Engram looks like the one who should garner the most target share for the Giants.
- Drew Sample ($3,700)
- This spot is usually reserved for Mo Alie-Cox, but with the return of Trey Burton in Indy, Cox’s snap rate went down. Since Uzomah’s injury, Sample has been thrust into the TE1 spot in Cincinnati. His snaps also increased from 61% to 85% of snaps between Weeks 3 and 4, and the Bengals should be throwing a lot playing the Ravens this week.
DST:
- Pittsburgh Steelers ($3,800)
- It was close between the Steelers and Ravens, but the Steelers matchup with Philly is slightly better than Baltimore’s with Cincinnati. The Eagles are severely banged up on the offensive line, and Pittsburgh does a great job getting to the quarterback.
- Washington Football Team ($2,600)
- They’ve struggled defensively the past few weeks, but if I’m looking cheap, I’d consider Washington. The Rams looked inept on offense last week against the Giants, and Washington has the skills upfront to possibly disrupt the offense.
