DraftKings Showdown Week 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Chicago Bears
Week 5 in the NFL begins with the Bucs visiting the Bears and this DraftKings Thursday Night showdown slate already feels a little like a ‘last man standing’ situation for Tampa Bay. They have a lot of injuries on offense! In fact, I’m writing this article a day later than normal hoping there’s more clarity…which there isn’t. It’s quicker for me to list the starters who did practice on Tuesday: Ronald Jones, Cameron Brate, and Gronk (limited). So we’ll need to look at some cheaper options on that side of the ball. On the plus side, fewer options make decisions easier right? The Bears appear to be pretty healthy and this might be the deciding factor in this matchup.
I’m going to cover creating a cash game lineup and also look at my favourite plays for GPP lineups. Read our Week 1 article to learn more about the different strategies for these two contests.
These are my personal opinions on the games and strategies at the time of writing this. I may employ different players and strategies than above if later or further information makes me reevaluate my opinions.
Week 5 Cash Game Options
We are 4-0 using the cash game cheat code this season. Last week, I accidentally took out Crowder from my cash lineup (I thought I was changing a GPP lineup) and it still cashed easily.
For week 5 I think it’s a fairly obvious cash lineup. My only concern is that TB are excellent against the run so I’m not expecting many yards from David Montgomery. However, that’s not the point of a showdown cash lineup. We’re trying to cover all the scoring plays so this is an example where the injuries to the Bucs help us as Ronald Jones should have the vast majority of touches in the backfield. Last week in a similar situation, he carried the ball 20 times and was targeted 9 times. Even without falling into the endzone, he scored 21.8 fpts.
So it’s 2 QBs, 2 RBs, and 2 kickers. Almost seems too easy this week, I’m getting nervous?!?!
Week 5 GPP options
On the Bears side, we sort of know who the ball is going to as Nick Foles has steadied the ship fantasy-wise. As mentioned above, the Bucs situation is very fluid. In terms of pass-catchers, keep an eye on reports and if you’re up late, the inactives are crucial. Knowing what I know today, these are the four players I’ll be having high exposure too.
Allen Robinson, CHI - $10.6k (Captain - $15.9k)
An often underrated fantasy player who has benefited from the quarterback change. He’s received 23 targets in the past two weeks and averaged 28.7 fpts during that time. He will rightly be very popular on this slate. Remember to stack him with Foles if you’re playing him as Captain.
Darnell Mooney, CHI - $4.6k (Captain - $6.9k)
The rookie has emerged the past couple of weeks and had the second-highest snap total amongst the receivers in week 4. Foles seems to trust him and he targeted him 9 times last week. Mooney offers better value than Anthony Miller if you had to pick one. If you’re playing multiple lineups, they make a great pairing if you fade Robinson.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn, TB - $1k (Captain - $1.5k)
With Fournette and McCoy doubtful after the short week, the promising rookie Vaughn may be forced to step into the backup role. Last week he only had 3 rushes but he did garner 3 targets. He may see more work and it’s this sort of value play that can win you a showdown slate.
Jaydon Mickens, TB - $200 (Captain $300)
If you look at Mickens’ game log on DraftKings, it’s all zeroes so why am I picking him? Well, he did see 11 snaps in the last game and he should be the primary kick and punt returner. He may see more offensive snaps with all the injuries but I’m picking him because of his return ability. If you play him along with the Bucs D and he takes one to the house, you score twice (12 fpts). Double-dipping, if you will. At $200, he doesn’t need to do much to hit value, and even if he does nothing, he’s not hurting you enormously either.
