DraftKings Week 5 Lineup Recommendations

By Ben Rolfe

Which players can help us make money in Week 5?

We are now over a quarter of the way through the 2019 regular season. That means a couple of things. Firstly, its time for some London football! Secondly, we now have a really solid idea of where we can find value, and who is basically a must-use option regardless of price. This week we have six games with a projected total over 45, but we also have the game between the Bills and Titans with a line of just 38.

Get a $10 Bonus to play FREE fantasy football with your $10 deposit. Thanks to our partnership with @DKUK, you can compete with fellow fans for huge cash prizes. 18+. www.BegambleAware.org® T&Cs apply https://dkng.co/thetouchdown

In this article, you will find my Week 5 picks on DraftKings, which are based on matchups, situation, weather and betting lines. The focus of this piece will be looking at upside, and is, therefore, more suited for use in GPP formats. However, the names below can also double up as options in cash games, alongside some safer bets.

Quarterback

Jameis Winston, TB @ NO | $6,200

After a dodgy Week 1 performance Winston has come roaring back. The New Orleans defense put up a good performance last week against Dallas, but their returns against the pass have not been good in general this year. Winston has arguably the most talented one-two receiving combination in the league and makes for a great play in this one in what could be Tampa Bay’s third shootout in as many weeks.
DraftKings Week 14

Kirk Cousins, MIN @ NYG | $5,300

No, I do not like trusting Kirk Cousins, but I do not believe the New York defense can be good two weeks running. It is one thing to dominate the hot mess that is the Washington offense, but doing it against Minnesota is another thing altogether. My feel here is that New York loads up against the run go try and stop Dalvin Cooks and Alexander Mattison, and it leaves their corner backs to fend for themselves, which is frankly a recipe for disaster. If Minnesota cannot get their passing game going this week, they are in serious trouble.

Running Back

Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs. GB | $8,300

Ok, so Elliott struggled against New Orleans last week. Fine, but the Packers just got ravaged by Jordan Howard last week. Green Bay averages over 35 FPPG against number one running backs this season. There is no need to get cute here, just fire Elliott up in a game which should see Dallas run the ball a lot

David Johnson, ARI @ CIN | $7,500

It turns out that Cincinnati are not very good at defending the running game. We saw it against San Francisco, and we saw it against Pittsburgh. Now they face arguably the most talented back of the lot. Johnson has been heavily involved in the passing game the last two weeks and I expect to see that continue this week. Let’s roll with Johnson against the second worst defense against running backs on DraftKings this season.

Jaylen Samuels, PIT vs. BAL | $4,100

The efficiency for Samuels last week was not great, but the opportunity was fantastic. Samuels played a huge role in the offense, taking snaps in the wildcat and getting 18 touches in the rushing and receiving game. Samuels also threw the ball three times, and with James Conner potentially a little limited he could see even more work this week. Baltimore’s run defense has been ravaged the last two weeks, and if Samuels can see 20 touches he could be in line for another big day. Let’s swing for the fences with this one.

Wide Receiver

Julio Jones, ATL @ HOU | $7,700

Targeting Houston’s secondary has been a good way to go this season, and that should be no different this week with Jones. Houston has allowed 19.9 FPPG to opposing number one wide receivers this season. That is not good when you are facing a receiver who average 21 FPPG and nine targets per game.

Tyler Boyd, CIN vs. ARI | $6,500

Let’s start by throwing out that MNF performance when considering the season Boyd has had. In the first three weeks, he had double-digit targets in every single game, averaging just over 17 points per game in those three games. Arizona have not been ravaged by receivers this season, but their secondary is certainly prime for it in the case of a shootout. There is no other receiver in this game for Cincinnati that will have the same trust from Dalton as Boyd will. Therefore, Boyd should see double-digit targets once again.
DraftKings

Trevor Davis, OAK vs. CHI| $3,300

Tyrell Williams has not practiced this week and therefore it is expected we will see Davis regularly in this week’s matchup with Chicago. This is purely a hunch because Davis has seen just one target this year and trying to attack the Chicago defense is not usually the best way to go. At this price we are simply playing for another 60-yard touchdown run like we saw last week. If you want to be safer then lean Auden Tate of Cincinnati.

Tight end

Evan Engram, NYG vs. MIN | $5,800

It is almost impossible not to pick Engram on a weekly basis. So far this season he is averaging nine targets per game and has the ability to break out for some big plays. Getting Golden Tate back may reduce the target share a fraction, but Engram is a big part of this New York offense. The best way to attach the Minnesota defense this season has been the tight end position, which has averaged 12.6 FPPG when facing Minnesota.

Austin Hooper, ATL @ HOU | $4,500

I am loving the returns from Hooper this season. An average of eight targets per game, double-digit points in three of the four games, and fast becoming one Matt Ryan’s most trusted weapons. This matchup is not great, but Hooper is a huge part of the Atlanta offense, and I expect him to see another 5-to-8 targets in this one.

Defense/Special Teams

Titans vs. BUF | $3,000

I rode the Tennessee defense last week and they rewarded me. With it looking like Matt Barkley is going to be under centre for Buffalo this week I am going right back to the well. Tennessee have looked good against the run this season and it will force Buffalo to go to the air more, which could open up Tennessee for some big plays defensively.

Disclaimer: I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is brolfe1507) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

Ben Rolfe

Head of NFL Content

BEN IS THE HEAD OF NFL CONTENT FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. YOU CAN ALSO FIND HIS WORK AT; FFSTATISTICS, PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK & ROTOBALLER. FOLLOW BEN @BENROLFE15 ON TWITTER.

Twitter Envelope
5/5