FFL's Week 5 DFS Lineup
Week 5 of the 2018 season is upon us and with that comes Fantasy Football Live’s fifth DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) lineup! Each week we’ll release an optimal DFS team (PPR Scoring) for Sunday’s games, giving anyone having a poor fantasy season a chance at redemption. Our Week 5 lineup below was created on DraftKings with a $50,000 budget.
QB: Derek Carr
Matchup: @ Los Angeles Chargers
Price: $5,200
Analysis: Initially I had Aaron Rodgers in this spot for $6,300 (also a good play if you choose) but once I saw Derek Carr for only $5,200 I couldn’t pass him up. He’s coming off a game where he threw for over 400 yards and 4 TDs against a Browns defense that gave Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees fits in previous games. Under Derek Carr the Raiders have the 2nd best total offense in the league after four weeks, and they go into LA to play a Chargers’ Defense that is in the bottom half of total defense and 6th worst in points allowed. This game has shootout written all over it, so getting Derek Carr for the same price as Ryan Tannehill and cheaper than Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum is a steal.
RB: Melvin Gordon
Matchup: vs Oakland Raiders
Price: $8,600
Analysis: Melvin Gordon was recommended in last week’s article and he didn’t disappoint, putting up 33.9 fantasy points. He should have another stud-worthy game in the previously mentioned, potentially high-scoring matchup against the Raiders. The Raiders’ total defense ranks in the bottom half of the league, mostly due to the Raiders allowing 139.3 rushing yards per game (3rd worst in the league). Included in that average is a game vs the Miami Dolphins unexistent rushing attack in which the Dolphins ran for only 41 yards, meaning the Raiders have allowed an insane 172 rushing yards per game against teams with competent rushing offenses so far this season. The Raiders are also 4th worst in points allowed, so touchdowns are there for the taking. Melvin Gordon has a great chance to be the best scoring RB in DFS this week.
RB: Matt Breida
Matchup: vs Arizona Cardinals
Price: $5,700
Analysis: Matt Breida comes into Week 5 with a matchup against an Arizona Cardinals’ Defense that is allowing the most fantasy points to running backs so far this season. While this would be good news for any RB, it’s also worth noting that Breida currently has the 3rd most rushing yards in the league and is averaging a league-best 7.6 yards per carry. He also finally managed to separate himself from Alfred Morris as the team’s starting RB last week, getting a total of 38 snaps and 9 rushing attempts (compared to Morris’ 14 snaps and 4 attempts). Breida figures to get plenty of yards in this one, and scoring a touchdown would help him outperform his price by plenty at $5,700.
WR: Stefon Diggs
Matchup: @ Philadelphia Eagles
Price: $7,000
Analysis: Stefon Diggs is coming off a solid 123-yard performance against the Rams, seeing an impressive 15 targets. This week he should put up similar type numbers against a Philly pass defense that has been average so far this season, especially considering he will likely be lined up against Jalen Mills, who has had a rough season so far. Throughout his career, Kirk Cousins has also been fantastic playing at Lincoln Financial Field, throwing for 12 TDs to just 3 picks with a passer rating of 112. It wouldn’t surprise me if Diggs scores multiple times in this game, and he should also put up a lot of yards to make him worth his price.
WR: Amari Cooper
Matchup: @ Los Angeles Chargers
Price: $5,500
Analysis: Amari Cooper has been the definition of boom or bust so far this season, but it’s hard to predict Derek Carr having a good game withou Cooper contributing. Despite his ups and downs, Cooper is a very talented receiver who should produce against a poor pass defense in LA. He led the team in receiving last week with 128 yards, and his 11 targets are a good indication that Carr will look his way if this game also breaks into a shootout. Look for Cooper to have a solid day in a game that projects to be a high-scoring one.
WR: Mohamed Sanu
Matchup: @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Price: $4,000
Analysis: Unnoticed in Calvin Ridley’s 2 TD game vs the Bengals last week is the fact that Mohamed Sanu had more receptions, receiving yards, and targets than Ridley. That, along with his matchup vs the Steelers this week, makes Sanu a very appealing DFS pick at just $4,000. This game projects to be the shootout of shootouts, with two top 6 passing offenses facing off against two bottom 8 passing defenses. Vegas sports books have the line of this game at around 58 points, showing that there will likely be plenty of scoring in this one, and it’s worth taking a chance on Sanu to score one of these TD’s at just $4,000.
TE: Zach Ertz
Matchup: vs Minnesota Vikings
Price: $6,500
Analysis: With all of the injuries to the TE position, it seems like the smart move this week is to go with a known commodity in Zach Ertz. Ertz has been Carson Wentz’s #1 option since getting back in the lineup Week 3, with Ertz seeing 24 targets in the past 2 weeks. Wentz should keep on feeding Ertz this week too with Alshon Jeffery being covered by Xavier Rhodes, one of the best corners in the league. Ertz should see at least 10 targets in this one, which no other TE in the league can realistically get week after week like Ertz can.
FLEX: Aaron Jones
Matchup: @ Detroit Lions
Price: $4,200
Analysis: Aaron Jones solidified himself as the starter for the Packers after a solid 65 yard, 1 TD performance last week where he also averaged 5.9 yards per carry. Against the league’s worst rushing defense, and at a price of $4,200, this selection seems like a no brainer. Even though he may not get a heavy workload with Aaron Rodgers leading the way, Jones should make the carries he gets count, averaging 6.3 yards per carry on the season. Against a bad run D like the Lions have, Jones has serious potential to break out, a worthy bet on a guy for a little over $4,000.
D/ST: Baltimore Ravens
Matchup: @ Cleveland Browns
Price: $2,800
Analysis: The Ravens defense ranks 2nd in both yards allowed and points allowed, and go into Cleveland to play a rookie quarterback in Baker Mayfield. Yes the Browns did put up 42 points last week, but it’s also worth noting that these points were scored against a bad Raiders’ Defense, and Mayfield also turned the ball over 4 times. If we are looking at last week’s performances, perhaps the more impressive accomplishment was what the Ravens Defense did to the high-powered Steelers Offense last week, shutting the Steelers out in the second half at the Steelers’ home field. Expect the Ravens to go into Cleveland and give Mayfield the hardest time he’s had yet as a QB in the NFL.