Despite getting some decent contributions from Cordarrelle Patterson, Khalil Herbert, and CeeDee Lamb last week, our NFL DFS fortunes were sunk by bad weather and injuries. Such is life in the daily fantasy football world, and we'll try to bounce back with our Week 5 DraftKings lineup, which features more of a stars-and-scrubs strategy than last week's picks.
We're going back to the well with Josh Allen and a Bills stack, expecting a better performance in better weather. We're also going with a contrarian Jaguars' stack and banking on some bounce-back performances from guys who've been dealing with injuries recently.
Before we break down our full lineup, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
WEEK 5 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel
DraftKings Picks Week 5: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Sunday main slate, $50,000 budget
QB Josh Allen, Bills vs. Steelers ($8,200). Rainy and windy weather slowed down Allen last week, but even in a "down" game, he managed 24.52 DraftKings points. The Steelers haven't allowed more than two quarterback touchdowns in a game this year, but they're still allowing the 11th-most DK points to QBs. Allen will get back on track and pay off his hefty price tag.
RB James Robinson, Jaguars vs. Texans ($6,300). Robinson had his first sub-15.8-point game last week and was slightly out-snapped by Travis Etienne Jr., Etienne didn't do anything, though, and that was likely more a game-script thing than anything. Jacksonville doesn't figure to fall behind quickly against Houston, who's allowing the most fantasy points to RBs. When you put it all together, Robinson is a relative value as the RB13 in terms of price.
WEEK 5 DFS: Best stacks | Best values
RB Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots vs. Lions ($5,500). Stevenson handled a season-high 18 touches last week, playing 55 percent of the snaps compared to 45 for Damien Harris. Even though Harris got more carries and scored, Stevenson has just as much upside, especially in full-point PPR formats. The Lions allow the second-most fantasy points to RBs and were just gashed by Rashaad Penny, so Stevenson can easily return value in what should be a run-heavy game plan for a Pats team down to its third-string QB.
WR Stefon Diggs, Bills vs. Steelers ($8,400). With Gabriel Davis struggling, possibly because of a nagging ankle injury, and Isaiah McKenzie in early concussion protocol, Diggs is even more attractive than usual. Yes, the price is high, but in full PPR with a 100-yard bonus, there aren't many WRs you'd rather have in a matchup against a defense allowing the sixth-most DK points to WRs.
WEEK 5 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
WR Zay Jones, Jaguars vs. Texans ($4,100). Jones (ankle) was a surprise scratch last week, and it's possible the rainy conditions played into the decision. Either way, we're expecting him to return this week, and given that he's seen at least nine targets in two-of-three games this year, he's a major value against a middle-of-the-road Houston pass defense.
UPDATE: If Jones (ankle) is out, we'll pivot to George Pickens ($4,300) and hope he can take advantage of Buffalo's banged-up secondary and/or post some garbage-time numbers.
WR Chris Godwin, Buccaneers vs. Falcons ($5,900). Godwin is no stranger to the injury report, so chances are you'll have to watch his status right up until kickoff. That said, he looked good in his return to action Sunday night, catching seven-of-10 targets for 59 yards. The Falcons allow the seventh-most DK points to wide receivers, so this is a good spot for the heavily targeted Godwin to pop and easily surpass his modest price.
WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
TE Dallas Goedert, Eagles @ Cardinals ($4,700). Goedert is rarely mentioned among the elites at TE, but he's been as consistently solid as virtually anyone this year, scoring between nine and 13.2 DK points in every game. In a week where Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, and Darren Waller aren't on the main slate, you can make a case for Goedert being the best available tight end. Getting him at TE4 pricing against the second-worst TE defense is a relative bargain.
FLEX Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans @ Commanders ($4,200). Treylon Burks suffered a potentially serious foot injury last week, so Ryan Tannehill needs a new target. Robert Woods should get the bulk of the looks, but NWI, who didn't see a target despite playing 65 percent of snaps last week, could also step up in a major way. We needed a value player after paying up for Allen and Diggs, but Westbrook-Ikhine has legit upside against Washington's 24th-ranked pass defense. Kyle Philips ($3,900) is also a possibility, but he played just four percent of snaps last week. Either way, we're getting some differentiation here.
WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
DEF Dallas Cowboys vs. @ Rams ($2,500). The Cowboys are priced as the D/ST27? Sign us up. Sure, the Rams have the reputation of having a high-powered offense, but the truth is they entered Week 4 allowing the second-most fantasy points to defenses. Dallas consistently gets multiple sacks and keeps scores low, and it has playmakers all over the field. The Cowboys don't have the highest ceiling on the slate, but getting their high floor for $2,500 is a steal.