Daily Fantasy Football Best Bargains 2021: Week 5 Top DFS Values on FanDuel and DraftKings
The best way to cash on weekly fantasy football sites is to load up on as many stars with good matchups as possible. Due to budget restraints, however, fantasy players must sacrifice other positions to nab the stars they want.
Here, you'll find the top bargains at each position on FanDuel and DraftKings that will let you splurge elsewhere. And remember, scoring is IMPORTANT. Here are Fanduel’s and DraftKings’ scoring systems.
Quarterbacks
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars ($6,500/$5,800): The Jaguars are currently a laughingstock, and Lawrence hasn’t thrown for 220 yards since his debut in Week 1. Oh, and he lost WR D.J. Chark for the season on Thursday. So why would you roll with the struggling rookie here? Two reasons: matchup, and rushing upside. The matchup is against Tennessee, which currently has the league’s seventh-worst Pass DVOA, and an offense that can gash Jacksonville early and force a pass-heavy game script. Second, Lawrence rushed eight times for 36 yards and a touchdown last week, and missed a second rushing TD by inches. Lawrence entered the league as a sneakily effective rusher, and the Jags are leaning into it as they become more and more desperate for their first W. And even with Chark gone, he still has weapons in Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault. I like the play.
Zach Wilson, Jets ($6,600/$5,100): Wilson rewarded my faith last week with 297 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans, and this week he gets an even softer matchup with the Falcons in London. It won’t always look pretty, and Wilson’s floor is very low if he’s making mistakes, but the explosiveness he possesses is exciting against Atlanta’s weak pass D.
Running Backs
Zack Moss, Bills ($6,300/$5,500): Moss’ bizarre Week 1 DNP is in the rearview, and he’s cemented himself as the RB to own in Buffalo. This is a pass-first team and Josh Allen remains a massive threat to Moss’ goal line work, but he’s scored in each of the last three games, and is involved in both the rushing and passing attack. The Sunday night matchup vs. Kansas City should be a high-scoring affair, and even if Allen is going nuts through the air there should be chances for Moss to punch in at least one score, or take a short reception to the house.
Damien Harris, Patriots ($6,500/$5,500): Harris’ usage has been baffling the past two weeks, as he’s seen 10 rushing attempts combined after seeing 23 and 16, respectively, in Weeks 1 and 2. That will sort itself out this week, when he gets to run rampant all over the Texans, who will enter play with the NFL’s second-worst Rush DVOA. This is the most cake matchup in football aside from the Chiefs, and although his carry count sucked vs. Tampa Bay, he was on the field for 61% of the snaps, and ran 17 pass routes in the absence of James White. Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor pose no threat to his early down action, and he might even eat into the passing down work of Bolden.
Latavius Murray, Ravens ($5,700/$5,400): Unlike Moss and Harris, Murray has a tough matchup in the Colts on Monday night. He also doesn’t have big talent like Harris, or youth on his side like Moss. He’s simply the most trusted back in arguably the NFL’s top rushing offense, so at this price he could essentially be a weekly play. Murray saw 18 carries last week, and despite only turning them into 57 yards, he found the end zone. That’s going to happen a lot this year, and if the price stays low it’s like stealing candy from a baby.
Wide Receivers
Robert Woods, Rams ($6,300/$5,500): Woods hasn’t been special this year, and he’s clearly been surpassed by Cooper Kupp, but he will still have big games in this high-powered passing game. Woods has seen six or more targets in three straight games, and found the end zone last week. This Thursday, he gets the Seahawks, who rank 30th in the NFL against No. 2 wideouts. With Stafford and the Rams coming off a week in which they were whooped by the Cardinals, they’re liable to come out guns blazing against another division rival.
DeVonta Smith, Eagles ($6,000/$5,900): Eagles receivers are always dodgy because of the inconsistent play of QB Jalen Hurts, but Smith is a really tough assignment for any DB, even the toughest of matchups, and Carolina happens to rank dead last vs. No. 1 receivers. If Carolina can’t hold Smith, he could go off like he did last week when he racked up seven catches and 122 yards. And in addition to his excellent target share – six or more targets in each of his first four games – he’s capable of making big plays down the field OR on short grabs where he chews up yards after the catch.
Emmanuel Sanders, Bills ($6,200/$4,900): Pieces of the Bills offense are valuable right now, and against the Chiefs defense, which is currently the worst in football, they’re damn near mandatory. Sanders has walked onto this team and demanded targets, drawing six or more in every game and getting 74 or more in each of the last two tilts. Like Smith, Sanders is versatile enough to wreak havoc on one or two plays, or he could mess around and catch seven or eight balls. The one thing we do know…is he will be open.
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry, Patriots ($5,400/$3,700): The Texans have the fourth-worst DVOA vs. TEs entering Week 5, allow 8.7 points per game and 68.7 yards. Henry could see his production go to Jonnu Smith – honestly, both are solid plays – but Henry has seen four or more targets in three straight games. Against Houston, that level of involvement means he won’t goose you, and has a decent shot at a touchdown.
Dawson Knox, Bills ($6,000/$4,300): Knox scored twice last week, running his TD streak to three games, and he might continue it in what should be a shootout with Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs. Knox’s ceiling is low – like zero – but KC is in the bottom tier of the league vs. TEs, and the score should be high, meaning all viable options are playable. I don’t love this price though, I just like it. There’s a difference, and I’d prefer Henry this week.
Will Dissly, Seahawks ($4,500/$3,000): Dissly’s floor is zero. Be aware of this, and know I warned you. But if Gerald Everett is out, Dissly is likely to be involved. The Rams are allowing 9.6 points per game to the position, the second-worst mark in the league, and the Seahawks are surely aware. He could goose you, but my hunch is he won’t.