Week 5 of the NFL season is here, and the shortened slates have started in full. Teams are on bye weeks, we have early morning games, and what feels like everything in between. Despite that, there are still plenty of DraftKings plays that stand out on this Week 5 slate. Below are eight plays for the Week 5 DraftKings slate to enhance your lineups.
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Week 5 DraftKings Plays
Quarterback
Favorite Play: Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (4.7K)
I am passing on the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets showdown for this one. I recommend having Dak Prescott and Justin Fields in some of your Week 5 DraftKings lineups, too. They are excellent plays, but are getting all of the ownership, and rightly so. That game looks to be the matchup to target this weekend as it will be a high-scoring contest. So let’s look elsewhere.
Enter Bryce Young, the young quarterback who has struggled this year, outside of facing the Atlanta Falcons, where he was QB8. This matchup is a perfect opportunity for the young quarterback to get back on track. The Dolphins are giving up the second-most estimated points added per dropback and the second-most fantasy points to the position.
This game is a solid spot for Young on DraftKings this week at $4,700; his salary is below that of Jake Browning and Marcus Mariota, who is not even playing. Saving that salary as there is a ton of great plays at the skill position and allows you to maintain flexibility. Young is a projected QB1 this week heading into a great matchup.
Contrarian Play: Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (7K)
Daniels will make his return after a two-week absence due to a knee injury. Even with missing time, Daniels comes in with the highest salary at the position on DraftKings at $7,000 in Week 5.
The Chargers have one of the better pass defenses in the league, allowing the fifth-fewest passing yards. However, they are giving up the second-most rushing yards in the league. Jaxson Dart added 54 yards on the ground and a touchdown in a big upset win last week.
It remains to be seen how mobile Daniels will be coming off the injury. And it is worth noting that Deebo Samuel will play in today’s game. So it will be Samuel returning as the primary option. Daniels is a great contrarian lineup play, as the masses will gravitate to other players to save salary.
Running Back
Favorite Play: Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions (7.7K)
Sometimes it is necessary to eat the chalk, and this is one of those times. The Lions are running the ball at a top-five rate in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Bengals are allowing the second-most fantasy points to the position. Fantasy gold would be the best way to describe this matchup. J.K. Dobbins was the Denver Broncos’ first 100-yard rusher since 2022, and that came against the Bengals last Monday night.
I have Gibbs ranked as the RB1 for the week, and I expect him and Montgomery to have great games today. Even if the score starts to get out of hand, we have seen Dan Campbell not pull the starters. And with how bad the Bengals have been, every fantasy starter could hit value on the Lions.
Contrarian Play: J.K. Dobbins, Denver Broncos (5.5K)
Speaking of Dobbins, Dobbins faces an Eagles defense that is honestly struggling against the run. They are no longer the same scary defense they once were after four weeks of the season. That may change in the upcoming weeks, but currently, they are allowing the third-highest rush success rate in the NFL, according to RBSDM.
Dobbins has control of the backfield for now, but RJ Harvey is slowly cutting into that workload. Dobbins had only 44% of snaps in Week 4 against the Bengals. The game being lopsided likely contributed to that. However, this one likely will not be, and they will have to lean on time of possession against the Eagles. On a ten-game slate, if this game goes over its total projection, DraftKings managers will have their fair share of regrets in Week 5.
Check out all of our Week 5 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings
Wide Receiver
Favorite Play: Nico Collins, Houston Texans (6.8K)
On paper, Collins is always a fantastic play. The WR1 for the Texans has no real target competition this year. Despite that, Collins is only 18th in targets to start the season. The Texans’ offense has stumbled out of the gate. Playing the Baltimore Ravens is a great opportunity to fix that. To put it bluntly, the Ravens’ defense has been horrendous over the first four weeks.
Additionally, they will be without Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and Chidobe Awuzie, with Kyle Hamilton being a game-time decision. The defense has been giving up the second-most passing yards per game. Nico Collins has had a WR8 finish on the season already. I would not be surprised if he tops that today after a 15-target game.
Contrarian Play: DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles (5K)
This play could be a narrative play in response to the news that dropped on Saturday. And I would not blame anyone for that; A.J. Brown will likely draw Patrick Surtain today. DeVonta Smith will likely frequent the slot, where he has the third-most snaps this season. He will likely see his fair share of Ja’Quan McMillan.
McMillan has been targeted 11 times through four games, allowing eight receptions for 63 yards. A great start to the season, but for a team looking to bounce back in the passing game in a big way, it sets up to be a DeVonta Smith game.
Smith has the talent of a WR1, but the system has not been friendly to him. This game will also be one on DraftKings that users overlook on this Week 5 slate. The coaches will want to keep these players happy; the team is winning, but something has to change. And it changes with getting these two players the ball, even in a subpar matchup.
Tight End
Favorite Play: Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts (4.7K)
The upside at tight end is extremely weak on DraftKings in Week 5. Tyler Warren, Jake Ferguson, and Trey McBride are the three best options by a country mile. Unless you think Sam Laporta gets reinvolved in the Lions’ game plan. Besides that, Brock Bowers will miss today’s game. So, options at the position are limited in Week 5 on DraftKings.
Tyler Warren has a salary that is $1,000 lower than Trey McBride’s. And saving the salary for a relatively similar upside is never a bad move. Warren has the most receiving yards at the position through the first four weeks. And his matchup here is a tough one, as the Raiders are allowing the fourth-least fantasy points to tight ends. However, Warren’s role is secure enough that we can disregard that statistic. Putting Warren into your lineups gives you a high ceiling without sacrificing lineup flexibility.
Contrarian Play: Tommy Tremble, Carolina Panthers (2.9K)
Tremble is not a part of the elite group, but he is an elite salary saver. I touched on that when talking about Bryce Young. And outside of Tetairoa McMillan, the Panthers are desperately looking for a second pass catcher. Tremble filled that role last week with no Ja’Tavion Sanders in the lineup. He caught five passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Sanders is out again this week, and Tremble gets to get a full workload against the defense that gives up the third-most fantasy points to tight ends. If you are looking to spend a significant portion of your salary on other positions, Tremble is my ideal target.
Final Thoughts
The shortened slate condenses things, but there are still plenty of excellent plays at every position. There are games being entirely cast aside outside of one or two players. That is where leverage comes into play, targeting a game that no one wants anything to do with. Mixing and matching will benefit DraftKings players greatly on this Week 5 slate. Finding a balance can help you win tournaments this week.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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