The goal of the cash game article is more about discovering who will be used by everyone rather than getting the picks correct. We still want to hit on our recommendations, but what’s most important is to realize who will be highly rostered. Knowing who that is will help you in cash game tournaments because there are stud players you can’t fade. They call that a “free square” in DFS, and you need to fill out as many of those as possible!
With that said, let’s dive into this Week 5 slate.
Week 5 Cash Game DFS Advice & Picks
The players below are the ones I’m looking at for cash game considerations for Week 5:
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Josh Allen (QB – BUF): $7,700 at HOU
Allen had a rough showing in Week 4, but that’s an outlier. The superstar quarterback had at least 31 DraftKings points in two of his first three games, and a matchup with Houston should get him back on track. The Texans have a 23rd OPRK against opposing signal-callers, with Allen scoring 21 and 27 DK points in their past two matchups.
Jordan Love (QB – GB): $6,500 at LAR
Love has been the best quarterback in DFS when he’s been on the field, scoring 26 DraftKings points per game. He also showcased some elite consistency last season, scoring at least 16 DraftKings points in 16 games! That’s all you can ask for from a $6,500 player, and the matchup with LA couldn’t be much better. The Rams have surrendered the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year!
FanDuel
Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL): $8,800 at CIN
Jackson is the highest-scoring quarterback who’s played all four games, averaging 24 FanDuel points per game. What makes that miraculous is that L-Jax has only attempted 33 combined passes over the past two games. That displays how absurd his rushing ability can be as a quarterback, and he should continue to run wild with Derrick Henry in the backfield. We also saw Jackson score at least 23 FD points in both of his matchups with Cincy in 2023, but this Bengals defense is the worst it’s been in over a decade, ranked 28th in points allowed.
Justin Fields (QB – PIT): $7,600 vs. DAL
All DFS managers saw Fields go nuts this past week, and they will use him after that ceiling game. The speedster scored two rushing touchdowns and finished with a season-high 35 FanDuel points. We saw glimpses of that throughout his Chicago career, and many DFS players will use him against Dallas since they lost numerous key players to injuries this past week.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Jordan Mason (RB – SF): $7,400 vs. ARI
Mason has been in this section weekly and will remain in it until Christian McCaffrey returns. He’s filled that CMC role perfectly, averaging 21 DraftKings points per game. McCaffrey would usually creep close to $10K in this role when he was healthy, and people will keep riding Mason until he gets above $8,000. They’ll love him against Arizona, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing backs.
D’Andre Swift (RB – CHI): $5,700 vs. CAR
Swift was horrible through the first three weeks, but scoring 30 DraftKings points in Week 4 shows how special he can be. We saw Swift do that in Detroit and Philly, but seeing him receive 16 carries and seven catches was eye-opening. That’s a ridiculous role from a sub-$6K player, especially since Carolina has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing rushers this year!
FanDuel
Kyren Williams (RB – LAR): $8,400 vs. GB
It’s hard to believe, but Ky has been the best cash-game running back since the start of this past season. The Rams horse has scored at least 13 FanDuel points in all four games this year and surpassed that in 11 straight regular-season games. Not many players have a floor like that, and he should continue to be fed with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp still sidelined. Not to mention, Green Bay has a 20th OPRK against opposing running backs.
Kenneth Walker (RB – SEA): $7,400 vs. NYG
Whenever a player goes off on Monday Night Football, he’s always heavily rostered on the following slate. It’s simply human psychology because it’s the last thing people saw! They saw Walker go crazy in that gem, too, scoring 32 FanDuel points. Walker also scored 21 FanDuel points in his only other game two weeks ago, and it’s obvious Walker is thriving in this new-look offense. Facing the Giants as a home favorite only adds to his value, with NY allowing 4.7 yards per carry.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
Nico Collins (WR – HOU): $7,700 vs. BUF
Collins leads the league in every receiving category and looks like a true alpha. He’s not priced like it because most stud wideouts are above $8,000. He’s earned that price bump, averaging a league-leading 25 DraftKings points per game. Not many quarterbacks can reach that total, and Houston will feed their beast in a showcase game against Buffalo.
Diontae Johnson (WR – CAR): $6,100 at CHI
Johnson was always a usage beast with the Steelers, averaging about 90 receptions and 140 targets per year. That’s the role we’ve seen since Carolina switched to Andy Dalton, with DJ scoring 21 and 29 DraftKings points in the first two games with his new quarterback. Most importantly, he’s seen at least 13 targets in both of those, and he will be heavily rostered at just $6,100 with that type of workload.
FanDuel
Jayden Reed (WR – GB): $7,200 at LAR
We anticipate Love being one of the highest-rostered players on this slate, meaning Reed will be paired with him across all those lineups. This guy has been a Top 10 receiver over the last year, scoring 27 and 34 FanDuel points in the two games that Love has played this year. We don’t expect an output like that, but anybody with that much potential should never be this cheap, especially since LA is allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts!
Christian Kirk (WR – JAX): $6,100 vs. IND
It’s hard to believe Kirk is just $6,100. This guy has 15 catches for 140 yards on 22 targets over the past two games. That’s impossible to find from a $6,100 player, particularly a guy who’s typically been closer to $7K throughout his career. The matchup with Indy is incredible, too, with the Colts posting a 29th OPRK against opposing wide receivers.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Tucker Kraft (TE – GB): $3,500 at LAR
Kraft was picked up across most fantasy formats on Wednesday because he’s become the go-to tight end in Green Bay. While he hasn’t received much of the volume, we love that Kraft plays in over 80 percent of the team’s snaps. That’s massive since Christian Watson is sidelined now, guaranteeing Kraft more work in the future. The reason people will use him is this $3,500 price tag because picking up six receptions and a touchdown this past week will surely open the eyes of DFS managers for such a cheap player.
FanDuel
Trey McBride (TE – ARI): $6,500 at SF
McBride is the best tight end in football, ranked second at the position with 8.4 FanDuel points per game. George Kittle‘s outlier is the only reason he’s not first, but McBride has been the top-scoring tight end since the second half of last season. People will use him because of how bad this position has been, and he’s simply one of the only safe options out there. In his last matchup with San Fran, McBride had 10 catches for 102 yards.
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
Denver Broncos D/ST: $2,900 vs. LVR
How are the Broncos below $3K? This team ranks first in yardage surrendered and third in points allowed, with almost all that damage happening since Week 1. This has been the best defense in the NFL since then, and there’s no chance a Raiders team without Davante Adams adds to those numbers. The Broncos come into this home matchup as a 3.5-point favorite in a game with a 36-point total, which means Vegas isn’t even projected to reach 17 points!
FanDuel
San Francisco 49ers D/ST: $5,000 vs. ARI
Finding the chalk on FanDuel was tough, but people will pivot to San Fran. This has been one of the best defenses in the NFL for years, and they’re the safest option on every slate. They’ve also had their way with Arizona over recent years, which is scary since the Cardinals just made the Commanders defense look legit this past week. Washington has one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and the 49ers should roll as a 7.5-point home favorite.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.