National Football League

Fantasy Football: Week 5 NFL Daily Fantasy Picks

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Playing daily fantasy football in week 5 of the 2016 NFL Season? Read these DFS suggestions before you set your FanDuel or Draft Kings lineup.

Oct 2, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) stiff arms Carolina Panthers cornerback Bene

Week 4 of Daily Fantasy will go down as the week of Julio Jones. If you missed on him last week, you likely didn’t have a chance to sniff the leader boards in any of the big tournaments. 12 catches for 300 yards and a score is one of the best individual performances you will see on any given Sunday this football season. If you paired him with Matt Ryan and his 500 yard performance, you likely had no problems winning money even if you happened to play some of the chalky Lions who laid an egg in Chicago.

It’s pretty rare that a single player can swing the week that much on his own but Julio did just that. My picks had another solid weekend as I rode with Brian Hoyer on a majority of my rosters. Daily fantasy is a funny thing in that you can feel confident in rolling with someone like Hoyer. The truth is, the savings in salary dropping down to him opened up so much more from a roster construction stand point.

What is interesting to me and what makes this game so much fun is that you can go completely different routes from week to week and have success either way. Hoyer again looks like a solid value at QB this week while it might also make sense to pay up to the Brady and Rodgers of the world.

Let’s jump right into the picks for week 5!

DISCLAIMER – Salary cap numbers are based on FanDuel’s pricing for this week.

Sep 1, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass during the first half of their game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

QUARTERBACK

Tom Brady ($8700) Patriots @ Browns – I hate to start out the week with a pick that is so glaringly obvious but here we are. If you think Brady hasn’t been itching to get back on the field and make a statement to the entire NFL world you obviously don’t get Tom Brady. If you don’t think Bill Belichick hasn’t lost sleep this week over last Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Bills you obviously don’t get Bill Belichick. The narratives here are too many to count as there is no doubt in my mind that Patriots come out and truly embarrass the Browns this Sunday. The Browns on paper are middle of the pack against the pass so far this season, but that doesn’t really tell us the true story. It’s not a good defense and not a good team as a whole. I expect Brady and the Pats to come out firing and I also don’t expect them to take their foot of the gas until the final horn. Fire Brady up this week.

Derek Carr ($8100) Raiders vs. Chargers – This Chargers team is going to continue to make appearances in my column and its likely to be on both sides of the equation. Their offense plays at a fast pace and can rack up stats in a hurry while their defense is currently ranked in the bottom five of the NFL in virtually every category. Carr and the Raiders will host them this week and see a defense allowing 289.5 yards a game through the air, placing them 27th in the NFL. Carr is coming off an efficient 25 for 35 passing day with 4 touchdown’s last week and is poised for another big day. With Latavius Murray likely sitting out this one as well, I expect the Raiders to let it fly close to 40 times giving Carr an excellent shot to blow away his salary.

Carson Wentz ($7500) Eagles @ Lions – I hate to continually target our beloved Lions in daily fantasy, they just make it so easy to do. I mentioned Brian Hoyer above, all he did was go out and complete 28 out of 36 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns last weekend. Yes this is the same Brian Hoyer that is playing on his 5th NFL team and has been nothing short of average throughout his 8 year NFL career. If the Lions can make Hoyer look like Joe Montana, what will Ertz do coming off a bye week for the undefeated Eagles? Wentz has looked really sharp in his first three NFL starts, throwing 5 TD’s without and interception compiling a QB rating of 103.8. He has been brilliant in using all of his weapons and exploiting weaknesses in opposing defenses. Since we all know the Lions defense is full of weaknesses, I like Wentz to have an excellent game for his cheap salary. 250 yards and 2 TD’s are a near lock.

Others I Like – Brian Hoyer ($6000), Aaron Rodgers ($9100), Kirk Cousins ($7500)

Oct 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard (24) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

RUNNING BACK

Jerick McKinnon ($6200) Vikings vs. Houston – McKinnon has been a highly touted prospect that has shown us a few brief glimpses of his potential the last two seasons. His first start against a tough Carolina run defense wasn’t anything to write home about, however last week against the Giants he proved that he is a starting quality RB. He gained 85 yards on the ground while also catching 3 passes and finding the end zone. His price remains too cheap for a guy looking at another 20+ touches against a team that is giving up over 125 yards a game on the ground. Throw in that JJ Watt is now out and down for the season and this Texan defense is one that can be exploited. If McKinnon can get another 18 carries and catch a few passes, he should easily pay off his still cheap salary.

DeAndre Washington ($4700) Raiders vs. Chargers – Those pesky Chargers show up here again but this time in the running game. The Chargers are only allowing 82 yards per game on the ground so far this season, which places them 7th in the NFL. If you take a deeper dive into the numbers however, they have already given up 7 scores to RB’s and are allowing over 30 Fanduel points a game to the RB through 4 weeks, worse than everyone except the Saints. Washington should take over as the lead back in Oakland this week as Latavius Murray is looking very doubtful. Washington had looked like the more explosive back anyway in limited work and now gets a chance to prove he deserves to be the guy. So far this season he is averaging over 6 yards per carry and also has been used as a receiver out of the backfield as well. I love Washington’s ability and at this price tag its hard to really miss with him this week.

Jordan Howard ($7200) Bears @ Colts – Howard looked every bit the part of a lead back in the Bears system last weekend albeit vs. the Lions. He went over 100 yards and also caught three passes. The most encouraging part of that game was the 26 touches, he worked as a true three down back and rarely came off the field. The Colts are another team that has allowed middle of the pack yardage numbers but are top five in fantasy points allowed to the position as they have already given up 5 rushing scores. As long as Howard is in this role and his price doesn’t go crazy, he has a really high floor and should be able to produce a 20 point day.

Others I Like – LeVeon Bell ($8600), Ezekiel Elliott ($7900), C.J. Anderson ($8000)

Sep 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Cardinals 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

WIDE RECEIVER

Julian Edelman ($7000) Patriots @ Browns – There are many people excited to have Tom Brady back under center this week but none more perhaps than Julian Edelman. Coming off a 1 catch performance, Edelman has seemingly dropped off the fantasy radar without his main QB. I had to go all the way back to Oct. 26th of 2014 to find the last game that Edelman caught only 1 pass. Brady and Edelman have such great chemistry with each other that I expect them to go right back to what always worked in the past. Edelman is about as safe of a play as you can get for a salary of only $7000. I expect him to catch 7 or 8 balls this weekend and could turn one of them into a score.

Jordy Nelson ($7900) Packers vs. Giants – I have been a little hesitant to use Nelson so far this season with him coming off a major injury and have missed the boat on some solid production. I think this Packers/Giants game has some sneaky shootout potential and I love Aaron Rodgers and the entire Green Bay offense in this one. Nelson had his first 100 yard day last week and also scored twice. He has scored in every game this season and continues to be Rodgers favorite target in the red zone. Lock him in for another score this week.

Emmanuel Sanders ($7100) Broncos vs Falcons – The Falcons are another team that has been playing in shootouts this early season and have given up huge chunks of yardage to wide receivers. 323 yards per game through the air to be exact, which puts them 30th in the NFL. Sanders has quietly been excellent the last two weeks seeing 26 targets and turning that into 17 catches for 205 yards and three touchdowns. There is some question as to who will play QB this week in Denver, but it hasn’t seemed to matter as much of his production last week came with Lynch under center. I love Sanders again this week if he continues to see 13 looks every single week.

Others I Like – Jarvis Landry ($7500), Odell Beckham ($8500), T.Y. Hilton ($7700)

Sep 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz (86) leads his team onto the field during player introductions before action against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles won 29-10. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

TIGHT END

Zach Ertz ($5600) Eagles @ Lions – There are times in the NFL you start to see patterns and wonder how true they might seem. One of those early season trends is playing TE’s vs. the Detroit Lions. We saw it again last weekend with Zach Miller scoring a TD that he was so wide open he could have literally sat down in a chair and waited for that pass to get to him. There is obviously a weakness in the LB crew and also their schemes that allow TE’s to get that open in the red zone. Ertz hasn’t played since week 1, but was heavily involved in that game and now has had their bye week to get fully healthy before returning this Sunday. I expect the Eagles to have a great offensive day and I expect Ertz to be a major part of that. Throw in that most people likely have forgotten about him, he makes for an excellent play this week.

Hunter Henry ($5400) Chargers @ Raiders – Henry had a big week last week filling in for the still injured Antonio Gates. As long as Gates continues to sit, Henry is going to be fully involved in this Charger passing attack. The Raiders have given up the most passing yards of any team this season and I love Henry’s price again this week. He caught 4 passes for 61 yards and also had a score while earning the trust of Phillip Rivers. I will continue to play the value TE’s this season until Rob Gronkowski looks fully healthy.

Others I Like – Martellus Bennett ($6300), Cameron Brate ($5400), Kyle Rudolph ($5500)

Oct 3, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) tackles New York Giants running back Orleans Darkwa (26) during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Giants 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

KICKER

For some reason FanDuel still includes the kicker spot while many other daily fantasy sites have dropped it. I will make it simple for you, play a kicker from an offense you like with a salary that works with the rest of your team.

DEFENSE

Minnesota Vikings ($4800) vs. Houston – Until the Vikings are the top priced defense and play a great offense, I will continue to use them. This is a team that has all the makings of a truly elite defense and I would go as far as saying they are a top three defense right now. This week they take on a Houston team that has been fairly effective this season but features a QB that has the tendency to throw picks. He has already thrown 6 of them this season and I like the Vikings to pick him off at least once again this Sunday.

Others I Like – New England Patriots ($4800), Philadelphia Eagles ($4600)