We are now a quarter of the way through the fantasy season and by now you have probably made a hundred lineups playing DraftKings. Well its time to build lineup numbers 101, 102 and so forth as we continue to chase down that $1 million grand prize.
Fantasy Spotlight: Week Five DraftKings Targets
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys
Salary: $8,100
Here’s the deal, is Aaron Rodgers very expensive? Yes! Is he worth every penny of his salary this week? Yes again! The Dallas Cowboys defense just got ripped apart at home by Jared Goff. Now enter Rodgers and the Packers with what may be a healthy wide receiver group after all. The Cowboys rank 27th against opposing fantasy quarterbacks, making Rodgers an ideal, albeit expensive, DFS play in week five.
Ben Roethlisberger: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Salary: $6,400
This is one of those rare instances in DFS where you disregard the quarterback/defense matchup. The Jaguars rank first against opposing fantasy quarterbacks. However, this will be their biggest offense test to date. They have done well against the likes of Tom Savage, Josh McCown and Joe Flacco. Marcus Mariota led the Tennesee Titans to 37 points at home, and look for Big Ben and the Steelers to have their 2017 coming out party at home in week five.
Other Notables: Matthew Stafford $6,300, Jacoby Brissett $5,600 and DeShone Kizer $5,500
Running Back
Duke Johnson: Cleveland Browns vs New York Jets
Salary: $4,900
As each week has gone by, Duke Johnson has become a bigger part of the Cleveland Browns offense. He has shown versatility being able to line up in the slot as a receiver and contribute in the passing game. Over his last three games Johnson has caught 18 passes on 23 targets. The New York Jets are off to a surprising 2-2 start; however, they have struggled against opposing fantasy running backs, ranking 26th. This is a classic trap game for the Jets facing a winless Browns team this week, with the New England Patriots on deck.
Andre Ellington: Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles
Salary: $4,600
If you listen to the “Pickin’ Up the Blitz” fantasy podcast on ITunes, then you know Andre Ellington has been a favorite of mine for a few weeks. Over the last three games since the David Johnson injury, Ellington has been targeted 27 times in the passing game, converting 17 of those targets for catches. He continues to lead the team in snap share and is on the field for the most important parts of the game. He offers tremendous PPR value this week in DraftKings.
Other Notables: Le’Veon Bell $9,500, Leonard Fournette $7,000 and Thomas Rawls $3,700
Wide Receiver
Randall Cobb: Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys
Salary: $6,700
Randall Cobb has been very consistent through the early parts of the 2017 season. He is averaging 15.0 fantasy points per game in DraftKings and faces a Cowboys secondary ranked 21st against opposing wide receivers. The Cowboys will do all they can to keep Jordy Nelson in check and with Davante Adams still a question mark, Cobb should have a very productive Sunday afternoon in Big D.
Golden Tate: Detroit Lions vs Carolina Panthers
Salary: $6,300
Home and road splits are a key factor in Golden Tate being a target for your DraftKings lineup week five. In two home games this year Tate is averaging 21.6 fantasy points per game, while on the road he is averaging 6.3. Tate and the Lions meet up against a very suspect Panthers secondary that was torched by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots last week.
Other Notables: DeVante Parker $6,600, T.Y. Hilton $6,000 and Jaron Brown $4,500
Tight End
Hunter Henry: Los Angeles Chargers at New York Giants
Salary: $3,800
The New York Giants have allowed touchdowns to five different tight ends through the first four weeks of the season. That is good enough for dead last in the NFL. The Chargers are more likely to feel at home in New York than they do in their own stadium. Henry should be able to establish a solid stat line against the Giants week five.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins: New York Jets at Cleveland Browns
Salary: $3,500
Seferian-Jenkins has been a welcome addition to the New York Jets offense the past two weeks. He has caught nine of ten targets and has had good chemistry with Josh McCown. The Browns rank 30th against opposing fantasy tight ends. Look for Seferian-Jenkins to be a big target in the red zone on Sunday.
Other Notables: Martellus Bennett $4,100, Evan Engram $4,000 and Antonio Gates $3,300
Defense
Baltimore Ravens
Salary: $2,900
The Ravens travel to Oakland to face the Raiders. Derek Carr is out, Marshawn Lynch has been terrible, Michael Crabtree is banged up and Amari Cooper has a case of the drops. Add those all together and you have yourself a nice road defense/special teams play for DraftKings.
Miami Dolphins
Salary: $2,700
The Miami Dolphins finally get to play a “home” game. They have given up no more than 20 points in any game this year and now get to face Matt Cassel in for the injured Marcus Mariota. Look for a fired-up Dolphins defense to swarm the veteran signal caller in week five.
Other Notables: Pittsburgh Steelers $3,900, Detroit Lions $3,200 and Indianapolis Colts $2,700
