NFL DFS Week 5 Example Lineups: Top Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel

NFL Week 5 DFS gets underway this afternoon and we're still watching the NFL Injury Report like a hawk. Players who are ruled out for the day's games should reveal some intriguing DFS value plays which will, hopefully, allow us to get some of the bigger names into both our cash and GPP lineups, while news of some players coming back – most notably, Bears running back David Montgomery – will have us off certain guys like, obviously Khalil Herbert. Searching for value like this is a whole lot better than stressing about the NFL Weather Report like we were dealing with last week. At least we are free and clear of any natural disasters this time around.

Not sure there's much else to say beyond the usual DFS pep talk. I'm pretty sure I said it all in the NFL DFS Watch List and then again in the NFL DFS Playbook. It's all about wiping the slate clean from last week. We lost in cash but won in GPP tournaments. None of that matters anymore. We've gone back and corrected our perceived mistakes, but we aren't changing the process at all. Take everything we present to you content-wise – all the DFS position coaches, all the content, all the NFL tools like the NFL DFS lineup generator (a.k.a. the DFS lineup optimizer) and the DFS Compare Tool nd put them to proper use for yourself. We get back on the horse today and we rise into the sunset as winners today. As my man Justin Fensterman always says, “there is no other option.”

Just a few notes here about the lineups below...

The cash lineups were built solely off the players I put in the Playbook. These are the guys who, unless I have indicated otherwise, offer up the higher floor and will help you cash in your Double-Ups and 50/50s. For GPP tournaments, particularly the large-field ones, you need to find alternative routes to the cash line. I will utilize players from the Playbook and the DFS Dart Board to fill in the gaps, but what I am looking for are some lower-owned stacks that make sense based on expected game flow and other news. You may also see in the GPP lineups, there may be some names I haven't discussed this week on the site, but have talked about during the week on the Fantasy Alarm Show or even on the Fantasy Alarm Sunday Gameday Show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. You will also notice, though, that others on the site have mentioned some of these players in places such as the position coaches, so it's not like we're trying to hide anything from you. The only time, and I mean the only time you will see a player in a GPP lineup who hasn't been discussed is if we are using a stack and need a player from the other team coming back. But it's rare when that happens.

Again, these lineups are meant to serve as examples for you; a sounding board, as I said. They are not meant for you to plug in as your own. That's the lazy way and we don't condone it. We are trying to teach you how to be a better DFS player; we aren't lineup-sellers. You should be creating your own lineups using all the information we provide you throughout the week and then coming here to see if there is anything you may have missed or simply for an alternative perspective.

Best of luck to you this week and let's make some money!

SUNDAY MORNING NOTES:

According to Adam Schefter:

Patriots’ QB Mac Jones, listed as doubtful for Sunday due to his ankle injury, is not expected to play vs. the Lions

Saints’ RB Alvin Kamara, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a rib injury, is expected to play vs. the Seahawks

Bears’ RB David Montgomery, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a knee injury, plans to play against the Vikings barring any pregame setbacks

Commanders’ rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr., shot twice in his right leg six weeks ago, is expected to play today against the Titans, though he is likely to be on a pitch count in his first NFL game

Dolphins’ WRs Tyreek Hill (quad) and Jaylen Waddle (groin), both listed as questionable for Sunday, both are expected to play vs. the Jets barring any pregame setbacks

Lions WR Josh Reynolds, listed as questionable for Sunday due to an ankle injury, is expected to play vs. the Patriots

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, listed as questionable due to an ankle injury, is considered a pre-game decision

Cardinals’ WR Rondale Moore, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a knee injury, is expected to play vs. Eagles

Cowboys’ WR CeeDee Lamb (groin) and RB Tony Pollard (illness), both listed as questionable for Sunday, both are expected to play vs. the Rams

Falcons officially ruled out TE Kyle Pitts for Week 5 vs. Bucs due to his hamstring injury

Bucs ruled out TE Cameron Brate for Sunday’s game against Atlanta due to the concussion he suffered last Sunday night

Players out Sunday include Dak Prescott, Keenan Allen, Michael Thomas, Tua Tagovailoa, TyRod Taylor, Dawson Knox, Jordan Poyer, D'Andre Swift, Quintez Cephus, D.J. Chark, Kyle Pitts, Cam Brate, Treylon Burks, Jahan Dotson, Brevin Jordan, Jake Elliott, Matt Prater, Rashod Bateman

Other News:

Bucs WR Russell Gage (back) was downgraded to questionable for Week 5 against the Falcons.

Chargers K Dustin Hopkins (quad) is questionable for Week 5 against the Browns.

Matt Prater (hip) won't play in Week 5 against the Eagles.

Jets activated LT Duane Brown (shoulder) from injured reserve.

Eagles CB Avonte Maddox (ankle) will not play Week 5 against the Cardinals.

Jadeveon Clowney (ankle) is questionable for Week 5 against the Chargers.

POTENTIAL WEATHER CONCERNS:

None

GPP STACKS:

As a reminder, when you're stacking in GPP, you always want to run someone back from the opposing team. One-sided games often turn to a running back seeing higher-than-usual volume or the back-ups start to play. For a stack to really pop, the other team needs to keep things competitive. 

Chalk Stacks (Expect High Ownership): 

Bills: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Devin Singletary or Gabriel Davis (Harris or Pickens coming back)

*Eagles: Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, Miles Sanders or DeVonta Smith or Dallas Goedert (Conner or M Brown or Ertz coming back)

*Buccaneers: Tom Brady, Chris Godwin, Mike Evans or Leonard Fournette (London coming back)

Chargers: Justin Herbert, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler or Josh Palmer/DeAndre Carter or Gerald Everett (Chubb or Cooper coming back)

Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, James Robinson, Christian Kirk or Zay Jones (Cooks coming back)

Possible Lower-Owned Stacks:

*Cardinals: Kyler Murray, Zach Ertz, James Connor or Marquise Brown (Sanders or Brown or Goedert coming back)

*Vikings: Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook or Adam Thielen (Herbert/Montgomery or Mooney coming back)

Dolphins: Teddy Bridgewater, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle or Raheem Mostert (Hall, G Wilson or Moore coming back)

*Commanders: Carson Wentz, Curtis Samuel, Terry McLaurin (Henry or Woods coming back)

Rams: Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee or Cam Akers (Lamb or Gallup coming back)

Cowboys: Cooper Rush, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup or Ezekiel Elliott (Kupp or Higbee coming back)

Seahawks: Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett or Will Dissly (Kamara or Olave coming back)

Lions: Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jamaal Williams or TJ Hockenson (Agholor or Harris or Stevenson coming back)

Jets: Zach Wilson, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall or Elijah Moore or Tyler Conklin (Hill or Waddle or Mostert coming back)

49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo, Deebo Samuel, Jeff Wilson or Brandon Aiyuk or George Kittle (McCaffrey or Moore coming back)

Dart Throw Stacks:

Titans: Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, Robert Woods (Samuel or McLaurin coming back)

*Saints: Andy Dalton, Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara or Juwan Johnson or Jarvis Landry (Metcalf or Lockett coming back)

Patriots: Bailey Zappe, Damien Harris, DeVante Parker or Nelson Agholor or Rhamondre Stevenson (St. Brown or Williams coming back)

Texans: Davis Mills, Brandin Cooks, Dameon Pierce or Nico Collins or O.J. Howard (Robinson or Kirk coming back)

Panthers: Baker Mayfield, Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore (Deebo or Kittle coming back)

*denotes favorite