In some cases, the play is intended for tournaments (i.e., Guaranteed Prize Pools or GPPs); in other cases, it's for cash games (e.g., head-to-heads and 50-50's). Or both.
Who is your favorite DraftKings play for Week 5?
John Trifone: Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers ($6,000)
I had to do a double take when I saw Melvin Gordon’s price for Week 5. He hasn’t been as efficient as last year four weeks into the season, but he’s one of a handful of three-down backs left in the league. He gets the Giants, who have been bad against the run, and he should also be involved in the passing game. The Chargers do have a lot of weapons, but Gordon should still get his touches. I’ll take advantage of a deflated price coming off a bad week, but his upside is just way too high to be priced like a mid-range RB.
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Sean Beazley: Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys ($6,500)
My initial pick this week was going to be Miami WR Jarvis Landry at a bargain $5,800. I will probably load him into my lineup this week, but the pick comes down to the health of Titans QB Marcus Mariota. If Mariota goes, Landry will probably be my highest-owned player this week. If Mariota is out, I will probably only have half as much exposure. I can’t see the Titans scoring much with Matt Cassel at QB, which could limit Landry’s value.
The play that is popping out to me besides Landry is Dez Bryant. Dez has a great individual matchup vs. Green Bay, plus the game flow should warrant some extra targets his way. At $6,500, Dez is an absolute lock for me. I think Dez has a 30-point plus week.
Kevin Hanson: Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6,000)
Normally, I don't list Thursday night options, but I have to go with Winston here this week. As well as Tom Brady has played (currently fantasy's QB1), his opponents have collectively played better. In other words, the four quarterbacks that have faced the Patriots this season have, on average, outscored Brady.
Not only have the Patriots given up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, but their opposing passers all have thrown for 300-plus yards and multiple touchdowns. New England has already allowed more such games in 2017 than they did in all of 2016. As the QB3 in my Week 5 rankings, Winston offers plenty of value as the QB13 in terms of DraftKings pricing.
Brendan Donahue: Wayne Gallman, RB, New York Giants ($3,900)
Gallman finally got his opportunity thanks to an injury to Paul Perkins and the rookie out of Clemson took full advantage. He looked infinitely better than Perkins has so far this year and seemed to provide a spark to the Giants offense in the 2nd half, so even if Perkins is healthy (which it doesn't sound like he will be this week), I fully expect Gallman to continue to get the carries. He also caught both of his targets, including one for a touchdown. At just $3,900, he's a nice tournament play with a high ceiling that will allow you to surround him with some safer/bigger salary players.
Dan Yanotchko: Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers ($6,000)
This week I really like Melvin Gordon of the Chargers, and his dropping price against the Giants. Although Gordon has had a slow start to the year, I really like his matchup this week. Gordon gets a Giants defensive that gives up an average of 142 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry. This will be the week he breaks 100 as the Chargers will look to control the game pace.
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