RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 5

Fri Oct 9 8:22am ET
By MIKE BARNER
Contributing Writer

The Chiefs and Panthers will be on a bye during Week 5. Combine that with several teams dealing with key injuries, and we have an interesting DFS slate on the horizon. Let’s highlight some players to consider at each position, as well as a few to avoid based on their matchups.

Quarterbacks

Jacoby Brissett, ARI vs. DET ($5,600): Brissett only threw for 166 yards and was picked off three times by the Giants last week. On the bright side, he threw two touchdowns and attempted at least 35 passes for the third time this season. Expect him to throw a lot in this matchup, given that both the Cardinals and Lions allow at least 29.3 points per game. The Lions have also allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, further tilting the scales in Brissett’s favor.

Jameis Winston, NYG at WAS ($4,800): Winston was picked off twice by the Cardinals in Week 4, but he looked much more comfortable while throwing for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Never one to shy away from taking risks, he has an average target depth of 9.2 yards this season. The Commanders have allowed 11 passing touchdowns and the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Winston could provide significant value at his cheap salary.

Player to Avoid

Tyler Shough, NO vs. MIN ($6,100): It’s a little unsettling to recommend staying away from Shough, given how well he has performed. He has been a fantasy-friendly option, throwing for 1,203 yards and nine touchdowns over four games. He has completed 67.2% of his pass attempts, with an average target depth of 8.8 yards. However, the Vikings’ defense can make even the best quarterbacks look underwhelming. They have allowed just 12.8 points per game and have recorded more interceptions (four) than passing touchdowns allowed (three). This is a week to consider avoiding Shough.

Running Backs

Chase Brown, CIN at MIA ($6,900): Brown ran just nine times for 10 yards against the Jaguars last week. However, he made up for it by catching 11 passes for 71 yards. That marked his third game of the season with at least five targets. He could be heavily involved in the passing game again Sunday, with Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) and Tee Higgins (adductor) dealing with injuries. That makes Brown an appealing DFS option against a Dolphins defense that has allowed the fifth-most yards per target to running backs.

Aaron Jones Sr., MIN at NO ($6,500): Jones appeared in this column last week and delivered, rushing 20 times for 94 yards against the Dolphins. He also caught four of eight targets for 34 yards. Over his last two games, he has nine receptions for 68 yards. The Saints have allowed nine rushing touchdowns to running backs, two more than any other team in the league. They have also surrendered a whopping 5.23 yards per carry to the position. This is another excellent matchup for Jones.

Player to Avoid

Tony Pollard, TEN vs. HOU ($5,600): Pollard scored his first touchdown of the season in a loss to the Ravens last week. However, he was limited to just 48 yards on 16 carries. That marked the third time this

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.

RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 5

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