07 Oct Daily Fantasy Must Plays for Week 5
Week 5 has arrived and again some intriguing daily fantasy matchups await. A couple of good teams with good fantasy players are out on byes this week in Green Bay and Detroit. Do not worry, there’s still plenty of great players to get into your daily fantasy lineups this week.
So here they are, my top fantasy plays for week number five.
Quarterback – Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
Deshaun Watson has been very unfortunate to start this season, having by far the toughest schedule of any team this season. Houston’s schedule starts to lighten up starting this week with a home match up against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On top of that good news, head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien was fired this week.
I have been clamoring for O’Brien to be let go for a couple of years now. I have just seen him time and time again fail to utilize all the talent that Houston has had these past few years. With Watson primed to bounce back, he’s due for that monster Watson performance that he has a few times each season.
Jacksonville’s defense has struggled against opposing quarterbacks, with quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Joe Burrow stuffing the stat sheet with ease. I would bet good money that Houston with a restart in its coaching staff will let Watson sling it all game to get them back on track.
Watson is as elite of passer as anyone in the league. Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly knows this and now out of O’Brien’s shadow, he will be able to show off the kind of play caller that he can be. I like to play the matchups, I like to play my hunches, I’m investing heavy in Watson this week.
Do not be surprised when you see him throw for 300 yards and 3-plus touchdowns. This matchup is too big to pass up for me, so do not hesitate to slide him in as QB1 for this week.
Running Back – Mike Davis, Carolina Panthers
Mike Davis has been a fantasy stud since Christian McCaffery was placed on IR a couple weeks ago. Since he has been in the lead role for the Panthers, he has averaged seven receptions a game! That sort of volume is just wild coming from a guy who just last season had seven receptions all year.
Mike Davis is also averaging about 15 carries per game since becoming the full-time starter. Now what have I been preaching all season long, running backs who are getting an efficient 20 touches or more a game need to be in daily lineups each and every week. This week Davis faces the Atlanta Falcons in what should be a very intriguing matchup.
Atlanta defensively has struggled mightily; this past week against Green Bay they gave up 14 receptions to Packers running backs. I know Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will recognize this and will continue to feed Davis in the passing game as much as he can. With the Panthers on a two game win streak they will continue to ride the hot hand in Davis which should give him plenty of opportunities to cash in with some serious fantasy production.
I expect Davis to flirt with 100 yards on the ground another 50 yards receiving in a touchdown or two. Mike Davis is my RB1 this week so make sure you get him in every daily fantasy lineup you can.
Wide Receiver – Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
My spicy pick for week at wide receiver is Cooper Kupp. Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams hit the road this week to play the Washington Football Team. The slot receiver has been the most reliable option for QB Jared Goff for a few years now. For me, Kupp has always been one of the most trustworthy season-long and daily fantasy options since his big breakout fantasy season last year.
Head coach Sean McVay is one of the league’s greatest minds and will have no problem drawing up plays to get Kupp the ball early and often – that is a guarantee. The only uncertainty is how much production to expect. This week against Washington he should have no problem getting open; the Football Team is known for its stellar defensive front but as of late they cannot make up for the overall poor play on every level of the defense.
The past three weeks the Washington defense has given up 30 or more points to Arizona, Cleveland, and Baltimore. I expect that trend to continue and the Rams will put up another big number. The Rams succeed when they hit on all cylinders, and that starts with getting Kupp the ball. Kupp’s consistency always gives him a nice floor averaging over 16 PPR fantasy points per game.
This game is going to be the big one. I see 30-plus points and 100-plus yards and a couple scores coming for Kupp this week. He is the daily fantasy value to get this week.
Tight End – Evan Engram, New York Giants
Evan Engram is my top TE again for this week. Last week against the Rams he showed a lot more promise with a 10 target, six reception performance. This week he faces the worst defense in the league in the Dallas Cowboys. I see Engram using his versatility and athleticism to give the secondary fits all game long.
This game will most definitely be a shootout as both teams have struggled to stop opposing offenses. Dallas is currently giving up over 35 points per game and the defense currently is having the worst start to a season in Cowboys history. Watching my team fail to stop anyone’s top receiving threat, I have no doubt Evan Engram will have a terrific performance against the Cowboys.
I have been waiting for Engram to break out and this is the perfect game for it to happen. Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett returns to Dallas as the Giants offensive coordinator, so I know he will be looking for a little revenge this week and will design plenty of ways to get Engram involved.
Combine that with Garrett’s affinity for the tight end and this matchup is too good to pass up. Engram is the best fantasy option for New York and he is in my opinion their only chance to keep up with Dallas’s high-powered offense. The Giants and Cowboys always have memorable games and performances, so I expect the same to continue this week.
Engram will bring the big performance to this matchup, so put Engram in your daily fantasy lineups without hesitation and watch him torch the Cowboys this Sunday.
- Paladium Bowl in Alice, Texas native. Dallas Cowboys and Houston Astros supporter.
- Fantasy Football writer contributing Player Rankings, Draft Strategies, and some HOT TAKES.
- Student of the game, has been playing fantasy football since the age of 12.