The stars aligned for Week 5 to allow an unheard of RB stack that won’t be replicated anytime soon. With the right roster construction, gamers can jam in three stud RBs to form an elite trinity stack. Ezekiel Elliot and Dalvin Cook both draw decent matchups, while CMC faces Jacksonville and comes in as the highest-priced RB on the Sunday main slate. Melvin Gordon also enters the conversation in his first game back at an intriguing price of $6,800. There’s plenty of value to mine at wide receiver – including Golden Tate and Auden Tate – and it’s shaping up to be a smash week for savvy gamers.
On a side note, I’m going 50-percent weight on Cook and Gordon as tertiary RB plays. Both offer immense upside but come with a bit more risk than CMC and Zeke. Given the vocal displeasure from Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, the Vikings look primed to throw more and run less. That doesn’t make Cook a bad play, but it does make him more volatile. If the Chargers don’t unleash Gordon he’s not going to get enough touches to smash, and Austin Ekeler earned the right to a bigger opportunity share.
QB
Jameis Winston (TB) $7,800: He’s lit it up the past two weeks, scoring the most FD points among QBs in Week 4 (30.3) and posting a top-five finish the previous week (26.5). Winston boasts something most signal-callers can’t: he’s supporting two WR1s in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. With both WRs playing at a high level and the game in the Superdome against a Saints team allowing the ninth-most overall FD points this season, Winston will feast.
Kyle Allen (CAR) $6,500: Allen’s price tag makes it that much easier to fit McCaffrey into lineups. Although he tanked last week (3.28) Allen draws a favorable matchup against a Jaguars defense allowing 18.89 FD points per game that will again be without Jalen Ramsey. It’s a game of checks and balances, and in this instance, Allen’s volatility is offset by the high-floor RBs you can play when choosing him at QB.
RB
Christian McCaffrey (CAR) $9,100: Lock him in and don’t look back, price aside. The Jaguars defense plays solid against the run but with his volume – he averages over 20 rushes per game and leads all RBs with 31 targets – it’s not a concern. CMC also hasn’t scored a receiving TD yet so he’s due for some positive regression in that category.
Ezekiel Elliot (DAL) $8,800: *Insert Zeke eating cereal gif* It’s time for Zeke’s first blowup game of 2019. He failed to reach 15 FD points this season but draws a smash matchup against Green Bay’s porous rush defense. Favored at home with the second-highest O/U out of the afternoon games, Zeke figures to get fed early and often. The Packers yield an average of 31.18 FD points to opposing backfields, fourth-most this season.
WR
Marquise Brown (BAL) $5,400: He ranks No. 20 in targets (34) this season and his snap share jumped to above 80-percent the past two games. Brown should get back on track after he flopped against a beatable KC secondary and was ineffective against a tough Browns defense. But I’m willing to go back to the well on the talented rookie considering his tantalizing price tag. Pittsburgh surrenders an average of 32.72 FD points per game this season, and Brown’s primed to take advantage.
Golden Tate (NYG) $4,500: He’s the key to unlocking the elite RB trinity stack. Coming off a four-game suspension, Tate’s priced at the bare minimum and figures to be immediately involved on an offense trending up with Daniel Jones under center. When healthy, Tate’s one of the best slot receivers in the league.
Auden Tate (CIN) $5,300: Someone besides Tyler Boyd has to catch passes for the Bengals with A.J. Brown still rehabbing an injury and John Ross landing on IR. Possessing size-adjusted speed at 6-5, 228-pounds – he runs a 4.68 40-yard dash – Tate fits the profile of an X-receiver and is best equipped to fill the void left by Green. He’s seen 16 targets the past two games and played 92-percent of the snaps in Week 4.
TE
Tyler Eifert (CIN) $4,600: He’s a free square against the Cardinals, who give up the most FD points per game to opposing TEs (23.77). For context, the Bucs rank second by a wide margin (15.88). It’s a punt play but one that’s worth making. Eifert’s seen five targets in all but one game and scored one TD. With the Bengals receiving corps decimated, it’s time to fire him up.
Mark Andrews (BAL) $6,100: Coming in with a more reasonable price than the other top-tier TEs, Andrews assists with roster construction while at the same time offering a high floor. He’s seen at least seven targets in each game and has three TDs under his belt.
D/ST
Cincinnati / Arizona ($3,700): Pick your poison between these two teams which will face off with a combined record of 0-7-1. Andy Dalton absorbed eight sacks, threw a pick and lost a fumble in a Week 4 massacre by Pittsburgh. He operates behind an offensive line that ranks No. 27 in pass protection, per Football Outsiders. The Bengals have allowed the second-most sacks (19) in the NFL. Meanwhile, Arizona’s pass protection ranks even worse at No. 28. The Cardinals will also be without stud WR Christian Kirk and possibly Damiere Byrd.
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Player Pool
QB: Chase Daniel (CHI) $6,500
RB: Melvin Gordon (LAC) $6,500; Leonard Fournette (JAC) $6,900
WR: Chris Godwin (TB) 7,800; Auden Tate (CIN) $5,300; Golden Tate (NYG) $4,500; Stefon Diggs (MIN) $6,000;
TE: Evan Engram (NYG) $6,300
D/ST: New Orleans ($4,000)
Week 4 Rewind
Despite a few hiccups I cashed in five of six 50/50s in Week 4. I tried to force it too much with Patrick Mahomes, who we tend to think of as more machine than man. What’s worth noting is that it’s generally a better plan to jam in high-floor, stud RBs than pay up at QB in cash games. Thankfully Mahomes saved his day with 54 rushing yards but it marked the first time since Week 5 2018 that he failed to throw a TD pass.
Kyle Allen, on the other hand, took a nosedive against a beatable Texans defense and also failed to toss a TD. Christian McCaffrey totaled 37 of the Panthers 52 touches in the game. While he was listed as a secondary play, in hindsight he should’ve been a lock. However, Austin Ekeler and Darrel “One L” Williams made fine plays.
Keenan Allen came back to Earth despite the Dolphins playing competitively and somehow finished third in targets behind Ekeler (smash!) and Dontrelle Inman. The Rams defense did OK despite the high point total, but Baltimore’s -1 score serves as a reminder to mine cheap plays at D/ST. The Giants ended up being the best value at $3,800 (24, 6.3 x value).
QB: Patrick Mahomes (KC) $9,200 (18 2.0 x value)
QB: Kyle Allen (CAR) $6,800 (3.28 0.5 x value)
RB: Austin Ekeler (LAC) 8,100 (26.7 3.3 x value)
RB: Darrell Williams (KC) $5,500 (17.1 3.1 x value)
WR: Keenan Allen (LAC) $8,100 (7.3 0.9 x value)
WR: Sterling Shepard (NYG) $6,500 (13.4 2.1 x value)
TE: Darren Waller (OAK) $6,700 (8.80 1.3 x value)
TE: Will Dissly (SEA) $5,400 (15.2 2.8 x value)
D/ST: Los Angeles Rams $4,300 (6 1.4 x value)
D/ST: Baltimore $4,200 (-1 -0.2 x value)
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