Week 5 Kings: QBs & RBs
In 2014, Mike “Hoop2410” Petta was able to quit his full-time job as an accountant in order to pursue Daily Fantasy as a full-time pro. He is a primary contributor to RotoGrinders, and you can hear more about his story in this interview on the RotoGrinders podcast. Each week, “Hoop” will bring you his exclusive picks for DraftKings to FantasyPros readers. Here are Hoops top QB & RB recommendations for Week 5.
Hopefully you took my advice last week at the Quarterback position as Rodgers produced an elite 300 yard, 4 TD game while Rivers and Brees both turned in very solid performances as well. I will be going back to the well with two of those guys this week. At the running back position value play, Donald Brown absolutely embarrassed himself in one of the easiest possible match-ups. He was most likely the highest owned player across the industry last week and if you faded him, congratulations to you. On the opposite side of things, DeMarco Murray turned in his fourth straight game of at least 100 yards and a TD. He has solidified his position as the most valuable fantasy RB at this point in the season. Week 5 offers a very soft pricing structure, making it very easy to roll out an all star lineup.
Quarterback
Drew Brees ($8900) – As I mentioned above, the pricing is so soft on DK this week you can easily fit in any player that you wish to roster. If you want to roster a top end QB, look no further than Drew Brees. He is coming home after the Cowboys fell to 1-3 last week. Brees and the Saints are a completely different team at home and I expect them to hang a crooked number on the Buccaneers weak defense. Vegas has the Saints pegged as the highest scoring team this week (29). I have Brees as a lock for 300 yards and 3 TDs.
Philip Rivers ($7000) – while I have Brees ranked as my #1 QB this week, I have Rivers ranked as my #1 price/point QB. This price is a complete joke and will most likely make Rivers the #1 owned QB in Week 5. The Chargers cannot run the football at all (see above, Donald Brown), therefore, in order to win this game Philip Rivers will be airing it out frequently. Additionally, the New York Jets own the top ranked run defense, while they struggle defending the pass. All signs point to a dominant performance for this $7000 QB.
Nick Foles ($8500) – I’m not a huge fan of the price on Foles as it lies way too close to Drew Brees. However, I am a huge fan of the Eagles offense this week. I am fully anticipating the Eagles to come home and hang a huge number on the vulnerable Rams defense. Last week against the Niners, the Eagles offense did not get on the field until nearly the second quarter due to a couple D/ST TDs. They will get the ball much earlier week and the offense will start rolling.
Value
Blake Bortles ($5200) – The Jaguars have not started a competent NFL QB in the past few years, however I must admit Bortles looked pretty decent last week. The numbers were not mind blowing (254 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs), however he did complete nearly 80% of his passes. For $5200, he is worth a flyer; this will give you the ability to absolutely load up at every other position.
GPP
Andrew Luck ($8700) – It seems crazy to list the number 1 ranked fantasy QB as a GPP play, but he will most likely go under owned this week due to his price and match-up. The public still perceives the Baltimore Ravens to own a dominant defense, which is no longer the case. This perception will cause people to overlook Luck this week, which gives us the opportunity to buy the league’s top fantasy QB for tournament play.
Running Back
Le’Veon Bell ($7400) – The Jaguars defense is so bad that you can easily make a strong case to recommend any of their skill position players. However, for my money Bell is the guy I am most likely to own. He has really become a fixture in the passing game (averaging nearly 5 receptions per game) which is a huge bonus on full PPR sites such as DK. Also, we all know the Steelers have an unwavering commitment to the run, which certainly helps the value of Bell.
Rashad Jennings ($5500) – The Falcons have allowed the most FPs to the running back position this season, which includes 9 rushing TDs. At $5500, Jennings will be the highest owned RB and rightfully so. The only hope is people will be scared off by the disappointing week 4 performance where the Giants blew out the Redskins and essentially gave Jennings the night off.
LeSean McCoy ($7800) (GPP) – I like McCoy in cash games and GPPs this week. He will be under owned due to consecutive
awful performances. As aforementioned, I am a strong believer in the Eagles offense and expect a BIG bounce back this week against the Rams. McCoy was the best fantasy RB last season and he will get back to form this week.
Giovanni Bernard ($6700) – Bernard is the 7th most expensive RB on a full PPR site, this is a great buy opportunity. Bernard is very active part of the Bengals pass game and he also is a big part of the red zone offense. This combination is ideal for fantasy production. The New England Patriots defense was exposed on Monday night when a banged up Jamaal Charles scored 3 TDs. Bernard will easily achieve value in this week 5 match-up.
GPP
Matt Forte ($7800) – Forte will be under-owned this week due to a perceived tough match-up. Much to my surprise, the Carolina Panthers have actually given up the 8th most FPs to RBs. Forte is very capable of manufacturing a huge game and that is all you can really ask for in a GPP play.