Noto's NFL DFS Key Personnel: Week 5

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-10-03 21:29:44 Premium Content Part of the product NFL DFS

A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been roaming the DFS streets ever since they were invented. So, who better to walk you through all of the key NFL DFS positions each week? Noto has racked up multiple live final seats and several six-figure tournament wins in his DFS career, and he will mix it up in all different types of contests. In his Key Personnel article for Week 5, he will walk you through his favorite NFL DFS picks, ways to pivot away from the chalk, and overall strategy for the upcoming featured slate.

Welcome back to the Key Personnel!

Growing up in Utah, the Jazz were the only professional team that we had. I’ve always had a tough time cheering for teams that everyone else liked, so I was a Reggie Miller fan first and a Jazz fan second. This was particularly brutal in the late-90s, as Michael Jordan single-handedly crushed the championship hopes of both teams. After Miller retired, I had to find a new team. I quickly fell in love with the Timberwolves when Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury first came into the league. My rule of not cheering for popular teams was tested when he was traded to the Celtics, but I was ecstatic when he finally won a championship. Here’s a random tidbit about me: my first and only trip to Hooters was the night the Celtics won the championship.

While I miss the days of having a true allegiance to a sports team, there’s nothing better than DFS. You might be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with this week’s NFL slate?” Isn’t it obvious? Outside of the fact that it’s fun to reminisce about sports, KG wore #5 on the Celtics, and it’s Week 5 in the NFL. So…this is KG week, and as he so eloquently put it after winning that championship…

Let’s take KG’s saying to heart and win some tournaments this week, shall we?

I’m biased, but we have the best NFL DFS optimizer in the industry. If there are any changes to my core plays, you can find them there.

NFL DFS Top Picks & Plays: Noto’s Key Personnel for Week 5

Even though scoring and offensive production are down across the league, I love the way this week’s slate is shaping up. We have a smaller player pool to choose from, as we have a game overseas and 4 teams on bye (Falcons, Bears, Packers, Steelers). However, we have no shortage of options, and there are so many good plays that are apparently going to get overlooked. There’s also one game in particular that looks ripe for stacking.

Top Quarterback Plays

It feels like we’ve had an abundance of options at quarterback this season, but the well has run a bit dry in Week 5. I’m planning to use 3-4 quarterbacks at most, and I could only stomach writing up 6 quarterbacks. This feels like a good week to eat the chalk and look to differentiate at other positions.

Tier 1 – Core Plays

The Chargers have the highest pass rate over expectation this season, but they did just lose their left tackle Joe Alt to an ankle injury, which means they will be without both of their starting tackles. We could see a more run-heavy approach moving forward, but I’m not sure that’ll happen this week. A matchup against the Commanders sets up beautifully for the passing game. The Commanders are currently top 8 in PFF’s grades against the run and EPA against the run, and they are in the bottom 5 in PFF’s grades against the pass and EPA per dropback allowed. Justin Herbert ($6,100 DK / $8,000 FD) has rushed for at least 24 yards in 3 of the first 4 games and has 3 obvious stacking partners in Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey, and Keenan Allen.

Justin Fields ($5,600 DK / $7,700 FD) is going to be a tremendous DFS play as long as he’s the starting quarterback for the Jets…and as long as he stays healthy. Despite 3 turnovers and 10+ penalties from the Jets on Monday night, Fields still finished with 28 fantasy points. In his first 2 full games with the Jets, he’s rushed for 129 yards and 3 touchdowns. This week, he gets to face the Cowboys, who have been shredded by Russell Wilson, Caleb Williams, and Jordan Love the last 3 games. No team has allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks this season than the Cowboys. Fields should have success both through the air and on the ground.

Tier 2 – Strong Plays

After a blazing start in his tenure with the Colts, Daniel Jones ($5,800 DK / $7,400 FD) has cooled off over the last 2 games, averaging only 14 fantasy points. However, he could have had a much bigger game last week against the Rams if not for Adonai Mitchell. Jones still feels underpriced in DFS, especially since the Colts are playing at home and have an implied team total of 27 points. The Raiders are very beatable through the air, ranking 26th in PFF’s grades against the pass and 24th in EPA allowed per dropback. The concern here is that if the Colts build a lead early, they might not need the passing game as much. If you are playing Jones, I like bringing it back with at least one player from the Raiders.

Jaxson Dart ($5,300 DK / $6,900 FD) wasn’t super efficient through the air in his NFL debut, but he brings energy to the offense and offers plenty of upside on the ground. He threw for only 111 yards against the Chargers, but he had 10 rushing attempts for 54 yards and a touchdown. He has a much better draw this week against the Saints in the Superdome. On the season, the Saints are ranked in the bottom 6 in EPA allowed per dropback and fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Dart won’t have Malik Nabers, but the matchup is soft enough that he still makes for a strong tournament play.

Tier 3 – Sprinkle Plays

Full transparency, I don’t expect to have any shares of Kyler Murray ($5,900 DK / $7,500 FD) this week. The Cardinals are in a great spot at home against the Titans and will likely be the most popular team in survivor contests. I’ve learned over the years that when everything looks good for the Cardinals, something always seems to go wrong. With that said, my fade of Murray doesn’t mean you have to fade Murray. He’s racked up at least 30 rushing yards every game, he has stackable weapons in the passing game, and the Cardinals are going to be without their two best running backs, James Conner and Trey Benson.

You could argue that Dak Prescott ($6,000 DK / $7,300 FD) had the best game of his career last week against the Packers. Despite missing CeeDee Lamb, he threw for 319 yards and 3 touchdowns. He led his team to a tie in a game where very few gave them any chance at all. This week, he heads to New York to face the Jets, who look like a shell of themselves defensively. Through the first 4 games, they are 30th in PFF’s grades against the pass and 30th in EPA allowed per dropback. With Lamb out, you can stack him with George Pickens and/or Jake Ferguson.

🏈 Quarterbacks – Noto’s Notes

🏆 Core Plays: Justin Herbert, Justin Fields
💪 Strong Plays: Daniel Jones, Jaxson Dart
🌧️ Sprinkle Plays: Kyler Murray, Dak Prescott
% Ownership Angle: 2 QBs above ~15% pOWN% as of Thursday night —-> Herbert & Jones
🔗 Potential Pairings: Herbert + Johnston/Allen/McConkey; Fields + Wilson
❤️‍🩹 Key Injuries: Lamar Jackson (D)

Top Running Back Plays

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