Vanek's Views: DraftKings NFL DFS Picks for Week 5

by Jordan Vanek (vanekjordan) Last Updated 2025-10-03 18:28:05 Premium Content Part of the product NFL DFS

Using his experience as a former scout and staff member at Central Florida under Josh Heupel, Jordan Vanek takes an in-depth look at the upcoming NFL DFS main slate on DraftKings for Week 5. Formerly of The 33rd Team and 4for4 Fantasy Football, Jordan’s deep dive into the best stacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends is a must-read before you start building your lineups.

This feels like a swing week for the NFL season, with desperate teams trying to stay alive and others battling through injuries. A perfect example is the Ravens vs. Texans matchup—it’s essentially a mini playoff game for both sides. For Houston, getting to 2-3 with some offensive rhythm heading into the bye could flip their season, especially since the defense hasn’t allowed more than 21 points all year. For Baltimore, a win to reach 2-3 would buy them time until Lamar Jackson returns.

From a DFS perspective, injuries are piling up, data can be misleading, and finding those small edges—choosing one play over another—becomes even more important. This article dives into the trends I expect to hold and the ones I think will flip.

With so much value at RB, our NFL DFS projections and projected ownership numbers can really guide your decisions. If the field is loading up on cheap RBs, that creates leverage to pay up for low-owned studs at the position. You can also get creative by pairing them with affordable QBs in the sub-$6,000 range to build lineups that stand out

Editor’s Note: Looking for more places to play? Check out our Underdog promo code and PrizePicks promo code, two of the best DFS apps available today.

NFL DFS DraftKings Picks: Top Stacks, RBs, WRs, & TEs for Week 5

Game Stacks

Daniel Jones ($5,800, QB, Indianapolis Colts)

Tyler Warren ($4,700, TE, Indianapolis Colts)

Jakobi Meyers ($5,600, WR, Las Vegas Raiders)

The Raiders boast a strong run defense and rank among the league leaders in Cover 3 usage. That’s a problem for them against Daniel Jones, who has shredded Cover 3 this season, averaging 10.2 yards per attempt (per SIS). Against that coverage, Warren has been Jones’ go-to option. I was also leaning toward Alec Pierce, but with him ruled out, I’ll keep it simple and go with just Warren. Adonai Mitchell was another consideration, but it doesn’t seem like the coaching staff is high on him right now. Michael Pittman Jr. is a fine stacking option, but against Cover 3 this season, he’s seen 8 targets and caught only 3 of them.

On the other side, the Colts will be without Kenny Moore for multiple games, and Mike Hilton has consistently struggled to cover Jakobi Meyers. Meyers has topped 80 yards in every matchup against Hilton, and this is another mismatch I expect Geno Smith to exploit.

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