What’s up everyone? Welcome into my fifth NFL Building Blocks of the season. In this article, I will highlight my top graded plays for cash games. If you are interested in my cash game core plays and final thoughts cheat sheets for every main slate, you can click here.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson- Despite being listed as questionable, Jackson is expected to play in Week 5’s smash matchup against the Bengals. We often target running quarterbacks vs man-heavy defenses, and the Bengals run one of the most man-heavy schemes in the league. Jackson put up 30 and 33 fantasy points in two meetings with this team last season, and we’ve yet to see a ceiling game from him in 2020. He is easier to fit on FanDuel.
Teddy Bridgewater- Bridgewater is arguably my favorite play on the slate against the Atlanta Falcons. Almost no other team heads into Week 5 as banged up as Atlanta, and they do so allowing massive games to opposing QB’s weekly. They’re allowing the most fantasy points to QB’s by a wide margin — 23 more than the Seahawks, who are second. He flashed his ceiling in their Week 4 win, and he is my favorite play on both sites.
Running Back
Zeke Elliott-Elliott continues to be one of the safest DFS plays week in week out, and even with Tyron Smith done for the year I am going back to the well in Week 5. He had as bad of a game possible against the Browns, and still managed 21.5 DK points and that includes getting a touchdown called back. The Cowboys have a good chance of playing from in front for once instead of behind against the Giants, and Zeke’s new passing game involvement keeps him safely in play regardless of game-script. He should never be sub-$8,500 on DK.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire- Edwards-Helaire is arguably the best play on the main slate, and a lock to be in my optimal build on Sunday. CEH has averaged over 100 scrimmage yards per game through the first month of his NFL career, and they’ve really made a point to involve him in the passing game after their opener against Houston. He’s getting more volume than a typical running back at his price, and is in the most prolific offense in the league. No team has allowed more PPR points to running backs this season than the Las Vegas Raiders, not even the Panthers!
Mike Davis- Davis is another top play for me, which makes sense given my love for Teddy B on this slate. Despite grading out fairly well against the run, the Falcons have allowed the fourth-most receiving yards out of the backfield. Historically a team that struggles to defend pass-catching backs under Dan Quinn, Davis has averaged just south of 8 targets per game with CMC out. He also gets a bump with backup Reggie Bonnafon landing on IR earlier this week.
Jerick McKinnon- This one is contingent on news, as it looks like Raheem Mostert will be a GTD heading into Sunday. We might not get that news seeing that they play in the 4 o clock hour, but if he’s out, I will be looking to late-swap to McKinnon everywhere I can. I’ve loved his athleticism and ability since his time in Minnesota, and let’s not forget that he was going to be the bell cow in this offense before getting hurt in training camp after signing in SF. He logged over 90% of the snaps in Week 4, and is a clear misprice against Miami if Mostert is out.
Other Options: Kareem Hunt
Wide Receiver
Calvin Ridley- Even after a 0 on Monday Night Football, Ridley is confidently graded as my top overall option with Julio Jones looking doubtful for this game. Ridley logged 13 targets in their Week 3 game against the Bears sans Julio, and Ridley is still top-five in the NFL in receiving yards even with his lackluster game on Monday.
Marquise Brown- Brown is not projected for high-ownership, but is someone I’m considering taking a stand on in Week 5. He has been one of the unluckiest players in the NFL this season, leading his team in targets and ranking top-three in % share of his teams Air Yards (44%). Despite that usage, he has yet to find the end zone and was even downed at the one last week. The Bengals have struggled all season with speed on the outside, and I think this could be the week that he and Lamar get on the same page.
Robby Anderson- Anderson should be one of the higher-owned options on this slate, but it makes sense in this matchup. The Falcons have coughed up the fourth-most receiving yards this season, and they have one of the most banged up defenses in the NFL heading into this game. They also rank bottom-five in yards after the catch allowed, while Anders has the third-most YAC in the league behind only Alvin Kamara and Terry McLaurin.
Olamide Zaccheaus (DK Only)- Zaccheaus is a DK-only punt priced at the minimum salary of $3,000. I still feel like this is a pretty thin play, but if Julio Jones is out I will be forced to consider him given the expected shootout and his price tag. He’s coming off a 9 target game against the Packers, and logged a 4-41 line with 6 targets in the game without Jones in Week 3.
Other Options: Tyreek Hill, Laviska Shenault, Darius Slayton
Tight End
Evan Engram- Engram is my favorite tight end play on the main slate against the Dallas Cowboys so-called defense. After being one of the worst teams against tight ends in 2019, Dallas has allowed the 6th most catches to the position in 2020. The usage has been there for Engram, the Giants offense has just been too bad to support a ceiling output for fantasy. Hopefully that changes this week, against one of the worst defensive units in football.
Eric Ebron- I didn’t think there would come a time that I was writing up Eric Ebron in 2020, but alas, here we are. Ebron has seen a rise in targets each week, and the Eagles have struggled mightily to defend the position. They’ve allowed the second-most touchdowns to tight ends (5) with the third-most fantasy points. He is cheap on both sites.
Other Options: George Kittle, Dalton Schultz
Written by Ben Hossler (Follow @BenHossler on Twitter)
