NFL Week 5 FanDuel Tournament Picks: Deebo Samuel Continues To Run Wild
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Week 2 is here with a lot of shootout potential. There are currently four games with a 50+ implied total, and there are 11 teams with over a 25 implied teal total. FanDuel tournament picks range from various prices and is a mix of upside projections and ownership. To preface the picks below, I will still be targeting Chargers, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Titans, Cardinals, and Vikings receivers. It is likely that most of the names cut into each other’s ownership a bit, so nailing the right combination will be key as usual. However, these will be the popular games that many target. I just want to shine some light on other games and also give some unique builds.
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins – Minnesota Vikings – $7,500 – Projection: 20.8
Minnesota is a great team to target this week against a hapless Detroit defense. They rank 31st against the pass, allowing 24.1 FPPG to quarterbacks and over 300 yards through the year. Detroit is also allowing a whopping 2.75 passing touchdowns per game.
Cousins has been a very solid DFS play through the first few weeks of the season and I like the Vikings stack at home this week. Dalvin Cook remains a bit dinged up and I expect another limited role out of him. For the value, it is tough to beat Cousins this week.
Trey Lance – San Francisco 49ers – $6,900 – Projection: 17.5
While there will be some ownership flocking towards Trey Lance this week, I can put that aside. He is under $7,000 and has rushing upside. Lance is well worth using in a few lineups this week, especially stacking with Deebo Samuel. The Cardinals defense has not been bad to start the season but is still allowing decent production to quarterbacks.
I do wish George Kittle was playing to give Lance another option in addition to his blocking, but Lance will have to do without. Lance should be playing in a favorable game script and we saw what he could do last week in a limited sample.
Running Backs
Leonard Fournette – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $6,400 – Projection: 13.5
I am taking the value here this week with Leonard Fournette. There are a handful of value options as James Conner, Damien Harris, Damien Williams, and Chuba Hubbard are all in the same price range and in fairly good spots.
Fournette gets a tremendous matchup against the Dolphins, who have allowed the 2nd most FD points per game to running backs on the season. This game should be well in hand for the Bucs and Fournette can have a 15+ touch day again.
Aaron Jones – Green Bay Packers – $8,400 – Projection: 17.3
Aaron Jones faces off against a Bengals defense that has looked decent through the first few weeks but hasn’t faced a truly potent offense. That will be the case this week. Jones should be glossed over in ownership as Derrick Henry and Ezekiel Elliott will steal the show among expensive running backs and there are plenty of values below him that many will skip towards.
Jones has immense upside, especially factoring in his role in the passing game as well. Cincinnati has struggled to defend that role and with the Packers limited receiving options, Jones is actually third on the team in targets. It is a good matchup against the Bengals run defense and Jones should come in sub-15% ownership.
Wide Receivers
Deebo Samuel – San Francisco 49ers – $7,700 – Projection: 13.8
Deebo Samuel has seen a whopping 32% target share so far this season. He is doing an excellent job of reminding us how good he was when healthy. The Cardinals secondary is well worth targeting here and Samuel is really the lone option to target them with.
They have given up seven double-digit FD point games to WRs this season and three over 15. Samuel should dominate in targets again this week, and the price increase doesn’t bother me one bit.
Adam Thielen – Minnesota Vikings – $7,500 – Projection: 13.6
Both Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson are in play. I recommend using a three-man stack and/or using a lineup with one of each if you have the entries to do so. I love the matchup against this Lions secondary, which their struggles have been noted in the Cousins’ writeup.
No surprise to see Jefferson and Thielen drawing 23-24% of the targets this season. Both are in a plus WR/CB matchup as well.
Kadarius Toney – New York Giants – $5,300 – Projection: 8.6
With Sterling Sheppard and Darius Slayton ruled out this week, it will be Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay picking up the slack. Diggs will end up drawing Golladay, and Diggs has been solid so far in 2021. WR2s against Dallas has averaged 76.8 yards per game, however, which is the fourth most in the league so far.
Toney saw ten targets last week, leading the team with those names out. He caught six of them for 78 yards. He also played 78% of the snaps.
Tight Ends
Mike Gesicki – Miami Dolphins – $5,600 – Projection: 8.1
Mike Gesicki will be in a positive game script this week trying to keep up with the Buccaneers. That has been the case most weeks, and he has 24 targets over the last three games. His snaps are back up after an odd Week 1, where he only played 21 snaps.
Tampa ranks 25th in DVOA against TEs this season and has allowed 8.4 targets per game and 69 yards per game. The price tag is also very reasonable for someone with this workload.
Defense
Minnesota Vikings – $3,900 – Projection: 8.4
Minnesota has shown a hefty pass-rush again this season after missing most of their defensive line last year. Detroit’s offensive line has had a rough go so far and are also coming into this one banged up. The Vikings have multi-sack upside and we know we are good for a few Jared Goff turnovers.
I like the Vikings as a discount from the Bucs or Patriots this week, who are safer options.