It’s tough to succeed in daily fantasy football when you are making the same picks as everyone else. While you do want the best players in your lineup, it’s also important to add some sleepers who might have been overlooked by the rest of the field.
Here is a look at a few hidden gems for you to target as well as the top players available at each position for Week 5.
Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans ($6,000)
Let’s hope everyone forgot about Marcus Mariota during his bye week. That might be hard to do based on how well he played in the first three games of his career.
Mariota is averaging 22.3 fantasy points per game on DraftKings with at least 18 in all three appearances. The coaching staff is also trusting him more each week, as his pass attempts have risen from 16 to 37 to 44. With this volume of passes he can continue to post big numbers in fantasy, even if he has a few mistakes in the process.
Meanwhile, his Week 5 matchup is a good one, as the Buffalo Bills have allowed at least two touchdown passes in all four games with a total of 10 allowed on the year. With an extra week to set up a game plan, Mariota could be ready for another quality performance.
Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis Colts ($5,000)
The production hasn’t always been there, but it’s clear the Colts aren’t afraid to give 32-year-old Frank Gore the ball. He has carried the ball at least 14 times in each of the last three games and finished with 22 touches in Week 4.
Even though he ended up averaging just 3.1 yards per carry against the Jacksonville Jaguars, there will be a lot more running room if Andrew Luck plays as expected. Defenses won’t be able to stack the box when there is a real passing threat under center.
Interestingly, the biggest problem to this point has been fumbles, which have not only turned the ball over, but also kept him out of the end zone. Considering Gore is averaging only two lost fumbles per season since 2009, however, it doesn’t seem like it should be a lasting problem.
If you are starting your contest on Thursday, Gore can be a valuable addition to your team.
Chris Thompson, RB, Washington Redskins ($3,300)
It’s hard to truly know what is going on in the Redskins backfield. Alfred Morris, Matt Jones and Chris Thompson have all gotten playing time, and guessing which will have a big day is a risky task.
That said, Thompson has become a bigger part of the offense in recent weeks:
Although the second-year player only has eight carries on the year, he is a valuable part of the passing game with 10 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks. This is good against an Atlanta Falcons defense that has allowed 42 catches and 365 receiving yards to opposing running backs this season, both of which are last in the NFL, per ESPN.com.
This is obviously a risky play, but the Falcons are a juicy matchup for opposing running backs, and Thompson could have a big day through the air.
Jordan Matthews, WR, Philadelphia Eagles ($6,400)
This isn’t much of a sleeper, but it will likely be a contrarian pick compared to others filling out lineups.
The general public is likely souring on Jordan Matthews after a pair of subpar outings. However, the important thing to remember is he has led the Eagles in targets in every game this year, and that is unlikely to change.
Also encouraging for Matthews is the fact quarterback Sam Bradford is finally getting comfortable with the offense, as noted by offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur:
While it was disappointing to see long touchdown throws go to Miles Austin and Riley Cooper last week, a good bet would be that those passes go to Matthews a lot more often in the future. Against a beatable New Orleans Saints secondary that ranks last in the NFL with 9.8 yards allowed per pass, we can expect a bounce-back week from Matthews.
Terrance Williams, WR, Dallas Cowboys ($4,300)
There are quite a few quality cheap options at receiver this week, especially with players who will get a lot of targets. Eddie Royal ($3,700) and Kamar Aiken ($3,800) should both be considered as de facto No. 1 receivers within their offenses.
Terrance Williams also has that distinction with the Cowboys, although there are question marks about his chemistry with backup quarterback Brandon Weeden. The two have only hooked up for three catches and 49 yards combined over the past two weeks.
On the plus side, there was a real effort to make it work in Week 4, as Williams finished with 10 targets. As he continues to get looks, the two will eventually get on the same page and produce much bigger numbers.
Against a New England Patriots defense with inconsistent cornerbacks, look for the big-play threat to bring in a touchdown or two.
Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.
DraftKings is giving away over $10 million in Week 5 of the NFL season. Use this knowledge to help you win some of that cash. The biggest first-place prize ever at $2 million will be awarded. Play now for free at DraftKings.com.
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