NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 5 – Running Backs

While only two teams will be on a bye in Week 5, the main Sunday afternoon slate in DFS doesn’t have the most appealing running back options. Still, there are some key matchups to highlight that are worth exploiting. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our NFL Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

CASH TARGETS

Christian McCaffrey, CAR vs. JAC
FanDuel = $9,100
DraftKings = $8,700

McCaffrey is the closest thing we have at running back to a matchup-proof option. He’s played every offensive snap in three of the Panthers’ four games and the one time he didn’t he was on the field for 92.1 percent of their snaps. The end result has been 629 total yards and four touchdowns. They will continue to rely on him heavily with Cam Newton (foot) out, leaving him with a tremendously high floor once again Sunday.

Dalvin Cook, MIN at NYG
FanDuel = $8,200
DraftKings = $8,400

It’s no secret that the Vikings prefer to run the ball. That’s resulted in some monster numbers from Cook, who had 375 rushing yards and four touchdowns across their first three games. However, the Bears focused their efforts on stopping him last week and were mostly successful, holding him to 35 yards on 14 carries. He did find his way into the end zone, which somewhat salvaged his stat line. The Giants’ defense isn’t nearly as formidable as the Bears, so look for Cook to have an excellent rebound performance.

David Johnson, ARI at CIN
FanDuel = $6,800
DraftKings = $7,500

The bad news with Johnson is that he has rushed for 40 yards or fewer in each of his last three games. With the Cardinals’ struggling mightily on defense, they often have to throw a lot late in games to play catch up. On the bright side, Johnson has already received 28 targets through four games, catching 21 of them for 182 yards and two touchdowns. He will continue to be a vital part of their offense whether they are running or throwing the ball, leaving him as one of the more appealing cash game options.

GPP TARGETS

Joe Mixon, CIN vs. ARI
FanDuel = $7,100
DraftKings = $6,100

The Bengals laid an egg against the Steelers on Monday night, scoring just three points in what was one of the uglier offensive performances by a team this season. Mixon at least wasn’t a complete disaster, carrying the ball 15 times for 62 yards. He also caught four of five targets, but for only a total of one yard. Although the Bengals’ dreadful offensive line limits his upside, this is at least a matchup that works in his favor since the Cardinals have allowed the fifth-most rushing yards per game. This could end up being one of his better performances of the season.

Jordan Howard, PHI vs. NYJ
FanDuel = $6,500
DraftKings = $5,100

In one of the more surprising performances from Week 4, Howard torched the Packers for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. He also caught three of four targets for an additional 28 yards and another score. The key was he logged 53.2 percent of the Eagles’ offensive snaps, which was a far greater percentage than he had in any of the previous three games. While he’s not the safest of options, the Eagles should be able to move the ball well versus the Jets’ porous secondary, potentially setting up Howard with another opportunity or two to find his way into the end zone.

James White, NE at WAS
FanDuel = $6,200
DraftKings = $5,000

Both the Patriots and the Bills struggled on the offensive side of the ball in their matchup last week, resulting in a final score of 16-10. White was once again quiet in the running game, but he was active in the passing attack with eight catches for 57 yards on 10 targets. Now he’ll face a Redskins defense that allowed Wayne Gallman Jr. to rack up six receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown in Week 4, so don’t be surprised if White outproduces his price point.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Melvin Gordon III, LAC vs. DEN
FanDuel = $6,800
DraftKings = $7,000

Gordon may have ended his hold out last week, but his return Thursday didn’t leave him with enough time to get back onto the field for Week 4. The Chargers should have him back for this matchup, but they’ve already said they are going to start him off with a limited work load. Considering how well Austin Ekeler has played, there is no reason to immediately thrust Gordon back into a featured role. Until he’s playing without limitations, keep him out of your entry.

Josh Jacobs, OAK vs. CHI
FanDuel = $6,000
DraftKings = $4,500

There is no question that Jacobs is the lead back for the Raiders, which leaves him with a relatively high floor. With that being said, he’s not that involved in the passing game and hasn’t found his way into the end zone since Week 1. This is an extremely tough matchup against one of the best defenses in the league, making it difficult to justify deploying Jacobs despite his reduced price tag.

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.