With week 5 almost upon us in the NFL, we’re putting together the best lineup for a daily fantasy football league.
The lineup was made through the Yahoo daily fantasy leagues.
In daily fantasy, owners pick one quarterback, tight end, flex and defense, two running backs, and three wide receivers. At Yahoo, this is all done with a budget of $200.
Quarterback
Joe Flacco, Baltimore, $34
We don’t like this matchup for Cleveland’s sake. The Browns have to travel on back-to-back weeks from coast-to-coast. That won’t help Cleveland’s already bad defense get any better.
The Browns are last in total defense in the NFL, allowing more than 400 yards per game, with 264 of those yards through the air.
Flacco has shown to be inconsistent, but when he’s on, he’s good for more than 20 fantasy points. He should be able to have his way with the Browns’ defense, making him a good investment.
Running backs
Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh, $37
Without Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers are relying heavily on Bell.
Bell totaled 150 yards on 29 touches last week against Baltimore. Expect the Steelers to keep giving him the ball, especially against San Diego’s bad rush defense, which ranks fourth from the bottom in the NFL.
Bell is an every-down back, who can catch the ball out of the backfield as well as he runs it. The Chargers won’t have many answers for Bell on Monday, making him a quality addition to any daily fantasy roster.
Todd Gurley, St. Louis, $10
We have no idea why Gurley is listed at $10 on the Yahoo fantasy football leagues, so we’re going with the biggest steal of the day with Gurley.
Gurley went for 149 yards on 19 carries last week against a good Arizona defense. The Rams running back should have success again this week against the Green Bay Packers.
Wide receivers
Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos, $31
The Oakland Raiders defense has been a dumpster fire this season and that should continue again Sunday. We know quarterback Peyton Manning has had difficulties this season, but the Raiders are allowing 310 yards passing per game this season, and those yards aren’t exactly against the best quarterbacks.
The list includes Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco, Josh McCown and Jay Cutler.
Manning should have his way with the Raiders defense, which has recorded a NFL middle-of-the-pack eight sacks this season. Thomas will be the biggest beneficiary of Manning’s ability to slice through the Raiders defense.
A.J. Green, Cincinnati, $29
We know the matchup is difficult for Green, but we don’t believe many other daily fantasy teams will feature Green on their roster.
The price is right for a player that is fifth in fantasy football points among wide receivers. He has a difficult task ahead of him against Seattle, but we’re getting the number one option on a team that has shown the ability to throw the ball this year for $8 cheaper than the most expensive option at wide receiver.
Green is a bargain at this price and he’s too good to pass up for that amount.
Kendall Wright, Tennessee, $23
The last time we saw Wright, he was leading the Titans in targets with 12 in week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts.
In three games this season, Wright has produced more than 15 points in two of them.
The Bills have a good defense, but so far this season, Buffalo has allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL. Much of that has to do with teams only passing against Buffalo because of its stringent rush defense. Teams are attempting 48 passes per game against the Bills, the most in the NFL.
We expect the Titans to employ the same strategy and that means plenty of opportunities at home for Wright.
Tight end
Owen Daniels, Denver Broncos, $15
We don’t like taking two offensive players on the same team, but we can’t overlook Oakland’s ineptitude on defense against tight ends.
The Raiders have allowed the most or second-most points in three of four weeks to tight ends. Daniels hasn’t been a hot option for Manning this season, but he’s worth a start in this situation because of Denver’s likelihood to pass and the Raiders’ inability to stop tight ends.
Flex
Boobie Dixon, Buffalo, $10
We’re getting a steal with Dixon. With LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams out, Dixon is an easy play. There was a recent report, though, that Daniel “Boom” Herron will actually get more carries, based on Dixon’s own health problems. But we’re not buying it.
Dixon isn’t on the injury report and in the NFL, it’s unwise to take “reports” with anything more than a grain of salt. We’re not buying the rhetoric. Most daily fantasy league players will include Dixon on their roster, but he’s just too cheap to pass up, giving us far more flexibility for the rest of the roster.
Defense
Detroit Lions, $11
We understand why some daily fantasy football players would shy away from the Lions against Arizona, but we’re not convinced the Cardinals’ offense is as potent as it was in the first three weeks.
The Lions are a middle-of-the-pack team in total defense and in points allowed. We’re getting the Lions at home this week and they’ve shown the ability to limit the opposition. It’s been the offense that has let them down, forcing the Lions’ defense to be on the field the seventh-longest of any team in the NFL.
We’re betting on the offense to move the ball at a better clip, allowing the Lions to do well on the defensive end Sunday against the Cardinals.
