Welcome to Week 5 of the Daily Fantasy season. Pricing has stabilized as trends have emerged, but there are still bargains to be found and even some higher-priced options that will go under-owned and can make a difference in your lineups. This article looks at some of the projected lesser-owned plays at quarterback who could provide huge boosts to your tournament lineups, as well as some trap plays to avoid.
Top daily fantasy football quarterback plays for Week 5
With Week 5 of the NFL season upon us, we take a look at some of the best quarterback values to be found on FanDuel and some players worth fading.
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
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Derek Carr $8,100 (Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers)
The chalk at quarterback this week is going to be Tom Brady (Revenge Tour debut) and Ben Roethlisberger. Both have tasty matchups and both should have solid performances. But not only will they be super-high owned, they are two of the most expensive quarterbacks on FanDuel. The eighth-highest priced QB will also be severely under-owned. That is Carr, who might have the best matchup any QB will enjoy all season. Both top-tier cornerbacks Jason Verrett and Brandon Flowers are out for the Chargers, giving Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree free rein to do whatever they want for a team that won’t have Latavius Murray at running back. Carr might throw it 40 times and might complete 39 of them against this suddenly terrible defense. Take advantage of the low ownership and zoom past the field on Sunday.
Eli Manning $7,700 (New York Giants at Green Bay Packers)
If the Giants are going to be competitive in this game, let alone win it, it’s going to be up to Eli. The Giants’ running game is hampered by the injury to Rashad Jennings and the Packers’ defense crazy stingy against the run. With the Packers’ offense starting roll behind Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson, the Giants should be in pass mode all day. Imagine if this is the week Odell Beckham snaps out of his funk? At a depressed price, Manning has a terrific opportunity to exceed value.
Carson Wentz $7,500 (Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions)
How many games does Wentz have to excel in before FanDuel treats him like a top-tier quarterback? At least four, apparently. Wentz has been nothing short of solid to begin his career and this week he gets arguably his best matchup, taking on a swiss-cheese defense coming off a bye week. Wentz and Jordan Matthews are becoming a must-stack combo and this week Wentz gets tight end Zach Ertz back. Like Carr and Manning, Wentz should be criminally under-owned and at $7,500, he is primed to exceed value.
Ryan Fitzpatrick $6,900 (New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers)
This is a contrarian pick that is not for the faint of heart, but hear me out. Certainly, the Jets are going to have to throw to be competitive against the raging offensive juggernaut that is the trio of Big Ben, Lev Bell and AB. And while the Steelers defense did a number on the Chiefs passing game last week, it is still a defense that can be picked on in the passing game. It might be an extreme example of garbage-time production, but there is a path for Fitzpatrick to put up some big passing numbers, especially if he limits his completions to the guys in the green uniforms.
Brian Hoyer $6,000 (Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts)
There’s no way around it: Hoyer is exceeding value each week since he became the starter. His price is not rising to match his production, and this week he takes on a Colts defense that has all sorts of problems defending the pass. With Jordan Howard providing a ground game to keep defenses honest, Hoyer should be able to keep rolling out 20-point performances, which is just want you want from a $6K QB.
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Sam Bradford $7,400 (Minnesota Vikings vs. Houston Texans)
If Stefon Diggs is out this week, Bradford’s viability takes a big hit, even against the Texans. While Houston isn’t getting it done defensively, especially since J.J. Watt went down, Bradford has seen his own production slip the past two weeks, and that’s with Diggs healthy. He’s too expensive to risk another 10-15 point output.
Trevor Siemian $7,600 (Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons)
He’s been terrific so far, but he’s also not expected to play this week with his injured shoulder. The Broncos play on Thursday next week, so it would make sense to hold Siemian out until then and let Paxton Lynch take on the beatable Falcons defense on Sunday. It’s a late game, so if the Broncos hold off on an announcement until shortly before game time, it will be too late for FanDuel players. Pass on this risky play.
