Top daily fantasy football running back plays for Week 5

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 running back who could provide huge boosts to your tournament lineups, as well as some trap plays to avoid.

DeAndre Washington $4,700/Jalen Richard $4,900 (Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers)

Latavius Murray has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game, leaving the running back duties in the hands of Washington and Richard. Both have already shown flashes of brilliance through three games and during the preseason. Washington is expected to get the start, but both backs will be active in this one. Should the Raiders take a big lead late, they both could be used to grind down the clock against a defense that was already susceptible to the run before Jason Verrett and Brandon Flowers were ruled out. Flip a coin or use them both, but the value is off the charts here.

Melvin Gordon $7,700 (Chargers vs. Raiders)

The Chargers run defense is bad, but the Raiders are actually much worse, allowing the second-most rushing yards per game this season. The Chargers, who have made a really bad habit of blowing late leads, are going to want to control the ball as much as possible. That means handing off to Gordon and letting him run wild against this porous run defense.

Frank Gore $6,500 (Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears)

Don’t look now, but Gore is coming on in daily fantasy. He has seen his FanDuel points output increase each week, netting 18 points last week against the Jaguars in London. Gore has scored touchdowns in each of the past two games and against the weak Bears, he could be in line for another productive day, especially as the closer in the fourth quarter. He’s still a bargain and should have a rather miniscule ownership. He’s a sneaky option this week.

Terrance West $6,400 (Baltimore Ravens vs. Washington)

Kenneth Dixon is expected to make his season debut on Sunday, but that should be more of an issue for Javorius Allen on passing downs than it is for West, who took the starting job from the recently released Justin Forsett and made the most of it against the Raiders with 113 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. You know who is just as bad as Oakland against the run? That would be Washington, which allows 133 yards per game and a league-high eight rushing touchdowns. If West repeats his Week 4 output, his is a steal at $6,400.

Jerick McKinnon $6,200 (Minnesota Vikings vs. Houston Texans)

McKinnon is finally starting to assert himself as a reliable back after Adrian Peterson’s season-ending injury. McKinnon carried 18 times on Monday night against the Giants, racking up 85 yards and a touchdown. With Stefon Diggs listed as doubtful, McKinnon could be called upon even more in this one, making him a solid value, even if his ownership is expected to be on the high side.

Matt Forte $7,100 (New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers)

Forte has seen a serious dip in production since his huge Thursday night performance in Week 2. Last week, he was smothered by the tough run defense of the Seattle Seahawks. This week, he draws another defense that thrives against the run. The Jets would love to make Forte a feature of the game plan this week, but it’s hard to trust that it translates to production on the field.

Orleans Darkwa $6,000 (New York Giants at Green Bay Packers)

Darkwa was decent in a spot start on Monday night against the Vikings, but even if Rashad Jennings sits out another game with a thumb injury, it’s pretty hard to see Darkwa having enough success against the league’s top-ranked run defense to justify a spot in your lineups.