NFL DFS picks Week 5: Best sleepers, value players for FanDuel, DraftKings lineups

The 2022 NFL season (and fantasy football season) rolls on like a freight train, and the storylines have been plentiful. Among the top narratives, we have seen a ton of breakouts and sleepers emerge from the shadows cast by widespread injuries. More under-the-radar guys exploding means more opportunities to find NFL DFS value picks on DraftKings and FanDuel every week. 

The task at hand is simple: scour the player pools from the main slate of both DK and FD, analyze the matchups and stat trends, and determine which players yield the highest values. By capitalizing on affordable sleepers in certain roster spots, we leave ourselves the budget to greatly improve other roster spots with proven weekly studs. In layman’s terms, you can’t afford a Christian McCaffrey ($8,500 on DK) each week without the occasional Jamal Agnew ($3,600). 

WEEK 5 DFS: Best stacks

This column has been producing better than ever this season, and readers are seeing healthy returns on their DraftKings and FanDuel accounts. In each of the past three weeks, the number of value picks we’ve nailed has increased and our average points per pick have risen. Take a look at our massive list of highlights from our value picks for Week 4:

That’s a whopping 12 players whose fantasy production vastly exceeded their expectations, providing you with cheap value so you could afford studs elsewhere. For a little over $4,800 per player, these dozen sleepers netted us an average of 19.25 DraftKings points per player. When your cheap picks are posting 20 points, you’re sitting pretty in the DFS world!

Let’s ride this success into the weekend like Hocus Pocus 2 rode the success of the original! Here are our favorite DraftKings and FanDuel value plays for Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season. 

All player values are from DraftKings and FanDuel. All stats are from NFL.com and Pro Football Reference.

WEEK 5 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings

NFL DFS Picks Week 5: QB sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

Carson Wentz, Commanders vs. Titans (DK: $5,700 | FD: $6,800)

Wentz recorded 64.5 fantasy points through two weeks, looking like he was ready to revive his career in D.C. Dates with the daunting defenses of Philly and Dallas over the past two weeks have brought him — and his fantasy owners — crashing back down to Earth. Well, we could have lift-off once again this weekend, as the Titans’ secondary is brutal. Tennessee has surrendered the fourth-most DraftKings points to quarterbacks this season, and only two NFL teams have allowed more passing TDs (2.5 per game). 

More great Week 5 QB values: Tom Brady, Buccaneers at Falcons (DK: $6,000 | FD: $7,800); Zach Wilson, Jets vs. Dolphins (DK: $5,300 | FD: $7,200); Bailey Zappe, Patriots vs. Lions (DK: $5,100 | FD: $6,300) 

WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

NFL DFS Picks Week 5: RB sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots vs Lions (DK: $5,500 | FD: $6,000)

One of our biggest jackpots last week was Seahawks Rashaad Penny, who ran roughshod on the Lions in Week 4. The veteran speedster rushed for 151 yards and two TDs in the slugfest. Now the Lions have to contain a run-first Patriots offense in Foxboro with Stevenson and Damien Harris licking their chops. New England’s beastly RB2 had one fewer touch than Harris in a Week 4 loss to the Packers, and he finished with five more yards from scrimmage (14 carries for 66 yards, four catches for 23 yards). He also had four catches, giving him more value in DraftKings full-point PPR formats. 

Kareem Hunt, Browns vs. Chargers (DK: $6,000 | FD: $5,900)

This figures to be a fairly high-scoring game, and the Chargers have a defense that covers wideouts better than running backs. Hunt has at least 46 rushing yards and multiple catches in each of Cleveland’s four games this season, and he showed with multiple TDs in Week 1 that he’s always a candidate to score. The Chargers have stunk against pass-catching backs, allowing 28 catches (fourth most in the NFL), 181 receiving yards (sixth), and three receiving TDs (tied for most). The Bolts have also allowed 31.5 DraftKings points per game to RBs. Don’t let Hunt get lost in the shadows of Nick Chubb — he’s well worth $6,000 on DraftKings.

Other great Week 5 RB values: Rachaad White, Buccaneers vs. Falcons (DK: $5,100 | FD: $5,800); Raheem Mostert, Dolphins at Jets (DK: $5,000 | FD: $5,800); Travis Etienne Jr., Jaguars vs. Texans (DK: $5,100 | FD: $5,600) 

WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

NFL DFS Picks Week 5: WR sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

Garrett Wilson, Jets vs. Dolphins (DK: $5,200 | FD: $6,000)

The Zach Wilson-to-Garrett Wilson chemistry wasn’t immediately there in Zach’s 2022 season debut, but we still saw the Jets feed the rookie wideout plenty (six targets). Garrett remains one of the best route-runners and playmakers in this year’s rookie class, and he’s a threat to score whenever he touches the ball in the open field. The Dolphins have a strong secondary, but they have surrendered plenty of chunk plays to receivers this season. Miami ranks 28th in DK points allowed to WRs, and New York will presumably have to throw the ball plenty to keep up with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. 

Michael Gallup, Cowboys at Rams (DK: $5,000 | FD: $6,000)

Gallup finally returned from a knee injury in Week 4, and he immediately capitalized with a touchdown catch. Cooper Rush has developed a rapport with Gallup throughout the past couple of seasons, and fellow Rush favorite Noah Brown was hampered by a neck injury against Washington. Expect Gallup’s snaps, targets, and fantasy numbers to all rise this weekend while the Rams’ Jalen Ramsey spends most of his time and energy on Cowboys’ No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb. 

More strong Week 5 WR values: D.J. Moore, Panthers vs. 49ers (DK: $5,200 | FD: $5,900); Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers at Panthers (DK: $5,400 | FD: $5,900); Jamal Agnew, Jaguars vs. Texans (DK: $3,600 | FD: $5,300); George Pickens, Steelers at Bills (DK: $4,300 | FD: $5,500) 

WEEK 5 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start ’em, sit ’em

NFL DFS Picks Week 5: TE sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

Logan Thomas, Commanders vs. Titans (DK: $3,200 | FD: $5,200) 

I’ll be stacking Thomas with Wentz this weekend in plenty of DFS lineups, as the Titans rank 26th in DK points allowed to tight ends. In four games, Tennessee has allowed 22 tight end catches for 293 yards and two TDs. While Mike Vrabel’s young secondary chases around the Commanders’ receivers, some poor linebacker will likely be forced to cover Thomas, a perennially underrated pass-catcher when healthy. 

More top Week 5 TE values: Gerald Everett, Chargers at Browns (DK: $4,200 | FD: $6,300); Dalton Schultz, Cowboys at Rams (DK: $4,300 | FD: $4,800)

NFL DFS Picks Week 5: D/ST sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

Cowboys at Rams (DK: $2,500 | FD: $4,100) 

The 49ers smacked around the reigning-champion Rams on Monday Night Football, sacking Matthew Stafford seven times and forcing L.A. into multiple turnovers. Now the Rams face Micah Parsons and the Cowboys, who average 3.8 sacks (second most) and allow 171 air yards per game (sixth). Los Angeles has been one-dimensional this season, and it won’t fare well just forcing the ball to Cooper Kupp 20 times against this Dallas D. 

Other solid Week 5 D/ST values: Patriots vs. Lions (DK: $2,900 | FD: $3,600); Commanders vs. Titans (DK: $2,700 | FD: $3,200)