The Colts travel to Denver to face the Broncos (8:15 ET, Amazon Prime) to kick off Week 5 on Thursday Night Football. Both team’s star running backs (Jonathan Taylor and Javonte Williams) are on their respective teams’ injury reports, and while Williams (knee) is already ruled “out,” there’s a chance Taylor (ankle) is unable to go as well. The potential loss of the Colts’ No. 1 offensive weapon has us crafting a Broncos-heavy build for our DraftKings Showdown lineup, but there is plenty of potential sleeper picks available for DFS single-game lineups.
Before we get into our lineup, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They’re full-point PPR and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player’s original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.
MORE DK SHOWDOWN: How to win a Showdown contest
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Broncos vs. Colts Week 5 Thursday Night Football
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary): WR Courtland Sutton, Broncos ($14,100)
Sutton has been Wilson’s go-to option in the passing game (19 receptions, 291 yards) and has a chance for his second 100-yard receiving performance of the season on Thursday night. Indianapolis grades out as one of the weaker coverage units in the league per PFF (54.6 coverage grade), and with the Broncos potentially relying on the passing game a bit more with Javonte Williams (knee) out for the season, Sutton could end the game leading all players in fantasy points.
MORE COLTS-BRONCOS: FanDuel lineup | Start ’em, sit ’em
FLEX QB Russell Wilson, Broncos ($10,400)
Wilson is coming off his best game of the season, putting up 27.5 DK points while throwing for 237 yards and two TDs along with rushing for a score. The Colts’ defense has severely underperformed to begin the season, and not having Shaq Leonard (concussion) on a short week spells trouble. Russ should put together a solid performance, and at a modest $10,400, he’s a worthwhile addition to Showdown lineups.
WEEK 5 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
FLEX RB Melvin Gordon, Broncos ($8,800)
Gordon is now expected to be the lead back for Denver’s offense despite his fumble issues. He looks to be in line for at least 15 touches, which can result in an effective fantasy showing for the eight-year vet. Even more important in DraftKings full-point PPR format, he should dominate pass-catching opportunities among the RBs. We just have to hope Mike Boone and Latavius Murray don’t eat into his touches too much.
WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
FLEX RB Nyheim Hines, Colts ($6,800)
While Jonathan Taylor (ankle) is yet to be ruled out, there’s a chance the Colts reduce his workload even if he plays. With Indianapolis potentially having a negative game script, Hines could garner his fair share of targets from Matt Ryan, elevating his fantasy floor. A six-catch game is not out of the realm of possibility.
WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
FLEX WR Alec Pierce, Colts ($5,400)
Pierce’s rookie campaign got off to a rough start, as he dropped a potential touchdown before coming down with a concussion in Week 1. He missed the Colts’ Week 2 loss to the Jaguars but in the past two weeks has racked up 141 receiving yards on seven catches. If Pierce can reach the end zone or rack up some cheap catches, he could end up being the best value play at WR.
WEEK 5 DFS: Best stacks | Best values
FLEX D/ST Broncos ($4,200)
Denver’s defense has performed well at home to begin the season, allowing an average of 9.5 points per game. The Broncos pass rush could feast against an underwhelming Colts’ offensive line that’s allowed the fifth-most sacks (15) through four weeks.
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