The following players are primed for success in Week 5, and won’t cost you much in DraftKings or FanDuel.
Week 5 DFS Value Plays
Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
DraftKings: $6,100; FanDuel: $7,700
Well, this season sure hasn’t gone the way anyone in Atlanta expected it to. After tossing away a 2-1 start, in what appears to be a very winnable division, the Atlanta Falcons now sit at 0-4 after a Week 4 drubbing by the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.
Hosting the Carolina Panthers in Week 5, the Falcons yet again have a winnable game on their schedule in a last-ditch attempt to not only preserve Dan Quinn’s job but salvage whatever remains of this disaster 2020 season. Despite facing a Carolina defense that’s vastly improved from years prior, and likely without star receiver Julio Jones, the Falcons still possess enough offensive firepower for the former MVP quarterback to put points on the board.
Double-check to make sure Calvin Ridley is 100%, but Ryan at home against a division rival should provide a solid statistical day regardless of Atlanta actually winning.
Robby Anderson, WR, Carolina Panthers
DraftKings: $5,900; FanDuel: $6,200
Now in his fifth season in the NFL, Anderson is primed to make 2020 a career year. Averaging 8.5 targets and 7 catches per game, Anderson is off to a fantastic start in the re-tooled Carolina Panthers offense.
The Panthers travel to Atlanta this weekend and have the opportunity to go above .500 and notch their first division win. The Falcons defense has been a mess this season and from a fantasy football perspective, currently ranks 22nd against opposing wide receivers. A ranking that would likely be even worse if the Green Bay Packers had a healthy Davante Adams or Allen Lazard this past Monday.
Already struggling, the Falcons secondary took another blow when they lost Damontae Kazee to a torn Achilles last week. Topping 100 yards twice in four games, Anderson is primed to make it three for five.
Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants
DraftKings: $4,800; FanDuel: $5,800
Pacing the Giants in receiving yardage by over 100 yards through the first four weeks of the season, Slayton is clearly the Giants’ number one option at wide receiver.
Unfortunately for Slayton, outside of a stellar individual performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, being the number one option on a football team incapable of scoring touchdowns doesn’t really mean much. The Giants have scored a grand total of three offensive touchdowns this season and have been held out of the end zone in their last two games.
Thankfully, the Giants offense faces a horrendous Dallas Cowboys defense Week 5. The Cowboys have proved entirely useless against both the pass and run, getting bludgeoned by the Falcons, Seahawks, and Browns in three straight weeks. The Cowboys rank 31st against opposing fantasy WRs and are starting a second-round rookie at cornerback in Trevon Diggs.
Slayton is a perfectly playable low-cost option who could replicate his 6 catch, 102 yard, 2 touchdown Week 1 performance.
Eric Ebron, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
DraftKings: $4,000 FanDuel: $5,100
Everything is trending in the right direction for Ebron with the Steelers. His snap count has risen from 63% Week 1 to 75% Week 3, and has seen an increase in targets, receptions, and yardage over the seasons first three weeks. Culminating with a 5 catch, 52 yard, one touchdown performance Week 3, Ebron gets a favorable matchup to build upon in Week 5.
The Steelers host the sputtering Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday, and Ebron should remain a focal point of the Steelers offense. The Eagles, sporting one of the smallest secondaries in the NFL and abysmal linebacker play, just got shredded by George Kittle this past Sunday.
While Ebron certainly isn’t the same physical talent as Kittle, he does possess the same size and should pose a similar matchup problem for the Eagles. The Eagles have struggled all season against athletic tight ends, including a 3 touchdown performance from Tyler Higbee Week 2. Ebron is an excellent low-cost play.
Week 5 DFS: Deep Sleeper
Isaiah Wright, WR, Washington Football Team
DraftKings: $3,000 FanDuel: $4,500
A shocking non invite to the 2020 NFL Combine, and un-drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, Isaiah Wright enters Week 5 as the Washington Football Teams starting wide receiver. Lining up as a receiver, running back, and return man, Wright was an explosive playmaker during his four-year career at Temple University scoring twenty total touchdowns, including five return touchdowns.
Wright has seen his playing time increase over the season, as he’s registered 8 catches over the past two weeks, and saw his snap count rise to 82% Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens.
The explosive plays haven’t occurred yet, but Wright has earned an opportunity not many un-drafted players get this early in their career. Kyle Allen brings another level of uncertainty to Washington, but costing near the DFS minimum, Wright can be the ultimate bargain money saver as you build out the rest of your lineup.
