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Week 5 DraftKings Cash-Game Picks

Top Plays for DraftKings Head-to-Head and 50/50 Contests

Here are the guys I’m considering for DraftKings Week 5 head-to-heads and 50/50s:

Quarterback

Brock Purdy, 49ers ($6,200)

Purdy’s 49ers are sporting a 28.75-point implied total. That’s 2.75 points ahead of any other team on the main slate.

The Niners are home for a Cardinals defense that ranks:

• 32nd in passing success rate allowed
• 29th in pass defense DVOA
• 32nd in completion rate over expected allowed
• 28th in DraftKings points allowed to QBs
• 26th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs

Purdy, who’s completed 69% of his passes at 9.3 yards per attempt so far this season, should have no problem slicing up this secondary.

Also consider:

• Jayden Daniels, Commanders ($6,800)
• Geno Smith, Seahawks ($5,900)

Running Backs

Jordan Mason, 49ers ($7,400)

Playing Purdy and Mason gives us a good chance to capture all of the 49ers’ TD this week.

The Cardinals haven’t been quite as bad against the run as the pass this season. But they rank 29th in rushing success rate allowed and 21st in run defense DVOA. RBs are averaging 4.5 yards per carry against Arizona.

With the 49ers 7.5-point home favorites, Mason is a good bet for another 21+ opportunities this week – a mark he’s hit in all four games so far this season.

He’s also one of the best TD bets on the slate.

Ken Walker, Seahawks ($6,800)

In his first game back from an oblique injury, Walker dropped 33.6 DraftKings points on a tough Lions run defense. Most of that production stemmed from his three rushing TDs. But Walker also caught four of five targets.

He’s getting awesome usage in OC Ryan Grubb’s offense, tallying 16.8 and 18.7 expected PPR points in his two games. Both marks ranked top-13 among RBs on the week. 

Walker is in a prime spot this weekend with his team a 6.5-point home favorite with a 25-point implied total against a middling Giants run defense.

Chuba Hubbard, Panthers ($6,100)

Here’s where Hubbard ranks among RBs over the last three weeks:

• 9th in carries
• 6th in targets
• 11th in expected PPR points per game
• 6th in actual PPR points per game

Hubbard is far too cheap for that level of usage and production.

He gets a Bears squad on Sunday that’s been tough against the pass but susceptible to the run so far this season. Chicago ranks 30th in run defense DVOA and 27th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.

Also consider:

• Kyren Williams, Rams ($7,600)

Wide Receivers

Diontae Johnson, Panthers ($6,100)

Johnson has scored 29.2 and 21.3 DraftKings points with QB Andy Dalton the past two games. And he’s actually underperformed his usage. He leads all WRs in expected PPR points per game over the last two weeks.

Even in a tough matchup against the Bears’ fifth-ranked WR defense, Johnson’s projected volume makes him a strong cash-game value.

Tee Higgins, Bengals ($6,000)

Higgins has drawn 16 targets in two games back from his hamstring injury. That leads the team – three ahead of WR Ja’Marr Chase. And, per Fantasy Points Data, Higgins also leads the team with a 31% first-read target share over the last two weeks. The Bengals are scheming him looks.

Higgins is a nice volume bet again on Sunday with Cincinnati 2.5-point underdogs to a hot Ravens team. Baltimore ranks second in pass rate over expected against, meaning offenses are leaning pass against them. The Bengals, of course, are already one of the pass-heaviest offenses in the league. They rank 5th in pass rate over expected.

Dontayvion Wicks, Packers ($5,000)

Wicks was impressive on a per-route basis last year, ranking 22nd in yards per route and 43rd in targets per route among 78 qualifying WRs. As a rookie.

This year, Wicks leads Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Romeo Doubs in targets per route.

So, it was no surprise that Wicks posted a big 5-78-2 line last week after Watson went down early with an ankle injury.

Watson is out again this week, which will mean a full-time role for Wicks against the Rams, who rank 31st in pass defense DVOA and 27th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs.

Also consider:

• Deebo Samuel, 49ers ($6,800)
• Tre Tucker, Raiders ($4,100)
• Darius Slayton, Giants ($3,900)

Tight Ends

Tucker Kraft, Packers ($3,500)

Kraft tallied a 6-53-1 line for 18.3 DraftKings points in the Week 4 loss to the Vikings. He benefitted from QB Jordan Love chucking it 54 times, but Kraft drew a 17% target share on a season-high 86% route rate.

Expect him to remain a full-time player in Week 5, especially with TE Luke Musgrave battling an ankle injury.

Kraft gets a Rams defense that hasn't stopped anything yet this season. They rank 20th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs.

Defense/Special Teams

Broncos ($2,900)

This defense has been one of the biggest surprises of the season so far. Denver ranks first in yards per play allowed and fifth in defensive DVOA. They sit third among main-slate DSTs in DraftKings points per game.

Next up is a home game against a lifeless Raiders offense. Vegas’ 16.5-point implied total is easily lowest on the week.

Also consider:

• Colts ($2,600)
• Panthers ($2,400)

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.