If Week 3 was forgettable then Week 4 was rock solid for the FanDuel Bargain Buys. Heath Miller finished as the TE2, both quarterbacks met value and Khiry Robinson had a solid day that would have been spectacular if not for the game script. DeAngelo Williams was the only real thud of the week, but even with his injury we pushed our season long accuracy up to near 60%. Of course that's old news now, let's get to Week 5. Once again we're using the projections of David Dodds for our Value Play selection and my personal research for the Bargain Buys. You clearly don't want to fill out a roster full of these guys, but once you've selected the studs you want, fill your roster with a couple of these players for profit.
Quarterback
Value Play
Drew Stanton ($5900) vs. Denver- The Broncos defense was expected to be much improved and so far this year we just haven't seen it, at least not to the degree we expected. Vegas expects the Broncos to be able to score in this one, which means Stanton will likely be chasing the scoreboard. He's been a serviceable replacement for Carson Palmer and he has several weapons at his disposal.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Mike Glennon ($6100) vs. New Orleans- Glennon is another underpriced quarterback that should be chasing the scoreboard. He was decent in his first week of action and like Stanton he gets a defense that was expected to be better than it is. The absence of Mike Evans hurts his stock a little bit, but the game flow should more than make up for it. I'm riding with Glennon for the second week in a row.
Running Back
Value Play
Khiry Robinson ($4900) vs. Tampa Bay- Robinson could have been so great last week but the game script really killed his potential. Robinson is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and should see plenty of touches protecting a lead against Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers were better in Week 4 but this is approaching panic time for the Saints, so I expect them to bring their A game on Sunday. Robinson should be the main beneficiary.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Carlos Hyde ($5900) vs. Kansas City- I love Robinson too, and almost listed him twice. Since I can't, I'm going with a contrarian play that I expect to pay off. Hyde is a talented young back going up against a defense that has played over their heads so far this season. At home against Kansas City I love the odds of Hyde scoring a touchdown, and I wouldn't rule out a long run. He has doubled Frank Gore's red zone production in the same amount of carries.
Wide Receiver
Value Play
Brandon LaFell ($4500) vs. Cincinnati- LaFell seems to have acclimated himself to the Patriots offense and he's quickly becoming a favorite of Tom Brady. He's seen 18 targets in the past two weeks and put up huge numbers (6-119-1) last week against Kansas City. The Bengals offer a much tougher test, but with their attention on Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman Lafell should still see plenty of looks.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Rueben Randle ($5400) vs. Atlanta- Randle and the Giants pass offense have surged since the Week 1 debacle against Detroit. This week he gets a Falcons defense that offers little in the way of resistance. Randle has seen 27 targets in the last 3 weeks, and he no longer looks lost in the team's new offense. A lot of people will bet on Rashad Jennings and the Giants running game, this is your chance to zig where they zag.
Tight End
Value Play
Travis Kelce ($5300) vs. San Francisco- We're probably going to recommend Kelce a lot until FanDuel's pricing catches up with his skill level. In fairness to FanDuel, it took Andy Reid a little while to figure how special this athletic tight end is as well. Last week the Chiefs made a determined effort to get Kelce the ball in several different ways and it paid off. There's no reason to think they'll change that approach this week.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Zach Ertz ($5400) vs. St. Louis- Ertz is a player that is fifth on his team in targets but he's as efficient as anyone when he gets the ball. As smart as Chip Kelly is you have to believe Philadelphia is going to start making more of an effort to get him the ball. Ertz leads the Eagles receivers in catch percentage and is second on the team in yards per reception. He has big play ability and also serves as a red zone threat. There's too much talent here for this price tag.
Kicker
Shayne Graham ($4500) vs. Tampa Bay- I'm riding with Graham one more week because he's so cheap and the Saints should have a plethora of scoring opportunities. So far this season he's been underwhelming, but in a match up like this with a rock bottom price I'm willing to roll the dice.
Defense
Detroit Lions ($4800) vs. Buffalo- I'm also sticking with the Lions this week against Kyle Orton and the Bills. I'm still astonished that the Bills made this change at quarterback and I don't expect it to end well. I wouldn't be surprised at all if EJ Manuel finishes this game after Orton commits multiple turnovers. The Bills only hope in this game is a solid rushing attack and the Lions have one of the best run defenses in the league.