FREE 10/05 NFL Cheat Sheet: Top DFS Plays

Week 5 brings us the first round of byes - four teams are off, and with an international game also on the calendar, the DFS main slate shrinks to 10 games. Within that condensed field, two matchups stand out as stacking gold mines. A handful of players in those games are sitting squarely in the core players of the week. With elevated totals across the board, our focus narrows to the best spots to unload upside, spotlighting games like Cowboys vs. Jets and Raiders vs. Colts as anchor points for high-floor, high-ceiling builds.

Top Stacks

NYJ vs DAL ($18,300)

Players: Justin Fields, Garrett Wilson, George Pickens

This NYJ-DAL stack projects 54.5 points with 15.1% ownership, 14.7% optimal rate, and 18.3% boom rate, offering 2.98 pts/$1K value. Justin Fields and Garrett Wilson showed strong QB-WR correlation in Week 4, connecting for Wilson’s spectacular 82-yard, 1-TD performance on six catches after Fields’ return from concussion, building on their Week 3 end-zone strike in a 10-catch, 84-yard outing for Wilson amid the Jets’ pass-heavy comebacks. As a DAL bring-back, George Pickens offers upside in a potential high-scoring script, fresh off a 134-yard, 2-TD monster game as Prescott’s top target without Lamb (ankle), plus a 68-yard, 1-TD line in Week 3, thriving if Dallas leads and forces NYJ into pass chases.

WAS vs LAC ($19,800)

Players: Jayden Daniels, Deebo Samuel Sr., Omarion Hampton

The WAS-LAC stack projects 57.0 points with 12.4% ownership, 15.2% optimal rate, and 17.8% boom rate, offering 2.88 pts/$1K value. Daniels’ return from a two-game knee absence aligns with Samuel as his clear top target after McLaurin and Brown were ruled out, boosting their correlation with Samuel’s full practice clearance and dual-threat role (pass-catching and backfield) in a depleted Commanders offense. Hampton provides LAC bring-back upside in a favorable game script, having exploded for 294 scrimmage yards and 2 TDs over his last two games as the lead back with Harris sidelined, exploiting a WAS run defense that just allowed 181 yards and a score to Robinson.

QB Plays

Justin Fields ($5,600)

Justin Fields looked sharp in his return from a one-game concussion absence, completing 20 of 27 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 81 yards and another score on seven carries in the Jets’ narrow loss to Miami. This marks his second straight start with elite dual-threat production, blending efficient pocket passing with explosive running that has delivered multiple touchdowns each time out. At a $5,600 salary, Fields carries a 3.66x value projection of 20.5 DraftKings points, offering a secure floor from his rushing volume alongside ceiling upside from red-zone opportunities in an offense that’s clicking around him.

Fields enters Week 5 with massive tournament appeal as the No. 1-ranked GPP option and a 20.3% boom rate, facing a Dallas defense that presents a plus matchup for mobile quarterbacks in a high-total game of 47.5 points. His projected 11.9% optimal lineup share aligns with 11.5% ownership, providing leverage in contests where his consistent target volume and scrambling ability can exploit gaps for 20-plus point explosions. This combination of recent momentum, dual-threat usage, and salary efficiency positions Fields as a cornerstone play for building balanced lineups with tournament-winning potential.

Honorable Mentions

• Daniel Jones ($5,800)
• Justin Herbert ($6,100)

RB Plays

De’Von Achane ($7,300)

De’Von Achane continues to deliver explosive production as Miami’s lead back, posting season-high marks with 20 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins’ recent win over the Jets, while adding two receiving yards on limited targets. With Tyreek Hill sidelined for the season due to injury, Achane steps into an expanded role that amplifies his dual-threat capabilities, blending his speed on the ground with reliable pass-catching volume—he already hauled in seven of nine targets for 29 yards in the prior game against Buffalo. This shift boosts his overall usage, providing a consistent floor through increased touches and a high ceiling via chunk plays and red-zone opportunities.

Facing Carolina’s defense in a favorable road matchup, Achane projects for 21.9 DraftKings points at a 3.0x value salary of $7,300, ranking 12th in tournament appeal with a 29.7% boom rate that aligns perfectly with his history of big games. His 33% projected ownership offers leverage in large-field contests, especially with Miami’s slight favorite status in a 44-point total game, where his combination of volume and explosiveness positions him for another multi-touchdown outing.

Honorable Mentions

• Breece Hall ($5,600)
• Omarion Hampton ($6,500)

WR Plays

Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($7,100)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba enters Week 5 with momentum after reeling in his first touchdown of the season against the Saints, where he hauled in five of six targets for 96 yards despite dealing with illness. He followed that up with a clutch fourth-quarter performance versus the Cardinals, securing four of five targets for 79 yards and adding three rushes for 11 yards to help seal the win, including key gains of 36 and 22 yards. As Sam Darnold’s top target for the Seahawks, Smith-Njigba consistently sees high-volume usage, with at least five receptions in back-to-back games, providing a reliable floor of double-digit fantasy points while his red-zone involvement unlocks touchdown upside. At a $7,100 salary, his 20.3-point projection delivers 2.86x value, making him a cornerstone for cash games and a strong pivot in tournaments where his boom rate of 22.7% aligns with top-9 GPP ranking.

Facing the Buccaneers in a 44.5-point total where Seattle holds a -3.5 spread, Smith-Njigba’s role as the primary receiver positions him for another volume-driven outing in a dome environment with neutral weather. His projected ownership of 23.3% matches the optimal lineup percentage of 23.1%, offering tournament leverage against lower-owned alternatives without sacrificing the ceiling potential that has defined his recent trends. This blend of consistent target share, scoring potential, and salary efficiency elevates him as a featured play with the floor to anchor lineups and the explosiveness to separate in large-field contests.

Honorable Mentions

• George Pickens ($6,600)
• Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7,900)

TE Plays

Tyler Warren ($4,700)

Tyler Warren continues to build momentum as a key pass-catching tight end for the Colts, fresh off his first career touchdown in a versatile performance against the Rams where he hauled in five of six targets for 70 yards, including three of the team’s longest plays, while adding two rushes for a score. This marks his third game in four with at least 70 receiving yards, showcasing his growing role in both the short and deep areas of the field, with consistent five-plus target volume providing a reliable floor. Facing the Raiders in a high-total dome game of 48 points, where Indianapolis holds a favorable spread, Warren’s dual-threat usage lines up perfectly for another multi-touchdown upside, especially with his red zone involvement on direct snaps amplifying his ceiling potential at this $4,700 salary.

His projected 14.9 DraftKings points deliver strong 3.16x value, ranking him ninth in tournament scoring with a 17.6% boom rate that fits the GPP format beautifully. At 21.1% projected ownership, Warren offers leverage against lower-owned field options while his optimal lineup rate of 17.7% underscores the model’s confidence in his consistent production. The combination of steady targets, goal-line carries, and explosive playmaking makes him a secure yet high-upside pivot in tight end builds, capitalizing on the Raiders’ vulnerabilities to secure a top performance.

Honorable Mentions

• Trey McBride ($5,800)
• Jake Ferguson ($4,800)

Make sure to check the Lineup Optimizer for latest updates before lock. Visit DFS Hero for our full suite of DFS tools including the Lineup Optimizer, Contest Simulator, Player Projections, and Ownership Projections. Use code HEROPLAY15 to get 15% off your first month!