Week 5 starts the NFL’s scheduled games in England, so there are 12 games on the main DraftKings slate this Sunday afternoon. Even with a slightly smaller slate, there are plenty of options to build around at RB. Last week’s projections were very close on several picks and included Cordarrelle Patterson, David Montgomery, Najee Harris and Kenneth Gainwell, who all were solid plays with over 20 DKFP. Let’s hope we can find some other big producers this week. Listed below are the RBs that I think will return the best value at their price point on DraftKings.
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Studs
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, $9,000
Henry was the chalk play last week with so much of the Titans’ offense injured, and he delivered even though the Titans lost. He finished with 28.7 DKFP on 33 carries for 157 yards and a pair of catches for 20 more yards. He has at least 28 carries and over 22 DKFP in three straight weeks, highlighted by his monster 50.7 DKFP against Seattle. The Titans will be focused on bouncing back from their loss, and the best plan for them to do that is by continuing to feed King Henry. Joe Mixon had a big second half last week against the Jags, and Henry usually dismantles his division foes from Jacksonville.
Projections
Rushing: 28 attempts
Receiving: 5 Targets; 3 Receptions
Total: 31 Touches
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants, $7,000
Zeke broke out with a huge game in Week 4 against the Panthers, racking up 143 yards on 20 carries for 23.3 DKFP. He now has four touchdowns over his past three weeks while averaging 22.5 DKFP. His slow start against the Bucs in Week 1 looks like it was just a matchup issue, and he appears to be back in top form now that his offensive line is back to full strength this season. The Giants gave up 120 yards to Alvin Kamara last week, so it should be a good matchup for Zeke to keep feasting against Big Blue.
Projections
Rushing: 18 attempts
Receiving: 3 Targets; 2 Receptions
Total: 20 Touches
Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers, $5,900
The Cardinals got an impressive road win last week behind their timeshare of Edmonds and James Conner ($5,600), who has rushed for four short-yardage scores in the past two weeks. Edmonds is still a great option too, though, and is clearly the lead back, playing over 60% of snaps every week. Last week, he turned his 12 carries into 120 yards and also had four catches for 19 yards against a tough Rams defense. He has at least four receptions in every game this season and could be an even better play if the touchdowns start to even out between the two RBs. Conner is a solid touchdown-reliant play, but Edmonds has made enough big plays to be an even better sub-$6K play against the 49ers, who have given up four RB touchdowns in four games and have allowed an average of over 150 rushing and receiving yards to opposing RBs this season.
Projections
Rushing: 12 attempts
Receiving: 8 Targets; 5 Receptions
Total: 17 Touches
Values
Damien Williams, Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders, $5,600
The Bears’ rushing attack looked good last week until David Montgomery went down with a knee injury, and Williams also suffered an injury of his own. While Montgomery is expected to be sidelined multiple weeks, Williams looks to be on track to return after his injury, which was diagnosed as a thigh bruise. If he’s the full-time lead back for this week’s matchup against the Raiders, he could be in store for a big boost in usage and a big game against the Raiders’ defense that just got crushed by Austin Ekeler ($7,600) for 32.5 DKFP on Monday and will be playing on a short week. Williams showed a lot of dual-threat upside during his time with the Chiefs and will be stepping into a great spot to be one of the best per-dollar RB plays of the week.
Projections
Rushing: 16 attempts
Receiving: 5 Targets; 4 Receptions
Total: 20 Touches
Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers, $4,900
I’m going back to the (Gain)well with the Eagles’ backup RB this week since he’s still underpriced for his utilization. Gainwell scored his second rushing touchdown last week against the Chiefs and added six catches for 58 yards. He has multiple catches in every game this season and has over 6.0 DKFP in each contest. He played a season-high 39% of the Eagles’ snaps last week and will continue to be very involved in passing formations and the hurry-up offense that seems to help Jalen Hurts ($7,000) get into a rhythm.
Projections
Rushing: 4 attempts
Receiving: 7 Targets; 5 Receptions
Total: 9 Touches
Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots at Houston Texans, $4,000
Personally, I’d love to see the Patriots go with J.J. Taylor ($4,400) or preseason darling Rhamondre Stevenson ($4,000) in the role vacated by James White (hip). However, it looks like the Patriots are going with a more proven, veteran option at this point and giving that receiving work to Bolden. Predictably, last week wasn’t a great game for the Patriots’ backfield against the Bucs, but they have a much better matchup against the Texans this week. Bolden may not offer the most upside or be the flashiest play, but this Patriots offense is built on short passes, and Bolden can contribute PPR points if he remains in the James White role this week.
Projections
Rushing: 2 attempts
Receiving: 7 Targets; 5 Receptions
Total: 7 Touches
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