Yahoo fantasy football is running a $1,000,000 contest with a $20 entry fee and 342,500 entries, which means they are adding $150,000 to the prize pool. Generally, this flagship daily fantasy tournament does not fill more than 95% in the fifth week, which provides extra value for gamers. Let’s get into some Yahoo Daily Fantasy Picks for NFL Week 5, including Derrick Henry, Kyler Murray and more.
Week 5 NFL Yahoo Daily Fantasy General Strategy & Picks
The critical thing to remember is that this is a half-PPR site, and the minimum salary is $10, with an average salary per player of $22. This week, Henry is at the top of the pricing list at $42. The complete scoring parameters can be found here.
One of the most valuable features of the Awesemo.com premium content is the personal player rankings from Alex Baker, for all of the main sports. The players grade out separately for each DFS site with ratings for both “projected points” and “value,” receiving an A through E report card-style grade. This week, as a special treat, Awesemo is also adding in the “Roster%,” which is the projected percentage a player will be used in the large-field tournaments.
Quarterback
If you have played daily fantasy football on Yahoo or Yahoo fantasy baseball, you know that the strategy is to look for the cheapest quarterback or pitcher that is tolerable so you can look for more secure points and upside elsewhere. In the recommendations below, I will be highlighting several discount options at the other positions so you can build a framework that will allow lineup construction for a top-shelf quarterback, along with his favorite target and still have enough salary cap to run it back with the top option on the opposing team.
Kyler Murray – Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers – $41
Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value A, Roster% 13.2%
Despite the perceived tough matchup against San Francisco, Murray deserves strong consideration as a phenomenal tournament option this week. The 49ers have been a mediocre defense so far this season, and we know that Murray can get it done through the air or on the ground. Arizona leads the league with 35 points per game and they have topped 30-plus points in each of its four victories.
Murray is averaging 318.2 passing yards per game, which is the third-best in the league and after notching 11 rushing touchdowns last year, he already has three under is belt. In tournaments, we can pair him with one or two of his receivers for added synergy. DeAndre Hopkins ($29), of course, is the primary choice, though A.J. Green ($17) and rookie Rondale Moore ($15) are intriguing options as well.
Trey Lance – San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals – $23
Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value A, Roster% 7.1%
Last week, Trey Lance replaced Jimmy Garoppolo, who suffered a calf injury against Seattle. Though coach Kyle Shanahan says Garoppolo will start if healthy, it is highly improbable that is the case Sunday. Next week, the 49ers have a bye, and if Lance looks solid against the Cardinals, he likely will be the starter for Week 7 as well. Arizona is undefeated and its defense has been solid from an efficiency standpoint.
Currently, Arizona has the third-best passing DVOA and is in the middle of the pack against the run. Speaking of which, it is the rushing upside that makes Lance intriguing because if he runs one in at his bargain salary, he should end up as one of the best point-per-dollar plays at quarterback.
If you are not ready to trust a rookie under center, then Sam Darnold ($29) is an interesting option against Philadelphia. Though he is far from a sexy selection, Derek Carr ($32) continues chugging along and quietly rolling up the fantasy production. Over his last 11 games, he has surpassed 20-plus Yahoo Fantasy points eight times.
Running Back
We want to keep in mind that while running backs are very important, Yahoo fantasy uses half-PPR, which will not penalize running backs that are not as active in the passing game.
Derrick Henry – Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars – $42
Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value B, Roster% 23.8%
This week there are plenty of value options that will allow us to roll with the most expensive player on the slate. Henry has been phenomenal the last three weeks with a massive workload. In this stretch, he has averaged 32 carries with a whopping 150.7 rushing yards per game, along with four touchdowns. While A.J. Brown is expected to play, Julio Jones is not, which means, once again, Henry is going to be the focal point of the offense. Particularly after the Titans somehow lost to the Jets in overtime last week. That should serve as a wake up call and Tennessee is unlikely to be overlooking the Jaguars this weekend.
Damien Williams – Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders – $18
Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value B, Roster% 25.3%
David Montgomery is going to miss at least the next month with a knee injury, which means the backfield is a lot less crowded for Damien Williams. Last year, Williams opted out of the season, which has him looking fresh this year. From his time in Kansas City, we know that the journeyman contributes a little bit of everything and when he is the primary option, he can deliver the fantasy production. On Sunday, we should see him approach 100 yards from scrimmage, with a decent change of finding the end zone in Las Vegas.
Leonard Fournette – Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Miami Dolphins – $18
Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value B, Roster% 25.3%
It ended up being the Leonard Fournette Show on Sunday Night Football despite Tom Brady making his return to New England and also setting the all-time passing yards record. The Buccaneers are double-digit favorites against Miami and should be able to roll up a nice lead early. That means Fournette should have the opportunity to salt the game away in the final frame, and he could approach the 20 carries and 91 rushing yards from last week. If he can reach pay dirt, this salary is going to look like a steal by the end of the day.
Wide Receiver
The top-shelf Yahoo fantasy options are typically priced in the low-to-mid-$30 range. Often, they are best paired with their quarterbacks for tournament upside rather than risking downside as solo plays.
Davante Adams – Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals – $33
Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value B, Roster% 17.5%
Though it feels like Davante Adams has been disappointing this season, he is vying for the league lead in targets. Aaron Rodgers has gone his way a whopping 29 times in the last two games. Adams is second in receptions and sixth in receiving yards, which indicates he has been just fine from a production and opportunity standpoint. The only thing missing is the touchdowns, with just one in the first month. While it would be folly to expect him to match last year’s 18 trips to the end zone, he has been in double-digits in four of the last five seasons. The Bengals have a decent pass defense, but we know Adams is in the “matchup-proof” category.
D.J. Moore – Carolina Panthers vs. Philadelphia Eagles – $20
Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value A, Roster% 15.7%
This salary is downright silly. D.J. Moore is coming off a 100-plus yard two touchdown performance and yet he is the same cost as last week. Through four games, Moore has at least 80-plus yards or a touchdown while averaging 99.5 receiving yards per tilt. Sometimes we get gifts and this is one, particularly with the matchup against a porous Eagles’ defense.
CeeDee Lamb – Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants – $24
Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value B, Roster% 11.1%
Though CeeDee Lamb has been a major disappointment the last two weeks with a combined eight targets for 5/79/0, he is far too talented to be trapped in the doldrums for long. Dallas has a hefty 29.75 implied team total and the Giants passing defense is among the worst in the league.
Tight Ends
Darren Waller – Las Vegas Raiders vs. Chicago Bears – $23
Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value C, Roster% 26.8%
This is a bargain for the Raiders’ top receiving option. Currently, Darren Waller projects with the seventh-most Yahoo Fantasy points among all pass catchers. While he has not come close to seeing the 19 targets of Week 1, he has had seven targets and five receptions each of the last three games. Including the final five games from last year, in his last nine outings, he has 100-plus yards or a touchdown in six. Regardless of the game flow, he will be the primary option for Carr on Sunday.
Ricky Seals-Jones – Washington Football Team vs. New Orleans Saints – $10
Awesemo Grade: Points D, Value B, Roster% 5.2%
Starting tight end Logan Thomas was placed on the injured reserve, which moves Ricky Seals-Jones up the depth chart. While wide receiver Terry McLaurin is dominating the target share, Washington does use the tight end quite a bit. Last week, Seals-Jones saw four targets, and based on the general offensive game plans, that seems like a reasonable expectation for this matchup.
Defense/Special Teams
This week, there are a couple of intriguing bargain options.
Washington Football Team vs. New Orleans Saints – $10
Awesemo Grade: Points D, Value B, Roster% 8.0%
Defenses are an interesting decision point on Yahoo with the way the salary algorithm assigns their values. While New England ($16) taking on the Texans in Houston is carries the “best” projection, it comes at a 60% premium compared to Washington, which is at the minimum salary. While the $6 may not seem like much, that is an awful lot for an increase of 3.25 projected Yahoo Fantasy points. Using those funds to upgrade at another position is a much better way to allocate our limited resources.
Washington has just seven sacks this season, which is the third-fewest in the league and they have been a bottom-five team most of the year with its passing DVOA. New Orleans has allowed only seven sacks, which is the fourth-fewest in the league. While it has attempted the fewest passes in the league with just 22.5, it has the worst interception rate. Jameis Winston makes a lot of risky throws and Taysom Hill tends to force things when he is under center in special situations.
Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals – $11
Awesemo Grade: Points C, Value D, Roster% 7.1%
While the Green Bay defense is in the bottom-third of the league, it does get opportunities for sacks and turnovers with Rodgers & Co., putting points on the board. The Bengals have allowed 11 sacks, which is the fifth-most in the league along with four interceptions and a fumble. Though the Packers have just seven sacks, they do have half a dozen takeaways and this game easily could turn into a passing-fest.
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