4 FanDuel NFL Values to Target in Week 5

Finding value is a key part of daily fantasy football on FanDuel. We need to identify the low-salary players who have the potential to pay huge dividends, which allows you to play studs elsewhere in your lineup.

As always, we're looking at players on the main slate, which kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans

FanDuel Salary: $7,200

We haven't seen a rookie quarterback really excel in fantasy football for a few seasons. Anthony Richardson has been excellent as a rookie, and so has C.J. Stroud.

Stroud wasn't expected to be a fantasy contributor in his first season. Since a tough opener in a brutal road matchup at the Baltimore Ravens, Stroud has been excellent.

Starting in Week 2, Stroud has recorded at least 20.6 fantasy points in each game and is the QB9 in that span. That is higher than both Patrick Mahomes and Tua Tagovailoa.

Stroud appears comfortable in the Houston Texans' offense under new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Slowik has designed a system that has helped Stroud, even with injuries on the offensive line.

The rookie has done well against some tougher defenses, and now Stroud will get his best matchup of the season.

Stroud should be in good shape for another quality fantasy game. He's a good option in tournaments, and you can pair him with Nico Collins, Tank Dell and/or Robert Woods for a low-salaried stack.

Houston's implied team total is below 20.0 points, which is a worry. However, the Texans have played at the fifth-highest adjusted pace and are facing an Atlanta Falcons' pass defense that ranks 23rd in adjusted fantasy points allowed per drop back.

Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

FanDuel Salary: $6,500

It's tough to roster anyone on the New York Jets' offense with Zach Wilson at the controls, but Breece Hall makes sense this week.

Hall has been eased into things since recovering from his torn ACL last season, but he has been efficient with his opportunities. He ranks second in rush yards over expected per attempt this season.

Coach Robert Saleh said on Wednesday that there is no pitch count on Hall anymore.

This comes at the perfect time for Hall. He'll face a Denver Broncos' defense that is 30th in numberFire's schedule-adjusted run defense metric. They are also 29th in adjusted fantasy points per carry against RBs.

Hall's pass-game usage hasn't been amazing, but he has seen a target on 23.3% of his routes this season. If he's playing more total snaps and running more routes, the raw target numbers should improve.

There are a few other decent running-back options in the $6,000-$6,600 range, but Hall arguably has the most upside given his matchup and potential for an expanded role.

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans

FanDuel Salary: $6,100

In terms of fantasy numbers, it hasn't been the best start for DeAndre Hopkins with the Tennessee Titans. He has reached double-digit half-PPR points just once in four games, and even that was just 10.0 points in Week 1.

The encouraging thing for Hopkins, though, is his usage. He has seen 28% of the targets and 37% of the air yards for the Titans. He's also accounted for 60% of the end zone targets.

Tennessee doesn't have the most exciting passing offense in the NFL, ranking 19th through the air, according to numberFire. In terms of pass rate over expected, they are 27th.

But a matchup against the Indianapolis Colts is a good one for Hopkins. The Colts are 27th in adjusted fantasy points per target to wide receivers. They allowed a huge game to Puka Nacua in Week 4, and Hopkins could be utilized in a similar way.

The total in this game is only 42.5 points, but the pace seems promising. It rates fourth in projected pace for games on the main slate. With Hopkins coming with just a $6,100 salary, he's easy to fit into lineups this week.

Zach Ertz, TE, Arizona Cardinals

FanDuel Salary: $5,100

No one likes playing an old guy, but it's tough to ignore what Zach Ertz has been doing this season.

Ertz has seen 32 targets so far, tied for the most of any tight end. He also has recorded six targets in the red zone, which is top five among TEs. He hasn't been able to have any huge games so far, but the volume keeps him relevant at fantasy football's worst position.

If Ertz continues to see that volume this week, he should be in a good spot to get some fantasy points. He'll face the Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed the fifth-most adjusted fantasy points per target to tight ends.

We generally don't like rostering players from the Arizona Cardinals, but they do have a higher implied team total than six teams on this slate. With Joshua Dobbs playing fairly well, Arizona has put up way more of a fight in their games than most were expecting and are only 3.0-point underdogs versus Cincy.

Ertz isn't the most fun play, but he is plenty viable as a salary-saver at tight end.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.