I am back for another week of Underdog Fantasy Pick Em’ for NFL Week 5! Last week, I ended up going 3-4, bringing my record for the season to 11-8. This week, we will continue to incorporate the flowchart for the pick em’ contest picks! Below is everything you need to know to cash in this week in a big way!
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NFL Week 5 Underdog Fantasy Pick Em’ Flowchart
Core Plays
The core plays are going to be my favorite plays this week as your base foundation to start your pick em’ entry to maximize. This week, there are two projections I love to get the Underdog Fantasy Pick Em’ entry started.
Kirk Cousins Higher 39.5 Pass Attempts
Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings welcome the defending Super Bowl champions to town. Anytime you welcome the champions to your town, motivation shouldn’t be questioned at all. The success on offense for the Vikings starts and ends with Cousins. Thus far this season, Cousins has gone higher than 39.5 pass attempts in three out of the four games.
Further, the Vikings lead the league in passing play percentage and passing yards percentage. If this game turns into a shootout, I expect the Vikings to be throwing the ball and Cousins to rack up the pass attempts.
James Conner Higher 60.5 Rushing Yards
The Arizona Cardinals have been competitive in their games through the first four weeks of the season. This week, the Cardinals welcome one of the worst rush defenses to their stadium in the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are allowing opposing teams to rush for 157 yards per game. Furthermore, the Bengals are allowing opposing teams to average 5.1 yards per carry.
This season, Conner is averaging 15.5 carries per game and has gone higher than 60.5 rushing yards in three out of the four games this season. In addition, Conner is averaging 5.1 yards per carry. I expect the Cardinals to have a run-first approach against one of the worst rush defenses in the Bengals. I love Conner to go higher on his stat projection.
3x Multiplier
Adam Thielen Higher 51.5 Receiving Yards
Over the last three weeks, Thielen has quickly become the #1 wide receiver for the Panthers passing game. In fact, Thielen leads the team in targets and has gone higher on this projection in three straight weeks as well. If the Panthers are going to be trailing in this game, the Panthers will be forced to throw the ball, and I expect Thielen to eat up all the targets for the Panthers.
Bryce Young Higher 20.5 Completions
As I mentioned above, if I am expecting the Panthers to be trailing in this game, they will be forced to throw the football. In the three games that Young has played in this season, he has thrown for at least 20 completions. Young fell short of going higher on this projection in Week 1 by only one.
Further, I do not expect the Panthers to have success on the ground in this game. The Lions possess one of the best rush defenses in the league, and I expect them to limit the Panthers’ run game.
5x Multiplier
Christian McCaffrey Higher 77.5 Rushing Yards
Christian McCaffrey has taken this season by the horns and put himself into the conversation of not only the Offensive Player of the Year but also the MVP. Thus far this season, McCaffrey is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Further, CMC has gone higher on this rushing yard projection in all four games this season. In fact, CMC has at least 100+ rushing yards in three games this season.
The 49ers will take on the Cowboys this week, who statistically are rated as one of the better defenses in the league. However, the Cowboys do struggle to defend the running game. The Cowboys rank #26 in opponent yards per rush attempt and are slightly below the league average in opponent rushing yards allowed per game. I am expecting another big statistical game from CMC on the ground for the 49ers.
Matthew Stafford Higher 276.5 Passing Yards
Matthew Stafford has had a strong start to the season, and that may be getting even better with the return of his top target this week, Cooper Kupp. The Rams will host the defending NFC Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. This season, the Eagles have been decimated by injuries in their secondary, and opposing quarterbacks have been able to take advantage.
Thus far this season, the Eagles are allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for 260.8 yards per game, which is the 6th most in the league. Additionally, three out of the four quarterbacks the Eagles have faced have gone higher on this projection. With one of the better rush defenses in the league, I believe the Rams will be forced to throw the football, resulting in Stafford racking up the yardage.
10x Multiplier
Bijan Robinson Higher 77.5 Rushing Yards
Bijan Robinson has been playing at an elite level in his rookie season for the Atlanta Falcons. Some could make the argument that he has been the best running back thus far this season. The Falcons will take on the surprising Houston Texans this week at home. I am expecting Robinson to have another big week against the Texans.
The Texans rank #20 in opponent yards per rush attempt this season. With the struggles that Desmond Ridder has this season, I won’t be surprised to see Robinson have heavy usage in this game. Lastly, Robinson is averaging 6.0 yards per carry for the Falcons. I expect another big performance out of Robinson this week.
If you want to tail this pick ’em roster but aren’t using Underdog Fantasy for daily pick ’em already, sign up today and use promo code ‘SGPN,’ and they’ll match your very first deposit. You can also get even more help on your NFL player picks for NFL Week 5 by listening to the NFL Gambling Podcast.