EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 07: Justin Fields #7 of the New York Jets dives for the end zone during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the game at MetLife Stadium on September 07, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
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It is Week 5 in the fantasy football DraftKings DFS landscape. The Sunday main slate is a little thin because there are four teams on a bye week. And there is an early morning international game, then the usual Sunday night and Monday night games. This leaves 10 games on the main slate. So, let’s see what the best picks for single-entry tournaments are looking like.
All prices are DraftKings.
DraftKings DFS Game Stacks
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets, Cowboys -2.5, 46.5 o/u
Two bad defenses are a cheat code in fantasy football. The Cowboys’ defense is 32nd in total yards allowed (420.5), 32nd in passing yards allowed per game (297.3), and 20th in rushing yards allowed per game (123.3).
The Jets’ defense is only slightly better, allowing 330.3 total yards per game (20th), 199.8 passing yards per game (12th), and 130.5 rushing yards per game (25th).
Your stack depends on what game script you believe will be played out.
QB, Dak Prescott, $6000-WR, George Pickens $6600-TE, Jake Ferguson, $4800/WR, Garrett Wilson, $6100
This stack takes up 47% of your total salary.
QB, Justin Fields, $5600-RB, Breece Hall $5600/WR, Pickens $6600
This stack takes up 35.6% of your total salary. Fields is currently commanding a staggering 45.41% ownership on DraftKings.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Indianapolis Colts, Colts -6.5, 47.5 o/u
Geno Smith hasn’t looked good since Week 1. Daniel Jones has looked good even after the loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week.
Jones has a 61.5% dropback success rate against the blitz, which leads the league. The Raiders blitz at the 10th-highest rate (33%) but have the eighth-lowest pressure rate when they blitz (32%).
QB Jones, $5800- RB, Jonathan Taylor, $8000- TE, Tyler Warren, $4700/TE, Brock Bowers $5500
That stack is 48% of your total salary.
Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers, Panthers -1.5, 44.5 o/u
The Panthers’ defense ranks 31st in pressure rate (24%) and has allowed a 39% dropback success rate when they have gotten pressure.
If you play De’Von Achane, keep in mind the Panthers have the fewest missed tackles on running backs this season (13), and their 16% missed tackle rate is the third lowest. But Achane has forced missed tackles at the ninth-highest rate (26%), and 39% of his rushing yards have come after forcing defenders to miss.
RB, Achane, $7300- TE, Darren Waller, $3500/ WR, Tetairoa McMillan, $5700
Mini stack that takes up 33% of your total salary.
Achane is currently the highest-owned running back on the main slate at 28.55% ownership.
Washington Commanders @ Los Angeles Chargers, Chargers -2.5, 47.5 o/u
- Jayden Daniels is back. The Commanders have ruled out wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown. Deebo Samuel did not practice on Thursday. Normally, Daniels is viable as a standalone option. However, this is his first game back, so will the Commanders ease him in?
- On the other side, the Chargers have targeted their slot receiver 48 times, which is the fourth most in the league. When targeting the slot, they have a 52.1% passing success rate. The Commanders have allowed the third-highest passing success rate to slot targets (64%), while giving up 10.1 yards per target (the most in the NFL).
Ladd McConkey has 141 slot snaps (59.7% rate). Keenan Allen has 73 slot snaps (41% rate).
QB, Daniels $7000 (with Lamar Jackson out, Daniels is the highest-salaried quarterback on the slate)/Quentin Johnston, $5700-WR, Ladd McConkey, $5500
This stack takes up 36.4% of your total salary.
Justin Herbert is the second-highest owned quarterback on the slate. His 10.62% ownership is significantly lower than Fields.
Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals, Lions -9.5, 48.5 o/u
I’m not sure this needs any explanation.
QB, Jared Goff, $6500-RB, David Montgomery, $5200- WR, Jameson Williams, $4900- TE, Sam LaPorta, $4200/WR, Ja’Marr Chase, $7800
This stack takes up 57.2% of your total salary.
Pivoting to Montgomery allows you to avoid the popular Jahmyr Gibbs, who is currently the second most rostered running back on the slate (19.49% ownership).
DraftKings DFS Value Play-Running Backs
The running back position is where you are going to get your value this week in your DFS lineups.
Rachaad White, $4700, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With Bucky Irving ruled out, White is the next man up. The matchup isn’t the greatest as the Seattle Seahawks are only allowing an average of 71 rushing yards per game and have not allowed a rushing touchdown. But White will get the bulk of the workload.
Rico Dowdle, $4300, Carolina Panthers
Chuba Hubbard and Jonathan Brooks are out. The Panthers have Trevor Etienne, but Dowdle has 28 carries to Etienne’s eight for the season. The matchup is against the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed an average of 110 rushing yards per game and have given up at least one running touchdown in every game this year.
As a side note, Daniel Jones scored two rushing touchdowns, and Justin Fields had one running touchdown against the Dolphins’ defense.
Emari Demercado, $4700, Arizona Cardinals
Michael Carter, $4000, Arizona Cardinals
With the surprise news that Trey Benson was going on IR, Demercado steps into the spotlight. The matchup is against a Tennessee Titans defense that is giving up the fourth most fantasy points (23.5) to the running back position. In a large field, to distinguish yourself, Carter is a viable option, but neither back is currently showing double-digit ownership.
Chalk v Contrarian
With such a condensed slate, consider differentiating yourself when playing chalk. Winning DFS fantasy football is all about when the masses zig you zag, playing Fields, then consider stacking him with his running back Breece Hall. If you are going for the popular Detroit Lions onslaught, consider bringing it back with Ja’Mar Chase or tight end Mike Gesicki, who is only $3200 on DraftKings, and the Lions are yielding the sixth most fantasy points to the tight end position.
Some chalk is good. Differentiating yourself with a contrarian play within the chalk is better.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/gladyslouisetyler/2025/10/04/nfl-week-5-fantasy-football-draftkings-dfs-stacks-and-value-picks/
