3 FanDuel NFL DFS Value Picks for Week 5

Finding value is a key part of NFL DFS 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 and may change after this article is published. We'll reference our NFL DFS projections.

NFL DFS Value Plays for Week 5

Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants

FanDuel Salary: $6,900

Barring some weekend injury news, Jaxson Dart is the only sub-$7,000 quarterback in my player pool this week. Though Dart is making just his second career start, he flashed enough dual-threat upside in his NFL debut to warrant consideration in a plus matchup with all of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes absent from the Week 5 main slate.

Dart managed only 111 passing yards in his first start last week. But he completed a solid 65% percent of his 20 pass attempts against a Chargers secondary ranked top five in numberFire's schedule-adjusted pass defense.

Even so, his primary fantasy appeal lies with his legs. Dart turned 10 carries (seven designed, three scrambles) into 54 yards and a rushing touchdown last week, finishing with 19.8 FanDuel points (FDP). He accounted for three red zone rush attempts in the New York Giants' first win of the season, providing a serious floor for fantasy production moving forward.

It's not lost on me that Dart lost top target Malik Nabers to an ACL injury -- that's sure to hurt his fantasy outlook rest-of-season. But given his work on the ground, I still view Dart as a strong DFS play in a Charmin ultra-soft matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

Entering Week 5, New Orleans ranks 29th in adjusted pass defense and has allowed the fourth most FDP per dropback to opposing quarterbacks. They're in the bottom five in Passing Success Rate allowed yet have also managed to give up the 10th highest rate of downfield pass attempts (10+ yards) in the league. That's less than an ideal combination, particularly when opponents have hit them with the league's second highest passing touchdown rate.

And -- while this game's 41.5-point total is nothing to write home about -- this is the fastest game of the week by projected adjusted pace. The Saints have been the fastest-paced team in the NFL this season, and that should translate to more plays for the New York offense.

It doesn't hurt that this is a potential revenge spot for the rookie gunslinger, too.

There's a lot to like about Dart's fantasy upside in this sort of matchup. If you're looking to save salary under center, Dart's $6,900 salary makes a lot of sense in an appealing game environment.

Honorable Mention: Dak Prescott ($7,300) at NYJ

Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans

FanDuel Salary: $5,400

Houston Texans rookie running back Woody Marks enjoyed a breakout game in Week 4, turning 27 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) into 25.9 FDP. Though we don't always want to chase these sorts of blow-up performances, the underlying utilization suggests Marks may have usurped Nick Chubb as Houston's RB1.

Marks has seen his snap rate and route participation climb every week this season, and he played 59% of Houston's snaps last time out -- compared to just 40% for Chubb. That's come with an increase in opportunities, too. After failing to exceed 6 carries or 2 targets in each of the first three games, Marks earned 17 rush attempts and 5 targets in Week 4.

He turned those opportunities into 119 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns -- one rushing and one receiving. Marks has now played 80% of Houston's red zone snaps the past two games, giving him real scoring upside moving forward.

Chubb is likely to continue to be involved in some capacity, but we can't ignore last week's breakout after the utilization was already trending the rookie's direction. That puts him in a nice spot to produce at a low salary against a lackluster Baltimore Ravens defense.

Through four weeks, Baltimore ranks 31st in adjusted run defense. They've given up the fourth most fantasy points per adjusted opportunity and the fifth most rushing yards over expected per attempt to the running back position -- all while letting up the fifth highest target rate to the position.

Houston is a road favorite, too, so Marks could see plenty of work on the ground should the Texans enjoy a positive game script.

Our NFL DFS projections peg Marks for 13.2 FDP, making him the best point-per-dollar value (2.44x) among flex players.

Honorable Mention: Rachaad White ($5,200) at SEA

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

FanDuel Salary: $5,800

With Tyreek Hill out for the season, Jaylen Waddle looks primed to be the Miami Dolphins' top target in the passing game. Though Waddle hasn't been as reliable in fantasy the past two seasons, this is still someone who averaged 13 FDP per game as recently as 2022.

Waddle enters Week 4 with a 19.0% target share and 24.5% air yards share serving as Miami's No. 2 receiver. Hill's absence opens up nearly a quarter of the Dolphin's targets -- some of which will presumably shift Waddle's direction.

He was already their top red zone target before Hill's injury (33.3% red zone target share), and that could increase even further.

The only real drawback with Waddle is the matchup. Carolina's secondary has been one of the more surprising units in football as they've allowed just one wide receiver to crack double-digit FDP through four games. But they haven't exactly faced an onslaught of premier pass catchers, and they're still just 21st in schedule-adjusted pass defense.

Having to face some combination of Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson (both top 30 in PFF coverage grade) isn't ideal, but we could also see a more nuanced role from Waddle as the new No. 1 in this offense. The potential volume is worth the matchup risk at this low salary.

Our NFL DFS projections peg Waddle for 12.4 FDP this week -- seventh among main slate wide receivers while carrying the position's 24th highest salary. At a $5,800 salary, Waddle is the top wide receiver value on the Week 5 main slate.

Honorable Mention: Chris Godwin ($5,900) at SEA

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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.