Week 5 DraftKings DFS Advice: Top Picks & Stacks
Week 5 DraftKings DFS Advice
The Week 5 main slate is trimmed to 10 games with byes and the London matchup, which means ownership will be more concentrated. Get stacks, cores, and pivots for cash and GPPs.
Written by high-stakes pro Adam Krautwurst
The Week 5 main slate is trimmed to 10 games with byes and the London matchup, which means ownership will be more concentrated. When the field condenses on certain players (like De’Von Achane or Justin Herbert stacks), finding the right balance of chalk, leverage, and correlation becomes critical.
Below are the best stacks, chalk cores, and contrarian pivots for this week.
Quarterbacks
Justin Fields ($5,600) – Clear QB1 in Sims (appeared in 68 top builds). His rushing ceiling + condensed pass-catchers (Wilson, Kmet) make him the highest floor/ceiling combo.
Justin Herbert ($6,100) – Elite passing spot vs. Commanders (28th in dropback EPA allowed). Chargers stack projects as chalk but powerful (Herbert + Hampton + Johnston).
Kyler Murray ($5,900) – Mid-tier contrarian stack option, especially with Marvin Harrison Jr.
Bryce Young ($4,700) – Punt QB. Prime matchup vs. Dolphins (31st in EPA defense). Allows you to jam in studs like Achane + CMC. High variance, better for GPPs.
Deep GPP pivots: Daniel Jones ($5,800) or C.J. Stroud ($5,200) both sub-10% ownership.
Running Backs
De’Von Achane ($7,300) – Chalk of the week. Explosive + growing workload. 46% optimal rate in Sims. Fade at your own risk, but ownership will be massive.
Omarion Hampton ($6,500) – Rookie workhorse. 42 touches in 2 games. Salary rising but still underpriced for role.
Rachaad White ($4,700) – Chalky volume play with Bucky Irving doubtful.
Breece Hall ($5,600) – Bellcow volume, similar chalk tier to White.
Leverage pivots:
Jahmyr Gibbs ($7,700) – Premium pivot off chalk RBs. Strong in Lions stacks.
Alvin Kamara ($5,900) – Low-owned, high ceiling as a contrarian pay-up.
Wide Receivers
Garrett Wilson ($6,100) – Led all WR exposures in Sims (56). Safe, strong correlation with Fields.
Quentin Johnston ($5,700) – Herbert’s WR1 in air yards + ADOT. Still mid-priced despite 20 DK PPG.
Tetairoa McMillan ($5,700) – Rookie WR1 for Bryce Young. 25% target share, 41% air yards. Criminally under $6k.
Jaylen Waddle ($5,400) – Massive value bump with Tyreek Hill out. Locked into WR1 role.
Other strong stacks / pivots:
Chris Olave ($5,200) – Lower ownership pivot off chalk WRs.
Nico Collins ($6,800) – Key in Stroud stacks.
Marvin Harrison Jr. ($5,400) – Preferred Murray stacking partner.
Tight Ends
Tyler Warren ($4,700) – High exposure TE. Leads Colts in targets, safe mid-tier salary.
Trey McBride ($5,800) – Other chalk TE option, strong role stability.
Defense
Saints DST ($2,200) – Chalk defense, ~60% of Sims exposure.
Pivots: Lions ($3,500) and Texans ($2,400) as safer alternatives.
Leverage: Seahawks ($2,800) or Colts ($3,300) as sub-10% owned defenses that can break slates.
Favorite Week 5 Stacks
1. Chargers / Commanders Game Stack
Justin Herbert + Omarion Hampton + Quentin Johnston
Bring back: Deebo Samuel ($6,300)
Chalky but powerful. Commanders defense is bottom-five in pass EPA, and Herbert has a 20% optimal rate.
2. Panthers / Dolphins Value Stack
Bryce Young ($4,700) + Tetairoa McMillan ($5,700)
Bring back: De’Von Achane ($7,300) + Jaylen Waddle ($5,400)
Insanely cheap QB/WR core allows you to jam in chalk Dolphins. Ownership concentrated here, but double bring-back ensures max correlation.
3. Leverage Stack
Kyler Murray ($5,900) + Marvin Harrison Jr. ($5,400)
Contrarian pivot off Herbert/Fields chalk. Harrison’s 90% route rate + Kyler’s rushing = GPP-winning ceiling.
4. Fields Core Stack
Justin Fields ($5,600) + Garrett Wilson ($6,100)
Skinny stack for cash or GPP. Highest exposure combo in Sims. Ceiling is massive if Fields hits 100-yard rushing bonus.
Final Takeaways
Cash Games: Stick with Achane + Hampton + Waddle as chalky values. Add CMC or Garrett Wilson for floor.
Tournaments: Fade one or two chalk pieces (like Achane or Saints DST) and pivot to Gibbs, Kamara, or Olave.
Stacks to prioritize: Herbert/Chargers for chalk, Fields/Wilson for balanced, Young/McMillan for salary relief, Murray/Harrison for contrarian upside.
Week 5 DraftKings Cash Lineup (Safe, Chalky Build)
Focus: high floors, consolidated ownership, heavy usage.
QB: Justin Fields
Rushing upside + condensed WR usage. Safest QB on slate.
RB1: De’Von Achane
Chalkiest RB, but elite workload + efficiency.
RB2: Omarion Hampton
Rookie workhorse, 40+ touches last 2 weeks.
WR1: Garrett Wilson
Safe target hog, strong correlation with Fields.
WR2: Jaylen Waddle
Locked into WR1 role with Tyreek out. Salary too low.
WR3: Tetairoa McMillan
Rookie WR1, 25% target share, cheap for role.
TE: Tyler Warren
Mid-priced TE chalk. High snap share + red zone usage.
FLEX: Rachaad White
Volume back, benefits from Bucky Irving doubtful.
DST: Saints
Chalk defense, highest Sims exposure.
Week 5 DraftKings GPP Tournament Lineup (Leverage Build)
Focus: ceiling, correlation, lower ownership pivots.
QB: Kyler Murray
Contrarian stack, rushing upside.
RB1: Jahmyr Gibbs
Pivot off chalk RBs. Explosive ceiling in Lions offense.
RB2: Alvin Kamara
Sub-10% ownership, heavy pass-game role.
WR1: Marvin Harrison Jr.
Kyler’s alpha WR. Strong correlation.
WR2: Chris Olave
Contrarian WR pivot. High ceiling, mid-ownership.
WR3: George Pickens
Boom/bust WR. GPP leverage play.
TE: Jake Ferguson
Cheap pivot off chalk TEs. Red zone usage.
FLEX: Omarion Hampton
Still playable in GPP as volume piece.
DST: Seahawks
Sub-10% owned DST leverage off Saints chalk.
