This article is part of our DFS NFL series.
The NFL starts Week 5 with a Thursday matchup between the Falcons and Buccaneers. The Buccaneers lead the NFC South at 3-1, while the Falcons are right behind at 2-2. Let's sift through the DFS options for the single-game contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield ($9,600 DK, $16,000 FD) is showing that his bounce-back 2023 season was no fluke. He already has eight touchdown passes this year and has two games with at least 289 passing yards. To put a cherry on top, he has two rushing touchdowns. This will be a good test for him against the Falcons, who have given up just three touchdown passes this season.
Things will be even more difficult for Kirk Cousins ($8,600 DK, $13,500 FD), considering that the Buccaneers have allowed just one passing touchdown this season. Their 5.97 yards per pass attempt allowed is the fifth fewest in the league. Cousins has not topped 241 passing yards in a game and has just four total touchdowns, so Mayfield has the makings of the better quarterback option in this matchup.
Running Back
The Falcons can breathe a sigh of relief with Bijan Robinson ($9,800 DK, $14,500 FD) set to play after battling a hamstring injury this week. He is not even listed with an injury designation for the game. Despite some underwhelming rushing numbers, Robinson has posted more than 100 total yards in two of four games. He continues to battle with Tyler Allgeier ($4,800 DK, $9,000 FD) for carries. It's difficult to argue against keeping Allgeier involved when you consider that he averages 6.1 yards per carry. Robinson should still have a high floor, but Allgeier could also provide value.
Rachaad White ($6,800 DK, $10,500 FD) has seen Bucky Irving ($6,400 DK, $10,000 FD) eat into his workload out of the backfield. White has 10 or fewer rushing attempts in each of the last three games. Irving reached 10 carries against the Eagles last week, five of which came inside the red zone. He did find his way into the end zone, something that White has yet to do this season. Given his cheaper salary, Irving has the potential to provide the most value out of the Buccaneers' backfield.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
The Buccaneers have given up 5.53 yards per target to wide receivers, which is second fewest in the league. That makes this tough for Drake London ($8,800 DK, $11,500 FD), who hasn't topped 67 receiving yards in a game this season. If there is a bright spot among the pass catchers on the Falcons, it is Darnell Mooney ($7,200 DK, $8,000 FD). He has posted three consecutive games with at least 56 receiving yards and has an average depth of target of 12.8 yards. The same can't be said for Ray-Ray McCloud III ($3,400 DK, $7,500 FD), who has an average depth of target of just 7.6 yards. That has limited him to 163 receiving yards through four games.
The best upside at wide receiver for this game comes on the Buccaneers. Mike Evans ($10,200 DK, $14,000 FD) has hauled in three touchdown receptions this season and has accounted for 22.7 percent of the Buccaneers' targets. Chris Godwin ($10,000 DK, $12,500 FD) also has three touchdown receptions to go with his 26.6 percent target share. Despite his lackluster average depth of target of 6.0 yards, Godwin averages 7.3 yards after the catch.
The big name at tight end for this game is Kyle Pitts ($5,600 DK, $9,000 FD), but he has just eight receptions this season. He has accounted for just 12.5 percent of the team's target. The best tight end option might actually be Cade Otton ($4,000 DK, $8,000 FD), who posted 13 receptions for 99 yards the last two weeks for the Buccaneers.
Kicker
Chase McLaughlin ($5,000 DK, $9,500 FD), converted 93.5 percent of his field goal attempts last season and didn't miss a single extra point. He is 7-for-7 on field-goal attempts this year, including three makes from at least 50 yards. Younghoe Koo ($5,400 DK, $9,500 FD) is 9-for-9 on his field-goal attempts for the Falcons, including three makes from at least 50 yards. He has made 13 field goals from at least 50 yards since the start of the 2022 season.
Defense/Special Teams
The Buccaneers ($3,600 DK, $8,500 FD) have used their strong secondary to allow just 19.5 points per game. After their surprising struggles against the Broncos in Week 3, they bounced back to limit the Eagles to 16 points last week. An area of concern with the Falcons ($4,400 DK, $8,500 FD) defense is that it has recorded just four sacks this season. The Falcons have also allowed the second-highest completion percentage (73.4 percent) in the league.
