Week 5 Game Scripts to Target in Daily Fantasy Football

Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers

Over/Under: 52.0

Cowboys Implied Team Total: 27.00

Packers Implied Team Total: 25.00

With the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing on Thursday night, this game stands out as the clear top target on the slate. The 52-point over/under is a full five points above the next-highest total, and both the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers fall inside the top-four projected implied team totals.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

FanDuel Price: $8,900

So, Ezekiel Elliott is still good at football. In Week 4, the second-year fantasy stud totaled 139 scrimmage yards and 2 touchdowns -- one on the ground and one through the air. His 21 carries were actually his second-lowest number on the year, which just speaks to the amount of work Dallas is willing to give their workhorse. What is intriguing about Elliott thus far is his involvement in the passing game. Dak Prescott has targeted Zeke 4.8 times per game, up from an average of just 2.7 in 2016.

The game script in this one is what's really exciting for Elliott, though. Zeke has played in just two games with an over/under of at least 50 points (averaging a casual 32.5 FanDuel points), so we'll expand the parameters for a bit of a larger sample size. Instead, let's examine projected "shootouts," in which the over/under was at least 47.5 points.

The nearly 25 fantasy points per game clearly jumps off the page, but what's notable is the clear improvement in his touchdown equity, which makes sense given the situation. The projected shootout is exciting, but the fact that Dallas is favored works in his favor, too. Zeke has averaged 110 rushing yards and 1 score in Dallas victories since entering the league, as opposed to 63 yards and 0.5 touchdowns in losses.

Everything lines up for another huge outing from Elliott in this one, making him an exciting play in all formats.

Randall Cobb, WR, Green Bay Packers

FanDuel Price: $6,600

Randall Cobb led the team in targets through the first two games (22), but a chest injury held him out in Week 3 while limiting him to just 33 snaps last week. Despite the limited playing time, he was able to bring in all 4 of his targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. He didn't appear to be limited physically and should be expected to return to something more closely resembling his 74% snap rate from the first two weeks.

With a high over/under and Green Bay listed as underdogs, expect the volume of the passing game to resemble what it was like through the first three weeks. The Packers handily beat the Chicago Bears last week, so Aaron Rodgers only needed to throw 26 passes, actually ceding some snaps to Brett Hundley. Through the first three weeks, though, Rodgers aired it out 45 times per game.

Assuming his role is what it was to open the season, Cobb could feast on a Dallas secondary that has been carved up by opposing slot receivers over the past two weeks. In Weeks 3 and 4, Cooper Kupp and Larry Fitzgerald combined for 18 catches for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. At just $6,600, Cobb makes for a terrific option in this one, especially if Davante Adams is forced to sit out.

Others to Consider

Dak Prescott ($7,700) continues to put up excellent fantasy numbers while being grossly underpriced. Only three quarterbacks on this slate have outscored him thus far, and he draws a Green Bay defense ranked 21st against the pass according to our opponent-adjusted Net Expected Points (NEP) metric. Despite that, he comes into this game as just the sixth-priciest option -- nearly a full $2,000 lower than the quarterback on the other side of the ball in this shootout.

Dez Bryant ($7,800) is also worth mentioning, as this will be the least intimidating secondary he has faced in 2017. Outside of a Week 3 blanketing from Patrick Peterson in which Dez saw just two targets, Prescott has been locked in on Bryant, feeding him 12.7 targets per game.

Aaron Rodgers ($9,500) is a bit pricey, but with Tom Brady off the slate, he's a clear favorite to lead all quarterbacks in scoring. He is facing a Dallas secondary that has allowed Jared Goff, Carson Palmer, and Trevor Siemian to average 270 yards and 2.7 touchdowns against them over the past three weeks, so there could certainly be fireworks for the Green Bay passing attack.

Jordy Nelson ($8,600) is also going to cost you, but he leads the NFL with five receiving touchdowns, four of which have come from within the 10-yard line. Only two players have more targets from scoring distance than Nelson, who is clearly Rodgers' favorite weapon in that area of the field.

The health of Green Bay's backfield is likely going to be a big storyline in fantasy circles leading up to this game, as both Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams carry questionable tags. Aaron Jones ($5,900) carried the ball 13 times for 49 yards and a touchdown in relief of Montgomery and Williams last week and could end up being a strong value play if both backs sit.