Week 5 CFB DFS picks: Kamario Taylor, Keelon Russell top DraftKings, FanDuel plays
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College football DFS lineups for Week 5 have plenty of places to spend. The better question is where to save enough salary to fit the stars.
Kamario Taylor offers a strong DraftKings discount among the top quarterbacks and right below him on the QB list is his Week 5 opponent from Alabama, Keelon Russell. Tyrell Henry and Andrew Marsh provide cheaper receiving options, while Jadan Baugh brings the workload to justify another expensive start.
The accompanying tables use my Week 5 positional rankings and the supplied DraftKings and FanDuel salaries. Some picks offer much better value on one site.
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Quarterbacks outlook
Michael Hawkins Jr. remains my preferred DraftKings spend at $8,500. He ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns against Oklahoma State despite throwing for just 132 yards with an interception. That rushing production gives him a path to a useful fantasy day even when West Virginia’s passing game struggles.
Taylor costs $400 less and ranks one spot behind Hawkins at QB3. He threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns against Missouri, and Alabama’s defense has shown enough cracks to keep him firmly in play. The Crimson Tide allowed more than 400 yards against South Carolina. Taylor is less of a bargain at $11,800 on FanDuel.
Jaylen Raynor is the DraftKings saver at $6,600. West Virginia just allowed 389 passing yards to Drew Mestemaker, giving Iowa State’s quarterback a clear matchup-based case. Raynor also scored on an 8-yard run against Utah, adding another route to points.
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QB Plays – CFB DFS Week 5
| Price | Rank | Player | Team | DraftKings | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $$$ | 2 | Michael Hawkins | WVU | $8,500 | N/A |
| $$$ | 3 | Kamario Taylor | MSST | $8,100 | $11,800 |
| $$$ | 5 | Keelon Russell | BAMA | $8,800 | $11,500 |
| $$$ | 12 | Byrum Brown | AUB | $8,000 | $10,400 |
| $$$ | 14 | Demond Williams | WAS | N/A | $10,800 |
| $$ | 25 | LaNorris Sellers | SC | $7,200 | N/A |
| $$ | 46 | Faizon Brandon | TEN | $7,400 | $9,800 |
| $ | 23 | CJ Bailey | NCST | N/A | $9,700 |
| $ | 26 | Jaylen Raynor | ISU | $6,600 | N/A |
| $ | 47 | Bryce Underwood | MICH | $6,900 | $9,300 |
Running backs outlook
Baugh costs $9,800 on DraftKings and $12,200 on FanDuel, but his usage supports the price. He handled 29 carries for 142 yards and three touchdowns against Ole Miss. He has opened the season with four straight games of at least 135 rushing yards and multiple rushing scores.
Missouri just allowed Fluff Bothwell to run for 122 yards on 25 carries. That gives Baugh another appealing matchup and makes Bothwell worth a look at his own prices of $7,100 and $8,500. Bothwell ranks seventh among my running backs and scored on the ground and through the air last week.
Aiden Flora supplies cheaper DraftKings exposure to West Virginia-Iowa State at $6,300. His five catches for 53 yards against Utah matter here. Receiving work gives him another way to contribute when rushing yards are harder to find.
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RB Plays – CFB DFS Week 5
| Price | Rank | Player | Team | DraftKings | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $$$ | 2 | Jadan Baugh | FLA | $9,800 | $12,200 |
| $$$ | 4 | Cam Cook | WVU | $9,100 | N/A |
| $$$ | 5 | Matt Fuller | SC | $7,200 | N/A |
| $$$ | 7 | Fluff Bothwell | MSST | $7,100 | $8,500 |
| $$$ | 10 | Jamal Roberts | MIZ | $7,300 | $8,400 |
| $$ | 12 | Jayden Scott | NCST | N/A | $8,000 |
| $$ | 15 | Aiden Flora | ISU | $6,300 | N/A |
| $$ | 19 | Aneyas Williams | ND | $6,400 | $8,100 |
| $$ | 21 | Antwan Raymond | RUT | N/A | $7,900 |
| $ | 24 | CJ Baxter | KEN | $6,000 | N/A |
| $ | 29 | Ousmane Kromah | FSU | $5,900 | $8,200 |
| $ | 46 | Nolan James | ND | $6,900 | $7,100 |
Wide receivers & tight ends outlook
Jeremiah Smith is the premium receiver at $9,400 on DraftKings and $12,000 on FanDuel. His 12 catches, 217 yards and four touchdowns against Illinois show why paying up remains tempting. Nobody should build around a repeat of that score, but his ceiling is clear.
Henry is the DraftKings value at $4,900. He leads Wisconsin with 24 catches for 307 yards, although last week’s two-catch, 14-yard outing shows the risk. He played through a dislocated finger during his record-setting Eastern Michigan game, then played against Penn State. Treat him as a rebound pick, not a guaranteed volume play.
Marsh offers a stronger recent trend at $5,300 on DraftKings and $6,600 on FanDuel. He has caught 17 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown over Michigan’s past two games. That makes his WR23 ranking especially attractive at those prices.
Patrick Overmyer is a cheaper DraftKings option at $4,300 after catching three passes for 68 yards against Georgia Southern. He ranks fourth among my tight ends and carries WR eligibility on DraftKings.
Louisville’s injury situation deserves attention before using Tre Richardson or Jaleel Skinner. Jeff Brohm called quarterback Lincoln Kienholz a game-time decision after his injury against Wake Forest. A quarterback change would add uncertainty to both pass catchers, so their value depends partly on Saturday’s availability news.
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WR & TE Plays – CFB DFS Week 5
| Price | Rank | Player | Position | Team | DraftKings | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $$$ | 1 | Jeremiah Smith | WR | OSU | $9,400 | $12,000 |
| $$$ | 2 | Malachi Toney | WR | MFL | N/A | $10,500 |
| $$$ | 4 | KJ Duff | WR | RUT | N/A | $10,100 |
| $$$ | 9 | Cayden Lee | WR | MIZ | $6,300 | $8,700 |
| $$$ | 10 | Anthony Evans III | WR | MSST | $6,800 | $8,500 |
| $$$ | 11 | Joseph Williams | WR | COL | N/A | $8,600 |
| $$$ | 17 | Amare Thomas | WR | HOU | $6,600 | N/A |
| $$ | 14 | Dezmen Roebuck | WR | WAS | N/A | $8,400 |
| $$ | 19 | Tre Richardson | WR | LOU | N/A | $7,500 |
| $ | 23 | Andrew Marsh | WR | MICH | $5,300 | $6,600 |
| $ | 4 | Patrick Overmyer | TE | HOU | $4,300 | N/A |
| $ | 5 | Jaleel Skinner | TE | LOU | N/A | $6,600 |
| $ | 6 | Kari Ashley | TE | TCU | N/A | $6,000 |
| $ | 7 | Preston Douglas | TE | NCST | N/A | $5,500 |
| $ | 12 | Willie Rodriguez | TE | KEN | $3,900 | N/A |
| $ | 13 | Jelani Thurman | TE | UNC | $4,300 | $5,400 |
| $ | 18 | Tyrell Henry | WR | WIS | $4,900 | N/A |
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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