FanDuel Weekly Salary Cap Guide: Week 5

Welcome to Week 5 of the FanDuel Salary Cap Guide. In this guide, Jeff Haseley and I will put together the best FanDuel lineups we can craft by using FBG's projections and a metric of Dollars Spent per Fantasy Point. For a better introduction (or if you missed it), check out the Week 1 Version.

BUILDING THE OPTIMAL LINEUPS

This week, we've gone about creating lineups differently. Jeff will take a first-pass at the $55k lineup using David Dodds' projections, and I'll provide some feedback. Using that feedback, he'll re-work the lineup in an attempt to alleviate any concerns and get more points. We'll then reverse roles for the $60k lineups, and I'll use Sigmund Bloom's projections to create those.

$55k Salary Cap:

• QB: Eli Manning ($6,600 salary / $355 spent per projected fantasy point)
• RB1: David Wilson ($5,600 / $444) 
• RB2: Jacquizz Rodgers ($5,500 / $455)
• WR1: Victor Cruz ($7,500 / $478)
• WR2: Eric Decker ($6,500 / $500)
• WR3: Josh Gordon ($6,300 / $474)
• TE: Tony Gonzalez ($6,200 / $488)
• K: Matt Bryant ($5,300 / $671)
• DEF: Rams ($5,400 / $412)

Dodds has this team projected for 119.0 points, but I have some small issues with it.

My commentary: Jeff, I realize they have a nice matchup against Philadelphia, but are you really willing to go all-in on the Giants with Manning, Wilson, and Cruz? That offensive line has been putrid all year, leading to some disappointing offensive performances. Just two weeks ago, against a Carolina secondary they were supposed to exploit, they did nothing.

Also, do you see Tony Gonzalez putting up another great performance? The Jets have been playing great defense, and they allow the 4th-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in half-PPR scoring. That said, I really like the Gordon pick at WR against a weak Buffalo secondary.

Jeff's changes:

• QB: Eli Manning ($6,600 / $355) Ryan Tannehill ($6,300 / $368)
• RB1: David Wilson ($5,600 / $444) 
• RB2: Jacquizz Rodgers ($5,500 / $455)
• WR1: Victor Cruz ($7,500 / $478)
• WR2: Eric Decker ($6,500 / $500) Josh Gordon ($6,300 / $474)
• WR3: Josh Gordon ($6,300 / $474) Nate Washington ($5,200 / $491)
• TE: Tony Gonzalez ($6,200 / $488) Jimmy Graham ($8,400 / $472)
• K: Matt Bryant ($5,300 / $671) Greg Zuerlein ($5,100 / $520)
• DEF: Rams ($5,400 / $412) Panthers ($5,100 / $468)

This team is projected to get 119.9 points, a small increase, and it diversifies the risk a little bit by only having two Giants instead of three. Sacrificing some dollars at receiver to get Jimmy Graham is a nice trade-off too.

$60k Salary Cap:

• QB: Terrelle Pryor ($6,600 / $359)
• RB1: Reggie Bush ($8,700 / $460)
• RB2: David Wilson ($5,600 / $444)
• WR1: Dez Bryant ($8,900 / $476)
• WR2: DeSean Jackson ($7,000/ $473)
• WR3: Josh Gordon ($6,300 / $463)
• TE: Antonio Gates ($6,600 / $478)
• K: Greg Zuerlein ($5,100 / $520)
• DEF:Falcons ($5,200 / $468)

Bloom has this team projected for 131.7 points and uses the full $60,000. Let's see what Jeff says about it.

Jeff's commentary: I like the value for David Wilson. I like it even more knowing that the Giants released Da'Rel Scott this week thus leaving Wilson as the team's primary ball carrier. Philadelphia's defense has given up 27, 33, 26, and 52 points in their games this year. I like Wilson's chances of putting up decent numbers.

Josh Gordon could have a big game. Buffalo has allowed over 100 yards receiving to four different wide receivers and 84 yards to tight end Greg Olsen. In other words, the timing is perfect for Gordon to have a big game.

Atlanta's defense is a good pick against a Jets team that is hurting with injuries. Plus Geno Smith has tossed seven interceptions in the last three games. Atlanta needs to turn their season around. I bet they come into the game hungry for a win.

Since Jeff likes this team so much, I'm sticking with it. Sometimes, there's no need for a re-do when the first pass looks great.

"SCRUB"-BING FOR VALUE

If you've ever done an auction draft, you've likely heard the phrase "stars and scrubs." For those unfamiliar, it's a strategy in which a team spends the majority of their money on high-dollar players and hopes to fill the rest of the roster with low-dollar "lottery ticket" types. This can be a viable strategy in FanDuel too. Let's see some of this week's low-dollar players who might compliment the "stars" on the roster.

Last week at quarterback, we gave you Matt Schaub, saying that we were living on the edge and that it could backfire in a big way. While Schaub's play backfired on his real team, his stats (355 yards, two touchdowns) didn't let you down as a fantasy owner. This week, we're going back to an old "Stars and Scrubs" favorite. Terrelle Pryor ($6,600) has been medically cleared to start, and the team has announced that he will. He also gets San Diego's defense, which is the worst in the NFL in terms of fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Expect Pryor to get his usual 50+ rushing yards and throw for at least 225 more with two or more total touchdowns.

Last week, we jumped on the Brandon Bolden bandwagon, and it almost worked as Bolden was running hot and nearly scored a touchdown (it was originally called as such, but replay showed his knee touched the ground just before the ball broke the plane). This week, we'll go to Atlanta, where Jacquizz Rodgers ($5,500) has totaled over 80 yards from scrimmage in each of his past two games. That's eight points off the bat, plus the additional half-point per catch in FanDuel's half-PPR format. If the last two games are any indication, Rodgers should be able to amass 10+ points, which is not bad for a $5,500 player.

Last week at wide receiver, we totally let you down with Ryan Broyles and Jason Avant (one reception between them). The only thing we like to do less than admitting to mistakes is making them again, so we're ready for a bounce-back this week at the receiver position. Donnie Avery ($4,700) had a big week three against the Eagles with seven catches for 141 yards. He only had two catches last week, but he was targeted 10 times. I don't look at it as though he missed eight passes, I look at it as he was thrown to 10 times. He has 17 targets in the last two games and it looks like he will be a common factor in the offense being led by a confident Alex Smith.

For our second wide receiver, we're going with a guy who is coming on strong out west. In what should be a SoCal-NoCal shootout, we have already taken Pryor at quarterback. So why not take his most talented receiver? Denarius Moore ($5,000) has 10 receptions for 190 yards and a touchdown in his last two outings, and one of those games came with the "handicap" of having Matt Flynn as his quarterback. Moore is boom-or-bust, but we expect this week to be a "boom."

In Week 4, we went with Charles Clay, who gave us six catches, 42 yards, and a touchdown on Monday Night Football. This week, the play is strictly about injuries and Kellen Winslow ($5,000) filling a role. Santonio Holmes and Stephen Hill are out this week, which leaves Jeremy Kerley, Clyde Gates and newly signed David Nelson as the team's receiving corps. Winslow has two games this year with at least six catches and 70 yards receiving. He could be force-fed the ball, simply because Geno Smith has confidence in him and his other options are limited.

Last week, our pick of the Colts did well, scoring a defensive touchdown and only allowing three points. This week, we'd love to continue to ride the "team playing against Jacksonville" bandwagon, St. Louis would cost $5,400, highest among defenses. To save a little cash, let's stick with Atlanta ($5,200) from the $60k lineup above for the reasons Jeff said in his commentary. Geno Smith has been throwing interceptions frequently, and he'll be without at least one of his top two targets. 

THE "D.I.Y." SECTION

Below, you'll find the spreadsheet with which you can customize your own team. Before downloading, here are a few notes and instructions to help make it work effectively:

• Upon opening, enable macros and data connections when prompted.
• If you're unable to sort by name, salary, projections, etc. on any of the positional pages, your macros are not enabled.
• Begin at the "Front Page" tab and follow the instructions listed in each section.
• Use the drop-downs on each respective position tab to select your players. Please DO NOT be able to type anything in the dark-shaded cells. This entire workbook utilizes formulas, macros, and links. Typing in those cells can ruin its functionality.
• If you don't see a player listed, it's because FanDuel didn't have a salary assigned to him as of Wednesday evening. You can't add these players, and even if you could, it wouldn't be helpful since they're not available on FanDuel anyway.
• The "Lineup Page" tab will only add up the salary figures when a full team of nine players is selected.
• NEW: there are blank cells at the bottom of each positional tab that will allow you to type in a player's name if you notice him absent from the sheet. If an "N/A" appears under his salary, it's because FanDuel doesn't have a salary for him. Be mindful of proper spelling.
• NEW: we've added a button on the front page that will update the player projections when it is pressed! Again, make sure your macros and data connections are enabled in order to ensure proper functionality. To do this, I had to un-protect the positional worksheets. Again, typing in any of the colored cells can impact/ruin the tool's functionality.
• You'll notice some "N/A" fields in the projections That is because one or both of our projectors did not project points for that player, likely due to questionable playing status. By using the new refresh function above as the week goes on, you may see projections for those players if their injury outlook improves and the projectors include them.
• Enjoy!

Create Your Own FanDuel Lineup

For any questions on your weekly fantasy decisions, FanDuel teams, or anything else in the world of fantasy, follow and reach out to us on Twitter @JeffHaseley and @footballbrackts. For questions on the spreadsheet, please e-mail Ryan Hester at hester@footballguys.com. We appreciate and encourage any feedback that can help us get this thing perfect.