Week 5 NFL FanDuel Salary Movers
Running Back
Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 4 Salary: $8,400
Week 5 Salary: $9,500
Le'Veon Bell and Ezekiel Elliott are the two most notable risers, as Bell saw his price jump nearly a full $1,000, while Elliott's price climbed $400 to $8,900. Both are coming off terrific games and are in excellent game scripts this week, but since Bell saw the more sizable price spike, so we'll focus on him.
The Jacksonville Jaguars do have a talented defense, but Bell reminded us last week that he is matchup-proof. He saw a remarkable 65% of the Pittsburgh Steelers touches, which was the highest mark any player has seen this season. He turned his 39 touches into 186 scrimmage yards and 2 rushing touchdowns, and should have no trouble against a Jacksonville defense that has allowed a league-worst 5.7 yards per carry.
The price is exorbitant, but Bell's usage is simply unlike that of any other player in the league. Do everything you can to fit him into your roster this weekend.
Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
Week 4 Salary: $8,000
Week 5 Salary: $7,800
Regardless of which side you fall on in the "Todd Gurley is not good" debate, his usage in this offense has made him a monstrous fantasy asset. No player at any position has averaged more FanDuel points than Gurley's 27.4 this season. Even after back-to-back performances of 30-plus FanDuel points, Gurley's price dropped.
Hopefully a matchup against a well-respected Seattle Seahawks defense will keep some off him, as well. His involvement in the passing game and red zone have made him a Bell- and David Johnson-lite type of player, in the sense that he is in play regardless of the matchup. Also, Seattle's defense has not been nearly as good as what most would expect, ranking ahead of only the aforementioned Jags in yards per carry allowed (5.0).
The Los Angeles Rams' offensive improvement also has played a large role in Gurley's step forward. Los Angeles is expected to have another strong showing this week, actually being listed as one-point home favorites over Seattle. Their 23.75-point implied team total is the sixth-highest mark on the slate and should provide plenty of scoring opportunities for Gurley.
