DraftKings' Arena Football League (AFL) contests are back in Week 5 with a full three-game slate. RotoWire will be providing lineup suggestions for each of the 12 weeks of the AFL regular season, the two weeks of the playoffs and the ArenaBowl.
DraftKings AFL lineups consist of one Captain spot, which sees the player's salary and fantasy points both multiply at a rate of 1.5x, and five Flex positions. The lack of positional specifications means that one could potentially compose a lineup consisting of players from just one position. However, for our purposes, we'll strive to highlight players from at least the top two fantasy-producing positions, quarterback and wide receiver.
Note: Please keep in mind that these are merely recommendations on certain players and are not intended to constitute a lineup that fits under DraftKings' $50,000 salary cap. In fact, the cumulative salary of the players suggested weekly will often check in well over that figure.
For a full overview of the basics of playing AFL DFS contests on DraftKings, review our DFS 101 primer here: https://www.rotowire.com/arena/article.php?id=45291
Week 5 AFL Plays
Captain: Arvell Nelson, QB, WAS at CLB ($15,900):
Nelson came through once again in fine fashion as the Captain's choice last week, racking up 50.98 fantasy points on the strength of seven touchdowns (five passing, two rushing) against the Soul. The mobile signal caller is arguably the AFL's most appealing quarterback option due to his ability to rack up fantasy production with both his arm and legs. Nelson has seven rushing touchdowns in the last three games alone, and a matchup against a Destroyers defense that's yielded the most overall touchdowns (26) and most points (181) certainly ups his candidacy for the Captain's spot even further. What's more, Columbus has also allowed the highest completion percentage (72.1) in the AFL, along with the highest passer efficiency rating (125.7).
Flex: Darius Prince, WR, PHL at BAL ($9,400):
Prince was similarly priced last week, but as we'd predicted, worth every penny. Prince was once again one of Dan Raudabaugh's go-to options, eclipsing 30 fantasy points for the third straight game by virtue of a 7-115-2 line against the Valor. The first game of Prince's impressive stretch came against the same Brigade squad he'll face Saturday, when he compiled nine catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns on his way to 33.5 fantasy points. Prince checks in second only to the Empire's Malachi Jones in receptions (32) while also tying Albany's star wideout for the AFL lead in touchdowns (eight). With no less than seven catches and at least one touchdown in every game this season, Prince shapes up as a safe option once again if you're spending up.
Flex: Dan Raudabaugh, QB, PHL at BAL ($8,400):
Raudabaugh's price remains stagnant despite the fact he's averaged 39.3 fantasy points over the last two weeks. His latest success came at the expense of the Valor in Week 4, when he racked up a season-high seven touchdown passes. Raudabaugh has now upped his touchdowns over that of the prior contest in each of the last three games, a stretch that began with a Week 2 win over the Brigade in which he compiled five scores. Baltimore comes in allowing a healthy 244.0 passing yards per contest, while Raudabaugh has averaged 256.5 passing yards and posted a 12:2 TD:INT over the two road games he's played thus far this season. With his own defense letting opposing teams rack up a fair share of points, Raudabaugh is likely going to have to remain aggressive to keep pace again in Week 5.
Flex: Shane Boyd, QB, BAL vs. PHL ($7,600):
For those who have a few extra hundred to spend, the Valor's Dezmon Epps ($8,000) is also a very enticing option in this same price range. Meanwhile, Boyd remains very affordable for a quarterback that already has one six-touchdown effort on the season and a 19:3 TD:INT overall. The veteran garnered four of those touchdown passes in Week 2 against the same Soul squad he'll face Saturday, and Philadelphia has only gotten more vulnerable to the pass over the subsequent pair of contests. The Soul is tied with the Valor for most touchdown passes (21) allowed while also yielding the second-highest average yards per pass (8.4), so the opportunities should be there for Boyd to exploit and offer the 3.5x-5x return he's made the norm thus far this season.
Flex: Grant Russell, QB, CLB vs. WAS ($7,200):
Russell is yet another affordable quarterback option that will find himself in a matchup where he'll likely have to remain in attack mode for all 60 minutes. The young quarterback already has an impressive 14 total touchdowns (12 passing, two rushing) despite playing just three full games. Saturday, he draws a matchup against a Valor defense that's tied with the Soul for the most touchdown passes allowed (21) thus far this season. Washington is also yielding the second-most passing yards per game (248.5), and given the vulnerabilities of his own defense detailed in Nelson's entry and the Valor's high-octane attack, the stage appears set for Russell to potentially have his most productive game yet at a very modest price.
Flex: Jenson Stoshak, WR, CLB vs. WAS ($4,200):
Stoshak's bargain price is worthy of pouncing on in either cash games or tournaments, especially with fellow wideout Paul Revis (undisclosed) having just been placed on injured reserve. Stoshak has made a solid impression as a rookie thus far, putting together an 18-218-4 line over his first four games. A down game against the Empire last week (2-25) knocked his price down even further, but an expected expanded role due to Revis' absence and a matchup versus a vulnerable Valor defense both make him highly appealing as a cost-savings option. In addition to the various concerning pass defense metrics for Washington just cited in Russell's entry, it's also worth noting in Stoshak's case that they've allowed the second-highest completion percentage (67.6) in the AFL through four games.
