We're already at the halfway point of what has been an exciting UFL season so far, and Week 5 promises more of the same with a Battlehawks home game at The Dome and a Defenders-Renegades showdown among the games on tap.
DraftKings is offering a full array of cash games and tournaments based on UFL regular-season and postseason games. DraftKings' UFL DFS rosters largely mirror that of NFL contests, with a notable exception -- there is no TE-specific spot, but rather two WR/TE spots and two additional flex spots that can be filled with a running back, wide receiver, or tight end.
QUARTERBACKS
Matt Corral, Case Cookus, BHAM vs. MEM ($7,700): (UPDATE: Corral has been ruled out for Friday's game, leaving Cookus, who has past starting experience in the USFL, to start)
Corral is finally getting his long overdue chance for reps at the professional level, and the one-time third-round pick of the Carolina Panthers is making good use of the opportunity. Corral has seen his DK-point production climb each week he's played this season, beginning with 11.4 against the Panthers in Week 2 and progressing to 16.6 and 22.0 in the subsequent pair of contests.
Corral threw multiple touchdowns for the first time and rushed for a season-high 52 yards in Week 4 against the Roughnecks, and he could have a good chance to keep the momentum going in Week 5 after another week of practice with his pass catchers. The Stallions will face a Showboats squad that's allowed the second-highest completion percentage (65.7) and 5:0 TD:INT, leading to Memphis conceding a league-high 101.6 QB rating.
Jalan McClendon, HOU at SAN ($9,100):
McClendon was thrust into a starting role in Week 4, and the former NC State and Baylor signal-caller capitalized in a significant way. McClendon tallied 16.1 DK points while posting 253 total yards (236 passing, 17 rushing) and adding a rushing touchdown. The spring league veteran, who first played with the Los Angeles Wildcats in the 2020 iteration of the XFL, completed 71.0 percent of his passes in an encouraging performance.
McClendon should draw the start again Sunday afternoon in what could be a generally favorable matchup. The Brahmas have conceded a league-high 69.3 percent completion rate and 202.8 passing yards per game while only recording three sacks, suggesting McClendon could have time to scan the field for his talented group of skill-position weapons. His ability to complement his production with his legs only makes him all the more appealing despite the increase in salary resulting from last week's success.
ALSO CONSIDER: Kellen Mond, SAN vs. HOU ($9,200)
RUNNING BACKS
Jacob Saylors, STL vs. MICH ($11,500):
I'll be the first to admit I'm in no way excited about having to shell out the highest salary on the slate for Saylors, considering he's averaged a rather unremarkable 12.5 DK points in the last two games. In other words, Saylors is still carrying a salary befitting his production over the first two weeks, when he furnished 24.5 and 30.1 DK points.
Nevertheless, given his very safe role as both rusher and receiver, he merits consideration in a home matchup where he could play another outsized role. The Battlehawks lost QB Manny Wilkins to an Achilles injury in Week 4, and with the relatively inexperienced Max Duggan now at the helm of the offense, Saylors could be leaned on more than ever, especially as an outlet receiver out of the backfield on the fast track of his home turf.
Anthony McFarland, SAN vs. HOU ($8,500):
The explosive McFarland had the opportunity to lead the Brahmas backfield in Week 4, and he finished with 69 total yards on 17 touches. While the lack of a touchdown helped lead to a modest total of 9.9 DK points, McFarland had posted a season-high 15.5 the week prior against the Panthers and now draws one of the better matchups in the league for running backs.
The Roughnecks have given up a league-high 4.6 yards per carry and the second-most rushing yards per game (142.8), ranking them only ahead of McFarland's own San Antonio squad in the latter category. McFarland encouragingly saw a season-high four targets in Week 4 as interim head coach and offensive coordinator Payton Pardee continues to put his stamp on that side of the ball, and we should expect the young coach to continue sticking with what worked fairly well.
ALSO CONSIDER: Zaquandre White, HOU at SAN ($6,700)
WIDE RECEIVERS
Deon Cain, BHAM vs. MEM ($8,100):
Cain came through nicely as a Week 4 suggestion, posting 14.9 DK points via a 3-69-1 line on four targets. That solid showing was preceded by a season-high 18.4 DK points in Week 2, a game in which Cain recorded a season-high four catches and 84 yards.
The reliable veteran should find himself in a good spot again in Week 4, as he's facing a Showboats secondary whose weaknesses against the pass were already detailed in Corral's/Cookus' entry above. Considering Cain's solid experience and the fact his salary remains at a reasonable level, he's right back in play for Week 5.
Jacob Harris, SAN vs. HOU ($6,500):
Brahmas quarterback Kellen Mond appears to be getting better with every game he plays, as his completion percentage has risen to 61.3 percent and 70.0 percent in the last two games. That is naturally good news for his pass catchers, and given the combination of Harris' upside, his salary and the matchup, the one-time Rams draft pick merits consideration.
Harris saw fewer than six targets for the first time this season in Week 4, but he still converted all three passes thrown his way into receptions. He's also drawing a viable matchup against the Roughnecks' defense, which have given up the third-highest completion percentage (65.4), along with the second-highest yards per attempt (7.9) and passing yards per game (201.2).
Braylon Sanders, DC at ARL ($4,000):
Sanders' star is quickly rising in the Defenders' passing attack, which makes his salary all the more eye-catching. The one-time Miami Dolphins reserve wideout doubled the three targets he'd seen in his Week 3 UFL debut in Week 4, and he turned those six looks into a 3-87-1 line that netted 11.7 DK points.
Sanders' salary has only risen $1K, yet he's clearly developed chemistry with Jordan Ta'amu in short order. With a showdown against the Renegades on tap, Sanders could once again command plenty of his quarterback's attention, making him a very appealing value option despite what lines up as a very tough matchup on paper for the passing game.
ALSO CONSIDER: Chris Rowland, DC at ARL ($7,200)
FLEX
Justin Hall (WR), HOU at SAN ($8,600)
Hall quickly built chemistry with Jalan McClendon upon the latter's entry into the Week 4 loss to the Stallions, finishing the game with a co-season-high nine targets and a season-best six catches. The production led to 11.8 DK points, Hall's second double-digit tally in that category after also recording 15.0 DK points versus the Battlehawks in Week 1.
Hall's heavy involvement is nothing new, considering he averaged 71.5 targets over his first two spring seasons in 2023 (USFL) and 2024 (UFL). The Ball State product does possess a safe floor as evidenced by those numbers, and given the matchup against the Brahmas' pass defense is a solid one as evidenced by the numbers cited in McClendon's entry, Hall is certainly a Flex spot candidate.
ALSO CONSIDER: Malik Turner (WR), MICH at STL ($6,100)
TEAM DEFENSE
St. Louis Battlehawks vs. Michigan Panthers ($4,000): The Battlehawks could be one of the best bargains of the week on defense, as they're sporting a salary that isn't really reflective of the impressive 9.8 DK points they've averaged in the first four weeks of the season. St. Louis is at home and comes in with a league-high six interceptions, including one pick-six, as well as nine sacks. The Battlehawks are only giving up 18.0 points per game as well, and while the Panthers have some solid offensive metrics on paper, Michigan has been inconsistent at times, especially at quarterback.
