Last week I openly advocated for targeting WR/TEs over RBs for your flex spots while constructing your weekly FanDuel cash games and GPP tournaments. This week I am back to double down and I have data to back my claim. I crunched the numbers and compared the 10 scorers at both the WR/TE and RB position.
In week 4 the top flex scorer was LA Wildcats WR Tre McBride with 22.7 FanDuel points, compared to 16.8 points from Tampa Bay Vipers RB Jacques Patrick. The top 10 RBs on FanDuel average 9.04 FPPG compared to the top 10 WRs, who average 12.97 FPPG. WRs are scoring 3.93 more points per game on average. The 10th WR Jordan Smallwood outscored 7 of the top 10 RBs last week. Don’t let anyone tell you anything else, WR/TEs are still king heading into week 5 of the XFL season.
STL BattleHawks
De’Mornay Pierson-El – $18
Pierson-El has emerged as the clear number one WR for Jordan Ta’amu through the first 4 weeks of the season and leads the XFL with an incredible 91% catch rate. With 2 touchdowns and a 21.10% target share, he is the STL WR you want to roster in week 5. He is the second-most expensive WR on FanDuel’s Sunday slate, so when rostering him consider that he is only averaging 5.8 targets a game and is in the most run-heavy offense in the BattleHawks.
L’Damian Washington & Alfonzo Russell – $14
If you are looking for a value play at WR there are two options to consider in L’Damian Washington and Alfonzo Russell. Washington leads the BattleHawks in routes run and has seen slightly more targets (2) this season than Russell. They both have found the end-zone and have an 80% catch rate. Russell has been targetted more frequently in the red-zone and averages 11.2 YPC compared to 8.6 for Washington. It’s a coin toss, but I am leaning towards Russell in week 5. I would stay away from both in cash games.
Eli Rogers – $15
Rogers led all WRs in week 4 with a 37.50% target share. Unfortunately, those targets were primarily supplied by Cardale Jones and Rogers was only able to muster 4 catches for 25 yards. It’s hard to play any of the Defenders WRs with confidence this week, but I think that Rogers offers the safest floor with his team-leading 7.3 targets per game. Hopefully returning to the Audi Field faithful will invigorate the Defenders passing attack.
Rashad Ross – $14
If you asked me at the start of the season which XFL team had the best WR core, I would have said the DC Defenders. With more NFL WR experience than any other team, and with Cardale Jones under center, I predicted that Rashad Ross would be amongst the league leaders at the WR position. I’m not giving up on Ross. I still believe in his game-breaking ability and being priced down doesn’t hurt either. Look for a few big plays from Ross in week 5.
LA Wildcats
Tre McBride – $20
Play Tre McBride! I have McBride rostered in over 50% of my DFS entries in week 5. But you might argue, “Scott, the Vipers have been tops in the XFL against the pass and are coming off a shutout against the most NFL experienced set of WRs in the XFL.” All good points, but I would remind you that in week 3, the Vipers allowed PJ Walker to throw for 306 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the last two weeks, McBride has caught 13 of 18 targets for 236 yards and 3 touchdowns. McBride is en fuego!!
Jordan Smallwood – $16
If you read the McBride preview and all you could think about is the foreseeable regression that will take place at some point soon, I have a cheaper and less effective model that you might want to kick the tires on. He’s slower, less explosive, but he is 20% cheaper than McBride. Jordan Smallwood hasn’t been terrible, catching 14 of his 21 targets for 150 yards, but his 14.78% target share does concern me a little. McBride will eventually cool off, hopefully this is the week that Smallwood breaks out and you look like a genius when you roster him.
Saeed Blacknell – $13
Blacknell made a splash in week 4 for the Wildcats, hauling in a 42-yard touchdown grab from Josh Johnson to announce his arrival in the XFL. With Nelson Spruce still sidelined, look for Blacknell to see an increased target share this week, after only seeing 3 against the Guardians. The Tampa Bay Vipers have been the stingiest defense against the pass, but I still think that there is an opportunity for Blacknell as a value play or as a pivot away from a field that will be all over McBride.
Tampa Bay Vipers
Dan Williams – $17
Williams has been the most consistent WR for the Vipers through the first 4 weeks, hauling in 18 of 31 targets for 252 yards and a touchdown. Last week Williams saw a team-high 36% of the targets and is currently leading the Vipers with a 22.46% target share this season. Williams will be competing against Jacob Tolliver ($16), Reece Horn ($14) and TE Nick Truesdell ($13) for targets this week, so expect a more reasonable 20-25% target share.
Nick Truesdell – $13
Week 5 sees the return of the Viper’s 1st round offensive draft pick, Nick Truesdell. Unfortunately, Truesdell has yet to live up to the expectations, only managing to produce a meager 4.4 and 4.9 FanDuel points in the first two weeks of the season, before missing the last two games with a knee injury. Admittedly, the most attractive thing about Truesdell this week is his price, but he does carry the potential to take over the middle of the field and should be the number one red-zone target for the Vipers.
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