Tom and Scott Split Down the Middle, Literally
Three names overlap this week — D. Swift, A. St. Brown, and M. Wilson show up on both rosters — but the builds around them couldn’t be more different. One manager paid up at running back. The other spread it thin and bet on volume everywhere else. Not to be lost in this…Tom (through winning last week) picked Cam Ward as Scott’s Qb this week. Yes…just after a hurricane blew through the day before.
Tom’s Week 5 Lineup
QB Jacoby Brissett (Lions @ Cardinals), $5,500, facing the 32nd-ranked defense.
RB D’Andre Swift (Bears @ Packers), $6,200, facing the 30th-ranked defense.
RB Jonathan Taylor (Colts @ Steelers), $7,800, facing the 22nd-ranked defense.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions @ Cardinals), $7,900, facing the 27th-ranked defense.
WR Antonio Williams (Giants @ Commanders), $3,800, facing the 17th-ranked defense.
WR Michael Wilson (Lions @ Cardinals), $6,200, facing the 32nd-ranked defense.
TE Sam LaPorta (Lions @ Cardinals), $4,900, facing the 27th-ranked defense.
FLEX Marvin Washington (Bengals @ Dolphins), $4,600, facing the 10th-ranked defense.
DST Vikings (Vikings @ Saints), $3,100, facing a 12.5 FPPG allowed average.
Scott’s Week 5 Lineup
QB Cam Ward (Texans @ Titans), $4,900, facing the 26th-ranked defense.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions @ Cardinals), $9,800, facing the 3rd-ranked defense.
RB D’Andre Swift (Bears @ Packers), $6,200, facing the 30th-ranked defense.
WR Deebo Meyers (Bengals @ Dolphins), $3,500, facing the 3rd-ranked defense.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions @ Cardinals), $7,900, facing the 27th-ranked defense.
WR Michael Wilson (Lions @ Cardinals), $6,200, facing the 32nd-ranked defense.
TE Michael Mayer (Raiders @ Patriots), $3,500, facing the 1st-ranked defense.
FLEX Emanuel Wilson (49ers @ Seahawks), $5,300, facing the 23rd-ranked defense.
DST Giants (Giants @ Commanders), $2,600, facing a 7.3 FPPG allowed average.
Color Commentary
Scott dropped nearly $10,000 on Gibbs alone, and he’s running straight into the 3rd-ranked defense in football for the privilege. That’s the kind of bet that either wins the whole week in one roster spot or sinks the build before it starts. Meanwhile his tight end pick, Mayer, draws the single toughest matchup on the entire slate — the 1st-ranked defense. Two of Scott’s biggest-salary decisions are walking into the two hardest matchups available, and that’s not a coincidence worth celebrating.
Tom’s build is the opposite philosophy entirely — nobody faces a matchup better than 17th-ranked, and the spending is spread evenly instead of stacked on one name. It’s a lower-ceiling, higher-floor approach, and after watching Scott’s defense pick land on a Giants unit allowing a lean 7.3 FPPG, even Scott’s cheap seats look better thought-out than his expensive ones.
Season Tracker
Tom — 3 wins
Scott — 1 win
