Mahoney’s March: Cameron crowns Week 5 as the Saints go marching in

Week 5 — Fancy Football IX

The crown stays hot

Congrats to Cameron Mahoney, who rode a balanced, value-savvy build to 191.0 and a fifth straight crown. Anchored by a clutch play on the Saints D/ST (18.0) and a value tight end in Jake Tonges (17.1), Cameron stacked ceiling with spikes from Jonathan Taylor (31.6), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (30.2), Rachaad White (23.1), Breece Hall (21.5), and Amon-Ra St. Brown (21.0). Even with a quieter outing from Justin Herbert (15.6) and Chris Olave (12.9), the lineup’s depth never blinked. Five straight wins, a new personal best (191.0), and the overall lead—long live the king.

Close calls and near-crowns

Dan Cecchin kept the pressure on with 184.7 for second, getting paid off by a chalky-but-right core of Justin Fields (25.9), Jaylen Waddle (26.0), Rachaad White (23.1), and the week’s TE hammer Jake Ferguson (23.9). A muted George Pickens (13.7) likely made the difference. Jonathan Starosta (170.3) took third, powered by a late surge from Javonte Williams (29.9) alongside David Montgomery (18.2) and Garrett Wilson (19.1), while a middling De’Von Achane (16.6) capped his upside.

Alex Richter’s ultra-contrarian build (chalk rating 6.2) delivered a big fourth-place punch behind solo hits like Baker Mayfield (29.7), plus Christian McCaffrey (27.9), breakout star Emeka Egbuka (34.3), and value dart Mason Taylor (17.7). A 1.3 from Blake Corum was the only speed bump.

Chalk and awe

• The room’s heaviest bet, Garrett Wilson (47% rostered), did his job with 19.1, while highly drafted Justin Fields (33%) popped for 25.9.
• Popular landmines: Quentin Johnston (33%, 7.9) and especially James Cook III (19%, 4.9) sank a lot of builds (CJ O’Neil, Jim Chrystal, Kyle Gagnon and others felt that pain).
• Defense roulette was decisive: Saints D/ST (18.0) swung the win, while Seahawks D/ST (-3.0) submarined Dwayne Richter’s day. Giants D/ST (1.0) and Rams D/ST (1.0) weren’t far behind in the “do not resuscitate” bucket.

Hidden gems and value plays

• Cheap hits that moved money: Saints D/ST (2200, 18.0), Jake Tonges (3200, 17.1), Mason Taylor (2800, 17.7), and Darren Waller (3500, 18.8).
• Low-rostered ceiling: Emeka Egbuka (34.3) put both Michael Petty (7th) and Alex Richter (4th) on the leaderboard.
• Single-bullet QBs mattered: Baker Mayfield (29.7, Alex) and Mac Jones (25.2, Brian Salisbury) juiced strong finishes even without mega stacks.

Standings watch

Cameron’s heater hits W5, vaulting him into first overall with 792.6 total points and the week’s top payout. Dan Cecchin’s runner-up nudges him into the top 10. Alex Richter snaps the skid with his first top-half finish of the season, while Ben Weller and Sean O’Neil extend tough streaks (L5). At the cut line, Colin Santee narrowly missed a top-half “win,” falling just behind Bill Weller for the final paying spot.

Another crown for Cameron, another week where sharp value and selective contrarianism carried the day. On to Week 6.