Alright, we’re back at it again for Week 5. In the following slides, we will break down the best start or sit candidates fantasy football this week.
Let’s just dive straight into it!
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Quarterbacks
Start
Jacoby Brissett at Chiefs
One of this year’s most consistent fantasy QBs, Brissett has yet to finish a game without double-digit touchdown passes. He also just set a season-high for fantasy points without T.Y. Hilton on the field. With Hilton likely to return and a doable matchup against the Chiefs on the horizon, it would be no surprise to see Brissett in the top-20 in points for the third week in a row.
Kyler Murray at Bengals
Kyler Murray hasn’t won an NFL game yet, but he’s been decent enough to get in the mix as a fringe QB1 through his first four weeks. Lately, he’s been running the ball more, getting in for his first rushing touchdown last week. This week’s matchup against Bengals should help assuage any concerns you may have with his surrounding offense, despite Christian Kirk being injured. Cincinnati has allowed the fifth-most points in the league this season, and Kyler is desperate for a win.
Sit
Aaron Rodgers at Cowboys
No, you probably aren’t going to sit Aaron Rodgers, but I would consider him at the bottom of the QB1 spectrum this week. So if there’s anyone you have who you may be itching to start, I wouldn’t advise against it. Davante Adams is likely out with a toe injury, which is a big loss. Rodgers has struggled as a fantasy asset for most of this year, so there isn’t much of a reason for it to get better, especially in a matchup against the Cowboys, who rank top-5 against quarterbacks this season.
Philip Rivers vs Broncos
Rivers took care of business against the Dolphins and now faces the Broncos, a top-5 defense against quarterbacks so far. Rivers is going to straddle the line between QB1 and QB2 until he dies, so it’s best to pick your battles when it comes to him. Denver is one where I’ll have no problem watching from the sidelines.
Running Backs
Start
LeSean McCoy vs Colts
The return of Damien Williams doesn’t change my opinion of the McCoy as a fantasy starter at all. You should have no problem starting both Williams and Shady as RB2s this week and in the future, with McCoy always a candidate to run away with the job permanently. Watch the development of his ankle injury in the next few days, but if he’s available to play without limitation, keep him in there against the Colts, who rank bottom-10 in the league against RBs.
Matt Breida vs Browns
The possible return of Tevin Coleman may throw a wrench into the machine, but that will likely hurt the values of Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. more than Breida, who has generally managed to see fantasy-worthy snaps in the Niners’ offense as long as he’s been healthy. He’s always going to split carries with somebody, because of his size and his injury history, but don’t expect Breida’s current workload to diminish with the return of Coleman, especially with how well he’s been running the ball. San Francisco might want to start off Coleman on a pitch count, too.
Sit
Josh Jacobs vs Bears
Jacobs has been great for the Raiders so far this season, but his three-week touchdown drought has been difficult to stomach for fantasy owners, and a matchup with the Bears probably isn’t going to be what puts a stop to it. Chicago is holding opposing backfields to just 3.0 yards per carry, and they’ve only granted one rushing touchdown on the season, both of which rank second-best in the NFL. You don’t want to mess with this Bears defense unless you have a stud that you can’t take out of your lineup. Jacobs isn’t that guy.
Chris Thompson vs Patriots
It’s a shame that Chris Thompson’s first appearance on this column is as a “Sit,” because he’s long been one of the more underrated fantasy backs in the game. But while we’re on the topic of defenses you don’t want to get involved with, the Patriots are at the head of that list. The Redskins’ quarterback situation is completely up for grabs, with nobody looking like a good short-term answer. No matter who’s under center, the statistics show that the Redskins could seriously struggle to get into the end zone even once in this game. Thompson’s value typically comes from being one of the league’s best satellite backs, so he could compile some receptions as always, but his ceiling is going to be capped in this one.
Wide Receivers
Start
Josh Gordon vs Redskins
Gordon hasn’t been the every week layup WR2 we had hoped for since his reinstatement, but his ceiling is sky high, and now that the Patriots go from the Bills to what should be a bloodbath of a game against Washington, don’t get thrown off by his two duds. If Josh Norman is able to take the field to help defend Gordon, so be it. Norman has had a brutal season, along with almost every other ‘Skins player. You can consider starting Phillip Dorsett too in a pinch.
Courtland Sutton at Chargers
Hey, don’t look now, but Sutton has been this year’s WR14 and is in the midst of a breakout season. The Broncos may not have anything going for them this season, but get Sutton into your lineup if you haven’t already. The Chargers are not a frightening matchup (17th against WRs), so Sutton could once again be in line for a solid WR2 game. Ride this wave while it lasts.
Sit
Golden Tate vs Vikings
As long as your entire wide receiver situation hasn’t been relying on the return of Golden Tate, best let him prove himself in the Giants’ offense first. He should be a reliable weapon down the stretch for Daniel Jones, but the combination of rust, unfamiliarity with the quarterback, and the Vikings’ defense should pose enough question marks to give you pause before plugging him in without thinking just because he’s Golden Tate. I always like to give it a week, if I have the choice.
Calvin Ridley at Texans
Since his sensational start to the season, Ridley fell off the map in weeks 3 and 4. Combining for just four receptions for 38 yards in those weeks, Ridley’s season looks like it could be a serious roller coaster, with more downs than ups. Behind Austin Hooper, Mohammad Sanu and Julio Jones in target share, Ridley may be more of a fantasy sixth man than a FLEX player. There’s too much touchdown dependence here for me.
Tight Ends
Start
Jimmy Graham at Cowboys
Even when it was at the Packers’ own expense, Matt LaFleur made sure to emphasize the pass near the goal line last game against the Eagles, with a number of those targets going Graham’s way. It resulted in a touchdown once, and it seems like Graham is going to be featured strongly in the offense from now on, after two weeks in which he didn’t catch a pass. With Davante Adams missing this Sunday’s game against Dallas, Aaron Rodgers could struggle, but Graham should finish the week comfortably inside this week’s top-10 tight ends.
Sit
Delanie Walker vs Bills
Both Walker and the Titans have been seriously hit-or-miss this season, and if you didn’t start Walker in his first week, you haven’t enjoyed even close to his TE9 production. This week, Walker faces off against the Bills’ defense, who just held the Patriots to 10 offensive points, proving that they’re one of the best defenses in the league. To top it off, Buffalo has been the toughest defenses against tight ends through the first quarter of the season. No thank you.
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