Each and every week, I’ll be covering a handful of players that I believe will either exceed expectations or let your team down in a major way. Here’s who you should be looking at for Week 5.
Starts: Quarterbacks
Ryan Tannehill, Titans vs. Bills
Ryan Tannehill was off to a hot start before his Week 4 matchup with the Steelers was postponed, averaging 270 yards and 2 TDs per game. You shouldn’t hesitate to slide Tannehill back into your lineups in Week 5. The Bills have gotten into several shootouts already this season, and their defense is allowing the 11th-most points to opposing QBs. Plus, Tannehill will have the added benefit of a healthy A.J. Brown making his first start since Week 1.
Deshaun Watson, Texans vs. Jaguars
Currently the QB15, Deshaun Watson has not delivered on his draft position. However, he has thrown for at least 250 yards in every game this season, and he’s thrown 2 TDs in each of the past two weeks. I’m willing to trust him against the Jaguars, who have been carved up by the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Joe Burrow so far this season.
Starts: Running Backs
David Johnson, Texans vs. Jaguars
David Johnson let us down in Week 4, managing just 91 total yards and 3.9 YPC in a great matchup against the Vikings. But don’t put DJ on the bench out of spite. He’s still handling 70% of the RB opportunities in Houston despite the return of Duke Johnson, and he’s got another plus matchup against the Jaguars in Week 5.
Kareem Hunt, Browns vs. Colts
Okay, this one should go without saying, but please start Kareem Hunt. He will operate as the undisputed lead back in Cleveland while Nick Chubb is on IR. Despite a tough matchup against the Colts’ much-improved defense, Hunt should be considered an RB1 this week and every week until Chubb returns.
Jerick McKinnon, 49ers vs. Dolphins
If Raheem Mostert is forced to miss another week, starting McKinnon is a no-brainer. He played over 90% of the snaps in Week 4, receiving 21 touches and scoring a TD for the fourth-straight week. Even if Mostert returns, McKinnon should offer some flex appeal in a good matchup against the Dolphins.
Mike Davis, Panthers @ Falcons
Mike Davis has been a revelation in Christian McCaffrey’s absence. The 27-year-old journeyman has received 21 touches in each of the past two weeks, scoring twice on the ground and once through the air. Davis should continue to operate as the Panthers’ bellcow this week against a reeling Falcons’ defense.
Starts: Wide Receivers
D.J. Moore, Panthers @ Falcons
Although he’s had a discouraging start to the season, I’m not ready to give up on D.J. Moore. The emergence of Robby Anderson as Teddy Bridgewater’s go-to receiver has certainly complicated matters. However, Moore is still top-20 in receptions and receiving yards, and he’s accounted for over 40% of Carolina’s air yards. In other words, he’s receiving high-value targets down the field. Eventually, those opportunities will turn into fantasy points, and I believe things could turn around for Moore as soon as this week against the Falcons’ poor secondary.
Deebo Samuel, 49ers vs. Dolphins
In his season debut, Deebo racked up 45 yards on 4 offensive touches. He played on just 34% of the snaps, but he looked healthy and explosive. The expectation is that Deebo will play a full complement of snaps in Week 5, so I’m more than willing to fire him up against the Dolphins, who have allowed the 8th-most points to opposing WRs.
Darius Slayton, Giants @ Cowboys
It’s been a rough several weeks for the Giants’ offense. Daniel Jones has turned the ball over 7 times while throwing just 2 TDs this season, and the skill position players, like Slayton, have suffered from his poor play. However, there is reason to be optimistic about Slayton. He’s commanding over 20% of Jones’ targets, he’s top-20 in air yards, and he has the 4th-most red zone targets in the league. He could have his biggest game since Week 1 against this generous Cowboys’ defense.
Starts: Tight Ends
Evan Engram, Giants @ Cowboys
Like his teammate Darius Slayton, Evan Engram is seeing plenty of targets in the Giants’ offense. Those targets haven’t amounted to much so far, but the Giants have faced some tough defenses including the 49ers, Bears, and Steelers. Against the Cowboys and their league-worst defense, Engram and the other pass-catchers should have more room to operate.
Eric Ebron, Steelers @ Eagles
Ebron has seen more targets in each of his first three games, which is probably a sign that he’s becoming more comfortable in a new offense. Fresh off an unplanned bye week, Ebron draws a matchup against the Eagles, who have been burned repeatedly by tight ends this season. In fact, they just allowed George Kittle to catch 15 of 15 targets for 183 yards and a TD in Week 4. If you need a streamer this week, you could do a lot worse than Ebron.
Sits: Quarterbacks
Tom Brady, Buccaneers vs. Bears
Even at 43 years old, Tom Brady refuses to slow down. Through four games, he’s thrown for 1,122 yards (280 per game) and 11 TDs (2nd-most). But we could see Brady come back down to earth against the Bears in Week 5. The Bears have been tough on QBs so far in 2020, allowing the 2nd-fewest fantasy points to the position. In addition to the tough matchup, Brady could be short-handed, as well. The team lost O.J. Howard for the season in Week 4, and all four of the team’s top receivers missed practice on Tuesday.
Joe Burrow, Bengals @ Ravens
Joe Burrow is having a stellar rookie season. He’s thrown for over 300 yards in three straight games, and he notched his first win in Week 4 against the Jaguars. However, the Ravens could prove too much for the young signal caller. In 2019, the Ravens allowed the 2nd-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs. The 2020 numbers are a bit skewed due to a massive game from Patrick Mahomes and a rushing TD from Dwayne Haskins, but they’ve still been very stingy. Look for a quarterback with a softer matchup in Week 5.
Sits: Running Backs
James White, Patriots vs. Broncos
After missing Weeks 2 and 3 due to a personal matter, James White was highly involved against the Chiefs in Week 4. He immediately reclaimed his pass-catching role from Rex Burkhead, racking up 7 receptions in a blowout loss to the Chiefs. The problem for James White in Week 5 will be game script. Even if Brian Hoyer is forced to make another start against the Broncos, the team will have a chance to win or at least keep the game close, which could lead to fewer looks for White out of the backfield.
Darrell Henderson, Rams @ Washington
Well, the Darrell Henderson experience didn’t last particularly long. After two encouraging games in which Henderson acted as the Rams’ lead back, he was out-touched by Malcolm Brown 14 to 9 in their Week 4 victory over the Giants. I don’t know which Rams’ back will lead the way against Washington in Week 5, so I’d prefer to avoid that tough matchup altogether.
David Montgomery, Bears vs. Buccaneers
David Montgomery has been solid but unspectacular so far this season. He’s averaging slightly over 4 YPC and catching a couple passes per game, but he hasn’t scored yet. He’ll need to find the end zone to meet his projection against the Buccaneers, who are allowing a league-best 2.7 YPC. I’m not expecting an efficient offensive performance from the Bears on Thursday Night Football, and I’d rather not rely on Montgomery.
Sits: Wide Receivers
A.J. Green, Bengals @ Ravens
After his 1 catch performance against the Jaguars, I’m officially pulling the plug on A.J. Green. He has been dramatically out-produced by both Tyler Boyd and rookie Tee Higgins in back to back games. I don’t plan to start him again until he re-establishes himself as a key part of the Bengals’ offense, especially not against this brutal Ravens’ defense.
Raiders’ Wide Receivers, Raiders @ Chiefs
At this point, I don’t know which WRs will take the field for the Raiders on Sunday. I do know, however, that starting Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards, Henry Ruggs, or Nelson Agholor would be an ill-advised decision. The Chiefs have allowed the fewest PPG to opposing WRs, and Derek Carr isn’t exactly a QB I trust to overcome a tough defensive matchup.
Scotty Miller, Buccaneers @ Bears
With Chris Godwin in and out of the lineup thus far, second-year receiver Scotty Miller has been surprisingly productive. He’s already accumulated 250 receiving yards this season, including 166 in just the past two weeks. If you’re dealing with injuries or bye weeks, you might be tempted to look in Miller’s direction, but I think he’s set to disappoint you in Week 5. The Bears have allowed the 4th-fewest points to opposing WRs, and the game projects to be fairly low-scoring overall. Look to the waiver wire for better options.
Sits: Tight Ends
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins @ 49ers
Outside of his blowup performance in Week 2, Mike Gesicki has just 5 receptions for 60 yards this season. He’s not operating in the high-volume role that fantasy owners were expecting when they drafted him this offseason, and I’m not expecting matters to improve against a tough 49ers’ defense in Week 5. Maybe Gesicki will get back on track later in the year, but, so far, Ryan Fitzpatrick has preferred throwing to the likes of DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, and Isaiah Ford.
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