Welcome, #DFFArmy to Week 5! We are about to enter the last week without any byes until the fantasy playoffs, which means this is the last week before the “Starts and Sits” get really interesting. However, if you’re in deep leagues or have been plagued by the recent string of injuries, I’m here to dig deep and find you some starts and sits!
Quarterback
Start: Zach Wilson, New York Jets vs Miami
Oh yeah! While the Twitterverse was busy writing off Zach Wilson in his first performance of 2022, the New York Jets starting quarterback was off finishing a 10-point fourth-quarter comeback while completing 10 of 12 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown. These aren’t the same old Jets. Wilson has a great surrounding cast of weapons and a creative offensive coordinator. I’ve been bought in since last year and I believe this could be the big breakout week. Wilson’s final stat line wasn’t perfect, but as I said he finished strong and he had at least four smart throwaways, one of the interceptions was tipped by a receiver and had two magical pocket escapes. The culmination of what the Jets have been building for years will shine bright this week.
Sit: Jared Goff, Detroit at New England
Goff exploded last week against Seattle, throwing for 378 yards and four touchdowns, leading him to be the fifth highest scoring QB this year. What a difference a year can make! And in a game where he was missing Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, and D’Andre Swift nonetheless. It was an incredible show, but now he must take his Lions into New England, where Bill Belichick is known for making it tough on the opposing team’s best players. Other than Lamar Jackson, no quarterback has reached the 20-point mark against the Patriots. If Goff doesn’t have his best weapons this week, I don’t expect him to have nearly as brilliant a performance as he did last week.
Running Back
Start: Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta at Tampa Bay
With Cordarelle Patterson on IR, there’s an opening for the starting spot in Atlanta. The touches seem to be split evenly between Allgeier and Caleb Huntley leaving fantasy managers with a confusing coin flip. My money is on Allgeier leading the team in running back touches this week and in a matchup where they’re projected to be losing to Tampa Bay, I foresee an uptick in Mariota’s pass attempts which could be very beneficial for the check-down target. Why Allgeier though? Easy, fourth-round draft capital versus Huntley being undrafted and in the two games prior to Patterson’s injury, Allgeier played above 30% of the snaps while Huntley never saw the field.
Sit: Najee Harris, Pittsburgh at Buffalo
It’s going to be hard to find someone to really start over Najee Harris, but I believe he has another bad week in store as he continues a disappointing season. Harris barely eclipsed the 4.0 yards per carry mark against the Jets, marking the first time he’s been able to do so this season. He’s only found the end zone once this year and new starting quarterback Kenny Pickett seems to have a nose for the end zone himself with two rushing touchdowns last week. Going to Buffalo is no easy task, as they’ve made it tough on every quarterback that they’ve played against, including Lamar Jackson. I expect a very bad week for the entire Steelers offense, even if Pickett is the answer to their offensive woes at some point this season.
Wide Receiver
Start: Mack Hollins, Las Vegas at Kansas City
If, and big if here, Hunter Renfrow is out, I’m expecting another solid performance for Mack Hollins. Denver was a brutal matchup for slot wide receivers, but Kansas City should be more enticing for the second or third option in the passing attack. If Renfrow is out, I expect Hollins to see at least eight targets, matching his low this season with Renfrow out, in what should be the highest-scoring matchup of the week (O/U 51).
Sit: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay vs Atlanta
As you can tell, my “sits” of the week are usually bold as I look for stars that you normally can’t bench, but I believe will have terrible weeks. Mike Evans is going to be very difficult to bench, especially after his eight-catch, 103-yard, two-touchdown performance. However, I think his fantasy managers could be in for a let-down this week as he faces the Falcons’ star cornerback, AJ Terrell. With the Tampa Bay receivers still playing through injuries, I expect the Falcons to give Evans the same treatment they gave Amari Cooper last week, holding him to one catch for nine yards. I don’t expect numbers so low from Mike Evans, but I think his ceiling could be 65 yards and a touchdown.
Tight End
Start: Tyler Higbee, LA Rams vs Cowboys
Higbee has to be an every-week starter. He was a huge breakout candidate last year and let down fantasy managers, but this year, he’s been coming through every week. He’s had 9+ targets in three out of four weeks, and is the 5th ranked TE in PPR scoring without having a single touchdown. It’s hard to find target hogs at the tight end position, so when you do, you have to trust it. Higbee leads all tight ends in targets this year. Follow the targets, and the points will follow. It’s as simple as that!
Sit: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta at Tampa Bay
Yikes. Surprised? Probably shouldn’t be. Pitts stinks. Okay, his usage stinks. However, I don’t expect it to change any time soon, and certainly not against Tampa Bay on the road as 8.5-point underdogs. It’s nothing more than an experienced staff coming off a loss that will completely obliterate a team that doesn’t know how to utilize their best players.
You might be thinking, “damn @DFF_JoeMem, how do you stay sharp in your leagues?” Easy! I START off my week by SITTING down and reading the wide range of content that the crew here at DFF is cooking up! I also check out our Dynasty Rankings so I stay one step ahead of the competition! But if you’re tired of cheesiness and plugs, head over to my Twitter and let me know what you think of my article!
