With a quarter of the fantasy football season now officially in the books, many of us have been reintroduced to our good old friend The Darkness. Perhaps a devastating injury is to blame. Maybe your team has slugged out of the gates to an 0-4 start, and you’d crawl into a sewer with “It’s” Pennywise if he was promising you a win down there.
Either way, nothing will make the mirror more tolerable than a big W. Even if you’ve been listening to our advice and thus rolling, maintaining your dominance is still crucial. Thus, your lineup needs to be optimized with the best fantasy football week 5 rankings in the business. This is even harder with the Bye Weeks officially hitting, and four of the higher end offenses off the table in Atlanta, New Orleans, Washington and Denver. Figure out all our favorite plays of the week now!
Scoring Reminder: These rankings are based on 1/2 PPR, 4 Pt Passing TD Scoring.
Sit / Start Help: If you have any specific lineup questions, please let me know. While rankings are helpful, many factors are at play that can make a lower-ranked player more appealing to start. For example, you may be an underdog, and starting a “boom-or-bust” player is more recommendable versus a sure 7 or 8 points.
Thus, hit me up on SnapChat or Twitter @RotoStreetWolf, and be sure to tune into our 11:30 AM EST Facebook Live “Fantasy Football Week 5 Preview” Broadcast. Or, even better, join us LIVE @ Fibber McGee’s in Beverly for a Fantasy Sunday bash made for true Workhorses and Target Hogs.
(Note – for some reason, you have to double click WRs and TEs for them to show up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.)
Sunday Update
Seattle Backfield:
Ian Rappoport reported that Eddie “Tub Club” Lacy is being treated as the starter and will get the first crack at establishing a hot hand. This will likely yield 7 carries for 12 yards — 1 fewer than his pregame Crab Rangoon consumption — but is worth a speculative add regardless in case he regains bulldozing form. Thomas Rawls should also be owned in the likely chance Lacy sucks, but cannot be trusted as a starter this week.
If I’m rolling out any back from Seattle, it’d be JD McKissic. The Seattle times speculates he’s set for a “big role” in Week 5 after he exploded for 2 TDs on minimal touches last week. CJ Prosise is forever doubtful, and McKissic could easily claim this role with another strong showing. He’s among my favorite speculative adds this week.
Injured QBs:
Both Marcus Mariota and Derek Carr are expected to miss Week 5, which means significant downgrades for all passing pieces in both offenses with Matt Cassell and EJ Manuel leading the charge. Mariota is reportedly going to miss 2-4 weeks, while Carr is set to return next week. Both Marshawn Lynch and DeMarco Murray should be set to see increased usage as the team’s protect their backup QBs.
Meanwhile, Sam Bradford is set to return to the field in a juicy matchup versus the Bears. Though against the hapless Saints, Bradford heaved 346 yards and 3 TDs in his last 2017 game and was pushing the ball downfield far more often. This is good news for Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, who were already highly recommended plays versus a weak Bears team.
Packers:
Ty Montgomery is doubtful and not expected to play. Aaron Jones has taken all the first team reps in his absence, despite Jamaal Williams being set to return. Jones is a viable PPR flex play with 4-5 receptions coming his way.
Meanwhile, Davante Adams is expected to start versus a porous and inexperienced Dallas secondary. He should be played in the vast majority of lineups, while Geronimo Allison loses any and all sleeper appeal. Aaron Rodgers was already our top QB play, but this only boosts his stock further for Draft Kings.
Other Notes:
- Wayne Gallman is the confirmed starter in… one of the least appetizing backfields in the NFL. He’s still a fair shot to plod into the end zone and can be chucked into desperate flexes.
- Wendell Smallwood is out for the week, which boosts LeGarrette Blount‘s stock into RB2 status. He should have a TD and 60-70 yards as long as the team doesn’t get down big early.
- With Branden Oliver ruled out, I’m excited to get a peek at Austin Ekeler today. He looked explosive on his score last week, and makes a worthwhile speculative add with the team looking to increase his touches this week. Does not mean he’s worth trusting in fantasy by any means, but get a scout if you have bench trash.
Week 5 Speculative Adds:
JD McKissic (RB – SEA), Mike Williams (WR – LAC), Austin Ekeler (RB – LAC)
Rankings are only half the battle to perfecting a lineup. You need personalized advice based on your own unique situation, and there’s tons of ways to get connected:
Sit/Start and Lineup Help:
A) Use our Submit a Question Form
B) Hit The Wolf up on SnapChat or Twitter (@RotoStreetWolf)
C) DM our other Social Channels (Facebook here, Instagram here).
D) Tune in to our Fantasy Football Week 5 Sit / Start Show, live on Facebook this Sunday @ 11:30am EST.