One month of fantasy football is officially in the books. Hopefully, you’re back at .500 or have finally that win tallied.
Through four weeks, I’m sure many managers are punting on players such as Kyle Pitts and Calvin Ridley or trying very hard to keep faith in Rhamondre Stevenson and Zamir White.
If you have moved on or are benching guys you believed were starters, Roto Street Journal is here to recommend its favorite Week 5 sleepers and streamers.
In its second season, Roto Street Journal presents the top five sleepers of each week. Maybe it’s guys you haven’t heard of. Maybe they’re rookies or on a new team? Maybe they’re filling in for an injury? Regardless, these picks ended up on the right side of the ball more often than not last season.
Let’s be honest: do you really need to be told to start guys like Jordan Love in an explosive offense against a banged-up and battered Rams team? Or, to sit (or cut) someone like Mark Andrews, who has gone catchless in consecutive weeks?
But you may need that extra oomph to start someone you’re on the fence with. You also may have taken a gamble in the draft, feel depleted at a position, and are looking to slide someone in this week slyly. And let’s be honest, this happens most weeks.
To help you out, I’ll give you my top five fantasy football Week 5 Sleepers and Streamers, and why.
Editor’s Note: These selections rank lower than Tier 4 on The Wolf’s Week 5 Rankings.
Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings
vs New York Jets in London
Sam Darnold is probably no longer a free agent in your league (75% owned on Sleeper), but he may not be in starting lineups either.
Currently, only 42% of Darnold owners trust the QB in their starting lineups. But in a revenge game against the New York Jets – he should be in yours.
I know I harp on honing in on matchups when West Coast teams travel east to play at 1 p.m. Eastern. I know this game is across the ocean in England, but I don’t care because both teams will experience significant travel obstacles.
The Jets are second in the league in fewest fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks so far this season, but the best signal-caller they faced was Brock Purdy in Week 1, who had a depleted offense. Since then, New York has seen the likes of Will Levis, Jacoby Brissett, and Bo Nix in the rain.
A quarterback leading the league in touchdown passes through four weeks playing the team who drafted him and gave up on him? Sign me up.
Darnold ranks in Tier 4 (QB15) on The Wolf’s Week 5 Rankings.
Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens
At Cincinnati Bengals
Justice Hill finished as RB8 in Week 4 after an explosion in the passing game. While Derrick Henry stole the show on the ground, nearly eclipsing the 200-yard mark for the seventh time in his career, it was Hill who hauled in six passes (six targets) for nearly 80 yards and one touchdown. He also saw four carries and averaged 4.5 yards per carry.
Cincinnati has allowed five running backs to score double-digit fantasy points through four games. Even if you’re playing in a standard league, Hill would’ve scored you 15.6 points.
The Bills’ defense is at least respected in the league, and their unit got embarrassed. Cue the Bengals, who are injured and have struggled all year with one win through four weeks.
Baltimore also has questions in its passing game, like Mark Andrews going catchless in two straight weeks. Zay Flowers catching one ball on two targets last week? The more people I can get on the ground that dawn the purple and black, the better.
Hill ranks in Tier 5 (RB30) on The Wolf’s Week 5 Rankings.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
vs New Orleans Saints
It’s Xavier Worthy’s time to prove he’s actually worthy of the hype surrounding him.
The tease was there with his two scores against Baltimore, but in the following two weeks, he posted a double 2-17-0 stat line. Then, he went over the top again last week, finishing with a 3-73-1 line against the Chargers.
But now, Worthy is the last of Kansas City’s top three receivers to be healthy. Marquise Brown hasn’t suited up for a game this year after undergoing shoulder surgery, and Rashee Rice sustained a knee injury that has, at the very least, landed him on injured reserve for the time being.
If anything, Worthy is a blanket of consistency whether that’s boom or bust games. If the Chiefs’ ground game wasn’t also in flux I would be more hesitant to trust Worthy against the Saints. But like us fantasy footballers, we don’t know who Patrick Mahomes will want or be able to use out of his current group of receivers.
With Kansas City’s bye following the Monday night showdown, the Chiefs may opt to formulate a game plan moving forward with more receiving options and stick to Worthy for one game while they sort out all the team’s injuries.
Worthy ranks in Tier 4 (WR22) on The Wolf’s Week 5 Rankings.
Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
At Denver Broncos
Tre Tucker is emerging as a solid flex play, especially with Davante Adams getting the hell out of Vegas. In Week 4, Tucker stepped into a more significant role, recording five catches for 41 yards on six targets (25% target share), along with a 3-yard touchdown run.
With Gardner Minshew spreading the ball around, the 2023 third-round pick has become a key target in the offense alongside Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers. His speed and versatility make him a viable WR3 or flex option moving forward.
Although the Broncos boast a solid secondary, Meyers should see a lot of Patrick Surtain II, while Tucker could take advantage of Riley Moss. Tucker’s combination of volume and big-play ability gives him intriguing appeal in deeper leagues with a few times on the bye and the absence of a few fantasy starting receivers.
Tucker ranks in Tier 7 (WR55) on The Wolf’s Week 5 Rankings.
Erick All, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
vs Baltimore Ravens
Move over, Mike Gesicki, Erick All’s snap share has increased by the week, hitting a season-high 60% with a 12.9% target share in Week 4.
The rookie tight end is rising quickly in the Bengals’ offense. After just four weeks, he has transformed into TE1b, leading to a shift in Cincinnati’s scheme. The Bengals, once heavy users of three-wide sets, now rank fourth in the NFL in two-tight-end formations, thanks to All’s three-down presence on the field.
All has caught all 12 of his targets for 82 yards, and with the Ravens’ defense ranking 31st against tight ends, he could see more action in Week 5. If you’re streaming tight ends, All is available in 94% of leagues and worth a look and/or stash ahead of his likely breakout.
All was left out of The Wolf’s Week 5 Rankings and did not crack his list of 28 tight ends!
