The Biggest Start/Sit Decisions for Week 5 (Fantasy Football)
Week 5 is here, and making those start/sit calls just got a lot tougher. With four teams on bye and a bunch of injuries piling up, it’s not an easy week for fantasy managers. To make things easier, I’m using the Fantasy Footballers’ Start/Sit Tool to help figure out the best lineup moves. Let’s dive into the Footclan’s most searched start/sits and dissect these matchups so that we can rack up those fantasy points and hopefully snag a win this week.
Dontayvion Wicks or Wan’Dale Robinson
Dontayvion Wicks was the top waiver wire grab after his big Week 4 performance, filling in for Christian Watson, who went down with a nasty ankle injury. Even though Wicks had some drops, Jordan Love kept going back to him, especially in the red zone. He ended up with 13 targets, catching five for 78 yards and two touchdowns, finishing as the WR3 for the week. With Watson still out, the Packers are heading to L.A. to face a Rams defense that has allowed the fourth most fantasy points to wide receivers according to the strength of schedule tool. He’s Andy’s start of the week at receiver.
#Packers WRs Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are doubtful vs the #Rams. WR Cooper Kupp is also out.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 4, 2024
Wandale Robinson has sneakily been a dependable plug-and-play option almost every week. There hasn’t been nearly enough talk about how solid he’s been — he’s currently the WR22 on the season and is fifth overall in targets! Robinson had 14 targets last week, a season high after Malik Nabers went out with a concussion. The Giants have no Nabers this week. Wan’dale should feast. Right? My biggest concern is they are playing the Seahawks in Seattle, who are eighth in the fewest fantasy points allowed to the wide receiver position. Seattle CB Devon Witherspoon would’ve been covering Nabers if healthy, but now matching up against Wan’Dale could mean trouble. Last week, Seattle gave up a lot of yards to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown but overall they have been strong against the pass. I think Seattle dominates this game, and without Nabers and Singletary, the Giants struggle to extend drives to keep up.
Verdict: Dontayvion Wicks. I side with the Ballers on this one. He’s part of a more explosive offense, which gives him higher scoring potential. Plus, his consistent involvement in the red zone makes him a real touchdown threat. While Wan’Dale Robinson stepping into the WR1 role with Nabers sidelined might sound good, I’m not quite sold on it being a boost to his fantasy outlook. I think the Giants struggle offensively overall this week. Wicks has the upside and a better matchup, and that’s the play you want.
Brian Thomas Jr. or Dontayvion Wicks
Speaking of starts of the week, Jason is planting his flag on Brian Thomas Jr. The Jaguars have been a disaster through the first four weeks, still searching for their first win — not exactly what you’d expect from the league’s second-highest-paid QB, Trevor Lawrence. But this week, they’re up against a battered Colts defense. This sets the stage for a perfect get-right game for Jacksonville, with Brian Thomas Jr. leading the charge. Matt Savoca even listed him as one of his cash plays in his Week 5 DFS article, pointing out Thomas’ impressive back-to-back nine-target games and two 80+ yard performances in his first four starts. Expect him to keep rolling.
Perimeter WRs have CRUSHED the Colts:
• George Pickens: 7/113/0
• Rome Odunze: 6/112/1
• Nico Collins: 6/117/0Welcome to Brian Thomas Jr. week 🚀 pic.twitter.com/6t13sEYxjI
— Matthew Betz (@TheFantasyPT) October 3, 2024
I’ve already laid out why Wicks is a solid play this week, and while I’m comfortable starting him over Wan’dale Robinson, I just can’t put him ahead of Brian Thomas Jr. The upside with Thomas is too strong to ignore.
Verdict: BTJ at home against an injury-riddled Colts defense is the play. George Pickens put up seven receptions for 113 yards against them last week. Justin Fields was the QB1 last week after throwing for 312 yards against the Colts. If the Jaguars can’t get rolling this week I’ll be shocked.
Geno Smith or Justin Fields
Just like we predicted before the season started right? Justin Fields the QB6 and Geno Smith the QB8 through the first four weeks, ahead of Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, CJ Stroud, Joe Burrow, and Patrick Mahomes. Crazy. Justin Fields is looking more at home in Pittsburgh each week. Since Week 2, he’s been on a steady upward trend, improving his passing yards, yards per attempt, and touchdown rate. Last week was the true breakout, as he finished as the QB1 after nearly leading the Steelers to a comeback, throwing for 312 yards and a touchdown. He added 55 rushing yards and scored two rushing TDs, showcasing the dual-threat ability that makes him so electric. This week, the Steelers will be without both Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson, which likely means more designed runs for Fields. They’re up against the Dallas Cowboys, a matchup that would normally be a red flag, but with Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence both out, it’s a much more favorable scenario. The Cowboys have already allowed the third-most rushing attempts to QBs this season, including 87 to Lamar Jackson. With Fields’ mobility, I’m expecting a big game from him on the ground.
Get Justin Fields in those starting lineups 😤 pic.twitter.com/dsxzIQiXPy
— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) October 4, 2024
Okay, Geno! Geno Smith has been slinging it this season, and last week was no exception — he racked up over 400 yards combined through the air and on the ground. He’s yet to play a game without throwing a touchdown and has finished as a top-10 QB in three of the first four weeks. Oh, and did I mention Geno leads the league in passing yards so far? Impressive. This week, the Seahawks take on the New York Giants, who’ve allowed 16+ fantasy points to opposing QBs consistently. Last week, Detroit’s offensive firepower forced a big game out of Geno, but I don’t expect the same high-scoring pace against the Giants. Their offense should struggle even more (their highest score being 21 points) now that they’re without key players Malik Nabers and Devin Singletary. If the Seahawks jump out to an early lead, they might shift toward a more run-heavy approach.
Verdict: Justin Fields. I expect the Steelers/Cowboys game to be more competitive than the Seahawks/Giants game. With injuries to the running back room, the Steelers will have to rely on Fields to secure the win.
Rico Dowdle or Trey Sermon
The Fantasy Hitman Mike Wright is hungry for more Rico Dowdle. Finally breaking into double-digit carries last week, Dowdle is the emerging back out of Dallas. Welp Mike, I’m sorry to inform you that this week might not be the week he feeds your appetite. The Cowboys are on the road to face a Steelers defense that is shutting down running backs, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to the position. In fact, they’ve only allowed one rushing TD on the season to the running back position. After scoring his first rushing touchdown on the season last week, I wouldn’t bet on a repeat this week.
The Colts are going to be without Jonathan Taylor this week as he deals with a high ankle sprain. That means it’s Trey Sermon time. This will only be Sermon’s third NFL start, but he’s facing the Jaguars, who have given up the seventh most fantasy points to running backs. Bonus points for that matchup. With Doug Pederson’s job potentially on the line, this could easily turn into a high-scoring game. Right now, Anthony Richardson is still questionable. If he plays, expect the Colts to lean heavily on Sermon. If Joe Flacco gets the start, I expect the Colts to have full confidence in the passing game to air it out. Even then, though he may not get the touches, the Colts should see more red zone opportunities with Flacco under center. That could equate to red zone opportunities and TDs for Sermon. Flacco isn’t Richardson; he isn’t going to vulture those goal-line TDs. Either way, it’s a win/win for Sermon. Dave Kluge agrees:
Hey.
You.
Yeah, you.
I’m saying this quietly because I don’t want too many people to hear.
But…
(I’m sort of intrigued by Trey Sermon against Jacksonville if Joe Flacco is starting this weekend)
— Dave Kluge (@DaveKluge) October 4, 2024
Verdict: Trey Sermon. He’s a better start this week due to matchups and opportunity. Dowdle faces the Steelers’ defense, which allows the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs, and has only given up one rushing TD all season — bad news for him. Meanwhile, Sermon gets the lead role with Jonathan Taylor out and faces a Jaguars defense giving up the seventh-most fantasy points to RBs.
Week 5 brings plenty of tough start/sit decisions, but with the help of tools like the Fantasy Footballers Start/Sit Tool and a deep dive into matchups, you can gain a critical edge. If you have any other start-sit questions, always feel free to hit me up on X, and don’t forget to catch Mike every Sunday morning pre-kickoff for his last-minute start/sit decisions. Now go set your lineups with confidence and go secure that win!
Comments
I have Sermon but I cant get him into my lineup over Jacobs, Achane and Wan’Dale Robinson this week
Love the article – FieldsSZN!