Here are the guys you should smash(start) in your lineups and the guys you should be passing on(sitting) for week 5! These aren't guys you 100% have to start or 100% have to bench, they're just guys we believe are going to exceed expectations this week or fall short of what they're expected to do.
Quarterbacks:
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Shawn - Drew Brees vs LAC: A lot of people are starting to get down on Drew Brees for fantasy, if anyone is nervous buy low on him. Michael Thomas is coming back sooner rather than later, Kamara is incredible out of the backfield, and this week he gets the Chargers banged-up defense. I've seen him being ranked outside the top 15 this week in some places, he's at #10 for me and I'm starting him with confidence. Brady just threw 5 passing TDs on this team!!! Brees should be fine this week and moving forward.
Q - Teddy Bridgewater @ ATL: After a strong week 4 performance against a decent Arizona defense, Bridgewater is facing one of the bottom 3 passing defenses and 32nd ranked defense to QB scoring. The emergence of Robby Anderson has given Teddy an advanced downfield option only helping his case to crack the top 15 in quarterbacks for weeks to come and that is not even including the return of Christian McCaffery within the next week or two.
Matty P - Teddy Bridgewater @ ATL: Teddy Bridgewater on the Vikings years ago never had much value. His job was to manage the game and hand the ball to Peterson. However, last year we saw flashes of what he could do in a few starts for the Saints. Last week he was able to move the ball down the field well and showed off the running ability that we haven't seen in years. If he can become a bit more of a dual-threat QB, he'll have some season-long value, but any QB that plays the Falcons this season is going to feast, roll Teddy into your lineups with confidence.
Tgods - Ben Roethlisberger vs PHI: Big Ben is Big Back this season. We wanted to see if he still had it and he has been rock solid thus far in 2020. Big Ben threw for over 5000 yards and 34 TDs in 2018. It looks like he still has that same juice. Now he gets a banged-up Eagles team where the only real threat in their secondary is Darius Slay. Big Ben should find plenty of holes and be able to put up some numbers at home this week after a week off due to the Titans COVID situation.
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Shawn - Carson Wentz @ PIT: Carson Wentz on the pass list? How Come? Look don't kill me because I've watched the games. His legs are back under him he's running and throwing with confidence, but there's still too much wrong with this team. Hopefully he can get Alshon and Djax back soon, but he's throwing to guys named Travis Fulgham and John Hightower while Ertz is being triple-teamed. I'm staying away from Wentz especially against this Steelers defense.
Q - Joe Burrow @ BAL: Burrow has been promising through the first few games this season. He has a ton of weapons around him and they're usually trailing in games so he has to throw a ton. However, this is the best defense Joe Burrow has played since week 1 when the Chargers were close to full-strength and he only had that 1 play where he was able to break out for a 20 some yard TD run. Burrow has more experience now, but I'm only starting him if I'm desperate this week.
Matty P - Joe Burrow @ BAL: I'm with Q, Burrow is definitely giving me some bad vibes this week. We've seen the Ravens shut down every QB they've played besides Mahomes. Joe Burrow has a lot of potential in this league, but he is no Mahomes. I'm very nervous about Burrow and the Bengals as a whole this week. The Ravens are hot and it's going to be difficult to compete for the Bengals in this game. Pass on Burrow for this week, but better days are ahead.
Tgods - Carson Wentz @ PIT: Shawn already said everything that needed to be said, but I can give you more reasons not to start Wentz. That offensive line has 1.5 players that it had prior to the season. Lane Johnson played half of the game last week in and out of the lineup and Kelce is the only healthy starter there. Everyone else is moving around and shifting all over the place. Add a shaky o-line to play against one of the best defensive lines in the league? Don't start Wentz this week, you'll regret it.
Running Backs:
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Shawn - Jonathan Taylor @ CLE: Last week was a bit scary, in a game where they were up only 8 fantasy points isn't very sexy. However, the volume was there and Taylor has this backfield job on lock. You would like for him to be a bit more involved in the passing game considering he had 6 catches in week one. However, since week one the Colts have been dominating games because their defense has been stellar. The Browns may test this defense though as their offense has been hot. Should be an interesting one, either way, I think Taylor has a big game and finds the endzone, lock him in as a starter.
Q - James Robinson @ HOU: Robinson has been nothing but impressive since week 2 and if you were one who picked him up off of waivers for nothing, you definitely are feeling good going forward. Last week we saw Dalvin Cook rush for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns against this Houston defense who ranks bottom 5 the last 2 weeks, so you should feel confident starting James Robinson who seems to be gaining value each week.
Matty P - Ronald Jones @ CHI: Now the Bears defense definitely can be a little scary on paper and did hold Jonathan Taylor without a touchdown, but they have allowed the 12th most rushing yards to opposing running backs meaning the holes are there. Jones may not be as talented as Taylor, but the amount of volume he will receive with Fournette, McCoy, and Godwin out should give fantasy owners confidence that the heavy workload will be there. Side note, if he can improve in this game in regards to pass catching he should be in line for a massive performance.
Tgods - David Johnson vs JAX: David Johnson has not been what you had hoped for up to this point. Even so, did you see what Joe Mixon did to this defense last week? David Johnson may have lost a step, but any running back with a pulse should be able to thrive against the defense. With a new interim head coach, the team knows they need to turn things around fast and they may do just that this week with a big game all around, including David Johnson. Start him this week for sure.
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Shawn - Ravens Backfield @ CIN: Do I need to explain myself on this one? Maybe considering this is actually a pretty decent matchup. The Ravens may go up big and run the ball a lot in the second half. However, this backfield is a three-headed monster and I think all three of them are TD dependent players. Ingram is your best bet, but even he has only scored in double digits when he finds the endzone. If you feel like Ingram will find the endzone this week I guess start him, but I have all of them as no more than a desperation flex play at best. Look elsewhere for RB help at this point.
Q - James Conner vs PHI: It may seem crazy to pass up on James Conner as a guy who is seeing 20 plus carries and playing on 66% of snaps, but the Eagles defense has been extremely locked in and stingy to running backs rushing the ball ranking 9th. Though he may see check downs from Big Ben and points from receiving I would lower expectations as that could be all he accomplishes Sunday afternoon.
Matty P - Ravens Backfield @ CIN: To be honest all of the Ravens running backs at this point could be droppable. That may be hard to do because they are all talented and should be rostered (Gus Edwards in DEEP leagues), but you never know what you are going to get or who is going to produce on a weekly basis. Going against a Bengals defense that has been somewhat generous to opposing running backs, Ingram out of them all could seem like an alright flex play, but do not be surprised if its one of the other two backs taking over in this game.
Tgods - Rams Backfield @ WAS: The Rams backfield is pretty similar to the Ravens backfield. Untrustworthy. I actually think the guy who gets the most work in this backfield has more upside than the Ravens. We saw Malcolm Brown have a big week 1, Henderson had two big weeks back to back, and in week 4 it was just a slow day at the office for the Rams all around. If Cam Akers comes back I think this backfield is untouchable unless you're feeling super lucky. Stay away for now, but all three are still worth a roster spot at this time.
Wide Receivers:
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Shawn - DJ Moore @ ATL: LOOK I KNOW HE HAS BEEN BAD!!! However, he's still getting decent volume on an offense that has been putting up some points. LOOK AT THIS MATCHUP!!! The Atlanta Falcons secondary is brutal, you're already starting Robby Anderson, but this has to be the week that DJ Moore gets a bit more involved. At least for my sanity as I own him in two of my three leagues. If DJ Moore plays poorly again this week, it's time to bench him. One more shot here.
Q - Will Fuller V vs JAX: The last 2 weeks we have seen Fuller find the endzone once in each game AND most importantly staying healthy. In an offseason where Brandin Cooks was brought in some may have thought he would be the WR1 on this team, Fuller and his chemistry with Watson has shown and been used to his advantage. Jacksonville has been stingy to opposing wide receivers ranking 6th, I think this will be a high scoring game and with a different head coach there could be some new energy flowing through this offense and team as a whole.
Matty P - Adam Thielen @ SEA: We all know Seattle and Dallas have been battling for worst defense of 2020, but when doing research for this article I have found that Seattle has allowed over 100 yards more than the Cowboys. Thielen already has a couple of 100 yard, 1 TD games this season and against a defense as bad as the Seahawks, do not be surprised if a similar performance occurs, especially when trying to keep up with Russell Wilson and their potent, high scoring offense.
Tgods - Ceedee Lamb vs NYG: Michael Gallup who? Ceedee Lamb has burst on to the scene over the past few weeks for the Cowboys. He has at least 5 catches and 50+ yards in each game this season. He's been involved and he's finding openings, including scoring twice last week. The Cowboys offense is legit and their defense is Brutal so Lamb will continue to be good for weeks to come. He is a rock-solid flex option this week in a divisional battle with the G-Men.
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Shawn - Michael Gallup vs NYG: Gallup feels like the odd man out while the Cowboys offense is having all the fun in the world. Gallup, who was nearly as good as Cooper last year in terms of numbers, just has not been the same this season. He had 3 games with 5 targets each, in those 3 games he has not scored more than 8 fantasy points in a game. In week 3 he had a huge game with 6 catches for 138 yards and a TD. However, it seems like Gallup is a Boom or Bust flex option at best nowadays, he's a risk to start this week.
Q - Devante Parker @ SF: Devante Parker has been nothing less than what we had hoped for from him coming into this season besides the injuries. Parker has been leading this team in targets coming into week 5 and should be looked at often, but against a 49ers defense that ranks 4th best in not allowing TDs to wide receivers (2), it could be difficult imagining him reaching the endzone unless it is garbage time. Parker will see the targets but may not make much of it even against this banged-up defense.
Matty P - Tyler Boyd @ BAL: Boyd has seen the most love on this Bengals offense as Burrow has thrown a ton and many have those throws have been in Boyd's direction. It is possible this week that he will be covered by Marlon Humphrey who was recently paid for his lockdown ability, making him in your lineup feel not so great but you are still starting him because of Burrow's passing volume along with not many better options.
Tgods - Julian Edelman vs DEN: Brian Hoyer or Jarrett Stidham? Hmmmm...I think I'm going to take neither and hope that Cam Newton is back soon. Edelman will still be involved for sure, these guys did not look good against a beatable Chiefs defense. Edelman had 10 fantasy points combined in the last 2 weeks. This is another favorable matchup, but I think they continue to rely on the run game. Edelman is a risky flex play this week for me that lacks TD upside.
Tight Ends:
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Shawn - Evan Engram @ DAL: Engram is still getting the volume, so that's a good sign right now for Engram owners. We already know he has the talent, we've seen it for a couple of seasons now. This offense just needs a get right game and is there a better time to do it than against the Cowboys defense? They've been brutal so plug Engram in this week, if the Giants still struggle this may be a very long season.
Q - Greg Olsen @ MIN: This Minnesota defense is not what we are used to seeing from past years and offenses have taken full advantage of it. The Vikings are dealing with rookie and below average cornerbacks that are being torched by WRs and TEs. Olsen has seen his role on this team take an uptick recently seeing 13 total targets in the last two weeks. Not seeing the endzone since week 1 against a bad Atlanta defense, this opponent is no different struggling to cover the tight end position. With the amount Seattle scores weekly, I wouldn't be surprised if Olsen finds pay dirt on SNF.
Matty P - Hunter Henry @ NO: Henry had a quiet outing last week even after a high scoring game from both teams, I would not see it too concerning. Herbert has found a way to rejuvenate this offense since Tyrod Taylor has went down with an injury and that should continue going forward. Henry is still a top 10 tight end and this week going against a Saints defense that has allowed the second most fantasy points to tight ends, Henry could have a field day on Sunday.
Tgods - Evan Engram @ DAL: For the same reasons Shawn listed above, I'm rocking with Engram this week. He's an elite TE and he just needs the ball to get to his hands. I think this is the Giants get-right game and Engram comes along for the ride, start him with confidence this week!
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Shawn - Rob Gronkowski @ CHI: Do I need to explain myself? He's older, he's lost a step, too many weapons, whatever the case may be, I am not confident in Gronk. Even in a week where Mike Evans and Godwin may end up out, I'm still not confident he gets involved. Brady threw five passing TD's to five different receivers and not one of them was Gronk. Sit him until he proves that he's worth starting again, which may never happen.
Q - Austin Hooper @ IND: Last week Hooper had his best game of the season reaching the endzone finally on 63 snaps pouring it on the Dallas Cowboys defense which may have made his fantasy owners hopeful moving forward. Unfortunately, the Colts defense ranks first against opposing tight ends allowing ZERO touchdowns through 4 weeks and less than 100 yards total. Hooper may indeed be a pooper in week 5.
Matty P - Austin Hooper @ IND: To add on to what Q said, Hooper is more of a streaming tight end who could be used against good matchups for example last week. Browns are the most run heavy offense in the league and knowing how tough the Indy pass defense will be and Baker still being a little shaky, Hooper most likely will not be playable and other options should be looked at if your tight end is on a bye.
Tgods - Jared Cook vs LAC: Jared Cook is banged up, he did not practice at all last week and if he plays this week, I'm just nervous that the injury lingers on. MT should be back to take up most of the passing volume again in this offense. With or without MT, I'm still nervous about Cook and this injury, I would bench him this week for sure.
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