Week 5 of the NFL season saw shocking breakouts and multiple disappointments from a fantasy perspective. Preseason favorites like D.J. Moore finally produced up to expectations, while stars like Joe Mixon came down to earth after an astronomical Week 4 showing. Reflecting on last week’s games, whose fantasy stock increased and decreased the most?
3 Up:
Justin Herbert – QB – 27.4 Points
Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn officially named Herbert as the team’s starter ahead of their Week 5 tilt against the Saints, and the rookie didn’t disappoint. Herbert threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns, almost leading the Chargers to victory. Now that Herbert’s job is secure, he has solid QB1 prospects for the rest of the season.
Chase Claypool – WR – 42.6 PPR Points
Claypool exploded this week, racking up 116 total yards and four touchdowns. The rookie led the Steelers in targets by a large margin on Sunday, appearing to be the focal point of their offense. With Diontae Johnson banged up, Claypool should continue to see a solid workload in Pittsburgh’s high-octane offense. He’s a WR3 with massive upside moving forward.
Devonta Freeman – RB – 16.7 PPR Points
After Freeman’s ugly Giants debut, many wondered if he would ever be fantasy-relevant in that offense. He answered that question this week, racking up 87 total yards and two touchdowns against a porous Cowboys defense. The 2x Pro Bowler appears to have taken full control of the Giants backfield, and should be an RB2/Flex option for the rest of the year.
3 Down:
Zach Ertz – TE – 1.6 PPR Points
Ertz has been an enormous disappointment so far, but his Week 5 performance was by far the worst of the season. He caught just one ball for six yards, taking a back seat in the receiving game to the likes of Travis Fulgham and Greg Ward. Until Ertz proves his worth again, he no longer belongs in starting lineups.
Tyler Lockett – WR – 8.4 PPR Points
D.K. Metcalf appeared to leapfrog Lockett to the top of Seattle’s depth chart over the past two games, out-targeting Lockett 17-9 and racking up 116 more yards. This obviously doesn’t bode well for Lockett’s fantasy perspectives moving forward. On the bright side, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to turn things around in Seattle’s explosive offense with Russell Wilson playing at an MVP-level.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire – RB – 11.0 PPR Points
After a phenomenal debut, Edwards-Helaire has come back to earth over the past few weeks. The rookie has failed to rush for 100+ yards in all four games since he did it in the Chiefs season opener. In this fantastic Kansas City offense, Edwards-Helaire is capable of breaking out at any time. However, it may be time to temper expectations for the LSU product.
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