It’s hard to believe Week 5 of the NFL season is already here. With injuries piling up, working the waiver wire and finding those favorable matchups to help capitalize on your fantasy pairings are essential. Following last week’s successful picks, we’re back to help you capture your league’s title.
Continuing his red hot start to his 2021 campaign, Sam Darnold completed 26 of his 39 passes for 301 yards with four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) in the Carolina Panthers’ narrow loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Buffalo’s Dawson Knox continued to put the ball in the end zone, too. The 24-year-old tight end hauled in two receiving scores in the Bills’ blowout victory against the Houston Texans. Lastly, Trey Sermon finally operated as the lead dog in the 49ers backfield in Week 4 as the rookie carried the ball 19 times for 89 yards. Who tops the list in Week 5?
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Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
After taking over for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo last Sunday, Lance finished inside the top 15 for quarterbacks, despite playing just one half of football. Lance had his way with the Seattle Seahawks defense at times, racking up 157 passing yards and adding in two touchdowns. For good measure, the third overall pick from April’s draft chipped in 41 yards on the ground while averaging 5.9 yards per rush.
With a road matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on tap, start Lance as a high-end QB2/low-end QB1. Stingy against opposing signal-callers to kick off their 2021 campaign, Vance Joseph‘s defense is allowing just 20 points fantasy per game on average. However, with an added challenge given his rushing talent and production, look for Lance to finish inside the top 15 this week.
Michael Carter, New York Jets
Carter is now the No. 1 option in New York, after operating in a timeshare in the Jets backfield to open the season. On the field for just over 50 percent of the team’s snaps last Sunday, the University of North Carolina product tallied 13 attempts for 38 yards while adding in a rushing score. After being lauded entering the draft for his ability to break tackles and fool opposing defenders in the open field, over 70 percent of his yards came after contact.
Matched up with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL’s London game in Week 5, play Carter as a solid RB3 with upside. Struggling to stop the run through the early parts of the season, the Falcons have allowed over 119 yards per game on the ground. With 17.8 points per game given up to opposing running backs, Carter is an intriguing option for owners in need at the position.
Emmanuel Sanders, Buffalo Bills
Sanders continued his steady play a week ago. This was after a two-touchdown performance in the Bills Week 3 victory over the Washington Redskins. He hauled in five passes for 74 receiving yards while adding in one rush for seven yards. Finishing as WR53, WR3, and WR31 over the last three games, the veteran wideout is averaging a career-high 10.3 yards per target. Matched up with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night in a rematch of the AFC Championship, start Sanders as a high-end FLEX option.
The Chiefs have been one of the worst defensive units in the league early on. They have given up 291.8 passing yards, leading to over 450 total yards given up per game on average. Furthermore, they have surrendered 27 fantasy points per contest to opposing wideouts. This leaves them ripe for the picking for a Buffalo offense beginning to click on all cylinders.
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Higgins is expected to be back with the Bengals this week after missing their Thursday Night victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Higgins has been productive during the first two weeks of the season, with the former second-round pick amassing 10 receptions for 118 yards and two scores. This has led to finishes as WR86 and WR99. Beat up at the defensive back spot, the Green Bay Packers will likely be without star cornerback Jaire Alexander after he injured his shoulder.
Kevin King has remained limited in practice for Green Bay all week with a concussion. Plagued by inconsistent play in their secondary, Green Bay has allowed 10.8 receptions per game to opposing wideouts, leading to over 130 yards per game on average. Higgins is currently ranked as WR39 heading into Week 5. Play him as a low-end WR2.
Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Taking over as the first tight end option in Tampa Bay for the injured Rob Gronkowski, Brate has out-snapped fellow tight end O.J. Howard over the last two weeks. Unable to muster anything up in their victory over the New England Patriots last Sunday, he hauled in just two passes for 29 yards on six targets. However, with Gronkowski still out long-term, start Brate as a TE2 this week.
One of the worst units across the league at defending the tight end spot, the Dolphins have allowed 9.2 fantasy points per game on average to the position. Highlighted by a two touchdown performance by Mo Alie-Cox in week 4, the group has surrendered 55.2 reception yards and just under one touchdown per game on average. Owned in just 18 percent of Yahoo leagues and 4 percent of ESPN leagues, this represents an excellent streaming option for owners.
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