Fantasy Start ‘Em/Sit ‘Em Week 5
Start em
T.Y. Hilton, WR
It’s been rough have T.Y. Hilton on your team while Andrew Luck has been on the bench. But this week’s matchup is too heavily one-sided to keep Hilton on the bench. The 49ers secondary could arguably be the worst position group on the team. Jacoby Brissett has shown he can keep the Colts competitive and this game should see Hilton being targeted all day long.
Jets D/ST
Okay, I get it, most of us were wrong when we thought the Jets would 0-4 right now. Sitting at .500, the Jets get to go into week 5 playing the actual worst team in the league, the Cleveland Browns. DeShone Kizer showed a lot of promise in week one but his play and consistency just keep getting worse every week. Against the Bengals last week, Kizer had a turnover and had such a bad game he got benched for Kevin Hogan. So the Jets should have the talent to stuff the Browns and get a turnover or two off whoever is at quarterback.
Stefon Diggs, WR
Whether it’s Sam Bradford or Case Keenum, Stefon Diggs has shown that he is a top wide receiver in the league. Even with Adam Thielen having a strong start, Diggs still leads the NFL in receiving yards and also has four touchdowns on the year. Diggs also leads in receptions over 20 yards with eight. So he has big play potentially going against an average secondary. Diggs should be in for a good fantasy night.
Frank Gore, RB
Normally I do not like putting two of the same teammates on the start ‘em list. But again, the matchup is too one-sided. I also get to write about a revenge storyline and that is too much fun to pass on. Frank Gore has had an average season but this week he goes up against one of the weaker defenses in the league. There were worries about Gore losing some touches to his backups but his volume has been good over the first four weeks. This is also the team that got rid of Gore in 2015. There is no doubt in my mind he has had this game circled.
Jameis Winston, QB
The Patriot’s defense has a lot of talent in the secondary, but talent does little if communication is as bad as we have seen in the first four weeks. Leaving guys open and just mishandling plays is one reason this Pats defense is 32nd in the league. Jameis Winston should explode in this primetime game and should honestly be able to pick and choose who he throws too. Look for both O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate to have another big game.
Sit em
Andy Dalton, QB
Andy Dalton’s four touchdown performance last week was an anomaly for this season. Other than that his play hasn’t been stellar. I expect the Bills to bring Dalton’s’ numbers back to earth. The Bills’ defense has more of a fight this year than in previous years and managed to contain all the offenses they played this year. No team has scored more than 17 points on this defense. So for a struggling quarterback that had an easy week in Cleveland, let him sit this week.
Ameer Abdullah, RB
Ameer Abdullah has shown a lot of improvements this season. But this matchup is tough. The Panthers has one of the best run defenses in the league and should easily shut down Abdullah. If you need to I would start Theo Reddick in this game. He’ll see an increase in touches as the passing game should be the same script for the Lions.
Sammy Watkins, WR
The Rams have been hot this season. A 3-1 start and now they get see if they can beat the giant of their division. Sammy Watkins is not on here because I believe they will lose, I actually think the Rams could beat up on this team and Seattle might get a little shock from the complete attitude change in the Rams. But Watkins will have the Legion of Booms’ target on his back all night. Pete Carroll will have game planned all week to stop Watkins and his big-play potential. Look for a bigger role for rookie Cooper Kupp.
Blake Bortles, QB
This has been such a weird beginning of the year for Blake Bortles. He almost lost his job in camp but has now helped Jacksonville to their 2-2 record and has looked as inconsistent as ever. This week he goes on the road against the Steelers defense that is starting to gain talent and confidence. Bortles’ inconsistency and a home game for the Steelers keep Bortles on the bench this week.
Amari Cooper, WR and Michael Crabtree, WR
This is simple. The loss of Derek Carr takes these pass catchers and drops their fantasy values a ton. I do not trust EJ Manuel and neither should you. The game script for the Raiders will look for Marshawn Lynch to take over this game and the pass-catching running backs behind him to have a huge role. Don’t expect these two receivers to get much action.