Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 5: Flex, PPR Advice for Fringe Fantasy Football Stars
Week 5 in the NFL brings with it some favorable match-ups for both fringe and top-tier fantasy stars, including the noticeably quiet "Scary" Terry McLaurin in Washington.
The explosive wide receiver has been limited to a single touchdown in 2023 but will have the opportunity to be a big-time contributor Sunday against a not-so-great Chicago Bears defense.
He is one player to keep an eye on this week.
Here are others to consider starting and sitting in pursuit of another fantasy football victory.
Start 'Em: Jahmyr Gibbs vs. Carolina Panthers
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The Carolina Panthers are giving up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2023 with 25.4, making the Detroit Lions' match-up with the cellar dwellers of the NFC South an appealing one.
David Montgomery has received double the number of carries as rookie back Gibbs but the explosive young player should be able to make the most of every one of his carries against a leaky Panthers defense.
Gibbs is averaging 4.6 yards a carry and if he can keep that pace, could be in line for a breakout game Sunday. He has also caught 14 passes out of the backfield, something that should give him added value.
Managers with Gibbs on their roster have likely been frustrated by the fact that he has yet to score more than eight points in any game this season as his team opts to give Montgomery the ball in scoring situations.
That will likely have some shying away from including Gibbs in their starting lineup, and with good reason. In a favorable match-up, with his explosive playmaking ability, he is worth one more start.
Sit 'Em: Miles Sanders vs. Detroit Lions
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If the Lions will benefit from a porous Panthers defense, then Carolina running back Miles Sanders will suffer from facing a Detroit defense that is giving up just 10.4 points per game, per Pro Football Reference.
That Sanders is averaging less than three yards per attempt, has scored just once, and has not rushed for more than 50 yards since the season opener in Atlanta should be all the evidence fantasy managers need to sit him.
Despite the explosiveness we saw out of the fifth-year player in Philadelphia, he has struggled to assert himself in the Panthers' lackluster offense and there is no reason to believe he will pick Sunday, against a superior defense, to break out.
In fact, another sub-par performance from Sanders against the Lions should have managers contemplating dropping him from their rosters entirely and considering another player at the position who is actually producing on a consistent basis.
He will still benefit your team out of the backfield and has surprisingly contributed double-digit point totals in two of his four games this season, but he is not a favorable start against the Lions and should remain on the bench at the very least.
Start 'Em: Terry McLaurin vs. Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears are allowing 24.7 fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, per Pro Football Reference.
Their defense, once the element of the team most synonymous with Chicago, has been abysmal, giving up huge plays and allowing enormous comebacks, as we saw last weekend when Denver came from 21 down to defeat the 0-4 Bears.
The Washington Commanders have not been known as an explosive offense over the last decade or so but on the heels of an impressive overtime loss to the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, there is plenty of reason to believe that Sam Howell and company can build on the momentum from that game and produce a big statistical day against the hapless Bears.
Look for Terry McLaurin to have a big day against that leaky pass defense, with a few big plays down the field and a score or two.
Scary Terry has been remarkably quiet thus far in 2023 but is still averaging over 10 yards per catch. Look for that number to potentially grow as Howell looks to his big-play threat to take advantage of a Bears unit that has to be disappointed and frustrated by the way the season has played out to this point.
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Sit 'Em: CeeDee Lamb vs. San Francisco 49ers
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The game of the week will likely be Sunday night's showdown between the 4-0 San Francisco 49ers and the 3-1 Dallas Cowboys as each team looks to establish themselves as the class of the NFC.
Two great defenses will take the field, potentially affecting the ability of celebrated playmakers to go off and benefit your fantasy team. That includes the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Tony Pollard, and Deebo Samuel, as well as the Cowboys' stud wideout CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb has not scored less than 10 points per game but he has also found the endzone just once this season. Admittedly, the 49ers defense is surprisingly allowing 29.8 fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2023, but expect the team to double Lamb and dare another Cowboys receiver to try and beat them.
The wildly talented player will still have opportunities for big plays and may make them, but the Niners are clearly on a revenge tour this season and are eager to establish themselves as the beasts of the NFC.
That starts against the Cowboys, who may have to look to Michael Gallup or Brandin Cooks to be the difference-maker and affects fantasy managers who will have to look elsewhere on their roster for a player to help replicate what Lamb has done for their team to this point in the season.
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