Fantasy Football Week 5 Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers Who Could Emerge

If you are in the market for deep sleepers this week—and we mean deep sleepers—you've come to the right place. Below, we'll give you an option at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end if things are looking a little rough for your lineup this week.

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Zach Wilson, QB, New York Jets

OK, yes, this might seem like a wild idea. Start Wilson, in fantasy? Surely there are better options, right?

Yes. Definitely. Absolutely.

But... this is a deep sleepers article, and it doesn't get much deeper than this. Before you leave, disgusted at the mere thought, consider a few things.

Wilson actually looked pretty good last week against a solid Chiefs defense, throwing for 245 yards, two scores and just one turnover. That was good for 19.2 fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues, 13th among quarterbacks.

His opponent this week, the Denver Broncos, has given up 25.3 fantasy points per week to opposing quarterbacks, easily the worst mark in the NFL.

The Broncos have also been shredded by opposing ground games, so it's possible the Jets will go with a heavier does of the run game this week. But if you find yourself picking at the scraps for a quarterback this week due to injuries or bye weeks, Wilson actually has legitimate upside.

No, seriously. We mean it.

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Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Denver Broncos

Javonte Williams didn't practice Wednesday, an indication that he might not be able to go on Sunday. While Samaje Perine could draw the start if that happens, it was Jaleel McLaughlin who showed up in a big way when Williams was injured in Week 4, out-touching Perine 10-8 while putting up 104 yards from scrimmage, three catches and a touchdown, good for 19.2 fantasy points.

Perine, meanwhile, rushed six times for 12 yards and caught two passes for 23 yards.

Facing a talented Jets defense might not seem appealing, but this is a unit that has given up 16.4 fantasy points to Tony Pollard in Week 2 and 23.2 fantasy points to Isiah Pacheco last week.

There are worse lottery tickets you could buy, in other words.

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Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

None of the Chiefs' wideouts have been particularly relevant from a fantasy perspective, but it's hard to ignore a juicy matchup with a Minnesota Vikings team giving up an NFL-worst 40.1 fantasy points per week to opposing wideouts.

Seven different wideouts have put up double-digit fantasy points on this unit in PPR formats. Three receivers have hit 20 or more points.

The Chiefs will undoubtedly focus on Travis Kelce in the passing game and spread things around beyond that, so any Kansas City wideout is risky. But Rice leads the team's receivers in catches (13), receiving yards (140), targets (19) and is tied for first in touchdowns (one).

None of those numbers are inspiring. But if there's a week for him to break out, it's against this horrid Minnesota secondary. He's indeed a deep sleeper, but at least the ceiling is high.

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Hayden Hurst, TE, Carolina Panthers

It's hard to recommend Hurst with too much enthusiasm, seeing as his scoring output has decreased each game after a strong Week 1 performance (five catches for 41 yards and a score).

That said, the Lions are giving up 12.9 fantasy points a week to opposing tight ends per week, 30th in the NFL.

It's been a bit deceiving, as the Lions haven't actually given up double-digit points to an individual tight end. But they are giving up eight receptions and 75.8 yards per week to players at the position, and Carolina tight ends not named Hurst have combined for a whopping total of three receptions this season.

Hurst has seven more receptions and 12 more targets than Carolina's three other tight ends combined. He's the only real option at the position for the team.

So Hurst could potentially take advantage of a defense that has given up a lot of volume to tight ends. Temper your expectations, of course, but hey—deep sleepers at tight end always are a risky proposition. If you're streaming in a stacked league and it's looking bare, Hurst is an option.