Start 'Em or Sit 'Em for Fantasy Football Week 5

Time flies when you're having fun—and also when you aren't.

We're already a quarter of the way through the 2019 fantasy football season. And for every team that's ridden Los Angeles Chargers tailback Austin Ekeler and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a 4-0 record, there's another team sifting through a pile of injured and underperforming players sitting at 1-3 or 0-4.

However, the fantasy landscape is ever-changing. The return of Melvin Gordon III has cast doubt over Ekeler's value moving forward. Mahomes is coming off his first zero-touchdown game of the season. All it takes is a bad break or two or a couple of injuries for 4-0 to become 4-4. Starting a season slow doesn't mean that the playoffs are out of the question.

Whether you're riding high or in scramble mode, one of the most important things you can do is set the best lineup possible—milk your starting lineup for every point it's worth.

In that regard, I'm here to help. I've taken a look through the start/sit questions on the Bleacher Report app and selected some that will help offer insight into players who could be in for big games or vanishing acts in Week 5.

Let's keep the good times rolling. Right the ship. Whatever.

Still can't figure out your fantasy football lineup for the week? Check out Your Fantasy Fire Drill with Matt Camp, and he'll solve your problems live. Submit your questions and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET, only on the B/R app.

Ekeler vs. Gordon

From the Bleacher Report App

We might as well start out this week's column with the players who will dominate the fantasy conversation this week—Los Angeles Chargers tailbacks Austin Ekeler and Melvin Gordon.

Over the first month of the 2019 season, Ekeler has been the best PPR fantasy tailback not named Christian McCaffrey. But with Melvin Gordon now back with the Chargers, Ekeler's fantasy value will take a hit—the only questions are when and how much.

Starting both running backs in Week 5 would hedge the bet a bit. But it would do so at the expense of a player in Cooper who was a top-five PPR receiver over the first three weeks of the season before tailing off last week against the New Orleans Saints.

That leaves the question of which Chargers tailback to start alongside Cooper in Week 5. Were this Week 7, or had Gordon seen any action last week against the Dolphins, it might be torch-passing time—and that time is coming soon enough.

But gambling on Gordon going from no touches to a full workload in the span of seven days strikes me as ill-advised.

Gordon's time is coming—just not in Week 5.

The Call: Ekeler and Cooper

Flex Question

From the Bleacher Report App

This question feels like it's from a fantasy owner who watched Jordan Howard explode for three touchdowns on the bench in Week 4.

For what it's worth, I feel your pain.

With Marlon Mack nursing an ankle injury, there's some temptation to go with Nyheim Hines in a game the Colts could easily be trailing for much of. But that was the case last week against the Oakland Raiders, and Hines managed just 45 yards on nine touches.

That leaves a pair of backs in timeshares.

Ronald Jones II had something of a coming-out party last week with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second-year pro was Tampa's lead back most of the second half of last week's big win in Los Angeles, which led to 20 touches for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Howard, on the other hand, exploded in Philly's run-heavy game script against the Green Bay Packers—18 touches, 115 total yards and those three scores.

Were the matchups neutral, Jones would be the play. If last week is any indication, he's earned a larger slice of the pie in the Tampa run game, while Howard and Miles Sanders are a committee attack in the truest sense of the word in Philly.

But the matchups aren't neutral. Jones travels to face a New Orleans Saints defense that just shut down Ezekiel Elliott. Howard gets a home date with a New York Jets team that has allowed the 10th-most PPR fantasy points per game to running backs this year.

That difference in matchups seals the deal.

The Call: Howard

Who Knew We'd Be Asking THIS?

From the Bleacher Report App

You might want to put boards over the windows and tie down the patio furniture.

When two storms of hype this size collide, wind speeds can get pretty hazardous.

In fairness, much of Mayfield's hype has died down in recent weeks. After being drafted as a top-five fantasy option in many leagues, Mayfield has thrown just four touchdown passes on the season and ranks 23rd among quarterbacks in NFL.com default fantasy scoring.

Jones took the NFL by storm in his first NFL start, accounting for four total touchdowns in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His numbers tailed off last week against Washington, but the sixth overall pick in this year's draft still threw one TD pass and got the win.

Neither young quarterback gets the advantage of a favorable matchup—both the Minnesota Vikings (who the New York Giants host) and the San Francisco 49ers (who the Cleveland Browns play in Santa Clara on Monday night) rank outside the top 20 in fantasy points given up to quarterbacks per game.

There are also potential changes at wide receiver for both teams. Golden Tate returns from a four-game suspension for the Giants, while Jarvis Landry of the Browns is in the concussion protocol coming off his huge game against the Baltimore Ravens.

After Mayfield's 342-yard game against Baltimore, he's tempting. But Jones has a healthier WR corps and is more likely to be trailing in this game.

Go with the rookie and hope for garbage time.

The Call: Danny Dimes

Wide Receiver and Flex Help

From the Bleacher Report App

This is a question with a little meat on it!

With the uncertainty surrounding New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold's availability this week against the Philadelphia Eagles, Anderson is out—although it's worth revisiting later in the week if Darnold is cleared to play.

Mecole Hardman of the Kansas City Chiefs has shown he can have a sky-high fantasy ceiling. But as last week's two catches for nine yards showed, his floor can also be dangerously low, and there's a chance that Tyreek Hill could be back Sunday night.

That leaves Marquez Valdes-Scantling of the Green Bay Packers, who will serve as the No. 1 wide receiver for the team if Davante Adams (toe) has to sit out. Given that and Aaron Rodgers' gonzo career stats at AT&T Stadium, he's the call at WR.

That leaves the two flex spots. Loathe though I am to recommend players participating in a London game, David Montgomery of the Bears should be slotted in one of those spots. Montgomery averaged just 2.5 yards a carry last week, but he got 21 carries. The Bears will continue to lean on him with Mitchell Trubisky out.

Darrel Williams of the Kansas City Chiefs is tempting in the final spot, but he's become almost totally touchdown-dependent, and that well is going to dry up at some point. So in the last spot it's Chris Thompson of the rotting carcass of what used to the Washington football team.

The chances of Washington playing from behind against the unbeaten Patriots is approximately all the percents ever, and that could mean a boatload of garbage-time dump-offs.

The Call: Valdes-Scantling, Montgomery, Thompson

Hook Time for Thielen?

From the Bleacher Report App

Ah, the Twin Cities panic attack. It's going around this time of year. Before Stefon Diggs caught seven passes for over 100 yards last week against the Bears, there were plenty of folks freaking out about that wide receiver.

Now, after Thielen was held to just two catches for six yards against Chicago last week, the fantasy furor has shifted to the other star wideout for the Minnesota Vikings.

Take a breath.

Is the sorry state of the Minnesota passing attack as a whole reason for concern? Yep—there's no question that the Vikings offense runs through Dalvin Cook and that Kirk Cousins isn't playing up to his $28 million salary under center. Those factors have adversely affected the Vikings wideouts. There's no getting around that.

But as recently as Week 3, Thielen posted a 3/55/1 line against the Oakland Raiders. Thielen has had at least 12.5 PPR fantasy points in every game but one this year. It's not what fantasy owners hoped for, but it's not cat food, either.

The Atlanta offense is almost as inconsistent as Minnesota's, and while Kyle Allen has provided a spark in Carolina, DJ Moore remains a high-variance fantasy option.

Add in a matchup with a New York Giants team that ranks fifth in PPR fantasy points given up per game to wide receivers this year, and Thielen is an easy start in Week 5.

The Call: Thielen

The Comeback Trail

From the Bleacher Report App

Four whole points? That's nothing. I lost a game in Week 3 by .34 points. That team is now 0-4 and has been outscored by about 20 points total this season. It's literally a lineup decision or two and a catch or two from being undefeated.

The fantasy gods are cruel sometimes.

In regard to your question, first off, thank you for mentioning your scoring—that helps.

In one spot, I'm playing Marquez Valdes-Scantling. With Adams likely out, he's a good bet to see the most targets of any of the receivers listed here, and while the matchup is not great, those targets are opportunities to produce.

Marquise Brown is also a sit. As electrifying as the rookie was earlier in the season, Baltimore's vertical passing game has come off the rails the past two weeks. The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't going to let Brown beat them over the top—he'll likely draw Joe Haden and safety help from Minkah Fitzpatrick.

That leaves Matt Breida of the 49ers and Demarcus Robinson of the Kansas City Chiefs. Robinson is the home run play—all it takes is one long pass for Robinson to have a big fantasy day. But Robinson managed just four catches for 35 yards last week against the Lions despite leading the team in targets with nine. And again, Hill's possible return to the field would wreck his fantasy value.

Breida is a lock for double-digit touches and has over 85 total yards in each of the past two games. Go with the touches and the tailback.

The Call: Valdes-Scantling and Breida

Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood

From the Bleacher Report App

We've already mentioned Davante Adams' toe injury and the effect it could have on the fantasy value of the other pass-catchers in Green Bay.

But we haven't delved into what that might mean for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

That Adams got hurt when he did was especially unfortunate given that we'd finally gotten a Rodgers-esque game from No. 12. After failing to hit even 250 passing yards in each of Green Bay's first three games, Rodgers threw for 422 yards and a pair of touchdowns in last Thursday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

As I said, the fantasy gods can be cruel.

The problem is that once Adams was sidelined, the Packers offense took a big step backward. Valdes-Scantling will be OK in Week 5 largely because of target volume, but against a Cowboys team that ranks outside the top 25 in fantasy points allowed per game to quarterbacks, even Rodgers' history of big games at Jerruh World may not be enough.

Game 5 is apt to look a lot more like the first three than the fourth one.

Rivers' matchup is actually worse—the Broncos are among the worst fantasy matchups in the NFL for the quarterback position in 2019.

But the veteran signal-caller for the Chargers is playing at home with a full complement of offensive weapons. He has also topped 300 passing yards with two scores in consecutive games.

If you have a viable alternative for Rodgers, this is the week to use him.

Rivers is a viable alternative.

The Call: Rivers

Want Me to Pick a Kicker, Too?

From the Bleacher Report App

I keed, I keed.

OK, let’s take these one at a time.

At quarterback, I've already mentioned that Aaron Rodgers is a shaky proposition this week. Given Russell Wilson's history of going off in prime-time games, his solid start to the 2019 season and his three-touchdown outings in both matchups with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018, Wilson is the play under center.

The wide receiver spot is a similarly easy call. Brandin Cooks of the Rams missed last year's trip to the Pacific Northwest, but in the meeting between the two teams in L.A., he had 10 catches for 100 yards.

That leaves the flex spot. Usually, I'd defer to the tailback here and Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals. But the Cincinnati offense is hot garbage and Mixon has yet to accrue even 150 rushing yards four games into the season.

The problem for Marquise Brown is that I expect the Steelers to focus defensive attention on him. With Josh Allen's status for Week 5 iffy at best, John Brown of the Buffalo Bills could be catching passes from Matt Barkley. And DJ Chark Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars is a risky bet in a shaky matchup with an underrated Carolina secondary.

Maybe a Week 5 home tilt with the struggling Arizona Cardinals will be what Mixon needs to get untracked. At any rate, he'll see more touches than the receivers, so Mixon is the play.

The Call: Wilson, Cooks, Mixon

Do-or-Die Time

From the Bleacher Report App

There's no worse feeling than heading into October with your back against the wall.

Again, I feel your pain.

Let's see what we can do to get you a little breathing room.

Given DeSean Jackson's absence and injury, he's out. You just can't trust a guy who hasn't played in weeks.

Mecole Hardman is out too after last week's dud. He has a high ceiling, but that low floor could be a killer. And one more time, Tyreek Hill's return to practice looms over Hardman's fantasy value like a dark cloud.

Tyrell Williams of the Raiders draws a tough matchup with a stout Bears defense and a long plane rise across the Atlantic to London. Were the game in Oakland or Chicago, he'd be worth considering given he's scored in every game this season, but it's not.

That leaves Alshon Jeffery of the Philadelphia Eagles and Sterling Shepard of the New York Giants.

Shepard has been on a nice roll since Daniel Jones took over under center, and while his matchup with the Minnesota Vikings isn't great and the return of Golden Tate from suspension clouds the picture among New York's receivers a bit, he gets one slot.

It's not hard to imagine the Giants trailing in this game (which means throwing the ball), and Shepard and Jones appear to have a nice little rapport.

The possible return of DeSean Jackson could cost Jeffery a few targets. But he's no sure bet to play, and even if he does, a top-five fantasy matchup with a porous Jets secondary is just too good to pass up.

The Call: Jeffery and Shepard

Rapid Fire

Quinn Harris/Getty Images

Now, more quickly than a Miami Dolphins fan loses hope, I'm going to bang out some more advice rapid-fire style.

Here's hoping it's better than the 'Fins.

jasondittman has a question about a returning player. "Would you start Golden Tate as a flex?"

A lot depends on scoring and your other options, but I'd be reasonably confident rolling out Tate in Week 5. He hasn't been hurt, after all—just suspended. The biggest question is his rapport with Danny Dimes in New York.

darinschool72 needs RB and (maybe) flex help. "I have Aaron Jones, (Austin) Ekeler, (Frank) Gore and (Melvin) Gordon. Need 2 RB, maybe one FLEX. PPR."

Keep an eye on Devin Singletary's practice participation this week in Buffalo, as his return would eat into Gore's workload quite a bit. If Singletary sits, give Gordon a week to get his sea legs before starting him in fantasy.

tyler_wilson is digging through the QB scrap heap. "Kyle Allen or Gardner Minshew."

The young quarterbacks for the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars have been pleasant surprises, but it's Allen who has the slightly higher fantasy ceiling.

LSUPhenom has a wide receiver question. "Start Emmanuel Sanders or JuJu (Smith-Schuster)."

Not that long ago, this would have been a no-brainer. It still is—just not in the direction you might think. Pittsburgh may have happened upon an offensive blueprint last week against Cincinnati, but it's not one that will benefit Smith-Schuster. Start Sanders against the Los Angeles Chargers.

pagduyeng wants two wide receivers and a flex in a non-PPR league. "(Emmanuel) Sanders, (Alshon) Jeffery, John Brown, (Darren) Waller and (Wayne) Gallman."

At the wide receiver spots, Sanders and Jeffery are relatively easy calls given Josh Allen's iffy status for Week 5. In the flex spot, my money is on Gallman—touches are that much more important in standard-scoring formats.

ravensfan has choices to make at wide receiver and tight end. "OBJ or Courtland Sutton. (Adam) Thielen or (Chris) Godwin. (Mark) Andrews or (Darren) Waller."

As good as Sutton has been this year, you can't bench Beckham unless you relish watching him explode on national TV. Godwin is as hot as any receiver in the NFL. And Waller is getting buckets full of targets every week.

tysumerel has a quarterback quandary. "Matt Ryan or Dak Prescott?"

Prescott cooled off in last week's loss to the Saints, but he's been better overall than Ryan in 2019. Sunday's big matchup with the Packers has some shootout potential.

sonyc has a stacking concern. "Should I start Robert Woods or Alshon Jeffery? Please note I already have Cooper Kupp in my lineup."

Woods and Kupp showed in Week 4 that they're plenty capable of having a big game in the same week. But Jeffery's matchup with a leaky Jets secondary is too good to pass up. Start Jeffery alongside Kupp.

Have other fantasy football start/sit questions? Post them here, on the Bleacher Report app or on Twitter @IDPSharks, and I'll do my best to help.

Gary Davenport was the Fantasy Sports Writers Association 2017 Football Writer of the Year.