Week 5 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Play or Bench Tips for Fantasy Football Owners

Not every NFL player is a Patrick Mahomes or Christian McCaffrey. Stars like that can be kept in a fantasy football lineup all season (except on their bye weeks) with no worries, even if their team has a difficult matchup that week.

It's not always that easy, though. And the decisions of whether to start or sit different players can greatly impact a fantasy team's performance. One or two wrong choices can lead to a loss at a crucial time.

With that in mind, here's a look at some guys that fantasy football players should consider starting and sitting in Week 5.

Start 'Em

QB: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Arizona Cardinals

QB: Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

RB: Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos

RB: Sony Michel, New England Patriots at Washington Redskins

WR: Josh Gordon, New England Patriots at Washington Redskins

WR: Alshon Jeffery, Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Jets

WR: Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers

TE: Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams

TE: Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys

Dalton and Winston should both have the opportunity to pass a lot this week, which will lead to big fantasy days for both quarterbacks.

The Bengals are hosting the Cardinals, who have allowed at least 23 points in each of their first four games of the season. So although Cincinnati only scored three points on Monday night at Pittsburgh, Dalton should help the Bengals get on track and potentially lead them to their first win of the season with a strong showing.

Winston and the Bucs have a tough matchup against the Saints. But there's the potential for both offenses to put up a lot of points, which Tampa Bay is certainly capable of doing, as shown by its 55-point performance against the Rams last week.

Even though Melvin Gordon is returning to the Chargers backfield Sunday, Ekeler is still a good play as he should also be heavily involved against the Broncos.

Michel and Gordon will both be strong plays, as the Patriots should have no problem getting the ball around to all of their playmakers in what should be a dominant performance against a struggling Redskins defense.

Graham had his best showing of the season last week with six receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. He should follow that up with another solid game against the Cowboys, which could be a big offensive day for both teams.

Sit 'Em

QB: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks

QB: Daniel Jones, New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings

RB: Frank Gore, Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans

RB: Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders vs. Chicago Bears

WR: DJ Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars at Carolina Panthers

WR: Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans

WR: Sterling Shepard, New York Giants vs. Minnesota Vikings

TE: O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

TE: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers

Goff may have passed for 517 yards last week, but he also threw three interceptions that played a key role in the Rams losing to the Buccaneers. He may have a tough time being mistake-free this week while facing a tough Seahawks defense in a hostile environment.

Jones could also struggle despite his success since taking over as the Giants' starting quarterback. The Vikings will have the best defense that Jones has faced so far, and it's likely he'll still go through some growing pains as he continues to adapt to the NFL.

Gore and Jacobs are two running backs who could be slowed on the ground this week.

Although Gore has scored touchdowns in two of the past three weeks and had his first 100-yard game this past week against the Patriots, he might not thrive as much against a solid Titans defense. Plus, rookie running back Devin Singletary could return for Buffalo this week, which would cut into Gore's workload.

Jacobs has been solid through his first four career games, averaging five yards on 62 carries, but he hasn't scored a touchdown since finding the end zone twice in Week 1. He is likely set up to have a tough day against the Bears, who have the toughest defense he's faced yet.