Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 5: Flex, PPR Advice for Fringe Fantasy Football Stars

Every year, there are crucial start/sit decisions in fantasy football that could determine whether your team is a playoff contender or one that's going to come up short. And with all the injuries that have occurred to top players in 2020, that's even more so the case this season.

Another pair of top-tier fantasy running backs went down with injuries in Week 4, as Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb was placed on the short-term injured reserve with an MCL sprain and Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is also likely to miss time with a hamstring injury.

Heading into Week 5, that will leave spots open in some fantasy managers' lineups that will need to be filled. And making the right decisions could be the difference between a win and a loss this week.

Here's a look at several players who should be started this week, as well as several who should be benched.

Start 'Em: Ronald Jones II, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers' offense continues to deal with injuries, and that's not likely to change much with a quick turnaround for this week's Thursday night matchup against the Bears. Wide receivers Mike Evans (ankle) and Chris Godwin (hamstring) and running backs Leonard Fournette (ankle) and LeSean McCoy (ankle) didn't practice on Tuesday, while tight end O.J. Howard is done for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Godwin and Fournette didn't play in Tampa Bay's Week 4 win over the Chargers, and it's possible they'll both be out again. And with Fournette not in the backfield to share the workload, Jones becomes a running back who should be started in fantasy lineups again this week.

Against Los Angeles, Jones had 20 carries for 111 yards while also notching six receptions for 17 yards, making him an even better play in points-per-reception leagues. As the likely top back again this week, Jones should put up solid numbers against the Bears, who are beatable on the ground (115 rushing yards allowed per game).

Sit 'Em: Myles Gaskin, RB, Miami Dolphins

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With the Dolphins going on the road to take on the 49ers, this is not a favorable matchup for Gaskin this week. San Francisco held Philadelphia running back Miles Sanders to 46 yards on 13 carries in Week 4, and it's likely it will do a good job shutting down Miami's run game.

Gaskin has been heavily involved in the Dolphins' offense, but he has yet to turn those opportunities into huge results. He had 27 touches in Week 3, but that led to only 66 yards on his 22 carries and 29 yards on his five receptions. The second-year running back has also yet to get into the end zone this season.

Although the 49ers have been banged up, they're still likely to beat the Dolphins this week and could be playing with a lead. That may lead to more passes from Miami quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and fewer rushes from Gaskin, who has had 10 or fewer carries in each of its first three games. So, leave him on the bench this week.

Start 'Em: Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

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In Week 3, Jefferson had a breakout performance, hauling in seven passes for 175 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' loss to the Titans. In Week 4, the rookie wide receiver proved he's truly emerged as a fantasy option with another strong showing, notching four receptions for 103 yards in a win over the Texans.

This week, Minnesota is traveling to Seattle to take on the Seahawks, who are allowing an NFL-worst 401 passing yards per game. That should bode well for the Vikings' offense, who will likely be passing a lot to try to keep pace with the Russell Wilson-led Seattle offense.

Jefferson was taken by the Vikings in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft to help make up for the loss of Stefon Diggs in their offense, and it's clear he's going to be the No. 2 receiving option behind Adam Thielen moving forward. Take advantage of this matchup, and if you were fortunate enough to pick up Jefferson from the waiver wire after his breakout game, put him in your lineup this week.

Sit 'Em: Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns

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Through four weeks, Landry has only 17 receptions for 191 yards and no touchdowns. He had a 37-yard passing touchdown in the Browns' Week 4 win over the Cowboys, but that's the only reason it wasn't a completely disappointing fantasy day for him, as he had only 48 yards on five catches.

At some point, Landry may finally get going and return to being a standout offensive weapon in Cleveland's offense. That's not going to be this week, however, as the Browns are going up against the Colts, who are allowing an NFL-best 159.3 passing yards per game this week.

If Cleveland puts up offense through the air against Indianapolis, it may be from top receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who is coming off a three-touchdown performance against Dallas. As for Landry, put him on the bench and wait for a better matchup to see if he can finally break through against a less formidable opponent.

Start 'Em: Drew Sample, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

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Although Sample hasn't put up huge numbers yet, he's been on the field a lot for the Bengals' offense. And he's been getting targeted by rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, who has thrown at least five passes in Sample's direction in two of the past three weeks.

Sample had three receptions for 47 yards in Cincinnati's Week 4 win over Jacksonville, and he nearly had his first touchdown of the season, but he couldn't haul in a pass in the end zone, with the ball hitting his face mask and going into the hands of Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack for an interception.

The Ravens are allowing 270 passing yards per game, the seventh-most in the NFL. And because the Bengals could be playing from behind late in the game, they may be going through the air quite a bit. So, this should be an opportunity for Sample to break through and put up some solid numbers, making him a decent streaming option at tight end.

Sit' Em: Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

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With Dallas Goedert out injured, it seemed like Ertz was in a position to put up solid numbers against the 49ers in Week 4. Instead, he had only four receptions for nine yards in Philadelphia's win, as San Francisco completely took him out of the equation.

Ertz hasn't gotten into the end zone since the Eagles' Week 1 loss to Washington, and he had only 130 receiving yards through the first three weeks, despite being targeted 24 times. It's tough to take Ertz out of a fantasy lineup because of his standout play for the majority of his career, but it will have to be done this week.

The Steelers rank second in the NFL with only 290 total yards allowed per game, and they're fresh after their Week 4 matchup against the Titans was postponed following numerous positive COVID-19 test results from Tennessee players. Pittsburgh will likely key in on Ertz in the passing game with Goedert still out, so find a better streaming option at tight end for your fantasy lineup this week.