Fantasy Football Week 5: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

We suspected that the 2020 fantasy football season was going to be even wilder than usual. Four weeks in, we haven't been disappointed.

In addition to surprise stars like Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson and fantasy duds like Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake, the injuries continue to mount. Last week, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb and Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler joined a long list of prominent players with significant injuries.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also wreaking havoc on the NFL. The Week 4 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans was postponed until Week 7. The New England Patriots played without quarterback Cam Newton after he tested positive. And with new positive cases this week in Tennessee, Las Vegas and New England, more games may be in jeopardy of postponement in Week 5.

These complications aren't making setting fantasy lineups any easier. But we're here to help in that regard.

Whether it's a season-long league or DFS, I've looked through questions on the Bleacher Report App and highlighted some queries that should assist you in determining values to target and potential busts to avoid.

Here's to You, Mr. Robinson

From the Bleacher Report App

In a fantasy football season where so much has gone wrong, Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson might be the biggest feel-good story yet. In about a month, he's gone from an unheralded undrafted free agent to legitimate RB1 consideration. Robinson hasn't had fewer than 90 scrimmage yards in a game this year, and he's scored three times in four contests.

If it sounds like I'm making a case for him to get one of these spots, it's because I am, especially with a matchup on tap against a winless Houston Texans team that Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook just gashed for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

The second spot is trickier.

Vikings rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been on fire the past two weeks, hauling in 11 catches for a staggering 278 yards and a score. He also draws a Seattle Seahawks team that has allowed the most PPR points to wide receivers this year.

However, Los Angeles Chargers wideout Keenan Allen is similarly enticing. With rookie quarterback Justin Herbert under center for the past three games, Allen has been targeted 41 times, hauling in 28 of those targets for 290 yards and a touchdown. Over that span, Allen ranks third among all wide receivers in PPR points.

As good as Allen has been, the smarter play here typically would be to follow the touches (and opportunity) and go with Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs. And in standard scoring leagues, that's still the way to go.

However, a few things are working against Jacobs here. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Raiders will likely fall behind and be forced to the air. The second is two more positive COVID-19 tests in New England (Kansas City's Week 4 opponent), which could jeopardize the Raiders' chances of even playing Sunday.

Given that, it's Allen in spot No. 2.

The Call: James Robinson (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,700), Keenan Allen (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,400)

You Guys Are Making Me Weepy

From the Bleacher Report App

Every one of these wide receiver questions makes me sob while I try to decide between Tim Patrick and Keelan Cole Sr. in my own leagues.

This is a solid set of options, but the first player ruled out is Tyler Boyd of the Cincinnati Bengals. Boyd has been hot, piling up 24 catches for 287 yards and one touchdown over the past three weeks. But he draws a difficult matchup Sunday with the Baltimore Ravens and their duo of Pro Bowl cornerbacks.

CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys is out, too. He had a two-score outing last week against the Cleveland Browns, but as the No. 3 receiver in Dallas (or No. 2 until Michael Gallup stops vanishing), target share could be an issue against the Giants.

That leaves Diontae Johnson of the Pittsburgh Steelers and DJ Chark Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars. After missing most of Pittsburgh's last game with a concussion, Johnson has been cleared for this week's game with an Eagles team that has been ravaged by injuries. But Johnson is also the No. 2 option in the Pittsburgh passing game behind JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Chark is coming off a huge 8/95/2 stat line on nine targets in last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and Jacksonville's opponent this week (the winless Texans) has been a decent fantasy matchup for receivers in 2020.

Just ask Adam Thielen of the Vikings, who caught eight passes for 114 yards and a touchdown last week against Houston.

Like Thielen, Chark is a big (6'4") receiver who should be able to body up Houston's cornerbacks.

The Call: DJ Chark Jr. (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,500)

The Milk Carton Blues

From the Bleacher Report App

Now this looks more like my lineups.

The flex decision here is an easy one. With Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy both banged up last week, Ronald Jones II was the clear lead back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The third-year pro made the most of the extra work, piling up 128 total yards on 26 touches. His nine targets were a career high.

The wide receiver slot is a tougher call. It's a choice between players who have been disappointing, really disappointing and you have to be freaking kidding me.

Dallas Cowboys wideout Michael Gallup had one big game against the Seattle Seahawks and three complete clunkers otherwise, even though Dak Prescott is throwing for approximately all the yards ever. Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green has been even worse, as he's caught only 14 of 33 targets for 119 yards.

Hard pass on both.

That brings us to Emmanuel Sanders, who hasn't been great during his first season with the New Orleans Saints. But over the past two games, the 33-year-old has hauled in 10 catches for 149 yards and a score.

Even if Michael Thomas returns this week, Sanders gets the nod here.

The Call: Ronald Jones Jr. (DraftKings DFS Value: $5,800), Emmanuel Sanders (DraftKings DFS Value: $4,800)

The Milk Carton Blues 2.0

From the Bleacher Report App

This is a rough trio of wide receivers—so rough that it makes Michael Gallup look good.

Arizona Cardinals wideout Christian Kirk found the end zone last week, but he has only six receptions for 76 yards for the season.

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Keelan Cole Sr. came out of the gate hot, scoring touchdowns in each of his first two games. The fourth-year pro also has at least four catches and 40 yards in every game this season. However, he has only eight grabs for 89 yards over the past two weeks combined, which is not an overly impressive floor.

Of the group, Gallup has the best single-game stat line of the bunch—six grabs for 138 yards and a score against Seattle in Week 3. It's a risky call, but Gallup has the most upside of the bunch. Cole gets the second spot, if only because he's at least done something in 2020.

The flex options aren't a lot better.

James White is a low-ceiling PPR option playing for a Patriots team whose Week 5 status is in doubt after Stephon Gilmore tested positive for COVID-19. Miami Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin is coming off his lowest yardage output of the season and faces a San Francisco 49ers team that ranks last in fantasy points given up to running backs.

Chase Edmonds is stuck behind Kenyan Drake on an Arizona Cardinals team that hasn't run the ball well. Devonta Freeman is the lead back for a New York Giants team that hasn't done anything well. And Mark Ingram II plays for a Baltimore Ravens team that's using a three-headed committee attack.

Of the group, the best play is likely Freeman against a Dallas Cowboys defense that just allowed 307 rushing yards to the Cleveland Browns last week.

But "best" is a relative concept here.

The Call: Michael Gallup (DraftKings DFS Value: $5,400), Keelan Cole (DraftKings DFS Value: $4,700), Devonta Freeman (DraftKings DFS Value: $4,600)

Banged-Up Backfield

From the Bleacher Report App

Injuries have hit quite a few fantasy teams hard in 2020. But losing both Saquon Barkley of the Giants and Austin Ekeler of the Chargers is rough even by this year's standards.

That David Johnson of the Houston Texans might be the easiest start of this quartet doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. Although Johnson hasn't done much in his first four games in Houston, Texans interim head coach Romeo Crennel is old-school. He'll likely try to establish the run against a Jaguars team surrendering the sixth-most PPR points to running backs.

David Montgomery of the Chicago Bears doesn't have the same favorable matchup. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers led the league in run defense last year and are a middling fantasy matchup for the position in 2020. But he is also Chicago's clear lead back, as he has at least 13 touches in every game this season.

That leaves one spot and two backs—Myles Gaskin of the Dolphins and Darrell Henderson Jr. of the Los Angeles Rams. Henderson topped 100 yards with a score two weeks ago, but he follow that up by getting only nine touches in Week 4 against the Giants.

Given the committee situation with the Rams and a lousy matchup with a Washington team that has given up the seventh-fewest fantasy points to backs in 2020, Gaskin gets the final spot. The ceiling may not be there, but at least the touches will be.

The Call: David Johnson (DraftKings DFS Value: $5,200), David Montgomery (DraftKings DFS Value: $5,400), Myles Gaskin (DraftKings DFS Value: $4,800)

The Drake Dilemma

From the Bleacher Report App

Remember when we thought some of these options were going to be good? Maybe even great?

Ah, the good old days.

To be fair, Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders has been solid. Over the past three weeks, the second-year pro has been a top-20 PPR option among running backs. Sanders has a rotten matchup this week against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense allowing just 54 yards a game on the ground and the second-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs, but he's still the best of this bunch.

On the other hand, Kenyan Drake has been a massive disappointment this season. He's averaging only 3.8 yards per carry and has a middling five receptions through four games. But Drake's struggles have been more about the Cardinals offense as a whole than just the player himself, and he gets a dream matchup in Week 5 against a putrid Jets defense.

In the flex spot, even if the Chiefs and Patriots actually play Sunday (which isn't a given at the moment), the receivers are out. Julian Edelman's quarterback situation is a mess, and Mecole Hardman is a fantasy Powerball ticket—the payoff is huge if you hit, but the odds of it happening aren't great.

Damien Harris piled up 100 yards on 17 carries last week in Kansas City, and with Cam Newton likely still out in Week 5, the Pats will undoubtedly lean heavily on the ground game again.

The Call: Miles Sanders (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,500), Kenyan Drake (DraftKings DFS Value: $5,700), Damien Harris (DraftKings DFS Value: $4,300)

Sweet Sixteen

From the Bleacher Report App

Sixteen-team fantasy leagues are quite challenging. Depth is often hard to come by, and one injury can be all it takes to derail a season.

We'll take these one at a time.

In the first league, David Montgomery is an easy yes, even in a so-so matchup with the Buccaneers, since he's healthy and a good bet for 15-plus touches. We've already discussed Edmonds' position on Arizona's depth chart and Gaskin's limited upside—he just isn't getting looks close to the end zone. D'Ernest Johnson of the Cleveland Browns had a nice game against Dallas in Week 4, but there's no telling how many carries he'll get against the Colts.

That leaves Raheem Mostert of the 49ers, who could be in for a big game against Miami if he's recovered enough from his knee injury to play. If he isn't, Gaskin gets the nod because he's a better bet for 10-plus touches than Edmonds or Johnson.

The second league is a much easier call. Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys should be in lineups every week other than his bye. And while Todd Gurley of the Atlanta Falcons had his best game of the year against Green Bay, he hasn't been nearly as consistent as James Robinson.

The Call: David Montgomery (DraftKings DFS Value: $5,400), Raheem Mostert (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,100), Ezekiel Elliott (DraftKings DFS Value: $7,800), James Robinson (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,700)

The Defense Rests

From the Bleacher Report App

All right! A defense question!

The Indianapolis Colts have been lights-out on defense so far this season, propelling the team to a 3-1 record. The Colts lead the NFL in yards allowed, points allowed and pass defense. They also lead all defenses in fantasy points.

And yet, the Rams are the play here. The reason why is simple: matchup.

The Colts are playing a Cleveland Browns team that just came one point from dropping a fifty-burger on the Dallas Cowboys. The Rams, on the other hand, take on a Washington Football Team allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to defenses. Washington also just decided to start Kyle Allen at quarterback because head coach Ron Rivera apparently forgot what it looks like when Allen plays quarterback.

The tight end call is a bit trickier, because both Dalton Schultz of the Cowboys and Mike Gesicki of the Dolphins have bottom-10 fantasy matchups. But in addition to having the slightly better matchup, Schultz has been hotter of late. In two of the past three games, he has notched at least 70 receiving yards and a touchdown.

The Call: Los Angeles Rams (DraftKings DFS Value: $4,000), Dalton Schultz (DraftKings DFS Value: $4,800)

DraftKings DFS Question of the Week

From the Bleacher Report App

Love me some bargain-bin quarterbacks—even if my Ryan Fitzpatrick play in Week 4 didn't work out as well as I had hoped.

We can knock one of these guys out of the running quickly. Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans hasn't been able to practice for more than a week, and he won't for at least a few more days. It's far from certain that the Buffalo Bills and Titans will play at all in Week 5. Even if they do, Tannehill is a pass.

So is rookie quarterback Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft has been solid so far, ranking 10th in fantasy points among quarterbacks so far this season. The Bengals will also likely be playing from behind against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, which means more pass attempts. But Burrow has the worst fantasy matchup of this trio, which makes him a pass.

That brings us to Teddy Bridgewater of the Carolina Panthers, who has quite a few things going for him this week against the Atlanta Falcons. First, he's the cheapest start of this bunch. Granted, it's only by $100, but it's still "cash" that can be spent on other positions.

Second, Bridgewater had the best Week 4 of the group, lighting up the Arizona Cardinals for 308 total yards and three touchdowns.

Finally, Bridgewater has the best fantasy matchup of the group. The seventh-year veteran faces a Falcons defense that has given up the most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year.

Stacking Bridgewater with either Robby Anderson or DJ Moore (or both, if you're feeling especially froggy) isn't a terrible idea this week.

The Call: Teddy Bridgewater (DraftKings DFS Value: $5,900)

Rapid Fire

Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press

There is 1:40 left in the fourth quarter, we're down four and have ball at our own 28-yard like with two timeouts.

Lost the third one on a challenge. Don't care what they say—that dude was out of bounds.

It's time to drive the length of the field for the win and slam out some answers rapid-fire style.

djdelman needs help at the tight end position. (Hayden) Hurst, (Rob) Gronkowski or (Dalton) Schultz? PPR.

Rob Gronkowski is an easy pass here. Even with O.J. Howard out for the year, his target share fluctuates too much. If Hayden Hurst of the Falcons had a more favorable matchup, this might be a closer call, but it isn't. Ride the hot hand with Dalton Schultz. (DraftKings DFS Value: $4,800)

It's a quarterback question for mwhalen2. "Do I start Tom Brady or Gardner Minshew this week?"

Neither of these quarterbacks have a good matchup. The Houston Texans allow the fifth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks, while the Chicago Bears have surrendered the second-fewest. But one of these quarterbacks threw for more than 350 yards with five touchdown passes to five different receivers in Week 4. The other, um, did not. Roll with Tom Brady (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,300) against the Bears on Thursday night.

GrinchJones wants to steal a win but needs the right wide receiver to do it. "Robert Woods or Terry McLaurin?"

Had Ron Rivera not taken leave of his senses and benched Dwayne Haskins in favor of Kyle Allen this week, McLaurin would have been the call here, even with Jalen Ramsey likely to shadow him Sunday. But now in addition to that coverage problem, the quarterback position in D.C. is a question. Look to the other sideline and Robert Woods (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,400) of the Rams.

We'll stay with the wide receivers for nplem19. "CeeDee Lamb or Will Fuller?"

This is essentially a toss-up between two game-breaking young wide receivers capable of winning a matchup single-handedly. But while CeeDee Lamb of the Cowboys has shined over the first month of his NFL career, he isn't the top dog in the Dallas passing game. Will Fuller V (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,600) is in Houston, and Brandin Cooks' Week 4 doughnut put that to rest. That leaves Fuller with the better fantasy floor and makes him the play here.

Jpizzle3192 has a running back dilemma. "10-team PPR, Pick 3…Joe Mixon, James Conner, Mike Davis, Raheem Mostert, Jerick McKinnon."

After erupting last week against the Jaguars, Joe Mixon (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,300) of the Bengals needs to be lineups, even in a bad matchup with the Ravens. Ditto for James Conner (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,900) of the Steelers, who has been solid since his Week 1 dud. The emergence of Mike Davis (DraftKings DFS Value: $6,400) in Carolina spares you worrying about Mostert's knee or the carry-share in San Francisco, and Davis has a top-10 fantasy matchup Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

Raulthepoolguy is looking for a "sleeper" at wide receiver. "(Brandon) Aiyuk, Scotty Miller or (Laviska) Shenault? PPR."

Brandon Aiyuk of the 49ers is tempting after he scored each of the past two weeks. And Laviska Shenault Jr. has shown flashes as a rookie with the Jaguars. But with Chris Godwin sitting out, Scotty Miller (DraftKings DFS Value: $4,500) of the Buccaneers is the call after he posted a 5/83/1 line in Week 4.

Finally, aig14 wants to rub it in. "Dak Prescott or Josh Allen?"

Seriously, dude? Talk about an embarrassment of riches. Kidding aside, this question is included more because of the situation facing Allen and the Bills than the players involved. With two more Titans players testing positive for COVID-19 Wednesday, there's a chance that Bills-Titans could be postponed. That makes this an easier call. Go with fantasy football's highest-scoring quarterback so far this season, Dak Prescott (DraftKings DFS Value: $7,400) of the Cowboys.

DFS player salaries courtesy of DraftKings. Fantasy scoring data courtesy of FFToday. Fantasy points against data courtesy of My Fantasy League.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year.