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

With Thursday night's matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears, another week of the 2020 NFL season has arrived. And for fantasy football managers heading into Week 5, your team could be in one of several different positions at this point.

Perhaps you're off to a hot start and looking to keep the early-season momentum going. Maybe you're sitting at 2-2 and hoping to start trending upward in the weeks to come. Or you could be near the bottom of your league's standings and hoping to quickly get things on track.

No matter the situation, there's plenty of time to make the right start/sit decisions on a weekly basis that will help get your team into the playoffs.

Here's a look at some players in Week 5 who should start and sit for your fantasy team.

Start 'Em: Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants

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Daniel Jones' sophomore season has not gotten off to a strong start. He hasn't thrown a touchdown since passing for two in the New York Giants' opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he's been held under 200 passing yards each of the past two weeks.

Over four games, the 23-year-old has passed for 889 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions as New York has started 0-4. However, this could be the week when he plays more like he did near the end of his rookie season.

The Dallas Cowboys are allowing 430.5 total yards per game, the third-most in the NFL. And they've been playing offensive shootouts every week, with both teams piling up yards and points. That is unlikely to change this week, which should make some Giants players worthy of fantasy consideration.

That includes Danny Dimes, who is a solid option for fantasy managers needing to stream a quarterback this week (perhaps those who have Aaron Rodgers, who is on a bye).

This should be Jones' best opportunity so far to have a strong showing.

Sit 'Em: Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

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The Philadelphia Eagles may now be in first place in the NFC East at 1-2-1, but that doesn't mean their top offensive players are must-starts in fantasy. That being said, Carson Wentz is not a quarterback who should be in your lineup this week.

Through four weeks, the 27-year-old has passed for 930 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions. He's thrown a pick in every game and multiple in all but one. Plus, his passing-yards total has gone down each week, which led to his 193-yard performance against the San Francisco 49ers last week.

This week's matchup is unlikely to lead to better results for Wentz. The Pittsburgh Steelers are allowing only 290 total yards per game (second in the NFL), and they're fresh after their Week 4 game was postponed due to numerous positive COVID-19 tests by the Tennessee Titans.

Perhaps Wentz becomes a worthy fantasy starter later in the season when better matchups arise, but leave him on the bench for now.

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

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When Leonard Fournette is in the Buccaneers' lineup, Ronald Jones II's fantasy value is diminished.

However, Fournette is listed as doubtful for Thursday's game due to the ankle injury that caused him to miss Tampa Bay's Week 4 game. And not only that, but fellow running back LeSean McCoy has been ruled out with an ankle problem.

So, that leaves Jones as the Bucs' lead back against the Bears, which makes him a start-worthy player again this week. Against the Chargers in Week 4, he set season highs in carries (20) and rushing yards (111). He was also active in the passing game, notching six catches for 17 yards, increasing his value in points-per-reception leagues.

With wide receiver Chris Godwin out with a hamstring injury and fellow receivers Mike Evans (ankle) and Scotty Miller (hip/groin) both questionable, there should be plenty of opportunities for Jones to touch the ball. And perhaps he'll get into the end zone for the first time since Week 2.

Sit 'Em: Joshua Kelley, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

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With Austin Ekeler due to miss time because of a hamstring injury, Joshua Kelley and Justin Jackson will have to carry the load in the Los Angeles Chargers' backfield.

Consequently, Kelley should have no problem getting touches, which he had already been doing even with Ekeler healthy.

However, the 22-year-old has yet to be productive with those opportunities. Through four weeks, he's averaging 3.3 yards per carry and has only one touchdown. Against the Buccaneers in Week 4, he had nine carries for seven yards and lost a fumble for the second consecutive week.

It won't help that the New Orleans Saints have allowed only 97.5 rushing yards per game, sixth-best in the NFL. And because it's unclear how Kelley and Jackson will split carries moving forward, it's possible the latter could end up earning more opportunities if he fares better than the former.

So, leave Kelley on your bench for now and wait to see how this situation develops and if he can get things going.

Start 'Em: DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

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It's not time to give up on DJ Moore just yet, even though he hasn't lived up to the expectations of most fantasy managers this season. Only four games have been played and there's still time for him to break through with some huge performances.

One of those could be coming this week as the Panthers take on the Atlanta Falcons, who are allowing 448.3 passing yards per game, second-worst in the NFL. That means there should be opportunities for both Moore and Robby Anderson, who has emerged as Carolina's top receiver with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater taking over the offense this season.

Moore doesn't have a touchdown yet in 2020, and he has 18 receptions for 288 yards. He hasn't been targeted much outside of Week 2, when he had eight receptions for 120 yards against the Buccaneers.

However, the 23-year-old is too talented to not get utilized more, and he should break out against the Falcons.

Sit 'Em: A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

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It hasn't been a good start to 2020 for A.J. Green, and things may not be getting better anytime soon.

The Bengals have a pair of talented receivers in Tyler Boyd and rookie Tee Higgins, who will likely continue to be targeted by rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, which may not bode well for fantasy managers with Green on their rosters.

The 32-year-old has 119 receiving yards and no touchdowns through four weeks, and he had only one three-yard reception in last week's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite being targeted 33 times this season, he has only 14 catches.

The Baltimore Ravens are beatable in the secondary, and the Bengals could be playing from behind, so Burrow may be going to the air a good bit. However, that's better for fantasy managers with Boyd and Higgins than it is for those with Green, who seems unlikely to break through again this week.

Start 'Em: Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles Rams

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Tyler Higbee has three touchdowns this season, but they all came in a Week 2 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Outside of that, he hasn't been too productive, as he has only 13 receptions for 154 yards over four weeks. And he hasn't been targeted more than five times in any of the Los Angeles Rams' first four games.

This week's matchup against Washington isn't one in which the 27-year-old is likely to rack up a ton of yards. But he does have a good chance at getting into the end zone because Washington has allowed five touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season.

And when looking for starting options at tight end in fantasy football, having that strong of a chance to score a touchdown is enough to make a player a worthwhile option. So, Higbee is a start-worthy player this week in a contest that L.A. is likely to win.

Sit 'Em: Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

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The absence of Dallas Goedert may actually hurt Zach Ertz more than it will help him.

While Goedert missed the Eagles' Week 4 game against the 49ers with an ankle injury, Ertz had only four receptions for nine yards. He still hasn't gotten into the end zone since Week 1 against Washington.

Ertz doesn't have a favorable matchup going up against Pittsburgh, which is likely to create issues for Philadelphia's offense and again lock in on the 29-year-old to prevent him from being a factor. And although he always has breakout potential, it seems unlikely that such a performance is coming this week.

Don't drop the Stanford product just yet, as he should get it going eventually when the Eagles have better matchups. But if you have the room for a second tight end on your roster, consider finding a better streaming option and leaving him on the bench.