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

We have made it one month into the 2021 fantasy season, and as is always the case, the road to fantasy glory has been littered with surprises.

If you predicted before the season that Daniel Jones of the New York Giants and Sam Darnold of the Carolina Panthers would be top-six fantasy quarterbacks four weeks into the season, then you should probably buy some Powerball tickets. If you predicted that Cordarrelle Patterson of the Atlanta Falcons would rank among the top-seven non-quarterbacks in the game, then you should definitely buy Powerball tickets.

Now, if you are fortunate enough to have rostered one or more of those bargain stars, then odds are the first four weeks of the season have gone well. But if you haven't or your team has been hit by injuries, then the season could already be getting away from you. We could already be in "must-win" territory, where every lineup decision is critical.

If so, take a chill pill—you have help.

As is the case every week here at Bleacher Report, I have looked through questions on the B/R app and selected some that will hopefully help both the managers who asked them and others in setting their Week 5 lineups.

Let's get to work.

Making the Best of a Bad Situation

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

Pick a wide receiver and a flex in a non-PPR league. Allen Robinson, Marvin Jones, Miles Sanders and Henry Ruggs. Thanks! -- @aburgosv

First off, that's an excellent display of politeness and etiquette.

Second, ouch.

Back in Week 1, this would have been an easy call, but a lot has changed between then and now.

The wide receiver call is a fairly easy one. Last week's clunker aside, Marvin Jones Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars has been the most reliable fantasy wideout on his team. DJ Chark Jr.'s season-ending injury should mean a boost in targets for Jones, and this week, the Jaguars face a Tennessee Titans team that has allowed the third-most points-per-reception points to wide receivers this season.

Then things get tricky.

Normally, deferring to a running back is the way to go in flex spots, especially in standard-scoring formats. It's a matter of following the touches. But that's the problem with Miles Sanders of the Philadelphia Eagles—he has just 15 over the past two games combined.

Henry Ruggs III of the Las Vegas Raiders is a constant threat to score a long touchdown, but he's also quite capable of a two-catch disappearing act. Allen Robinson II of the Bears was drafted in most leagues as a WR1, but his stat line through four games (13/149/1) looks more like a week than a month.

Still, Robinson is coming off a season-high 63 yards ahead of a matchup with a banged-up Raiders secondary. It's not a call made with a lot of confidence, but Robinson gets the second spot.

The Calls: Marvin Jones Jr., Allen Robinson II

2 from 4

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Please Pick 2. Mike Williams, Cordarrelle Patterson, Darrell Henderson, Mike Evans. -- @jjon320

It would help to know if this league's scoring was PPR or standard. We'll assume the former because most leagues award one point for a reception, and nothing has ever gone awry because of making assumptions.

The easiest "yes" on this list is the player who will see the most touches in Week 5—Los Angeles Rams running back Darrell Henderson Jr.

After sitting out Week 3 with a rib injury, Henderson was right back in his lead role against the Arizona Cardinals, parlaying 19 touches into 116 total yards. Add in a matchup with a Seattle Seahawks team giving up the most fantasy points in the NFC to running backs, and you have the makings of a strong start.

From there, things get trickier. Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams has been a top-10 fantasy option this season, but he's coming off easily his worst stat line of the season. Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has heated up after a slow Week 1, but he draws a shaky matchup this week with Xavien Howard and the Miami Dolphins. Cordarrelle Patterson is coming off a three-score effort against the Washington Football Team, but he's playing just 34 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps.

There's a case to be made for all three guys. However, Evans has logged at least 14.5 PPR points in each of the past three weeks, and that high floor gives the 28-year-old the edge.

The Calls: Darrell Henderson Jr., Mike Evans

Double-Barreled Dilemma

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

.5 PPR…Corey Davis or Brandin Cooks? Full PPR…(Nyheim) Hines, Jared Cook or Curtis Samuel? -- @greekgod716

The first of these questions is pretty easy to answer, even if I don't feel great about doing so.

I will freely confess that I do not like Brandin Cooks' matchup Sunday with the New England Patriots. It's no secret that Bill Belichick loves to take away what an opponent does best offensively, and right now, throwing to Cooks is essentially all the Texans are doing offensively.

That's the thing, though. While Corey Davis of the New York Jets has been up-and-down this season, Cooks has been thrown at early and often each and every week. Only eight wideouts have gotten more targets than the 28-year-old. Add in the near certainty that Houston will be playing from behind, and Cooks is the play.

So far as question No. 2 goes, Curtis Samuel's four catches for 19 yards in his 2021 debut last week wasn't nearly enough to get him considered for a starting spot here. Los Angeles Chargers tight end Jared Cook had a big game last week (6/70/1), but before that, he had just 10 catches over the first three games combined.

Nyheim Hines wasn't a factor in last week's win over the Miami Dolphins, but the pass-catching back for the Indianapolis Colts has double-digit touches in two of four games this season and should be more involved in a game against the Ravens when the Colts will likely be trailing.

The Calls: Brandin Cooks, Nyheim Hines

We Miss You, Monty

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Lost David Montgomery. RB2…Damien Harris, (Tony) Pollard, A.J. Dillon, Alex Collins. Waiver is EMPTY. (Myles) Gaskin is the top one left but no thanks. -- @fsjetset23

You think losing Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery to a knee injury is bad? Try being the fantasy manager with Montgomery who dropped Damien Harris last week to add a wide receiver.

I was rostering eight backs. Needed a wideout. I hate fantasy football sometimes.

Now that I'm done whining, on to the question.

Tony Pollard of the Dallas Cowboys has shown he can have fantasy value even with Ezekiel Elliott healthy, but he hasn't scored or tallied 100 total yards since Week 2. He's a pass.

AJ Dillon of the Green Bay Packers set season highs in carries (15) and total yards (97) last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the second-year pro carried the ball just 15 times over the season's first three games combined. There's just no telling how much work he'll get Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Similarly, Seattle's Alex Collins had 10 carries for 44 yards and a score against San Francisco last week, but that was after just three carries over the season's first three weeks. No thanks.

That leaves Damien Harris of the New England Patriots. Yes, Harris had a miserable game running the ball last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but everyone has a miserable game running the ball against the Bucs. This week's matchup with a bad Houston Texans team should mean a much more positive game script and a real chance at a 100-yard rushing day.

The Call: Damien Harris

Ride the Hot Hand

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Either (Mark) Andrews or (Dallas) Goedert at TE full PPR. Then pick two—(Cordarrelle) Patterson vs. Jets, (Tyler) Lockett vs. Rams or (Chuba) Hubbard vs. Eagles? Thank You! -- @mpb2790

Again, such etiquette! Such manners!

At tight end, both Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles and Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens are solid weekly starters. Goedert is also coming off his best game of the season after posting five catches for 56 yards and a score against the Chiefs.

But splitting targets with Zach Ertz, Goedert has just 13 catches for 188 yards on the season. Meanwhile, Andrews has hauled in 10 catches for 176 yards over the past two weeks. Andrews is the play.

At the flex spots, Chuba Hubbard of the Carolina Panthers didn't have a great game in his first start in place of the injured Christian McCaffrey last week. He still totaled 15 touches for 71 yards, though, and gets a Philadelphia Eagles team Sunday that has given up the ninth-most PPR points to running backs in 2021.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett is capable of blowing up in any given game—he topped 100 yards and found the end zone in each of the first two games of this season. However, he didn't enjoy a ton of success against the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, recording just eight catches for 110 yards in two touchdown-less games.

No, the final spot here goes to Cordarrelle Patterson of the Atlanta Falcons. Patterson may not be playing a ton of snaps, but his per-snap fantasy production has been ridiculous. Per Dan Comer of The Ringer, Patterson is averaging 0.86 fantasy points per snap through four games this season.

That level of production is hard to ignore. 

The Calls: Mark Andrews, Chuba Hubbard, Cordarrelle Patterson

Quarterback Quandary

Brett Duke/Associated Press

Daniel Jones or Kirk Cousins this week? Sat Jones and lost Week 4. -- @Bigdjw

The first thing you need to do here is put that Week 4 loss where it belongs—in the past. Over the first three weeks of the season, Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings ranked fourth among all quarterbacks in fantasy points. Starting him against the Cleveland Browns was the right move. It just didn't pan out, especially after Daniel Jones of the New York Giants lit up the Saints for a career-high 402 passing yards.

It happens.

Credit to Jones, who now sits sixth in fantasy points—six slots ahead of Cousins after his clunker at home against the Browns. But the pair are only separated by about three fantasy points per game, so it's safe to call them comparable options.

Jones and the Giants travel to Dallas this week to face the high-flying Cowboys. It's a game when Jones may well have to throw the ball to keep up, and Dallas has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2021.

Meanwhile, Cousins and the Vikings are home against the winless Detroit Lions. It's a game where it's not that hard to imagine the Vikes getting out to an early lead and running the ball in the second half. For the season, the Lions are allowing the 14th-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks.

From a matchup perspective, the pick here is clear, even if it feels a little odd to say it.

Roll with Danny Dimes.

The Call: Daniel Jones

Underperformers, Assemble!

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Flex in a .5 PPR. Robert Woods, Allen Robinson, Mike Davis, Jared Cook or Jamaal Williams? -- @Washallday

Well, ain't this a fun group—if you like disappointments.

It seems a bit odd given the names involved, but with only half a point awarded for receptions, all three of the pass-catchers can be ruled out. We have already discussed how frustrating Allen Robinson II of the Bears has been this season. Perhaps now that Justin Fields has been named the permanent starter for the Bears under center, Robinson's fortunes will improve, but it's unwise to count on that this week.

Robert Woods of the Los Angeles Rams hasn't exactly lit the world on fire, either, as the ninth-year veteran has topped 50 receiving yards in a game once this season and needed a garbage-time touchdown to salvage a decent Week 4. Jared Cook had a solid Week 4 for the Chargers, but he hadn't made much of a fantasy impact before that.

Mike Davis remains the nominal lead back for the Atlanta Falcons, but he has averaged a miserable 3.1 yards a carry to date. Last week, he gained all of 14 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Jamaal Williams may not even be the No. 1 running back for the Detroit Lions, but like teammate D'Andre Swift, Williams ranks inside the top 20 running backs in half-PPR leagues a month into the season. He is averaging 4.5 yards per carry this year and has tallied double-digit touches in all four games, including a season-high 14 carries last week.

It's those opportunities to produce that make Williams the play.

The Call: Jamaal Williams

DraftKings DFS Question of the Week

Matt Patterson/Associated Press

Pick 2 WRs in DK's Fantasy Football Millionaire contest between D.J. Moore, Terry McLaurin, Mike Williams and Deebo Samuel -- @AlbeenoPacino

Hitting the top shelf at wide receiver I see.

Given how closely packed all these wideouts are, the best place to start is probably at the bottom of the price points. The potential insertion of rookie Trey Lance at quarterback adds some uncertainty to the passing game of the San Francisco 49ers. But four games into 2021, Deebo Samuel [DK DFS VALUE $7,100] has more receiving yards than any player in the NFL. He's going to be targeted frequently against an Arizona Cardinals secondary that can be had through the air.

The first pass is Mike Williams of the Los Angeles Chargers [DK DFS VALUE $7,200]. Williams was on fire the first three weeks of the season, but last week's one catch for 11 yards on four targets against the Raiders is worrisome enough to eliminate him from consideration.

That leaves two alpha-dog wideouts for the last spot in Terry McLaurin of the Washington Football Team [DK DFS VALUE $7,400] and DJ Moore of the Carolina Panthers [DK DFS VALUE $7,500]. Both rank inside the top 10 in both receiving yards and PPR points among wide receivers.

McLaurin has the better matchup against a New Orleans Saints team surrendering the ninth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. But Moore ranks fourth in the league with 43 targets and is tied for second in the league with 30 receptions.

That robust target volume is just too good to pass up.

The Call: DJ Moore, Deebo Samuel

Rapid Fire

Matt Patterson/Associated Press

As we do every week, we'll put a bow on this week's Start/Sit column by slamming out some Rapid Fire answers to reader questions.

Have more Start/Sit questions? Leave them in the comments. I try to spend a few hours there on Friday and/or Saturday, answering as many as possible.

Chuba Hubbard or Chris Carson? -- @Karan_Patel13

As was already mentioned, Hubbard gets a top-10 fantasy matchup for running backs this week against an Eagles team that has struggled against the run of late. Chris Carson of the Seattle Seahawks split carries with Alex Collins last week and is iffy to even play Thursday with a neck injury. Hubbard is the clear play, even if Carson does give it a go.

Robby Anderson or Kenny Golladay PPR? -- @b_hanson

The good news that Sam Darnold remembered that Robby Anderson was on the Carolina Panthers last week, targeting him 11 times. But Anderson managed just five catches for 46 yards, while Kenny Golladay of the New York Giants surpassed 100 receiving yards for the first time this season last week. Go with Golladay here.

Dawson Knox or T.J. Hockenson for TE spot? -- @kyle_mckenzie5

Hockenson's production has dipped, largely because the Lions tight end has been the focus of opposing defenses. Meanwhile, Buffalo's Dawson Knox has nine catches for 86 yards and three scores over the past two games. Still, Hockenson has at least eight targets in three of four games this year—provided his balky ankle allows him to play, the Detroit tight end should be in lineups.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire or Joe Mixon? -- @landonbeck

This is another question where injury is a factor—Joe Mixon missed practice Wednesday after spraining his ankle late in last week's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Clyde Edwards-Helaire of the Chiefs has a poor fantasy matchup with the Buffalo Bills, but he's healthy and coming off back-to-back 100-yard efforts on the ground. CEH has a lower ceiling, but you also aren't risking Mixon reaggravating the injury. Ride with Edwards-Helaire.

(Cole) Beasley or DeVonta Smith? 12 Team PPR. -- @SkolVikings1236

Buffalo's Cole Beasley and Philadelphia's DeVonta Smith are heading in opposite directions—Beasley had just two catches for 16 yards against Houston in Week 4, while Smith logged his first career 100-yard game. Add to that that Smith is the Eagles' No. 1 wide receiver, and the rookie is the way to go against the Carolina Panthers.

Should I start (Noah) Fant or (Dalton) Schultz?

Denver's Noah Fant and Dallas' Dalton Schultz are both off to a good start to the 2021 season—both rank inside the top seven in PPR points after four weeks this season. But Fant could be dealing with a change in quarterbacks this week, and once Drew Lock entered the game last week, Denver's offense ground to a halt. Just pass on the risk and go with Schultz.

(Jalen) Hurts or (Sam) Darnold? -- @aig14

Carolina's Sam Darnold has experienced quite the early resurgence in his new home—he's fifth in fantasy points among quarterbacks and leads the position in rushing touchdowns. But as good as Darnold has been from a fantasy perspective, Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts has been even better, and the Panthers defense was exposed a bit last week against Dallas. Hurts is the play.

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Fantasy points allowed and scoring data courtesy of My Fantasy League.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter at @IDPSharks.