Recap

Week 4 is over and with it, the first bye week of the year. Here’s hoping that it didn’t hurt you last week. As usual, we had some completely unexpected performances, some duds and everything in between. Here are some of my expectations for Week 5 in Fantasy Football, including some Hot Starts and some Hesitations.

Week 5 Fantasy Football Hot Starts And Hesitations

Quarterbacks

Hot Starts

Lamar Jackson, Ravens (@ Steelers)

He’s come back down to earth lately, hasn’t he? After passing for 596 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions in Baltimore’s first two games, Jackson has passed for 514 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions over his last two. Also, after rushing 16 times for 120 yards in Week 2, Jackson has totaled 17 carries in Weeks 3 and 4 combined. Nobody’s complaining when their quarterback averages 6.59 yards per carry, however.

In Week 5, the Ravens will take on a Pittsburgh defense that has disappointed for the most part in 2019. Though the Steelers defeated the Bengals 27-3 in Week 4, they allowed an average of 28.3 points per game in Weeks 1-3 to New England, Seattle and San Francisco. I think Lamar gets back on track against a Pittsburgh defense that’s vulnerable against the pass and is allowing 122.8 yards per game on the ground.

Carson Wentz, Eagles (vs. Jets)

The Jets have only given up four passing touchdowns in three games but are allowing an average of 286.7 yards through the air, 5th-worst in the NFL. They’ve allowed this against Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, and Tom Brady. Of this Trio, only Mayfield ranks in the top-10 in terms of passing yards per game. Wentz is tied for 2nd in the league with nine touchdown passes and has thrown just two interceptions. He also has one rushing score on just 17 attempts (which itself is tied for 5th-most among quarterbacks). Simply put, Wentz has a high floor against a bad Jets team and is worth starting with confidence.

Jameis Winston, Bucs (@ Saints)

The Saints may have just held an explosive Dallas offense in check, but I like this matchup for Winston. Despite holding Dak Prescott to just 223 passing yards last week, the Saints still rank in the bottom-10 in terms of passing yards allowed per game. They’ve also allowed five passes of 40+ yards, which is tied for the 2nd-worst in the NFL.

Meanwhile, Winston has rebounded from a horrible opening day. Over his last two starts, the 25-year-old is averaging 382.5 passing yards and 9.81 yards per completion, while throwing seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s always a good bet to throw a pick and you never know when Bad Jameis will show up. However, Good Jameis is really good and my prediction is that Good Jameis shows up this week in the Superdome. There are much worse starting options out there.

Hesitations

Dak Prescott, Cowboys (vs. Packers)

Prescott finished as the QB24 in Week 4, passing for 223 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. He only carried the ball once for seven yards. This result came as a bit of a surprise, as the Saints had allowed an average of 319 passing yards and two passing touchdowns per game heading into the matchup.

This week, the Cowboys host a Packers team that is giving up 188 passing yards per game (3rd in the NFL). The Packers have tallied four interceptions and have given up only four passing touchdowns, with three of them coming against Carson Wentz last week. It’s tough to go against the Dallas offense at home, so I understand if you start Prescott. However, if you have safer options this week, roll with them.

Marcus Mariota, Titans (vs. Bills)

Through four weeks, the QB8 is none other than Marcus Mariota. The former Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for 933 yards with seven touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 112 yards on the ground. Mariota may be a popular Waiver Wire add following a gutsy Week 4 performance in a victory over Atlanta, in which he tossed three touchdowns. However, if you’re considering starting him in a Week 5 tilt against the Bills. I’d advise caution. The Bills have held Tom Brady and Sam Darnold to less than 200 yards passing. They did allow Eli Manning and Andy Dalton to pass for 500 yards combined, however, this was on 81 pass attempts. I think Buffalo has their way with the Tennessee offense in a low-scoring affair. If you were considering streaming Mariota, look for safer options.

Baker Mayfield, Browns (@ 49ers)

Mayfield turned in his best performance of the year in a Week 4 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. In the 40-25 win, Mayfield passed for 342 yards on 30 attempts, with one touchdown and one interception. On Monday Night Football, the Browns will travel to take on the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers boast a much-improved defense in 2019. They’ve given up only 208.3 passing yards per game (6th in the NFL) and are tied for 2nd with five interceptions (in only three games). Mayfield may post decent numbers, but I’m worried that the Baker Bandwagon will take off too much after his best game of the season. Temper your expectations at the very least and consider starting other options if you have any.

Running Backs

Hot Starts

Austin Ekeler, Chargers (vs. Broncos)

I know that Melvin Gordon is expected to play a sizable role this week, but he may be on a limited snap count. Ekeler has six touchdowns in four games and ranks third in the NFL in scrimmage yards. The Chargers will host a Broncos defense that just allowed Leonard Fournette to rush for 225 yards. The Broncos are allowing an average of 149.2 yards per game on the ground (3rd-worst). Even if Gordon has a big role, there’s enough room in this one for both players to explode. I’m not penciling in Ekeler as an RB1, but he still has major upside this week.

Marlon Mack, Colts (@ Chiefs)

This recommendation is obviously dependent on health, but if Mack plays, he’s a must-start. The Chiefs are allowing an average of 149.8 rushing yards per game (2nd-worst) while surrendering a league-worst 5.9 yards per carry. No other team is all that close (the Colts are a half-yard better). Mack doesn’t provide much value in the passing game, but when healthy, he’s averaging about 20 carries per game. Given the volume and the matchup, plug him in if he’s active.

Chris Thompson, Redskins (Vs. Patriots)

I know, I know. The New England defense has been a juggernaut this year, limiting opponents to a mere 61.2 rushing yards per game. They’ve only given up one touchdown on the ground. So why Chris Thompson? Well, I don’t expect Adrian Peterson to get much going on the ground. Additionally, I expect Case Keenum, Colt McCoy, or Dwayne Haskins to have little time to throw. This, coupled with the expected lopsided loss could mean a heavy dosage of check downs for Thompson. From volume alone, he should provide you with a solid floor. There are worse Flex options out there when you consider the four or five receptions that he’s a near-lock to grab on a weekly basis. In a blowout loss, is eight, nine, or more out of the question?