Who's ready for some more 2022 Fantasy Football Action! I know I am, and in this article I'm going to be breaking down each of my starts and avoids for Week 5 of the NFL Season.
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Rather than going with the easy picks for starts and avoids, I try and focus on important decisions that fantasy managers actually need to make. Must starts and obvious sits within reason will not be on my lists.
A START is a suggested lineup move based on matchup, and an AVOID is quite the opposite. It is NOT a must enforce. So if I recommend avoiding Josh Jacobs, and the only player you have to replace him is someone like Chuba Hubbard, use your judgement and realize that a backup who won't see touches is not a better option than a starting RB.
That being said, lets win some leagues! 🏆
STARTS
🔥🔥🔥 JAMES ROBINSON vs HOUSTON TEXANS - After a tough week, James Robinson is bound to bounce against a team that has yet to win a game and allowed Austin Ekeler to score his first 3 TDs this season. Jrob is currently a Top 15 RB on the season thus far.
🔥🔥 JAMAAL WILLIAMS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - In D'Andre Swift's absence, Williams had 22 Opportunities, including 3 Targets and played 50% of the offensive snaps. In his Swift's continued absence, I'm expecting his volume to be good enough to beat a stout Patriots run defense.
🔥 DAMIEN HARRIS vs DETROIT LIONS - Both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson have seen 17 Touches each over the last two weeks, and especially with Mac Jones out, they are going to need to continue to rely on their run game. We saw what Penny was able to do last week against the Lions and I'm expecting a high scoring game as a whole.
🔥 GEORGE PICKENS @ BUFFALO BILLS - This matchup has all the making of a breakout game for Pickens. He had a 30.7% target share when Kenny Pickett took over last week, and the Buffalo secondary is still dinged up. Plus the Bills are 14 Point favorites, so the Steelers will need to air it out. A great game to build off his 102 Yards from last week.
🔥🔥 DAVID NJOKU vs LOS ANGELES CHARGERS - David Njoku continues to play a large role in the offense. He had a 32.3% Target Share last week, and had a 90% route participation rate. Also, an interesting did bit from LaQuan Jones from the NFL Research Team, Njoku has had a TD in each of his last 4 games against the Chargers.
DESPERATE STARTS
- ALEXANDER MATTISON vs CHICAGO BEARS ; The Vikings are going to be up early against the Bears, and with the way they have been load managing Dalvin Cook, there's a shot that Mattison gets time at the end of the game or even a shot at the end zone. He's worth a look if you are desperate.
- RONDALE MOORE vs PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ; With Moore back, I was expecting a split between him and Dortch for the starting slot role. But it seems that it's Moore job to lose. He can build on his 15% target share from last week in a game where they will likely be trailing. Plus, Avonte Maddox, the eagles nickel corner has been ruled out.
- ROBERT WOODS @ WASHINGTON COMMANDERS ; With Treylon Burks on IR, it leaves Woods as the team's primary pass catcher. In that role he's scored about 13 Points in each of his last two games. He has a decent floor if you are looking for it in a week with a lot of injuries.
AVOIDS
🛑 ANTONIO GIBSON vs TENNESSEE TITANS - The first concern for Gibson here is game script. The Titans have won each of the last two weeks and are starting to figure things out while the Commanders have been trending the opposite way. Another is his snaps have been decreasing every week from 64% to 54% to 44% to 41%. Plus, Brian Robinson Jr. is making his rookie debut after being shot in the off-season, and all the hype surrounding him is that he would surpass Gibson.
🛑🛑 CHASE EDMONDS @ NEW YORK JETS - Don't let the TDs fool you, Edmonds has been lackluster and has been seeing lackluster volume over the last few weeks. He only played 28% of the snaps last week and nothing suggests that changes as Mostert only sees more and more work.
🛑🛑🛑 TYLER ALLGEIER @ TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS - It's tempting to start the rookie with Patterson on IR. But against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is not the matchup to test that. Especially when 4 different RBs touched the field last week. This is going to be an ugly committee, at least to start.
🛑🛑 ALLEN ROBINSON vs DALLAS COWBOYS - It doesn't mean things can't get better, but Arob has been awful through 4 weeks and he is just not startable right now. Let him ride the bench until proven otherwise.
🛑🛑 DARNELL MOONEY @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS - After having his best game last week, Mooney looks to be in a better spot now than he was early on. But for him to get weekly consideration, Justin Fields and the Bears are going to have to learn how to pass the ball.
LOWER EXPECTATIONS
- JAMES CONNER vs PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ; He's averaging an "astounding" 3.2 YPC on the season so far, and the Eagles aren't going to give him room to run. The offense as a whole has looked a bit slow to start, but with Hopkins returning in two weeks that could change!
- RASHAAD PENNY @ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS ; Last week was encouraging for usage, especially with 69% of the offensive snaps, as the offense continues to improve, we could see even more growth. But the Saints are known for having a good run defense, and Penny is not a workhorse as of now.
- NAJEE HARRIS @ BUFFALO BILLS ; Najee has really struggled lately, and he's not seeing the same targets he did last year to merit an every week start. The Bills are favored by 14 Points in this game and I'm not expecting much from Najee on the ground.
If a player you are curious about was NOT mentioned in this article, I review every fantasy relevant player in EVERY matchup in the video below! I also answer ALL comments exclusively on YouTube as long as you subscribe! :)
Good Luck as always, and I'll see you back here for Week 6! 😉
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