Week 5 Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for 49ers vs Panthers

The San Francisco 49ers will look to ride momentum from a Week 4 win when they travel to take on a reeling Carolina Panthers team in Week 5. FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds list the 49ers as 6.5-point road favorites in a game that features no shortage or exciting playmakers.

If you need some help with your fantasy lineups, here's our start 'em, sit 'em advice for this Week 5 NFC showdown.

Jeff Wilson Jr. Fantasy

Start Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, San Francisco 49ers: There's no denying that running back Jeff Wilson has been a consistent fantasy option ever since starter Elijah Mitchell went down in Week 1. The 26-year-old ranks as the RB20 over the last three weeks, averaging 12.4 PPR fantasy points per game. What's most to like about Wilson's upside in Week 5 and moving forward is the fact that he has seen at least 15 touches in each of his three starts this year. Head coach Kyle Shanahan trusts him to tote the football and that bodes well for his chances of balling out against a Panthers defense that is allowing 134.0 rushing yards per game (No. 25 in NFL).

Carolina Panthers D/ST Fantasy

Start Carolina Panthers D/ST: Outside of running back Christian McCaffrey, the best fantasy option for the Panthers this week is their defense/special teams unit. It's a unit that ranks T-10th in fantasy scoring and is allowing only 5.0 yards per play (T-No. 8 in NFL). The 49ers are filled with talented stars, including the likes of tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. When it comes down to it, though, this is still an offense that ranks T-27th in points (17.8) and 24th in yards (324.5) per game. Two teams that love to drain the clock with lengthy possessions meet on Sunday afternoon. That should result in less points on the scoreboard and more fantasy points for the defenses.

Jimmy Garoppolo Fantasy

Sit Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers: As stated above, the Panthers' defense is no joke. Carolina has given up the ninth-fewest passing yards on the year (883) as well as just 9.6 yards per completion (T-No. 9 in NFL). Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is getting the job done for the 49ers, but he is not getting the job done for fantasy managers. The ninth-year pro has not thrown for more than 240 yards or tossed more than 1 touchdown in either of his two starts. His lack of rushing upside leaves him with a capped ceiling against a defense looking to guide a Panthers team in desperate need of a win. Don't start Jimmy G in Week 5.

DJ Moore Fantasy

Sit DJ Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers: The struggles of quarterback Baker Mayfield have caused wide receivers DJ Moore's fantasy value to drop with each week that goes by. Moore is averaging a career-low 34.5 yards on 3.3 receptions per game and ranks 51st among WRs in PPR scoring heading into Week 5. The 49ers are not a defense Moore should have an easy time exploiting, either. San Francisco is allowing the sixth-fewest PPR fantasy points to opposing WRs and has given up just 2 touchdowns to the position in 2022. Moore was drafted to be an every-week starter, but his low ceiling makes him a bench candidate in these kind of matchups.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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