Week 5 Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Lions vs Patriots

The New England Patriots will aim to snap a three-game losing streak when they host the Detroit Lions in Week 5 NFL action. FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds list the Patriots as 3.5-point home favorites in a game that could come down to a few plays in the fourth quarter.

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

Jared Goff Fantasy

Start Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions: The efforts of quarterback Jared Goff have been a major reason why the Lions have the highest-scoring offense in the NFL (35.0 points per game). The seventh-year pro leads the league with 11 passing touchdowns and is averaging 12.2 yards per completion, which is his highest mark since the 2018 season. He is the fifth-highest scoring QB in fantasy football right now and has a perfect opportunity to keep that success going in Week 5. The Patriots are giving up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing QBs thanks to 8 passing touchdowns allowed through four weeks. Start Goff with confidence on Sunday.

Damien Harris Fantasy

Start Damien Harris, RB, New England Patriots: There's two key factors that point to the Patriots leaning on the rushing attack in this game. Rookie QB Bailey Zappe is set to make his first NFL start and the Lions have posted the worst rush defense DVOA rating in the NFL. Both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson should see double-digit touches in this one, but Harris has the higher ceiling in fantasy football. That is because the Lions have allowed a whopping 8 rushing touchdowns this season. Harris has out-touched Stevenson in the red zone by a total of 12 to 4. The 25-year-old is a no-doubt starter this week.

DJ Chark Fantasy

Sit DJ Chark, WR, New England Patriots: There's a possibility wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown misses his second straight game with an ankle injury, especially since the Lions have a Week 6 bye. That does not mean DJ Chark is worth a start against New England, though. Chark is dealing with an ankle injury of his own and likely ranks behind Josh Reynolds in the WR pecking order. The Patriots have allowed the eighth-fewest receptions to opposing WRs this season (45) and will look to drain the clock as much as possible. That leaves less chances for Chark to see targets and less chances for him to justify an upgrade from the bench.

Hunter Henry Fantasy

Sit Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots: The 2022 season has been nothing like the 2021 season for tight end Hunter Henry. This is a player that finished as the No. 10 TE in PPR scoring last year and posted 9 touchdowns. Across four weeks this year, he has only hauled in 5 of his 9 targets for 41 yards. Playing time is not a problem as he has appeared in 70% of the offensive snaps so far. Instead, he is taking a back seat in the passing attack and being asked to be a blocker much more often. Even in an advantageous matchup against the Lions, Henry has to be benched. He has shown zero reason to trust him.

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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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