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

Bye weeks keep rolling on, and throughout the season that tends to reduce the start/sit decisions fantasy owners have to make, since often necessity will force your hand on who to start. The Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions are the only teams off in Week 5 though, and they're not exactly loaded with fantasy-relevant players.

Who Should I Start in Fantasy Football?

If you need some help with your Week 5 lineup, here's some start 'em, sit 'em advice.

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em, Week 5 2019 Quarterbacks

Start Kyler Murray (ARI @ CIN): Kyler Murray fantasy owners have been chasing the Week 1 high all season, but he's failed to hit 20 fantasy points in a contest since that overtime game against the Detroit Lions. He hasn't been bad by any means, posting between 16 and 18 points in each of his last three games, and he finds himself in a particularly great spot in Week 5. The Cincinnati Bengals are fresh off of getting shredded by Mason Rudolph (24-of-28 passing for 229 yards with two touchdowns and no picks), and this is likely the best matchup Murray has drawn in his rookie season so far.

Sit Aaron Rodgers (GB @ DAL): Aaron Rodgers is only 16th in fantasy scoring among QBs this year, one spot behind Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Gardner Minshew. In Rodgers' defense, he's dealt with a tough schedule that includes games against the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. Things won't get much easier against the Dallas Cowboys this week though, especially with top wideout Davante Adams looking unlikely to play.

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em, Week 5 2019 Running Backs

Start David Montgomery (CHI @ OAK): David Montgomery's workload in Week 1 was a real concern, but it's been steadily trending in the right direction, and after receiving 26 opportunities (21 carries and five targets) in Week 4, a breakout looks to be on the horizon. A matchup with the Oakland Raiders is a great spot for that to happen, especially with the Bears favored by five points on FanDuel Sportsbook, suggesting a potential run-heavy game flow, especially with starting QB Mitchell Trubisky out.

Sit Adrian Peterson (WAS vs NE): The Washington Redskins have been a mess in 2019, and that has destroyed Adrian Peterson's fantasy value. A rusher that relies on volume for fantasy production at this stage of his career, AP has not topped 12 carries (or 37 yards) in any of his three games in 2019, since Washington is typically forced to abandon the run while playing from behind. Don't expect that to change this week against the New England Patriots.

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em, Week 5 2019 Wide Receivers

Start Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs (MIN @ NYG): The Minnesota Vikings' passing game hasn't had enough volume to generate a ton of fantasy scoring, but a matchup with the New York Giants should allow high enough efficiency to make up for that. The Giants have allowed the fifth-most adjusted yards per pass attempt in the NFL in 2019, and both Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs have huge ceilings this week, even if the potential for a low target total leaves them as low-floor options.

Sit Tyrell Williams (OAK vs CHI): The only wideout with a touchdown in all four games this season, Tyrell Williams faces by far his toughest test of 2019 in Week 5. The Chicago Bears rank sixth in Football Outsiders' pass defense DVOA rankings, and they've allowed the sixth fewest adjusted yards per pass attempt. Williams also missed practice on Wednesday with what looks like a new injury. Banged up in a nightmare matchup, you should be able to do a lot better than Williams at WR.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. 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.