XFL Week 5 Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for St. Louis BattleHawks vs DC Defenders

We're through four weeks of XFL action, and the 2020 season is already bringing plenty of surprises. We still have one undefeated team, the Houston Roughnecks, who are now +185 favorites to win the XFL Championship, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

With things starting to shake out into more predictable patterns, both on the team and player levels, we're starting to get a much better idea of what we can expect in any given week.

With that in mind, here are the top XFL start 'em, sit 'em picks for the Week 5 matchup between the St. Louis BattleHawks and DC Defenders.

XFL Week 5 Fantasy Picks

Start Matt Jones, RB, St. Louis BattleHawks: Matt Jones leads the XFL in carries (67), and he's turned that volume into some really solid production. He's racked up the second-most rushing yards in the league, and as 4.5-point favorites, St. Louis could be running the ball a lot in Week 5. He can be a bit of a plodder (3.64 yards per carry), but that volume keeps him fantasy relevant. Don't overthink this one.

Start Christine Michael, RB, St. Louis BattleHawks: With the entire Defenders' offense mired in an atrocious slump (more on that in a bit), both STL RBs look like solid plays. For the same reasons Jones is a recommended play, this looks like a solid spot for Christine Michael as well. Since Week 3, Michael has handled at least 12 carries each game, and he could dominate a Defenders' defense that has surrendered the second-most rushing yards in the XFL.

Sit: Cardale Jones, QB, DC Defenders: Through two weeks, Cardale Jones looked like he was going to be one of the most prolific passers in the XFL. However, both Jones and the Defenders have completely fallen off a cliff over the last two weeks. The team is averaging just 4.5 PPG over the last two games, and Jones has been held below 105 passing yards in two straight games. Until this offense proves it can turn it around, it's tough to justify starting any Defender, especially their struggling quarterback.

Sit De'Mornay Pierson-El, WR, St. Louis BattleHawks: De'Mornay Pierson-El has been solid when given the opportunity, but he unfortunately plays on one of the most run-heavy team in the XFL. There are only seven players in the XFL who have carried the ball at least 36 times – three of those seven are on the BattleHawks. Considering St. Louis is a 4.5-point favorite, the BattleHawks could be running the ball even more often than usual in this one, and Pierson-El might not see the volume he needs to warrant starting.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. 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.