Fantasy Fallout: Week 5

By :: Mike Johnson (Mjohnson86) and Tony Kneepkens (Tonytk44)

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday. 

We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start Saquon Barkley right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams for the coming week and beyond.

49ERS @ RAMS

• Mac Jones chucked 49 passes for a 342-2 line filling in for an injured Brock Purdy. WR Kendrick Bourne (10-142) and TE Jake Tonges (7-41-1) saw 11 targets each with nearly every other notable 49ers’ fantasy player other than CMC (30 touches and a TD) missing the TNF game.

• 49ers star TE George Kittle could return from IR as soon as next week and it’s possible that Purdy and WRs Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings could be back as well.

• Matthew Stafford threw 70% of his 47 pass attempts to his star trio of Puka Nacua (10-85-1), Davante Adams (5-88), and Kyren Williams (8-66-2). 

• RB Blake Corum was part of a botched exchange with Stafford and was otherwise limited to one carry and two targets after seeing an expanding role each previous week of the year.

VIKINGS @ BROWNS

• Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel had a 190-2 passing line while executing a predictably conservative gameplan in his first career start. Gabriel threw TDs to TEs David Njoku (6-67-1) and Harold Fannin Jr. (4-13-1) but only connected on five of his 13 passing attempts to WRs for 66 yards.

• Gabriel’s rookie teammate Quinshon Judkins had 24 touches for a career-best 128 scrimmage yards. He’s being afforded one of the best roles in the league, with 20+ RB opportunities in three straight weeks.

• The Vikings benched WR Jordan Addison for the first quarter but he wound up with a solid 5-41-1 fantasy line including the game-winning TD. T.J. Hockenson caught a season-high six passes for 39 yards. He still has reached 50 receiving yards in any game this season.

• The Vikings have a well-deserved Week 6 bye after consecutive games in Europe the past two weeks.

COWBOYS @ JETS

• Dallas rolled in this one and the majority of the damage was done by RB Javonte Williams and TE Jake Ferguson. WR George Pickens was quiet for most of the day due to Sauce Gardner’s shadow coverage, but he broke free for a long touchdown late in the game. Dallas plays the Panthers next week and all three are high-end starters at their position.

• Unheralded wide receiver Ryan Flournoy showed out with his opportunity due to WR Kavontae Turpin being inactive, finishing with six receptions for 114 yards on nine targets – all team highs. Flournoy will only be a viable option if/when there are injuries in the Dallas passing game, but next week he could still have a large role.

• RB Breece Hall had 155 yards from scrimmage and dominated the backfield usage in the first game without Braelon Allen. Hall is a must-start weekly, although the offense’s overall struggles may result in some duds against tougher defenses.

• Jets rookie TE Mason Taylor followed up his Monday night breakout with nine receptions for 67 yards on 12 targets. He is a high-priority waiver pickup for those looking for tight-end help.

RAIDERS @ COLTS

• Las Vegas was an absolute train wreck as their offense deals with injuries and their mediocre defense can’t hold up to all the short fields and high volume of plays their inept offense leads to. Next week they face the Titans, a game where we would expect Ashton Jeanty to show out – and you should immediately try to trade him after said game.

• QB Daniel Jones had another strong outing despite the blowout nature of this game. The Colts have a good schedule coming up and Jones is a low-to-mid-range QB1 until further notice.

• Wide receivers Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. led the Colts in targets with seven and five, respectively. Both are difficult to trust on a weekly basis since so much of this offense runs through RB Jonathan Taylor and TE Tyler Warren.

GIANTS @ SAINTS

• Rookie RB Cam Skattebo once again dominated the Giants backfield usage but lost a critical fumble that was returned for a touchdown and changed the game. Tyrone Tracy Jr. will be back in the next couple of weeks and this will likely evolve into a timeshare for a weak offense. Sell now if you can.

• Giants WR Darius Slayton suffered a hamstring injury that will have to be monitored. Wan’Dale Robinson led the receivers in snaps, routes, and targets in the first game without Malik Nabers. 

• Tight end Theo Johnson had a big game with two touchdowns and should be on the radar as a strong waiver pickup for a team that will likely have to throw a lot while playing from behind and whose receivers are falling by the wayside.

• Saints RB Kendre Miller had more carries than Alvin Kamara for the first time this season and remains an elite bench stash for the seemingly inevitable time later this season where he gets a shot at a featured role.

• Four tight ends saw playing time for the Saints, but Juwan Johnson still ran a route on over 80% of the team’s dropbacks and is a viable option, especially for games against stronger opponents where they will likely throw at a higher rate.

DOLPHINS @ PANTHERS

• The Dolphins’ offense came out hot without Tyreek Hill, jumping out to a 17-0 lead before allowing 20 consecutive points to the Panthers. 

• Miami tight end Darren Waller had five receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown in his second game with the team. He had all of his production in the first half and was not targeted after halftime.

• De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle are the clear focal points for Miami and locked-in weekly starters, with everyone else besides Waddle not on the radar for fantasy for the time being.

• Rico Dowdle blew the roof off with 229 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 26 touches. The matchup was elite, but he gets another one next week in a revenge game against the Cowboys. The status of Chuba Hubbard for Week 6 is currently unknown, but after this performance it should be at worst an even timeshare for Dowdle. My condolences to those who have Hubbard on their roster.

• Tetairoa McMillan led the team with eight targets and played another strong game but was limited in second-half production. He has an explosion coming, likely next week against the Cowboys secondary.

TEXANS @ RAVENS

• C.J. Stroud had his best game of the season against the Ravens’ second-string defense, but we shouldn’t overrate that outcome based on the reality of Baltimore’s injury situation. The same can be said for a lot of the usage data for the Texans from this game, as the score got out of hand quickly and they gave a lot of players opportunities.

• Nick Chubb had a strong game and maintained a lead in the backfield on rookie RB Woody Marks. Houston has a Week 6 bye, so we will have to wait to see how they handle things for the stretch run. Still, don’t drop Marks if you can avoid it.

• The Ravens’ offense was a mess without Lamar Jackson under center and they have a tough game with the Rams in Week 6 before their bye week. This might be a good time to trade for Lamar or Zay Flowers for forward-thinking managers with good records through five weeks, as the Ravens will likely enter Week 8 with Lamar healthy and a 1-5 record, needing him to be Superman down the stretch.

BRONCOS @ EAGLES

• The Eagles threw the ball 38 times compared to only 11 carries (and only six for Saquon Barkley) as Denver loaded the box and dared them to throw. Expect a hard regression the other direction Thursday night against the Giants’ poor run defense.

• Broncos tight end Evan Engram scored a touchdown and his box score looked solid, but he still played less than 50% of the snaps and only ran a route on half of Bo Nix’s dropbacks. 

• Only J.K. Dobbins and Courtland Sutton from the Broncos can be trusted as weekly starters in fantasy football, as head coach Sean Payton continues to spread snaps and targets around with the other players.

TITANS @ CARDINALS

• Cam Ward had a career-best 265 passing yards and Calvin Ridley went for 5-131 receiving, nearly matching his yardage total from the first month of the season. Ward hit Ridley for long passes of 38 and 47 yards in their fourth-quarter comeback victory.

• Tony Pollard kept his robust role in the Titans’ backfield handling 17 touches for 78 scrimmage yards and a goal-line TD. Tyjae Spears made his season debut and operated as Pollard’s primary backup, handling 21% of the team’s RB carries.

• Veteran RB Michael Carter handled 72% of the team’s RB carries and had five of their six RB targets, accumulating 73 scrimmage yards and a goal-line TD. Emari Demercado had a 3-81 rushing line but dropped the ball prematurely on what would have been a long TD run. He seemed to be playing behind both Carter and Bam Knight (five touches, 24 yards, TD) even before his gaffe. Carter appears to be the AZ back to own for now.

BUCS @ SEAHAWKS

• Baker Mayfield had an outstanding game against a tough defense on the road, completing 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards and a pair of TDs. Baker remains an every-week fantasy starter feeding rookie star Emeka Egbuka (7-163-1) and will be getting more weapons at his disposal over the next few weeks after Mike Evans and Bucky Irving return from their injuries.

• Rachaad White handled 75% of the Bucs’ RB opportunities and had a nice fantasy day with 71 scrimmage yards and a pair of rushing TDs. He remains a solid fantasy option if Bucky misses Week 6.

• Seattle continued its frustrating RB usage with Kenneth Walker (86 scrimmage yards) and Zach Charbonnet (48 scrimmage yards and a TD) having 11 RB opportunities each. They each remain boom-or-bust Flex options.

• Sam Darnold had a monster 341-4-1 passing game in his shootout loss, throwing a pair of TDs to TE A.J. Barner (7-53-2) and one each to JSN (8-132-1) and Tory Horton (4-39-1). Darnold remains a matchup-based streaming option while Barner and Horton are reasonable bench stashes in deeper formats to see if either can cut into JSN’s monster target share.

LIONS @ BENGALS

• Jared Goff had a tidy 258-3 passing line on his 23 passing attempts, directing 65% of his passes to ARSB (8-100) and Sam LaPorta (5-92-1). Both Detroit RBs scored and had over 70 scrimmage yards. Jameson Williams was the only one to miss out on the fun with just 10 scrimmage yards but remains a high-ceiling weekly fantasy option on an elite Lions offense.

• Chase Brown turned his eight carries and eight targets into just 48 scoreless scrimmage yards. Most of Brown’s fantasy appeal was tied to Joe Burrow and he’s just a bet on volume for now. He’ll be tough to trust in lineups on the road in Green Bay next week.

• Jake Browning hit his elite WR duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins for three TD passes but also tossed three interceptions and looked shaky enough at times that it wouldn’t be shocking to see third-stringer Brett Rypien make some starts at some point during Burrow’s absence.

CHARGERS @ COMMANDERS

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt had a breakout performance with 150 scrimmage yards and a pair of rushing TDs. JCM had a true-workhorse role, handling 70% of the teams RB carries and half of their four RB targets. He belongs in fantasy lineups until further notice.

• Deebo Samuel drew a 42% target share and had a huge 8-96-1 receiving line. There were no chemistry issues with superstar QB Jayden Daniels coming back from missing a couple of games with a knee injury.

• Chargers’ rookie RB Omarian Hampton was injured in the fourth quarter and was spotted in a walking boot after the game. His status should be monitored ahead of Week 6 with Hassan Haskins the likely next man up in the LAC backfield if Hampton were to miss time.

• The Chargers continue to feature their top three WRs in their passing game and this week it was Keenan Allen (5-58) leading in yards, while Ladd McConkey (5-39-1) caught a TD, and Quentin Johnston (4-40 and a lost fumble) had his worst game of the year. They all remain strong fantasy WR options the way the LAC passing game has been concentrated on the three of them this season.

PATRIOTS @ BILLS

• Drake Maye passed for 273 scoreless yards and Stefon Diggs led the team with 10-146 receiving on a season-high 12 targets, a healthy 40% target share. TE Hunter Henry caught two of his four targets for 46 yards and remains a weekly fantasy TE starter.

• New England continued to feature a three-man RB rotation featuring Rhamondre Stevenson (nine touches, 27 yards, two TDs) with TreVeyon Henderson (eight touches, 27 yards) and Antonio Gibson (seven touches, 26 yards) playing to a near-even yardage split.

• Dalton Kincaid’s breakout season continued with the young TE catching all six of his targets for 108 yards. He’s another weekly fantasy starter at TE. More than half of Josh Allen’s 31 passes went to WRs Khalil Shakir (6-45) and Keon Coleman (4-23-1) in the loss to the Pats; they maintain the top WR roles on the team and can be deployed in fantasy lineups accordingly.