Le'Veon Bell owners are surely happy that their starting running back is set to return in Week 5, but once the initial excitement about Bell's return wears off, it's fair to wonder if he's actually worth using this week. Bell isn't the only player involved in some tough start 'em, sit 'em calls for fantasy owners, though. Guys like rookie stud Joe Burrow, how waiver pickup Justin Jackson, and WRs Jerry Jeudy and Jarvis Landry could all be in line to disappoint, too, which is why they're among our Week 5 bust picks.
The main reason that these guys aren't recommended starts this week is because of bad matchups. It's one thing to fire up Baker Mayfield against the Cowboys defense; it's another thing to trust him against the Colts. Could Mayfield pan out this week? Sure. But would we recommend finding out? No.
WEEK 5 FANTASY: Sleepers | Start 'em, sit 'em
Of course, these bust predictions are just educated guesses. If you disagree with our analysis, don't have a comparable replacement for a bust candidate, or just have a gut feeling about a guy, feel free to start them. Just note that they may not quite live up to expectations because of the previously acknowledged factors.
WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Our busts were not as strong as our sleepers were last week, as the decision to classify Tom Brady as a bust backfired big time (as doubting Brady typically does). Still, RB David Montgomery, WRs T.Y. Hilton and Julian Edelman, and TEs Logan Thomas and Hayden Hurst all didn't live up to expectations, so we were able to identify some players to avoid. We'll try to continue our success in those areas while improving at the QB position during what has been a hot offensive start for QBs.
WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 5 Fantasy Busts: Running backs
Le'Veon Bell, Jets vs. Cardinals (Jacob Camenker). Bell is likely set to return from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him since Week 1. While his owners are happy to have him return, it may take him some time to get going. The Jets are down several receivers and some offensive linemen, and they're likely to be without Sam Darnold (shoulder) on Sunday. So, while the Cardinals and their 24.8 FPPG allowed to RBs may look appealing, this could be a trap game for Bell owners.
Justin Jackson, Chargers at Saints (Vinnie Iyer). The matchup is bad for straight-up, limited power backs, and Joshua Kelley will remain the biggest beneficiary of Austin Ekeler (hamstring) being out because of his receiving.
Melvin Gordon, Broncos @ Patriots (Matt Lutovsky). Gordon just had his best game in a Broncos uniform, but that was in a great matchup (Jets) with little competition for RB touches. This week, he gets a brutal matchup against a Patriots defense allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game (FPPG) to RBs and will likely have to split carries with the returning Phillip Lindsay (toe). Gordon is averaging a rather pedestrian 4.3 yards per carry and fewer than three catches per game, and it’s unlikely he’ll see a big uptick in production with Lindsay back. You might be forced to play him as your flex, but he’s not a “must-start” in any format.
MORE WEEK 5: Top waiver pickups | FAAB planner | Buy-low, sell-high
Week 5 Fantasy Football Busts: Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield, Browns vs. Colts (Camenker). Mayfield has thrown two TDs in three straight games, but he has yet to throw for more than 219 yards in any game this season. The Browns are a more ground-dominant team and are facing a Colts defense that allows the fewest FPPG to QBs so far this year (11.2). Mayfield's two-TD streak will probably come to an end as a result and so will his value as a QB streamer.
Matt Ryan, Falcons vs. Panthers (Iyer). The matchup is decent, but do you really trust him with that weakening arm and no Julio Jones (hamstring) against a defense that’s playing better and is weaker against the run?
Joe Burrow, Bengals @ Ravens (Lutovsky). Burrow has notched three straight games with at least 300 passing yards, but the Ravens are the toughest matchup he’ll face yet. Aside from Patrick Mahomes lighting them up in Week 3, Baltimore has mostly shut down quarterbacks, limiting Baker Mayfield, Deshaun Watson, and Dwayne Haskins to just three total touchdowns. With so many legit sleeper options, plus the usual selection of top-tier studs, this week, there’s no need to consider Burrow in single-QB leagues.
WEEK 5 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Week 5 Fantasy Football Busts: Wide receivers
Jerry Jeudy, Broncos @ Patriots (Camenker). Look, I like Jerry Jeudy as much as he liked tweeting random things about Big Bird seven years ago, but this doesn't figure to be a good matchup for him. With Noah Fant (ankle) and KJ Hamler (hamstring) questionable at best for this game, Jeudy may be the focal point for the Broncos. That means the Patriots will probably focus on slowing him down and double-teaming him with their talented secondary. Furthermore, Jeudy will either be catching passes from Brett Rypien or Drew Lock in his first game back from an injury, and Jeudy hasn't had more than 62 yards in a game yet anyway, so it's probably best to sit him this week. UPDATE: The Broncos-Patriots game has been postponed until after Week 5.
Tyler Boyd, Bengals at Ravens (Iyer). He’s been very good, but if you’re in a shallower league, you can consider sitting him for a week given he doesn’t do all that well in the slot against the Ravens with Marlon Humphrey looming.
Jarvis Landry, Browns vs. Colts (Lutovsky). Landry’s best receiving game this year was in Week 1 when he caught five passes for 61. If you took away his touchdown pass last week, he’d still be without a score of any kind. The Colts have really settled down against wideouts since Week 1, allowing just two touchdowns. Landry’s ceiling is so limited at this point, it’s fair to wonder if he even deserves a roster spot in most leagues.
WEEK 5 DFS CASH LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Week 5 Fantasy Football Busts: Tight ends
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins @ 49ers (Camenker). In back-to-back games, Gesicki has posted just one catch for 15 yards. The only thing that saved his fantasy value against the Jaguars in Week 3 was that his lone catch was a TD. Against the 49ers, a team that allows just 3.1 FPPG to TEs, Gesicki can be faded as Ryan Fitzpatrick may continue to hone in on DeVante Parker as his preferred target.
Austin Hooper, Browns vs. Colts (Iyer). Hooper returned to fantasy relevance in a smash spot against the Cowboys. He’ll return to disappointing, just like his replacement in Atlanta, Hayden Hurst.
Mo Alie-Cox, Colts @ Browns (Lutovsky). Alie-Cox has either had 100 yards or scored in three straight games and this is a great matchup on paper, but the returns of Trey Burton and Jack Doyle limited his snaps last week. MAC received just one target, and while he’ll always be a touchdown threat, he’s tough to trust on a weekly basis now.
MORE WEEK 5 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 5 Fantasy Busts: Defenses
Dallas Cowboys vs. Giants (Camenker). The Giants project to be a good matchup for the Cowboys defense, as they ranked last in the league in scoring average (11.8 points per game) and are tied for the fewest yards per game with the Jets (278). That said, the Cowboys are allowing the most points per game (36.5) and the third-most yards per game (430.5) to offenses. Something will have to give in this game, but I'm just not willing to bet on the Cowboys after the ugly display they've put up in recent weeks on this side of the ball.
Chicago Bears vs. Buccaneers (Iyer). The numbers might say yes as well as Tom Brady’s pick-sixes, but the prime-time emotional home bump thing won’t work well here.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Steelers (Lutovsky). The Eagles lead the NFL in sacks, so it’s tempting to play them against the immobile Ben Roethlisberger, but Pittsburgh has allowed fewer than two sacks per game while turning it over three total times and averaging 26 offensive points per game this year. Philadelphia has a decent floor but a fairly low ceiling in this one.
