Hopefully, you've avoided the injury bug and have a solid group of reliable starters, but it's likely that you have at least one trouble spot in your lineup every week, be it because of injuries or surprise sleepers. Fortunately, the experts at RotoBaller are allowing Sporting News Fantasy readers free access to their exclusive “Who to Start?” advice tool to help with Week 5 fantasy lineup decisions.
How does the “Who to Start?” tool work? Simple: Choose up to four players to compare below, pick your league settings in the upper right corner (PPR, half-PPR, standard), and push “Who to Start?” It’s that easy. From there, you’ll get a lineup recommendation based on RotoBaller’s award-winning rankings and projections.
MORE: Click here to become a RotoBaller VIP subscriber and receive exclusive access to their premium lineup tools, DFS cheat sheets, and Team Sync platform! Use discount code SPORTING.
Heading into Week 5, injuries are continuing to wreak havoc across the league, particularly at RB and WR. Quarterback injuries also affect receivers, tight ends, and D/STs, so there's a lot up in the air as we get closer to Sunday.
As always, RotoBaller factored in usage, matchups, and talent into its Week 5 rankings, and it’s reflected in its “Who to Start?” tool. Check out an example from each offensive position.
Advice below based on full-point PPR leagues
Start or Sit?: Week 5 fantasy QB lineup advice from RotoBaller
Trevor Lawrence (vs. Texans) vs. Teddy Bridgewater (@ Jets) vs. Jared Goff (@ Patriots)
If you're sick of starting Matthew Stafford (vs. Cowboys) or Aaron Rodgers (vs. Giants), you might be looking at one of these streamers. For the record, Rotoballer suggests sticking with Rodgers over anyone in this group, but it does have Lawrence ahead of Stafford. Obviously, that means Lawrence is ahead of Bridgewater and Goff, too. Given the matchups, that makes sense. Lawrence has the most upside despite Bridgewater having the better matchup, but if you're digging these deep for your QB, you probably have bigger things to worry about.
MORE: Click here to become a RotoBaller subscriber and receive exclusive access to their lineup tools, rankings, and analysis. Use discount code SPORTING.
Start or Sit?: Week 5 fantasy RB lineup advice from RotoBaller
Tyler Allgeier (vs. Buccaneers) vs. Travis Etienne Jr. (vs Texans) vs. Mike Boone (vs. Colts) vs. Cam Akers (vs. Cowboys)
This is a weird group of potential flex RBs, but in 12-team leagues, these are the types of guys many owners are looking at starting. RotoBaller gives the slight edge to Akers over Etienne, who has a slight edge over Allgeier (Boone is a distant fourth). Allgeier might be higher if he had a better matchup this week, and while Akers has a tough one, too, he's the most "proven" of this group. This is a coin flip, and it wouldn't be a shock to see any of these four guys score the most fantasy points.
SN's WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Start or Sit?: Week 5 fantasy WR lineup advice from RotoBaller
Tyler Boyd (@ Ravens) vs. Darnell Mooney (@ Vikings) vs. Allen Lazard (vs. Giants) vs. DeVante Parker (vs. Lions)
This WR3/flex grouping mostly has favorable matchups and varying degrees of success this year, but RotoBaller is defaulting to the guy with the best QB, Lazard, which is usually a smart way to go about things. Mooney finally showed signs of life last week, and Boyd faces the league's worst pass defense. Parker has come through the past two weeks, but that's been with Jakobi Meyers (knee) on the bench. Given the QB issues in Chicago and New England and the fact Boyd is a No. 3 receiver, Lazard is the safest bet.
SN's WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Start or Sit?: Week 5 fantasy TE lineup advice from RotoBaller
Dalton Schultz (@ Rams) vs. Hayden Hurst (@ Ravens) vs. Pat Freiermuth (@ Bills)
Schultz has disappointed majorly and Freiermuth has a brutal matchup, but RotoBaller still ranks both ahead of the sleeper Hurst. Freiermuth edges out Schultz by a few spots in their rankings, likely because he has the highest ceiling, but all three of these guys are risks this week.
MORE: Click here to become a RotoBaller VIP subscriber and receive exclusive access to their premium lineup tools, DFS cheat sheets, and Team Sync platform! Use discount code SPORTING.
Try out any combination of players – including players at different positions for your flex spot – with the RotoBaller “Who to Draft?” tool above. It’s like having your own fantasy football expert on call just to help with your specific Week 4 lineup questions.
