In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Experian:
Get ready to be uncomfortable. With the Lions, Titans, Eagles, and Chargers on a bye in Week 5, the player pool for fantasy football is thinner. Add the players missing this week due to injuries (be sure to check back for final inactives at 11:30 AM ET tomorrow) and it’s going to be a challenge to find a solid starting lineup, especially in deeper formats.
Several players were ruled out on Friday, including Joe Mixon, Jonathan Taylor, Malik Nabers, and Khalil Shakir, and when you hit submit on your lineup this week, it won’t feel good.
Zamir White and Devin Singletary are listed as doubtful and Brian Robinson is a game-time decision. Alexander Mattison, Trey Sermon, Tyrone Tracy, and Cam Akers are going to be in many lineups. Keep in mind, as bad as your lineup may look, others are in a similar position.
At tight end, Evan Engram is a game-time decision and David Njoku is listed as questionable.
Oh yeah, Romeo Doubs has been out of practice due to personal reasons and is listed as doubtful, alongside teammate Christian Watson. It’s a challenging week and Fantasy Life has you covered. Look at the rankings and you might find a player or two who could help you.
What else is in today’s newsletter?
- Jess Bryant gathers the Fantasy Life Experts for a Week 5 Roundtable discussion
- Watercooler: A contender is down BAD …
Week 5 Expert Roundtable: Rookie Spotlight, WR2s, and More
- by Jess Bryant
QUESTION #1: Who is Your Offensive Rookie of the Year?
- Who else is currently in the running, and how have these players impacted fantasy football lineups so far?
John Laghezza: The NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year can be whittled down to a three-man race between Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and Marvin Harrison. Washington's first-year QB currently tops my board as the clear favorite, not only based on positional bias—Daniels' current 80%+ completion rate is historic by any account.
Jake Trowbridge: Jayden Daniels is out here casually setting NFL records while Caleb Williams fights for his life and Drake Maye twiddles his thumbs on the sideline. Even the most fervent Daniels supporters probably didn't expect him to be the fantasy QB1 at this point in the season, but it doesn't seem like a fluke. And although John was nice enough to play down the positional bias, I'm not sure OROY voters will do the same.
Rob Waziak: Betting odds have indicated that Jayden Daniels will most likely walk out of his inaugural season with Rookie of the Year honors, and I agree. He's efficiently elevating a Commanders' offense that finished 4th in the NFC East in 2023 to that of a legitimate playoff contender. Malik Nabers absolutely deserves the honors, but with inconsistent play at QB and a concussion sidelining him in Week 5, the odds will only strengthen the hotter Daniels runs.
Jess Bryant: Jayden Daniels is the obvious winner of OROY, barring unforeseen circumstances. Otherwise, Nabers and Harrison Jr. are next in line and in that order. Bucky Irving (247 rushing yards, 5.6 yards per carry) and Brock Bowers (ranked No. 4 in TE fantasy points) are playing well but far from the group above. I want to see what Xavier Worthy does with Rashee Rice out, but he can't elevate to that level either. Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, and Drake Maye, the Top 10 picks not yet mentioned, are out—very much out.
QUESTION #2: A Must-Start WR2?
- Which wide receivers listed as WR2 on their team's depth chart have become reliable every-week starters in fantasy leagues?
John Laghezza: Tee Higgins, Jameson Williams, Xavier Legette, Rashid Shaheed, Stefon Diggs, Jordan Addison, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dontayvion Wicks, and Darnell Mooney.
Jake Trowbridge: Can we get a round of applause for Wan'Dale Robinson? In a season mired by inconsistency and injuries at the position, slotting a nearly guaranteed 10+ PPR points into your lineup feels awfully nice. Robinson is also one of a select few receivers notching at least 30% targets per route run. It may also be time to start thinking of Chris Godwin as the true No. 1 receiver in Tampa Bay, even if the NFL depth charts say otherwise.
Jess Bryant: I drafted Legette in the late rounds in deep leagues and thanked every god when Bryce Young—who I hope finds success elsewhere—was benched for Andy Dalton. Tyler Lockett, a longtime reliable WR2, is replaced by Smith-Njigba on this list. I grabbed Wicks in multiple leagues after his Week 4 and his 2-TD, 78-receiving yard performance, and with Watson (likely) out this week. While Brandon Aiyuk has had a very down season so far, I still have faith that he will bounce back soon, and he is an excellent buy-low candidate.
Four More Questions Ahead Of Week 5
RELATED CONTENT:
- Chris Allen breaks down the WR matchups to target, and the ones to avoid in Week 5.
- Bye weeks are here, and Jake Nagy is here to walk us through how to navigate the week in Guillotine Leagues.
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The latest analysis and insights from our merry band of football nerds:
😭 In this week’s “State of the Team” … this offense is down bad.
🤝 Looking for Underdog and PrizePicks plays for Week 5? Geoff has you covered.
👀 Don’t wait until tomorrow to start your weekend sweat. College Football player props for Week 6.
⭐️ But if you do decide to wait … the Colts +3 is rating as a five-star edge tomorrow.
📊 Is there a better guest for a data-driven conversation than Dwain? Absolutely not.
🚨 Cryptic Instagram post alert: Double-meaning for a star WR?
