Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 5: Are Alex Collins and Brandon Bolden options in Week 5?

Although we rely on big-name players to guide our fantasy football teams to victory, knowing how to locate the sleepers in a given week could be what pushes your team over the edge. Here are some of our favorite fantasy football sleepers for Week 5.

Week 5 fantasy football sleepers | Running backs

These RBs are flying under the radar as sleepers for Week 5 in fantasy football.

Damien Williams, Chicago Bears

Now as a member of the Chicago Bears, Williams has a new chance to make an impact on a roster. Starting RB David Montgomery suffered a knee injury of unknown severity but is expected to miss a couple of weeks. In relief, Williams had a decent outing Sunday, rushing 8 times for 55 yards and a touchdown while catching both targets for 15 yards. While the focus has been on other players in Chicago’s offense, Williams has quietly recorded 11.5% of the team’s target share. 

The big question is, was the improvement of the Bears’ offense them turning a corner? Or was it a product of facing the Detroit Lions, who ranked 23rd in fantasy points to RBs (26.78)? We will have to wait and see. But moving forward with Montgomery out of the lineup, Williams is an RB2 that should be on virtually all waiver wires.

Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals

Perine is another RB getting an opportunity via injury. On Thursday Night Football against the Jaguars, Joe Mixon suffered a low-grade ankle sprain. The team called it a “week-to-week” injury. Mixon has been off to a great season so far, rushing for 353 yards with 2 TDs. He is currently the RB15 in PPR formats (14.3 ppg).

Perine is the likely next man up for Cincinnati. Outside of his rookie year with Washington (2017), he has never been a featured back, making stops with Miami and now the Bengals. Last season, Perine found some success when the Bengals opted for a committee approach with Giovani Bernard when Mixon was lost for the season. In the five games Perine recorded 7 or more rushes, he averaged 51.6 yards and found the end zone twice. 

It is not a great Week 5 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, who are an improved run defense in 2021. Additionally, Perine is not going to give you a lot of work in the passing game (1 target per game). But in a deeper league or for those needing a potential flex play, Perine could be an intriguing sleeper to add. In even deeper formats, rookie Chris Evans would also be worth considering as the Bengals spoke highly of the Michigan product during camp.

Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks

It is starting to appear that Seattle is managing Chris Carson’s workload rather than using him as a true workhorse back, which was my concern this offseason. In Week 4, we saw it come to a head as Carson recorded just 13 carries for 30 yards. This marked the third game in a row Carson has seen 13 or fewer rushes in a game. Nipping at his heels was Alex Collins, who for all accounts was the better running back. Collins carried the ball 10 times for 44 yards and a touchdown while catching both targets for an additional 34 yards. 

After re-signing Carson to a two-year deal, it appears head coach Pete Carroll plans to keep Carson’s workload in check as the NFL moves to a 17-game regular season. With Rashaad Penny (calf) in an all too familiar place on injured reserve, Collins is the de facto RB2 on a Seahawks team that will have multitudes of scoring opportunities. 

I would be hesitant to start him next week against the Los Angeles Rams. But for those in deeper leagues, Collins is a sleeper worth rostering in Week 5 that could gain value as the season progresses. 

Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots

While I know the attention was squarely on the QBs, believe it or not, other players were on the field for the Patriots and Buccaneers Sunday night. One of those who might have caught the eye of fantasy managers is Brandon Bolden. Bolden was second on the Patriots in targets (6) and caught every pass for 51 yards. He did rush the ball once but gained a whopping 0 yards as the Patriots abandoned the running game early.

This was the first game for the Patriots since losing James White (hip), and given New England’s scheme, the pass-catching RB role is a valuable one. Right now, Bolden has the upper hand. That’s especially true after J.J. Taylor coughed up the ball in the third quarter, which certainly has him in Bill Belichick’s dog house. 

Bolden now has 10 targets in the past two games and has one of the better upcoming schedules for RBs. The Patriots are set to face the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Jets over the next three weeks. In terms of fantasy sleepers, Bolden’s value might rise the quickest — especially in PPR formats — should he have another successful game in Week 5.

Week 5 fantasy football sleepers | Wide receivers

With shake-ups happening to depth charts around the league, these WRs could be in line for larger workloads and worth rostering in fantasy football in Week 5 and beyond.

Josh Gordon, Kansas City Chiefs

I am ready to get hurt again. Reports indicate we could see Gordon take the field as early as Week 5. Anyone getting targets from Patrick Mahomes deserves our attention. The issues with Gordon have never been on the field — it’s what goes on outside of the facility. When he is out there, he has been a legitimate weapon. He was once a 1,600-yard receiver back in his days with the Cleveland Browns. When we last saw him in 2019, Gordon averaged 14.4 yards per reception with the Patriots and nearly 20 per catch with the Seahawks (19.9). 

Mahomes has already come out and said that “Even if [Gordon is] covered, he’s not covered. You can kind of throw it up there, and he can make plays.” If you’re telling me that Mahomes is willing to take shots like that with a player, I want in. Gordon is a low-risk addition to a fantasy roster that could pay off in a big way. 

Kadarius Toney, New York Giants

At a certain point, draft capital has to be thrown out the window. Sure, we can use it as a talking point from time to time, but it’s what happens on the field that matters. With Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton both out (hamstrings), we are now getting a glimpse of what Toney can do in this Giants offense.

Playing on 51 of the 64 offensive snaps, Toney led the Giants with 9 targets on Sunday, catching 6 passes for 78 yards. This also marked the second game in a row where he has seen over 65% of offensive snaps. This game reinforced the notion that Toney needs to be more involved in New York’s offense, which is a rare thing for a WR currently ranked 84th in fantasy scoring. Given how Daniel Jones is playing, Toney could quickly encroach flex territory in deeper formats and is a sleeper worth snagging in Week 5.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

St. Brown was one of my favorite prospects of the 2021 rookie class but has struggled to find relevance in a relatively wide-open Lions receiving room. But there are signs St. Brown’s breakout is coming. After totaling 10 targets over the first three weeks of the season, St. Brown caught 6-of-8 targets for 70 yards during Sunday’s 24-14 loss to the Bears.

He is running routes on over 90% of his snaps, and given Detroit’s unfortunate propensity to end up playing from behind, the rookie wideout could fill up box scores in garbage time. With Tyrell Williams on IR, and Quintez Cephus and Kalif Raymond playing on the perimeter, St. Brown has carved out what could be a permanent role in the slot for the Lions. 

David Moore, Denver Broncos

The Broncos have had awful luck at receiver this season. After losing Jerry Jeudy (ankle) for a chunk of the season and KJ Hamler (ACL) for the rest of the year, the last thing they could afford is another blow. Well, unfortunately, that appears to have happened with Diontae Spencer. Spencer had taken over as Denver’s slot receiver but lasted just 3 snaps in Week 4 before being ruled out with a chest injury. 

In his place stepped David Moore, who was signed off the Raiders’ practice squad just a week ago. While he did not see a target, Moore was out there on 19 snaps and could be in line for a more prominent role as he has seen success in years past. Moore, a former seventh-rounder for the Seahawks, has caught 78 passes for 1,163 yards and 13 touchdowns in his career. In 2020, he appeared in all 16 games (six starts) and caught 35 passes for 417 yards and a career-high 6 touchdowns.

He is definitely a deeper league option, but those looking for fantasy streamers in Week 5 at WR could take a shot on Moore.