Now that we are 4 weeks into the season, fantasy football managers are starting to get an idea of which players need to be in lineups and which need to be on the bench. However, matchups remain essential to lineup decisions. Let’s take a look at our Week 5 start ’em and sit ’em plays.
NFL Start’ Em, Sit ‘Em for Week 4: Quarterbacks
Which QBs should you start and sit in Week 4?
Start ‘Em | Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers (vs. PHI)
It’s time to respect Sam Darnold. I gave him a lot of flack for his poor performance over the first three years of his career, but maybe it really was all Adam Gase’s fault.
Over the first month of the 2021 season, Darnold has thrown for at least 279 yards in every game. He’s eclipsed 300 yards in three straight, and although he only has 5 passing touchdowns, he also has 5 rushing scores. Darnold is going to finish Week 4 as the overall QB1 on the week with 33.54 fantasy points.
In Week 5, Darnold gets an Eagles defense that just surrendered the overall QB2 performance to Patrick Mahomes. While Darnold is no Mahomes, Philadelphia has proven incapable of stopping better offenses. And at this point, it’s fair to classify the Panthers as one of the better offenses in the NFL.
Over the past two weeks, the Eagles have faced the Chiefs and Cowboys. They allowed 42 points to Dallas and 41 to Kansas City. This is a defense that is reeling. Darnold needs to be in fantasy lineups this week.
Sit ‘Em | Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (@ LAC)
Through the first three weeks of the season, the Los Angeles Chargers have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Baker Mayfield, meanwhile, has barely been a QB2 in fantasy. He’s averaging just 233.75 passing yards per game in Cleveland’s run-first offense, and he’s only thrown 2 touchdown passes.
Mayfield lacks the passing volume, weapons, or matchup to warrant being in fantasy lineups this week. He’s just not a fantasy starter right now. Sit Mayfield in Week 5.
Running Backs
Which RBs are we starting, and who are we sitting in Week 5?
Start ‘Em | Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons (vs. NYJ)
We are four weeks into the season and fantasy managers are just now starting to respect Cordarrelle Patterson. The “gadget player” has posted PPR totals of 23.9, 16.2, and 34.6 in over the past three games. He’s carried the ball at least 6 times in every game this season while operating as the Falcons’ WR2.
Although Patterson is still playing just 35% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps, he’s touching the ball 11-13 times per game. It’s entirely possible that his production starts to match his snap share, but we now have a four-week sample size of Patterson being used heavily when on the field.
The Jets have contained opposing wide receivers, but they struggle against running backs. The good news for Patterson is he’s both. The Falcons are using Patterson all over the field. He’s eligible at RB and WR on most platforms and has been a WR1 and RB1. It’s time to start using him.
Sit ‘Em | Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins (@ TB)
Get Myles Gaskin out of your lineup for just about every imaginable reason. Gaskin, a former seventh-round pick, was always nothing more than a replacement-level talent who relied on volume. Well, the volume is officially gone.
Gaskin played just 12 snaps against the Colts, ceding lead-back duties to Malcolm Brown. As if his reduced usage isn’t enough reason to fade Gaskin, the Dolphins in Week 5 play the Buccaneers, who are a pass funnel defense.
Tampa Bay allows fewer than 20 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. The way to beat them is through the air — and opponents know that. Gaskin was a nice story in 2020, but seventh-round picks rarely last. Unfortunately, his time has come to an end. Do not start Gaskin, and be prepared to drop him if this lack of usage continues.
NFL Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em for Week 5: Wide Receivers
With the WR position deeper than ever for fantasy football, start ’em or sit ’em decisions for Week 5 are invariably matchup-dependent.
Start ‘Em | Emmanuel Sanders, Buffalo Bills (@ KC)
The Week 5 Sunday Night Football matchup is going to a be fun one. Chiefs vs. Bills won’t be as prolific offensively as Rams vs. Chiefs was back in 2018, but it could come close to that game, which featured over 100 total points.
Emmanuel Sanders is the clear WR2 for the Bills. His usage has been incredibly consistent thus far. Sanders has been targeted exactly 6 times in three straight games (he had 8 targets in Week 1). He’s posting reliable weekly WR3 numbers.
This game will undoubtedly have the highest over/under of the week. The Chiefs allow over 40 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers. They just gave up 122 yards on 7 receptions to DeVonta Smith.
Josh Allen will lean on Stefon Diggs and Sanders in Buffalo’s pass-first offense in an effort to outduel Patrick Mahomes. Sanders is a strong WR3 in Week 5 fantasy lineups.
Sit ‘Em | Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams (@ SEA)
We are one month into the 2021 season, which gives us enough of a sample size to drastically alter preseason opinions when necessary. With Robert Woods, it’s necessary.
Woods’ target share prior to Week 4 was just 20.4%, down almost 3% from last season. He has yet to catch more than 5 balls in a game, and his season-high in receiving yardage is 64. Woods has just 2 more receptions on the season than Van Jefferson. In fact, Jefferson has 1.6 more PPR fantasy points than Woods this year.
Meanwhile, Cooper Kupp has seen double-digit targets in every game this season. Woods and Kupp were mostly viewed as equals in fantasy drafts. But through four weeks, they are nowhere near equals — Kupp is the clear WR1, and it’s not close.
The matchup for Woods has yet to matter — he’s just not a priority for Matthew Stafford. Woods may very well break out of his slump, but until we see it, he is no longer a must-start in fantasy lineups. With the Rams on a short week, feel free to bench Woods if you have a viable alternative.
