Football
Between injuries, active waiver wires, simply disappointing players (looking at you, BTJ) and bye weeks beginning, Week 5 is going to leave a lot of fantasy football managers scrambling for backups and replacements to their rosters.
If you are one of those fantasy managers, here is one name at each major position that you can trust to produce in a starting role on your fantasy team for Week 5.
QB: Jaxson Dart
The New York Giants are missing their number one receiver for the rest of the season, and Jaxson Dart only threw for 111 yards against the Chargers in Week 4 — though he should have had an extra touchdown that Wan’Dale Robinson dropped. However, conventional wisdom prevails for quarterback value: look for rushing upside, which Dart displayed in full (54 rushing yards, 1 TD). And if you know anything about Brian Daboll, you know he likes his quarterbacks to run the ball.
Even with Malik Nabers down, New York should have an easy time passing against the Saints defense, who have given up the sixth-highest yards per passing attempt and third-most touchdowns through the air thus far. If you had paid attention to the Wilson/Dart quarterback battle over the summer, you would have heard that many predicted that Dart’s first start would be against New Orleans. Now we see why.
RB: Woody Marks
Woody Marks seems like a gamble on the surface — despite seemingly overtaking Nick Chubb in Week 4, it is hard to trust that the change is permanent, or even sustainable, given that the switch happened while Chubb was (and remains) healthy. That said, Marks didn’t just put up insane numbers (119 total yards, 4/6 receptions, 2 TDs), but did so while displaying potential as a true every-down back. Moreover, the Texans’ next matchup is against Baltimore’s depleted defense, who have allowed the sixth-most rushing yards per game and the fifth-highest yards after contact per attempt through four weeks.
WR: Xavier Worthy
Anyone who thought that Xavier Worthy would need to be eased back into a heavy-usage role in Week 4 is eating their words. With the Chiefs (read: Patrick Mahomes) suddenly rocked back away, Worthy feasted against Baltimore’s defense (5/8 receptions, 121 total yards) even without scoring a touchdown. He even left the game as KC’s most efficient runner of the football.
Now, Worthy faces a Jacksonville defense that, while relatively difficult to score against, has allowed the ninth-most yards per game through the air overall (233.5), and the fifth-most receiving yards per game on the perimeter.
TE: Dalton Kincaid
Dalton Kincaid doesn’t receive a lot of volume (tied for TE18 in total targets through Week 4), he is incredibly efficient with his usage. He is the TE2 in standard scoring, and TE7 in PPR, and is tied for TE1 in total touchdowns through four weeks. And while Kincaid’s 179 total receiving yards is relatively modest, New England is an easy defense to score on for tight ends.
It’s hard to predict who Josh Allen’s favorite target will be week-to-week (he spreads the ball around a lot), but betting on Kincaid’s usage in high-leverage situations (TE2 in red zone targets) is as safe a bet as any.
D/ST: Arizona Cardinals
As disappointing as the Arizona Cardinals and their fantasy-relevant players (Kyler Murray (QB20) and Marvin Harrison, Jr. (WR29)) have been, their defense is not terrible. Despite the yardage they’ve allowed, Arizona has curiously allowed the sixth-fewest points per game (18.5) while also notching 13 total sacks and 4 turnovers through four weeks. Partner that with a juicy matchup against the lowly Tennessee Titans (17 sacks allowed, 5 total turnovers), and the Cardinals can provide a very appealing streaming option in Week 5.
Read More Tomi Wrona