Welcome to Sit & Start (Week 5). This is where we highlight a few players at each position that we want to sit or start this week. We will avoid the obvious starts, and for the sits, we will avoid the obvious ones. This is a place to deal with the players who make tougher decisions. For our full weekly rankings list, head to The FFU Weekly Rankings Page or try our Sit/Start Tool Powered by Fantasy Pros.
It’s important to mention that quarterbacks are about 1QB leagues. In a superflex league, every quarterback is relevant.
Sit ‘Em- Quarterbacks
Embed from Getty ImagesSam Darnold, Vikings vs NYJ (31)
Darnold has been the belle of the ball this year as far as quarterbacks are concerned and finds himself as QB4 on the year. He has thrown 11 touchdowns through four games and only three interceptions and has been surprisingly consistent for the 4-0 Vikings. This week however, he faces a New York Jets defense that ranks as the worst matchup for fantasy quarterbacks and is allowing only 8.9 fantasy points per game to them. Darnold has been great through the first month of the season, but you should expect that to come to an abrupt end in Week 4 against one of the best defenses in football.
Andy Dalton, Panthers vs CHI (31)
Kyler Murray, Cardinals vs SF (30)
Sit ‘Em- Running Backs
Embed from Getty ImagesRico Dowdle, Cowboys vs PIT (31)
Dowdle did not get the workhorse role that many fantasy managers had hoped for and instead is in a timeshare of sorts with Ezekiel Elliott, although neither of them has been particularly useful for fantasy. In Week 5, he will face a Steelers defense that ranks as the second-worst matchup for fantasy running backs as they are allowing only 13.8 fantasy points per game to the position. This backfield has been one to avoid in the best of matchups, and this is far from that. The Steelers have leaned heavily on the arm of Justin Fields which has put them in a pass-first scenario often, if that trend holds, you can’t start any of the Cowboys’ running backs.
Zack Moss, Bengals vs BAL (30)
Aaron Jones, Vikings vs NYJ (28)
Sit ‘Em- Wide Receivers
Embed from Getty ImagesDavante Adams, Raiders vs DEN (30)
Adams sits as WR36 on the season and that’s due in large part to one big blow-up game in Week 2 against the Ravens. He missed Week 4 with a hamstring injury and has now requested a trade out of Las Vegas. Adams has appeared unhappy since his college teammate Derek Carr was removed as the Raider’s starting quarterback and at this point, his effort altogether can be called into question even when healthy. This week he faces a Broncos defense that ranks as the third-worst matchup for opposing receivers. If the matchup wasn’t bad enough in general, he is likely to be shadowed by superstar defensive back Patrik Surtain who has limited some big-time receivers to dud weeks this season.
Diontae Johnson, Panthers vs CHI (27)
Chris Olave, Saints vs KC (22)
Sit ‘Em- Tight Ends
Embed from Getty ImagesDavid Njoku, Browns vs WSH (31)
Njoku has finished as TE9 in his only appearance of the season but currently ranks as TE49 because he hasn’t played since Week 1 due to an ankle injury. The Browns looked disjointed on offense through three games but looked to be moving in the right direction last week. This week, the question is will he play at all? If the answer to that question is in fact yes, he is still going to be a difficult start as he faces a Commanders defense that ranks as the second-worst matchup for opposing tight ends, allowing only 3.5 fantasy points per game to the position. Once viewed as a must-start fantasy tight end, he has become a scary player to roster. even if he plays, Njoku can’t be trusted in your lineup this week.
Dalton Kincaid, Bills vs HOU (30)
Mark Andrews, Ravens vs CIN (26)
Start ‘Em- Quarterbacks
Embed from Getty ImagesBrock Purdy, 49ers vs ARI (4)
Purdy sits as QB13 on the season and has been the definition of boring outside of a Week 3 boom game against the Los Angeles Rams. He is throwing for right around 300 yards consistently but has only scored more than one touchdown in one of four games this season. If you exclude that monster game in Week 3, he has thrown one interception for every touchdown he has thrown. All that figures to change in Week 5 as he finally gets a juicy matchup to take advantage of. That matchup is with the Arizona Cardinals who rank as the fourth-best matchup for fantasy quarterbacks and are allowing 19.6 fantasy points per game to the position. This game should be a high-scoring one and should give Purdy plenty of chances to put up fantasy points.
Joe Flacco, Colts vs JAC (1)
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars vs IND (2)
Start ‘Em- Running Backs
Embed from Getty ImagesJosh Jacobs, Packers vs LAR (6)
Jacobs sits as RB28 and has been mediocre to start the season, but that is in part due to the Jordan Love situation. Outside of the game with Malik Willis, Jacobs has been a solid producer and will look to be so once again in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams who rank as the sixth easiest matchup for fantasy running backs. The Rams are allowing 26.1 fantasy points per game to the position and should make for an easy matchup for Jacobs. He hasn’t been his usual Top 12 self through the first month of the season, but this matchup should serve to get him back on track.
Joe Mixon, Texans vs BUF (1)
D’Andre Swift, Bears vs CAR (2)
Start ‘Em- Wide Receivers
Embed from Getty ImagesAmari Cooper, Browns vs WSH (1)
Cooper and the Browns offense got off to a slow start this season but they are slowly turning things around and produced much better results in Week 4. The Browns will look to continue their progress this week against the Washington Commanders who rank as the best matchup for fantasy receivers. The Commanders are allowing 39.1 fantasy points per game to the position and are an easy pass defense to exploit for Cooper. This matchup is too favorable to not fire up Cooper, he is a must-start.
Garrett Wilson, Jets vs MIN (4)
Dontayvion Wicks, Packers vs LAR (6)
Start ‘Em- Tight Ends
Embed from Getty ImagesTucker Kraft, Packers vs LAR (6)
Kraft broke out in Week 4 putting up a monster performance for the Packers as they attempted to overcome a large deficit against the Minnesota Vikings. There are tons of receiving options on this roster and for that reason, it has typically been tough to nail down one, but over the past four weeks, Kraft has emerged as the tight end to own on Green Bay, with Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks being the best-receiving options. This week, Kraft faces the Los Angeles Rams who rank as the sixth-best matchup for fantasy tight ends and are allowing 10.3 fantasy points per game to the position. Kraft is a potential tight-end savior for one of the many teams being ruined by terrible tight-end play from their studs.
Erick All, Bengals vs BAL (2)
Evan Engram, Jaguars vs IND (3)
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