NFL Week 5 Fantasy Football IDP Start 'Em, Sit 'Em

As the fantasy football season rolls on, every win is crucial. We need to be making smart and informed decisions on which IDP players to trust in our lineups going forward — now is not the time to bench star players out of frustration. Instead, we need to trust the process and focus on players whose snap shares and alignments will lead to fantasy production.

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Here are some of the players IDP fantasy managers might be debating in Week 5 and thoughts on whether these players should be started or left on fantasy benches. 

DEFENSIVE LINE

START: DE MAXX CROSBY, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS VS. CHICAGO BEARS

Only Joey Bosa has a higher pass-rush grade (92.5) than Crosby (91.6) among edge defenders this season, and no player has more pressures (30) than Crosby through the first four weeks of the year. While that has yet to translate to fantasy production outside of Week 1, there are plenty of reasons to still be high on Crosby heading into Week 5 and beyond.

Crosby has arguably been the best edge rusher in the NFL so far this season, and that will lead to production if we stick with him. He gets a matchup this week against rookie quarterback Justin Fields, who owns the highest pressure to sack conversion rate (41.4%) among quarterbacks this season. Crosby’s primary matchup on the offensive line will be right tackle Germain Ifedi, who posted a 54.1 pass-blocking grade over the last two weeks (48th among tackles), allowing two sacks and four pressures.

Related content for you: NFL Week 5 Positional Fantasy Football Rankings via Nathan Jahnke 

Crosby’s box score won’t tell you how dominant he’s been this season. The more advanced stats should give fantasy managers plenty of confidence going forward.

Maxx Crosby ranks among Edge rushers (min. 20% snaps)

** = blocks defeated are pass-rush wins that don’t result in a pressure

SIT: ED CHANDLER JONES, ARIZONA CARDINALS VS. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Another player who had a big Week 1 but has since largely been a disappointment for fantasy, Jones has been unable to get home again after delivering five sacks to open the season. While Jones is likely to get back in the sack column again soon, it just might not be this week against the 49ers. San Francisco is not only a top-five pass-blocking unit so far this season (71.6), but it also ranks sixth in run-blocking grade (78.4), leaving no easy path to production for Jones in Week 5.