NFL Week 5 Fantasy Football Recap: Cleveland Browns vs. Los Angeles Chargers

• Austin Ekeler: 16 carries, 173 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 receptions, 26 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown

• Nick Chubb: 17 carries, 134 yards, 2 touchdowns

PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2022.

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Positive News for Austin Ekeler: Ekeler is up to five touchdowns over the past two weeks, and his usage took a step in the right direction this week, too.

- He played a majority of snaps on third-and-3 or longer for the first time all season.
- Sony Michel was largely phased out of the offense, receiving only two offensive snaps — both in short-yardage situations.
- Ekeler’s percentage of offensive snaps still hasn’t reached his typical games of 2021, but it is taking baby steps in the right direction.
- He could still be considered a sell-high candidate because he’s unlikely to have five touchdowns over two games again, but it’s becoming more likely he can live up to his first-round fantasy status despite the relatively meager playing time.

The return of Donald Parham: The Chargers tight end took the field again after last playing in Week 15 of 2021.

- Parham cut into the playing time of both Gerald Everett and Tre’ McKitty.
- Los Angeles used more two-tight end sets, running a season-high 20 snaps in 12 personnel compared to a season-low 39 snaps from 11 personnel.
- He was eased into action, as he didn’t get his normal amount of playing time. This could further cut into Everett’s and McKitty’s snaps.
- The three tight ends combined for one catch on five targets.
- Everett can be cut in leagues with lighter benches, assuming there is a better tight end option on your fantasy roster.

Add Donovan Peoples-Jones in deeper leagues: The Browns receiver caught four passes for 50 yards on seven targets.

- He’s been an unquestioned starter for Cleveland since the middle of last season.
- This was his third game of the year with seven or more targets and 50 or more receiving yards.
- He’s unlikely to be a fantasy starter over the next month, outside of deep leagues, when bye weeks hit.
- He could see a significant increase in his fantasy value when Deshaun Watson becomes the starter, having the potential to take the role Will Fuller V played in Houston.

Table Notes

Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.