Week 5 wasn’t kind to Odell Beckham Jr. owners, as the star receiver will likely miss the rest of the season with a broken ankle. However, there were a number of standout performances that may have helped propel you to a victory. Let’s get into the biggest takeaways from all 12 of yesterday’s games.
Buffalo @ Cincinnati
A.J. Green went off.
With CB E.J. Gaines inactive for the Bills, Green took it to Tre’Davious White racking up 131 yards and a score in the rookie’s coverage. Green led all receivers in fantasy scoring and saw the second-most targets (13) on Sunday. It’s also worth noting that while Joe Mixon only had 54 yards on 15 carries, he did manage to find the end zone. That score helped him salvage an RB2 week in PPR scoring.
(It's PFF Fantasy's Free Content Week. Keep up with all the offerings here.)
NY Jets @ Cleveland
Are the Browns pulling the plug on DeShone Kizer?
Yet again we saw Cleveland replaced Kizer with Kevin Hogan. This time the benching came mid-game following a pitiful performance where he managed to complete 8-of-17 passes for 87 yards. In relief, Hogan went 16-of-19 for 194 yards and two scores. There’s a very real chance Hogan could be under center as the starter going forward. Keep that in mind if you’re in need of a quarterback in 2QB leagues.
Carolina @ Detroit
Big numbers from Cam Newton and Ed Dickson.
After a very rough start to the season, Newton has posted QB1 numbers in each of his last two games. Many, including yours truly, noted that last week’s performance came against the putrid Patriots’ secondary, but he faced a tough task against the Lions. But Newton took it to Detroit with 355 passing yards and three scores. He found Dickson wide open on several occasions, with Dickson posting a career-high 175 receiving yards. Newton is back in the weekly QB1 conversation, and Dickson will be a popular add this week.
San Francisco @ Indianapolis
Carlos Hyde disappears.
It isn’t quite clear why, but Matt Breida out-snapped Hyde in Sunday’s contest 37-35. He also significantly outperformed Hyde with 10 carries for 19 yards compared to 11 yards on eight carries for Hyde. Whether this is a one-week blip or a sign of things to come is yet to be determined, but Brieda should be added as an upside bench stash this week. Additionally, George Kittle is worth a look on the waiver wire after he saw nine targets, catching seven for 83 yards and a score.
Tennessee @ Miami
It isn’t happening for Jay Cutler and the Dolphins.
In a dream matchup against the suspect Titans secondary, Cutler only managed 12 completions for 92 yards and a score. To be fair, DeVante Parker exited the game after just three snaps, but the dysfunctions in Miami, which apparently run much deeper than the football field, have made it nearly impossible to trust any Miami player in starting lineups including Jay Ajayi.
LA Chargers @ NY Giants
Melvin Gordon rebounds in a big way.
The Chargers running back answer concerns about his production with a massive outing on Sunday. Gordon racked up 163 combined yards and two scores on 26 touches against the Giants, which was good enough to rank first among running backs in PPR scoring for the week. What made this performance even more impressive is that he was able to put up this production despite the fact that his offensive line struggled to generate space for Gordon. As a word of caution, that’s something to keep an eye on going forward. Even the league’s best running backs need help from their offensive lines in order to produce consistent fantasy numbers.
Arizona @ Philadelphia
Carson Wentz rolls.
The young Eagles signal caller got back on track after two down weeks, topping 300 yards for the third time this season and tossing a career-high four touchdowns. As expected, Wentz avoided Patrick Peterson’s coverage, which meant a relatively quiet day from Alshon Jeffery. But Wentz and peppered Zach Ertz with 10 targets, giving him a position-high 42 targets this season. Wentz also connected with Torrey Smith and Nelson Agholor on deep-ball scores. He continues to push the ball downfield and currently sits tied with Russell Wilson for the fifth-most attempts of a least 20 yards in the air. Perhaps most importantly, Wentz is now sixth among quarterbacks in fantasy scoring.
Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh
Big Ben and the Steelers continue to spiral.
Five interceptions. That’s not an easy thing to do, but Roethlisberger managed that feat against the Jags this week. It’s his highest total of his career, and is unfortunately another indication that things just aren’t right in Pittsburgh. Antonio Brown saw a massive 19 targets, catching 10 for 157 yards. Le’Veon Bell also racked up 10 catches in this contest. So Brown and Bell owners shouldn’t panic, but it’s tough to trust any other piece of this offense.
Baltimore @ Oakland
Javorius Allen dominates touches in the Ravens backfield.
Many in fantasy circles viewed Alex Collins as the new lead back in Baltimore, but Allen saw heavy usage against the Raiders with 25 touches. Collins carried the ball 12 times and had no catches. More importantly, Allen out-snapped Collins 47-16. As we’ve seen, the Ravens’ backfield is certainly subject to change, but we’re now back to viewing Allen as the lead back.
Seattle @ Los Angeles
What happened to Todd Gurley?
That’s a question many fantasy players are asking themselves after Gurley pulled an apparent disappearing act for chunks of Sunday’s contest. He finished with just 43 yards on 14 carries, which more resembled Gurley’s 2016 stat lines than the ones we were accustomed to over the first four weeks of the season. There is some solace for Gurley owners, as he gets a favorable matchup next week against the Jags.
Green Bay @ Dallas
Aaron Jones racks up 20 touches.
There’s a lot to discuss in this contest, but perhaps the most noteworthy was Jones’ healthy workload. We didn’t know exactly how the Packers would distribute the touches with Ty Montgomery out but Jamaal Williams active. However, Williams touched the ball just one time. Jones was excellent in this contest with 125 yards and a score on the ground. He also forced five missed tackles as a runner, which is currently tied for the most among running backs for the week. With Montgomery likely to be inactive again in Week 6, Jones makes for a multi-week fantasy fill-in who will have handcuff value after Montgomery returns.
Kansas City @ Houston
Deshaun Watson does it again.
For the second straight week, Watson finished as the No. 1 fantasy quarterback after he tossed five scores on Sunday night. Watson has benefited from the return of Will Fuller, who caught two scores, and Watson continues to heavily target DeAndre Hopkins. Though the first five weeks of the season, only Antonio Brown has seen more targets thank Hopkins 60. Watson continues to ascend and gets a fantastic matchup against the Browns this upcoming week.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.