Raise your hand if you knew both Alvin Kamara and Jake Ferguson were going to be top 10 plays at their respective positions in fantasy in Week 4.
Now, raise your other hand if you knew Joe Burrow, Joshua Palmer, Tank Dell, and Roschon Johnson were going to combine for 21.8 PPR points -- COMBINED In Week 4?! Not my best advice.
All jokes aside, if you read my Week 4 ‘Bargain Bin’ column, chances are you probably started at least one of the six aforementioned players. Looking to get ahead of the game for Week 5 before your friends do? Never fear, Steezy A is here. (all salaries are courtesy of DraftKings).
QB: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams ($5,600, QB18 at cost)
Falling outside of the top 15 in salary, yet ownership percentage at (6%) is within the top 7 at his position? Didn’t they always say great minds think alike?
While it isn’t official whether or not Cooper Kupp returns to action in Week 5, what IS official is that the LA Rams are 13th in the NFL in scoring at 24.5 entering Week 5. That has been without the stud wideout.
- Breece Great Story, Great Value
- Cody Carpentier's Week 5 Rankings
- Kupp Is Back; Take Advantag
- NWI Is AOK for Week 5 Pick 'Ems
- Will the Real Trevor Please Stand Up?
- Moore, Moore and Even Moore
- Couple of Zachs and You're Good to Go
- A Frugal Play, Brian Robinson
- The Pats are Bad -- That's Good for Us
- Studs & Duds: Not Quitting on Burrow ... Yet
Want to know what else is official? The Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the friendliest defenses to opposing quarterbacks in fantasy land this season. Mac Jones, Kirk Cousins, and Sam Howell can all attest.
Don’t believe me? I guess that explains why Philadelphia is ranked 27th against the pass.
Enter Matthew Stafford, who's thrown for 300 or more yards in three out of his four games played this season so far. The touchdowns haven’t been there, but Kupp’s imminent return should change the calculus there sooner rather than later.
One of two matchups on the Week 5 slate with a total north of 50 (50.5), you can expect a lot of points, yards, and fantasy points from Rams and Eagles players alike.
But especially Stafford. Start Stafford in Week 5.
RB: Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders ($5,600, RB23 at cost)
I know, I know - Brian Robinson Jr plays tomorrow so technically I don’t have a RB for you guys to ‘bargain’ hunt for Sunday’s slate of games, but Robinson’s price tag is intriguing enough to where I’d highly suggest curating lineups for ‘Thursday Night Football’ just because of him.
That said, Robinson has an incredible matchup on deck against the Chicago Bears, who have allowed RBs to feast since the season began. That list of players includes Aaron Jones (26.7 PPR points in Week 1), Rachaad White (21.3 PPR points in Week 2), 28.5 PPR points to Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Isiah Pacheco in Week 3, and 19.4 points to Jaleel McLaughlin in Week 4.
‘Thursday Night Football’ matchups usually favor the home team and especially more so if they’re able to run the football. As -6-point favorites, game script could also be in Robinson’s favor if things play out how they’re supposed to on ‘TNF’.
As the 8th-ranked RB (on the season so far) in standard PPR scoring formats, Robinson’s floor and ceiling in Week 5 looks like that of a promising RB2.
WR: Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers ($5,100, WR34 at cost)
Averaging 22.36 points per game in his last three games, Adam Thielen is playing like a man possessed.
WR10 on the season entering Week 5, Thielen has had 8 or more targets and 7 or more receptions in every game since Week 1.
Clearly having found his groove with a young Panthers team after a less-than-ideal Week 1 (2 receptions for 12 yards), the 33-year-old veteran WR belongs in all lineups as a WR3/flex option at the very least.
One of two winless teams remaining, the Panthers are +9-point underdogs (DraftKings) entering Week 5’s showdown with the Lions.
Given that the Panthers are likely to find themselves playing catchup against a much superior team, the stage is set for Thielen to continue his impressive season.
It also doesn’t hurt that Thielen has a TON of experience playing against the Lions, dating back to his Viking days (in two games against the Lions last season, Thielen amassed 13 receptions, 126 receiving yards, and two touchdowns).
WR: Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders ($5,400, WR29 at cost)
Another Commander, another ‘TNF’ player, and one less receiver to use in your Sunday lineups if you like to bargain shop.
Am I sorry? Not really, but if you adhere to what I was saying earlier about constructing a Thursday night lineup, that should more than make up for it.
Now, on to the man they call ‘Scary Terry: coming off a season-best performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last week in which he totaled 8 receptions for 86 yards McLaurin seems to be 100% behind the turf toe injury that hampered him in the preseason and carried into the beginning of the regular season.
That said, Terry is due for his best statistical performance of the season yet.
Vulnerable would be too generous a word to describe the Chicago Bears secondary, who sit at 29th in the NFL in passing yards allowed (on average) at 267.8 entering Week 5.
I expect Terry to eclipse 100+ receiving yards and perform more in line of that of a WR2 this week.
TE: Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals ($3,500, TE16 at cost)
To preface, the Arizona Cardinals are 1-3 on the season entering Week 5. In those losses, Zach Ertz has averaged 9.3 targets and about 43.3 receiving yards per game. In Arizona’s lone victory of the season, Ertz had season-lows across the board (2 targets, 2 receptions, and 6 receiving yards).
As 3-point underdogs at home to the ailing Cincinnati Bengals, the good news (for Ertz owners) is that the Cardinals are expected to lose. As I outlined for you above, Ertz does more statistically when AZ loses and while that has a lot to do with gameplan and game flow, I expect both to be in favor of Ertz as far as his fantasy value in Week 5.
Second on the team in targets with 30 (behind Hollywood Brown’s 32) on the season so far, Ertz’ chemistry with QB Joshua Dobbs has been evident and that should continue against the Bengals.
FLEX: Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos ($5,000, RB35 at cost)
Believe me when I say this, but I was on the Puka Nacua hype train before it truly took off, and the reason I say this is because he was the first ‘Bonus/Flex’ play I used when I started writing this bargain bin column and I just get this feeling about McLaughlin like he’s the next big thing to come out of the waiver wire.
While fellow running back Javonte Williams isn’t expected to miss much if ‘any’ time following a hip flexor injury, I’m not going to let Williams’ status damper my thoughts on McLaughlin, who finished as the RB10 in fantasy this past week (standard PPR scoring formats).
Having looked like the Broncos’ most explosive back on the season, McLaughlin was receiving hype all throughout training camp and now we’re all starting to see why.
Despite playing less than Samaje Perine in Week 4, Jaleel compiled a far more impressive stat line, racking up 7 rushes for 72 rushing yards and contributing in the pass game as well with 3 catches for 32 yards and a receiving touchdown.
Yes, the Broncos backfield is getting messy by the week with the emergence of yet another option in McLaughlin, but he’s certainly made the most of his opportunity and you know what it is by now with these rookie running backs.
Grab McLaughlin while you can and if you’re looking for the dart throw of dart throws, look no further than the Youngstown State product.
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