My brother turned 40 this weekend, and I’m not too far off myself. Young people, take a moment. 40 is a big number. It was when my brother and I were kids. It is now. Every time I hear an announcer talk about how old a player is when they might have just turned 30, I cringe a little bit.
But I’ve been thinking about the good times that have filled those years. My brother and I weren’t the best of friends when we were little kids. We grew extremely close when I got to college, however, and our bond has only gotten stronger since.
One of the main reasons is fantasy football. We joined our first league together after I graduated, and we share four different ones now. I root for him, I try to beat him, and I even sometimes give him some waiver advice.
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It sounds silly, but this is a silly game we play, and I love every second of it. I love that I’m able to text him at any time about a player going off for three touchdowns or putting up a goose egg. I can always count on him to shoot back with a meme telling me I’m an idiot.
He beat me in a league championship last year and even our parents were super invested in the outcome. It’s the little things that make this game so great. It’s brought so many people together and hopefully you have a similar experience of joy and togetherness.
But sorry for the sappy intro, ya jabronis, on to the week 5 recap!
10 Studs
- DJ Moore, Bears WR – 8 rec. 230 yds. 3 TDs
- Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals WR – 15 rec. 192 yds. 3 TDs
- George Kittle, 49ers TE – 3 TDs
- Travis Etienne Jr., Jaguars RB – 184 total yds. 2 TDs
- De’Von Achane, Dolphins RB – 165 total yds. 1 TD
- Zack Moss, Colts RB – 195 total yds. 2 TDs
- Breece Hall, Jets RB – 194 total yds. 1 TD
- Dallas Goedert, Eagles TE – 8 rec. 117 yds. 1 TD
- Cooper Kupp, Rams WR – 8 rec. 112 yds.
- George Pickens, Steelers WR – 6 rec. 130 yds. 1 TD
*Honorable Mention* Sam LaPorta, Lions TE – 3 rec. 47 yds. 2 TDs
We don’t usually do the Thursday guys because some time has passed, but DJ Moore’s day was too good to ignore -- 230 yards and three touchdowns, and it probably should have haven four. Where did he step out of bounds? He paced the league through Sunday. He’s gone over 100 yards three out of five weeks and he’ll have plenty more opportunities to keep that going with a Bears defense that has given up the most passing yards through five weeks.
Is Ja’Marr Chase always freaking open? He sure seemed like it Sunday, with 192 yards and three touchdowns. This was either a “launchpad game” for the Cincinnati Bengals OR they lit up an Arizona Cardinals team that also got lit up by the lousy New York Giants. Cincy will get Seattle before a bye and might really be able to get the offense turned around. Stay tuned!
Three catches. Three scores. That’s how George Kittle’s night went. The connection he had with Brock Purdy at the end of last season made him a top-five tight end. It hasn’t been the norm this season, but it’s clear the chemistry is still very much there. Kittle’s first career three-touchdown game put him right back near the top of fantasy tight end point scorers.
Travis Etienne, Jr. tweeted that he played himself in fantasy this week. I’m glad he didn’t go easy. His first game going over 100 yards on the ground carried the Jaguars to a win. His 35-yard touchdown at the end of the game sealed the deal. He’s a top-five runner and the Jags would be smart to keep that train rolling.
What more can we say about De’Von Achane? He’s leading the NFL in rushing in basically three games on about half as many attempts as the guys behind him. To say he makes the most of his touches is an understatement. And even when the game might be in hand, the Dolphins are more than happy to keep running their offense.
Zack Moss doesn’t care that you have Jonathan Taylor on your fantasy team. He was the feature back in the Colts’ offense as they work Taylor back in. Listen, Taylor got paid and we know what he’s capable of. But if you believe in preseason games being needed to get up to game speed, then Taylor will need about a month to figure it out. Moss will continue to have value and at worst will be the best handcuff in fantasy leagues if Taylor goes down.
They said, there are no limitations on Breece Hall. Yes, the Broncos’ run defense is basically Swiss cheese, but that doesn’t matter. Hall will likely be the focal point of the Jets’ offense going forward because of Zach Wilson’s limitations at quarterback.
Dallas Goedert put his slow start all the way behind him against the Rams. He powered the Eagles’ offense on the first drive and didn’t look back. He runs routes on 80 percent of Eagles pass plays and hopefully Sunday was a sign that Jalen Hurts is noticing.
The kids say it’s cuffing season. I say it’s Kupping season. I’m so hip. Welcome back to the man, the myth, the weapon Cooper Kupp after a stint on the IR. He didn’t miss a beat while leading the Rams in targets, catches and yards. The big question: can the Rams support both Kupp and Puka Nacua? Puka had 71 yards and a touchdown, a BIG BOY touchdown at that, so I think Los Angeles (and fantasy owners) are happy to have them both running routes.
Raise your hand if you benched George Pickens this week. My hand is up, I hate that it’s up, and I wish I could put it down. The Ravens hadn’t allowed a 100-yard receiver all season. I was playing the odds, but it will be the last time I bench Pickens, who is clearly in synch with Kenny Pickett.
Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, our Honorable Mention, has three touchdowns this season. The Lions offense is a monster and I want every part of it. I’ll be bold: LaPorta will finish as a top-3 player at the position this season. Trade for him if you can!
The Duds
Texans WR Nico Collins continued his good game-bad game trend for the Texans by posting only 38 yards. Rams RB Kyren Williams barely did anything against a tough Philly front. Basically every Giants player continued to play like they were on the Giants. And Derrick Henry looked like anything but a King against Indy.
But even though this is a duds section, I do want to talk injuries. Anthony Richardson plays in a way that is seemingly conducive to injuries. His throwing shoulder injury forced him out of the game and could force him to miss time. Cardinals RB James Conner looked good before going down with a knee injury. And the first overall pick in many a fantasy draft, WR Justin Jefferson, couldn’t finish the Vikings game because of a hammy issue. See if Jordan Addison is still somehow on your waiver wire or even consider K.J. Osborn if you’re in a bind.
A brutal day for some stars, yeesh.
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