Week 5 is here and hopefully you still are since Gabe Davis aka Mr. “Win vs. busted coverage” and Travis Etienne couldn’t live up to the flex hype with favorable matchups in Week 4. Luckily, Jamaal Williams and Khalil Herbert held us down as we knew they would. Javonte Williams was unfortunately lost for the season due to an ACL and MCL tear. Should we be looking to start his backup(s) in the flex spot this week? Melvin Gordon is expected the be the Broncos’ lead back, but it could get tricky with Mike Boone and recent signee Latavius Murray. Maybe Cam Akers or Darrell Henderson can finally separate from the other guy? With the Rams offense looking worse than the Colorado State Rams, I wouldn’t count on it. Here are some players we actually may be able to count on in Week 5. The pickings are slim with a lot of expected low-scoring games, but we shall overcome!
Romeo Doubs - WR, Packers vs. Giants
Doubs is coming into his own within the Packers offense. The rookie has two straight games of at least eight targets and one touchdown. The New York Giants defense has been stellar, especially against opposing receivers as they’re second-best in terms of defending them in fantasy. The issue with that is the quarterbacks they’ve faced were:
We know Aaron Rodgers is a different monster and while he’s not started off like an MVP (QB21 in fantasy), he’s still ‘Aaron Rodgers’ at Lambeau field. He seems to trust the Doubs enough early on here in the season to be peppering him with targets. In Week 3 Doubs earned a 23.5% target share and followed that up with 25% in Week 4. He also ran more routes than any Packers player in Week 4. Allen Lazard could be a solid play as well coming off of his first 100-yard game of the season. I think the Giants’ defense is legit and will present the Packers with problems, but if you’re in a tight spot in the flex, Doubs is your guy.
Rachaad White - RB, Buccaneers vs. Falcons
We finally saw some of what the rookie out of Arizona State can do in a shootout against the Chiefs in Week 4. He started slowly losing a fumble on a kickoff return but showed his receiving ability in a pass-happy game (five receptions for 50 yards). The Bucs all but abandoned the run game as they only ran six times. It was nice to see White fall into the endzone on one of those rare rushing attempts. While Leonard Fournette is undoubtedly the team’s RB1, White is starting to see more opportunity and could have a bigger impact against the Falcons. With the game’s over/under sitting at 48.5, it’s the highest of the early Sunday games. Furthermore, the Bucs are nine-point favorites, so any scenario could result in a decent day for White. The Falcons defense is sixth-best against running backs in fantasy this season, but they’ve yet to face an offense with the playmakers the Bucs possess.
Devin Singletary - RB, Bills vs. Steelers
The Bills being 14-point favorites against the Steelers is actually funny and disrespectful. It could play right into Singletary’s hands in Week 5. For starters, the Steelers are the ninth-worst team against running backs in fantasy. Unless it’s a complete blowout (see Bills/Titans Week 2), Singletary should thrive no matter the game script. He continues to be the Bills’ preferred top back coming off a game against the Ravens where he ran 11 times for 49 yards and added an additional 47 yards on five receptions. While he’s not quite a plug-and-play RB2, he has strong flex appeal based on the matchup and this is a good one. He’s currently sitting at RB23 and will be a dependable option in Week 5.
Rhamondre Stevenson - RB, Patriots vs. Lions
It was expected for Stevenson to be at least somewhat of the pass-catching back for the Patriots after James White retired. In his last two games, he’s become much more. Stevenson has rushed 26 times for 139 yards and a touchdown over his last two games, adding eight receptions for 41 yards in that span. He’s carved out a nice role in a solid committee with Damien Harris. He and Harris will face a Lions’ defense that just let Rashaad Penny run 17 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns in Week 4. Additionally, the Lions are the second-worst team in fantasy against running backs this season. With Bailey Zappe set to get his first start, the Patriots will depend heavily upon Stevenson and Harris.
DeVonta Smith - WR, Eagles @ Cardinals
After good games in Week 2 and 3, Smith came crashing back down in Week 4 with only 17 yards on three receptions. He struggled with an injury and the weather was ugly as well. I see him getting back on track against a Cardinals defense who’s giving up 255.8 passing yards per game, 10th-worst in the league. The Eagles are 5.5-point favorites, but the 48.5 over/under lets me know there will be points to be scored. Any game involving Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray is bound to be a track meet. Smith has proven to be a top-tier WR2 for his team, making the tough contested catches you love to see. Smith is currently a respectable WR31 on the season, “get back” season is on the horizon for him in Week 5.
Hunter Renfrow - WR, Raiders @ Chiefs
I’m still waiting for that Renfrow game and if he returns from his concussion it could be at Arrowhead Stadium. Something has to give right? It’s the highest point total of any game in Week 5 at 51. With the Raiders being seven-point underdogs, Derek Carr is going to have to let it rip which won’t be a bad thing given the Chiefs are giving up 263.8 passing yards per game. Josh Jacobs is coming off of a stellar game running the ball (28/144/2), but they’ll have to toss the rock to keep up with Patrick Mahomes. One of Davante Adams or Darren Waller could be in for nice days, but it’s time Carr locks back in on his trusted buddy in the slot, Renfrow. In his last game, he caught 7-of-10 targets for 59 yards, so he was already on the rise. Chiefs defensive backs better have their ankles taped a little tighter in Week 5.
