Whatever the reason, it’s imperative to find value. When setting your Week 5 fantasy football lineup, you might have to take chances. Maybe throw a dart even. Whether it’s to cover bye weeks, injuries, or poor performances, it’s not always the obvious choice. It also might not end up being the right choice, but we need to try. So let’s jump into some sneaky starts for Week 5 of the fantasy football season.
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Sneaky Starts for Week 5 of Fantasy Football
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Regardless of why you might need a quarterback, Brissett is worth a closer look. It’s possible that you have to replace Patrick Mahomes or Bryce Young while on bye. That’s the obvious, but what if you want to fade Tyler Shough in a rough matchup? Or maybe you aren’t confident in Justin Herbert? On the surface, both are better than Brissett, but for this week, I’d beg to differ.
Brissett started off strong last week against the New York Giants, but then he fell apart in the second half. He finished with just 166 yards and three interceptions, but Brissett did throw two touchdown passes. That gave him six touchdowns and 818 passing yards through four games. Now, get ready for him to set season highs this week against the Detroit Lions.
We know that the Lions are one of the league’s worst passing defenses. They allow the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. The 24 points they allowed against the Jets were actually their lowest total all season. The question is not if Brissett will throw a touchdown pass this week, but instead how many? In each of the first three weeks, Detroit allowed three passing touchdowns before two last week.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
It feels weird saying this after what the last few years have looked like for Rodgers, but it’s real. No, he hasn’t turned the clock all the way back, but Rodgers is good once again.
Reunited with Mike McCarthy, Rodgers has seemingly found his groove over the past two weeks. In each of those games, he has three touchdown passes while throwing for 292 and 299 yards, respectively. In Week 5, Rodgers has one of the better matchups against an Indianapolis Colts team that struggles against opposing quarterbacks. That means we should see another big day from the veteran quarterback.
Keaton Mitchell, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Nothing the Chargers have done offensively, to this point, has worked. Omarion Hampton has failed to distinguish himself, and it looks like Mike McDaniel doesn’t know how to run an offense. If we’re going to look for a spark, maybe we should look no further than Mitchell.
We’ve seen Mitchell’s carries increase each week, and the same can be said for his receptions. Last week, Mitchell had 39 yards on 10 carries while also catching five passes for 24 yards. The more the Chargers hand Mitchell, the more he produces. While we are still taking a chance here, it’s all about chasing the upside. That’s especially true in PPR leagues as Los Angeles looks for a spark. The fact that the Denver Broncos also struggle against fantasy running backs helps here.
Will Shipley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Sometimes, it’s all about just being available. As we enter Week 5, both Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby are sidelined. That means it’s either Shipley or nothing for the Philadelphia backfield. With 15 carries for 54 yards on the season, Shipley hasn’t done anything to distinguish himself to this point.
However, if anyone is going to carry the ball in Week 5 for the Eagles, it’s going to be Shipley. Even if he’s not efficient with his touches, there should be enough here to generate a fair amount of production.
Romeo Doubs, WR, New England Patriots
I know it’s only one week, but maybe things are starting to click for Doubs. Between AJ Brown’s injury in Week 1 and Drake Maye’s early season struggles, the New England offense has been a mess. Maybe playing the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 was what they needed as the Patriots offense got back on track. That included Maye, and it came with Doubs playing a large part in the overall success.
Doubs caught six of nine targets for 58 yards and two touchdowns against the Bills. It was the first time this season that Doubs lived up to expectations. Now, let’s see if he can do it again. The bet here is that he can, as the outlook of New England’s passing offense is directly tied to the receiver.
Roman Wilson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
If we like Rodgers, it makes sense to target one of his receivers. What makes this sneaky, though, and perhaps a deep cut, is that we aren’t targeting the obvious here. On paper, Wilson is the number three receiver in Pittsburgh, but he’s been playing like more than that. What’s most important is that Rodgers is seemingly willing to target Wilson through the air. And when that happens, the receiver is capable of getting results.
For the second straight week, Wilson has caught a touchdown pass. In each of those games, Wilson has three catches for 60 and 74 receiving yards, respectively. It’s a good matchup for Wilson against the Colts this week, so let’s look for him to capitalize here.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
Goedert is back to practicing, at least on a limited basis, and that has to garner some attention. We know that Barkley is out, and he’s joined on the sidelines by DeVonta Smith. That means the Eagles are hurting for pass catchers and offensive weapons. In his only healthy game this season, Week 1, Goedert caught four of his five targets for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
Assuming he does make it back to the field this week, the Philadelphia tight end certainly deserves a closer look. At the risk of hyperbole, Goedert becomes the number one receiving threat for the Eagles.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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