Week 5 Start Sit Advice (Part 1) | MUST-Start Players & Big Names to AVOID (10/08 Fantasy Football Podcast)
Adam, Jamey and Heath run through Week 5 start/sit advice, highlighting love for Matthew Stafford, Emmanuel Wilson, Jaden Daniels, Braelon Allen and R.J. Harvey while fading Rhamondre Stevenson, Alvin Kamara, Khalil Shakir, Tyler Shough and the Eagles' banged-up skill players. They then work game-by-game through the Week 5 slate (Eagles-Jaguars, Colts-Steelers, Bengals-Dolphins, Raiders-Patriots, Browns-Jets, Broncos-Chargers, Texans-Titans), weighing injury reports (Lamar Jackson, Ja'Marr Chase/Tee Higgins, Rico Dowdle, Dallas Goedert) against matchups to set rankings and waiver priorities.
This Week 5 show opens by flagging a genuinely brutal quarterback slate — of the top six fantasy QBs, two are on bye and three others face either elite pass defenses or are banged up — before the hosts walk through their weekly love/avoid lists and then speed through every game on the slate with streaming advice. The through-line is that with so many stars compromised by injury (Chase, Higgins, Jefferson, Diggs, McLaurin, Nabors, Smith, Barkley), managers need to lean on workload and matchup data rather than name value this week.
The arguments
The quarterback slate is uniquely thin, making the Lions-Cardinals game the week's fantasy lifeline. Heath Cummings ran down the rankings: Josh Allen draws the Rams' stingy pass defense, Brock Purdy has historically been shut down by Seattle, the third- and sixth-ranked QBs are on bye, and Burrow/Jackson are both injury question marks. Jared Goff in the Lions-Cardinals shootout becomes the week's safest high-end option almost by default.
Jamie Eisenberg's three loves — Stafford, Emmanuel Wilson, Quinshawn Judkins — are all built on opportunity, not name recognition. Stafford gets a Bills defense that just let Drake May go off; Wilson has scored 11.7+ PPR points in seven of his ten career double-digit-carry games and faces a shaky 49ers run defense; Judkins is drawing more receiving work (5+ catches in two of his last three games) against a Jets defense that's been gashed by backs lately. Heath backed all three, ranking Stafford his QB1.
Heath's loves lean on pure volume: Jaden Daniels, Braylon Allen, and R.J. Harvey. Daniels is a must-start whenever active regardless of Diggs/McLaurin's injury-prone practice reports, since he's historically kept running even in protect-the-elbow spots. Braylon Allen has absorbed every Jets backfield touch since Breece Hall's injury and projects for ~20 touches against a Cleveland run defense that's generous in yards-per-carry even without allowing touchdowns yet. Harvey is framed as a PPR-only RB2 given Denver's inability to run efficiently, though Jamie and Adam noted he's unlikely to sustain his recent target spike.
The avoid list centers on touchdown-dependent or risk-laden backs and a collapsing Eagles offense. Alvin Kamara (unanimous fade, ranked 27th-29th across the staff) and a shaky Ramondre Stevenson (limited practice, murky Patriots role) headline the backfield fades, with Jamie and Dave notably more bullish on Stevenson than Heath. Khalil Shakir is a surprise fade against a Rams defense that hasn't allowed a receiver over 50 yards all year; Tyler Shuck gets downgraded (but not benched) given Minnesota's pressure rate, with Jacoby Brissett floated as a direct streaming replacement. Ollie Gordon remains touchdown-reliant against a stingy Bengals run defense, and the Eagles as a unit — down Jalen Hurts' top receiver (Devontae Smith), top back (Barkley), and two offensive linemen (Juergens traded, Lane Johnson retired) — are an outright sit for Hurts, with Jahan Dotson/A.J. Brown replacements like Darius Cooper and Jack Wicks preferred over a limited Dallas Goddard.
Trevor Lawrence is quietly playing the best football of his career and becomes a top-10 streaming option against Philadelphia's shorthanded defense. Jamie cited a 69% completion rate and 8.1 yards per attempt (both career highs) despite unchanged air-yards depth, attributing the jump to a lower off-target rate. Heath was more conservative (10th) given Jacksonville's league-low pace, but both preferred Lawrence over Tyler Shuck and Jacoby Brissett.
Aaron Rodgers' Steelers passing game has genuinely improved under Mike McCarthy, and the hosts are comfortable starting him against a leaky Colts secondary. Rodgers has topped 290 yards in back-to-back games and is pushing the ball downfield (10+ air yards per attempt in three of four games) at a rate he rarely hit in his first two Pittsburgh seasons. Heath ranks him a top-15 QB this week, ahead of Hurts and Herbert, while also noting the Colts give up the sixth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Drake May flipped from a sit to a viable streaming start after further research into Las Vegas's defense. Adam reversed his earlier public take, arguing the Raiders' pass rush is real but their coverage and overall defensive numbers are soft, and May's per-game yards-per-attempt (7.3+, on par with Stafford's season average) combined with his rushing upside makes him a top-10-ish option, albeit with volume still a question mark.
What it means for your roster
- Start: Stafford (Bills), Jaden Daniels if active, Braylon Allen (treat as a true RB2, ~20 touches expected), Trevor Lawrence as a top-10/12 streaming QB over Shuck or Brissett, Aaron Rodgers as a top-15 streaming QB over Hurts/Herbert/Nix.
- Claim/stash: R.J. Harvey in PPR formats only (top-20 RB range); Dante Myers off waivers if either Chase or Higgins sits (top-20 WR, ahead of Downs/Metcalf); Travion Henderson as a Stevenson handcuff with real three-game upside (12.7–32.3 PPR points in Stevenson's absences last year).
- Downgrade/bench: Tyler Shuck (still startable but expect regression vs. Minnesota's pressure), Ollie Gordon (touchdown-dependent flex, not a guarantee), Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman (risky even in good matchups given Rams' yardage suppression).
- Sit outright: Jalen Hurts and the broader Eagles passing game; Alvin Kamara; Dallas Goddard unless he clears a full Friday practice (Kenyon Sadiq preferred as the streaming tight end if Goddard sits).
- Monitor practice reports closely before lineup lock: Ramondre Stevenson (limited, murky outlook), T. Higgins/Jamar Chase (dictates Myers' and Gesicki's ceilings), Justin Jefferson (planning to play but not guaranteed), Chris Olave (rest day, status uncertain), and Rico Dowdle's potential cut into Jalen Warren's workload (hosts would drop Warren from top-10 into low-teens if Dowdle returns to a real role).
- Trade value to track: Bhayshul Tuten is drawing real offers (Heath had an Omarion Hampton-plus-Parker Washington deal rejected) given his goal-line usage and ascending role in Jacksonville's offense.
“Can you light a spark on something that's already on fire in a dumpster?” — Adam
Players in this episode
↑ Host reversed his earlier sit call after research showed the Raiders' defense isn't as strong as its numbers suggest; now views Maye as a top-10 streaming QB option this week.
↑ Labeled a must-start top-12 QB whenever active, given his rushing upside and a favorable matchup against a shaky Giants defense.
↓ Labeled a clear sit after throwing for just 93 yards last week amid a gutted offensive line and missing weapons (Barkley, Smith) against a tough Jaguars defense.
↑ Posting a career-best 69% completion rate and 8.1 YPA; hosts rank him as a top-5-to-10 QB and like him in a plus matchup against a struggling Eagles defense.
→ Praised for an expanding pass-game role (5+ catches in 2 of last 3 games) and first TD, with upside as a strong No.2 RB versus the Jets, though Heath noted his per-touch efficiency hasn't been consistent.
↑ Has thrived with a full workload the last two games and is ranked top-10, though hosts noted his ranking would drop if Rico Dowdle returns and cuts into his touches.
↑ Seeing career-high target shares in Denver's pass-heavy game script; viewed as a top-20 PPR back with increasing receiving usage behind Jalen Waddle in the passing game.
→ Limited in practice with uncertain status; hosts debated his ranking (17th-27th) and noted beat writers weren't optimistic about him suiting up.
↑ Named the top start of the week against a bad Bills defense on Monday night; he's had 50+ pass attempts in recent games and his best game this year came in his only true home contest.
↑ Bengals coach Zac Taylor compared his after-the-catch ability to Ja'Marr Chase; hosts say he's a must-start if either Chase or Higgins is out, and still relevant even if only one plays.
↓ Facing a dominant Vikings pass rush that will make life difficult; still leads the NFL in pass attempts, but hosts aren't confident in a big game and prefer Jacoby Brissett as a streamer alternative.
↓ Listed as a player to avoid against the Vikings; hosts don't buy into his bounce-back game without a clearer workload change.
↓ Flagged as a player to avoid against the Rams, who haven't allowed a WR more than 50 receiving yards in a game; hosts prefer other waiver WRs over him.
↑ Has taken over essentially all Jets RB touches since Breece Hall's injury; expected ~20 touches and called a must-start RB2 even in a tough Browns matchup.
↑ Expected to see the majority of Packers touches again, with a strong PPR floor (11.7+ points in 7 of his last 10 games with 10+ carries) against a shaky 49ers run defense.
↑ Considered a safer floor play than some waiver alternatives and preferred over Ollie Gordon and Keenan Allen in several start/sit comparisons this week.
↑ Playing noticeably better under new OC direction with increased downfield passing; ranked as a top-15 QB and preferred over Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert against the Colts.
→ Revenge-game narrative against Miami with upside for a big game if Chase and Higgins both sit, but target share has been too thin to trust if either plays.
→ Coming off a strong performance and remains in the lead RB role for Miami; good flex play versus Cincinnati's run defense, though hosts expect a tougher matchup without a guaranteed touchdown.
→ Expected to see a good share of carries and most of the passing-game work for Philadelphia; viewed as a high-end flex given Jacksonville's tendency to allow catches to RBs.