Fantasy Football Week 5 Lineup Advice: Starts, Sits, Flex Plays & Touchdown Picks (Ep. 2249)
Ryan Wormeli, Pat Fitzmaurice and Jake Ciely break down Week 5 start/sit calls, leaning heavily on injury-driven backfield and receiver uncertainty around the Eagles, Ravens, Bengals, Patriots and Commanders. They debate several close RB and WR duels (Jones/Judkins, Downs/Tate, Croskey-Merritt/Hampton) and wrap with Plant Your Flag picks (CJ Stroud, TreVeyon Henderson) and touchdown predictions.
This Week 5 edition of the FantasyPros podcast runs Ryan Warmly, Pat Fitzmorris, and Jake Mendlinger through waiver adds, start/sit debates, and touchdown predictions, with the overarching theme being a wave of backfield and receiver room chaos (Eagles, Commanders, Chargers, Ravens, Vikings) forcing managers into uncomfortable low-confidence starts. Both hosts repeatedly stress that several "consensus" ranked players this week are floor plays out of necessity rather than genuine confidence.
The arguments
Will Shipley is a forced start, not a good one. Jake calls him "desperate," not "willing," citing the Jaguars' historically elite run defense (opponent's leading rusher has topped 50 yards in only a handful of games since last season) and ranks him as a high-end RB3 at best. Fitz is more optimistic on touches (12 floor, maybe 20) given Shipley's receiving work, but both agree Damian Pierce's return muddies the touch split.
Mike Gesicki is a safer play than Dante Myers in the banged-up Bengals passing game. Both hosts have Gesicki inside or near the top 10-15 tight ends, but Jake warns the shaky volume could get split with Drew Sample/Tanner Hudson/Eric All, deflating Gesicki's week. On Myers, Jake and Fitz both rank him well above the WR38 consensus slot (Jake has him as a low-end WR3, Fitz just outside the top 30), while Jake explicitly prefers Malik Washington over Myers if Chase and Higgins both sit.
Travion Henderson is a must-speculate stash with Rhamondre Stevenson's ankle/MCL issue in question. Fitz notes Henderson was RB3 over a three-game stretch last year when Stevenson was out and projects him outside the top 20 even with Stevenson active; Jake goes further, saying Henderson would be an RB1 play over DeAndre Swift if Stevenson sits.
Quinshawn Judkins and Aaron Jones are both in the RB2 conversation, but the hosts split on priority. Fitz prefers Judkins because of the Vikings' crumbling offensive line (Donovan Jackson, Christian Darrisaw out/questionable) and Judkins' improved receiving role; Jake trusts Minnesota's offensive ecosystem more and leans Jones given his 23-touch workload, even with a tougher Saints/Jets matchup gap favoring neither clearly.
Zay Flowers takes a real efficiency hit without Lamar Jackson. Jake's data shows Flowers' yards-per-reception drops from 14.4 with Jackson to 8.3 with Tyler Huntley, dropping him from a clear WR1 to a WR2 (he'd even play Adams or a healthy Jefferson ahead of Flowers in that scenario). Fitz is more bullish, keeping Flowers around WR8 because he's still the clear focal point of the offense regardless of quarterback.
Carnell Tate's breakout game is treated with real skepticism by both hosts. Despite a 9-145 line last week, Fitz and Jake both want to see it repeat before trusting Cam Ward and the Titans passing game, with Jake notably ranking Tate at WR32, behind Denzel Boston, Josh Downs, and several others — both hosts prefer Josh Downs in a bounce-back spot against Pittsburgh.
What it means for your roster
- Start Shipley only if desperate (bye weeks/injuries) — treat as RB3/flex floor, not a league-winner; Pierce could siphon touches.
- Stash Travion Henderson now if available — priority waiver add given Stevenson's injury uncertainty; locked-in RB1 upside if Stevenson sits.
- Prefer Gesicki over Myers this week, but temper expectations on target competition from other Bengals tight ends; Myers is a sneaky WR3 if Chase/Higgins both sit.
- Judkins over Jones for truthers in Minnesota's O-line collapse, though both are fine RB2 plays — don't panic if you have either.
- Downgrade Zay Flowers to low-end WR2 if Huntley starts; don't bench him outright, but temper expectations compared to his red-hot Lamar-era production.
- Fade Carnell Tate this week — start Josh Downs instead; treat Tate's breakout as unproven until repeated against a tougher environment than one shaky Texans defense.
“I think the word should be desperate to start Will Shipley.” — Jake Ciely
Players in this episode
↓ Now in a near-even three-way committee with Keaton Mitchell and Kamani Vidal amid major Chargers O-line injuries; questioned as a poor scheme fit under Mike McDaniel.
↑ Preferred over Jacoby Brissett as a streamer vs the Giants defense despite coming off an elbow injury; hosts say watch the health, not the game.
↑ Plant Your Flag pick; poised for a bellcow workload against Las Vegas if Rhamondre Stevenson's ankle/MCL injury keeps him out.
→ Without Lamar Jackson (Tyler Huntley likely starting), his yards-per-catch craters even as target share rises; still a startable WR2 but downgraded from true WR1.
↑ Both hosts prefer him over DK Metcalf, citing a favorable matchup against the Chargers' defense that can't focus solely on him.
↑ Growing pass-catching role (15 receptions already) and a favorable Jets matchup; Fitz ranks him ahead of Jones due to Vikings' O-line injuries.
↑ Jake argues Purdy's underlying play is tier-one quality and should be trusted even against Seattle, ranking him above Jaden Daniels and near Brissett.
↑ Jake says he'd rather start Harvey than either Croskey-Merritt or Hampton given the mess in both backfields.
↓ Appeared to suffer a high ankle sprain or MCL issue last week; limited Wednesday practice leaves his Week 5 status uncertain.
↓ Coming off a huge game vs Baltimore, but hosts are skeptical it repeats given doubts about Cam Ward and the Titans passing offense; Jake has him well below consensus.
↑ Touchdown pick of the week after scoring in each of his last two games as Deshaun Watson's go-to red-zone target.
↑ Both hosts rank him far above consensus (WR3-4 range) given Chase/Higgins injury uncertainty, comparing his role to a Wan'Dale Robinson-type breakout.
↑ Coming off a three-touchdown game with at least nine carries in every outing, though he gets a tough Ravens run defense and offers little as a pass catcher.
↑ Averaging 23 touches/game with Jordan Mason on IR and a plus matchup vs the run-funnel Saints; preferred by Jake over Judkins due to offensive trust.
→ Fitz prefers him over Hampton for touchdown upside and a softer Giants matchup, while Jake is far more skeptical given the muddled Commanders backfield.
↑ Plant Your Flag pick; hosts trust his high-volume passing attack even against a tough Titans defense, ranking him well above consensus.
↑ Despite a quiet game last week, hosts prefer him over Tate for a bounce-back vs Pittsburgh given his central role in the Colts' passing game.
↓ Popular streamer vs the Lions, but hosts worry he reverts to erratic form, especially after losing left tackle Paris Johnson to a torn biceps.
↑ Ranked inside the top 10-14 at TE with a great matchup vs Miami, though hosts worry other Bengals TEs could siphon targets.
→ Thrust into a bigger role with Eagles backfield injuries and OL turmoil, but facing an elite Jaguars run defense; hosts call him a necessity start, not a confident one.