The Biggest Start/Sit Decisions for Week 5 (Fantasy Football)

“There’s nothing you can do! You can’t trade, but sure, ugh…”
— Andy Holloway on Kyle Pitts

Opa, Footclan! Welcome to Week 5 of the Start/Sit series, where we’ll identify and discuss your most commonly asked “Who should I start?” questions for the week.

The projections between any two players on your roster may appear similar, but this “simple” choice could be the difference between your team’s victory or defeat. Luckily, the Fantasy Footballers have created an amazing Start/Sit tool to easily compare any two (or more) players with insight from the Ballers themselves, and trust me — it’s an extremely valuable asset that will help you make these crucial lineup decisions that could ultimately lead you to your #FootClanTitle. Please note that the Footballers’ rankings are constantly being updated as news breaks, so make sure you check out the tool for yourself to catch any last-second changes.

So, without further ado, let’s kick things off with the most popular Start/Sit questions for Week 5:

Featured Matchup

TE:
David Njoku (CLE) or Gerald Everett (LAC)?

You guys really aren’t sure about these two, huh? David Njoku came crashing down back to earth with a mediocre 5-73-0 stat line on seven targets, adding a fumbled carry for -6 yards. He’ll face a struggling Chargers defense that he’s historically feasted on, and we all know the TE landscape is a wasteland, so he’s a fringe TE1 option that can always explode if he finds the endzone.

Don’t look now, but after four weeks of football, Gerald Everett is now the fantasy TE5. He’s looked great in every game except Week 3, but we can blame that on Justin Herbert fracturing his rib cartilage. It definitely helps that both Keenan Allen and Donald Parham have been missing in action. And while the latter is expected to return, the former isn’t, meaning Everett is still in play despite a tough matchup against a Cleveland defense that just held Kyle Pitts to a lone reception amidst four targets for 25 scoreless yards. Then again, what defense hasn’t looked good against Pitts? However, Everett recently popped up on the injury reports for a hamstring injury, so keep your eyes peeled on the news and make sure he’s good to go.

The Verdict
Everett if Allen is out, otherwise roll the dice on Njoku.

QB:
Kirk Cousins (MIN) or Jared Goff (DET)?

Believe it or not, it’s the QB16 versus the QB5. Kirk Cousins should be the clear favorite since he has a fully loaded arsenal in Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, K.J. Osborn, Dalvin Cook, and Irv Smith Jr., and his team is a huge favorite against a laughable Bears team. Chicago might appear reasonably tough against opposing QBs, but they’ve only faced a submerged Trey Lance, an unprepared Aaron Rodgers, Davis Mills, and Daniel Jones. The last time Cousins played against the Bears, he went off for 250 passing yards and three TDs.

Jared Goff has been the talk of the town, erupting last week with 26 completions for 378 yards and four TDs in a close victory over the Seahawks, finishing as the clear fantasy QB1. Most notably, he did this without wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, and RB D’Andre Swift. It’s obvious that a standout o-line can enable any passer to succeed, but King Goffery has proven that he can do so even without his best weapons…so long as he has T.J. Hockenson, Andy’s TE Start of the Week. However, his past has also shown that he’s susceptible to disappointment, and though it’s tempting to stay in the flames with Goff, it’s highly unlikely he’ll repeat his gaudy production at Gillette Stadium.

The Verdict
Kirk Cousins

WR:
Allen Lazard (GB) or Romeo Doubs (GB)?

Drama in Wisconsin! In the three games Allen Lazard and rookie Romeo Doubs played together, here’s how they’ve done:

That’s pretty close. Doubs is certainly rising, and his last outing against the Patriots (5-47-1) would’ve been substantially higher if he secured a 40-yard TD bomb. He’s also emerged as one of Aaron Rodgers‘ favorite weapons:

Romeo Doubs has been the Packers’ WR1 since Week 3, leading all Green Bay WRs in per game:

• Target Share (24.2%)
• Opportunities (8)
• Yards After Catch (44.5)
• Expected Fantasy Points (10.6)
• Half PPR Points (14.3)#GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/iib8nmzMAe

— Marvin Elequin (@FF_MarvinE) October 4, 2022

Meanwhile, Lazard has essentially increased in every metric since returning from his ankle injury that kept him out of the opener. He’ll have to deal with tougher coverage from the Giants’ Adoree’ Jackson, but Rodgers will make sure that Lazard gets his.

The Verdict
Lazard for floor, Doubs for upside.

RB:
Rhamondre Stevenson (NE) or AJ Dillon (GB)?

AJ Dillon is due for a boom game. He hasn’t scored a TD since Week 1 despite seeing two red zone touches per game. The Giants aren’t a scary matchup, though they did just prevent Khalil Herbert from scoring despite having six red zone attempts. On the plus side, Herbert did total over 100 yards from scrimmage. It helps that DL Leonard Williams and LB Azeez Ojulari are hobbled, though Aaron Jones always looms in the distance, ready to vulture away any potential scoring opportunities.

But none of this matters because Rhamondre Stevenson gets to face a porous Lions defensive front that just let Rashaad Penny run wild for 157 total yards and two TDs. Sure, Damien Harris will siphon touches, but there’s plenty enough to go around for both guys to thrive. Rookie QB Bailey Zappe is expected to start, meaning Bill Belichick will undoubtedly lean heavily on the run game, making Stevenson a strong bet to surpass 75 yards and a recommended DFS play.

The Verdict
The Ballers all favor Dillon, but I’m riding with Stevenson.