Looking for some lineup advice? You've come to the right place. First things first: go through every game on the schedule right here to find out who Dave is starting and sitting for all 32 teams on the schedule for Week 5.
Then, head to the PPR Cheat Sheet and Non-PPR Cheat Sheet to see his start and sit rating for every Fantasy relevant player on the board.
Jacksonville (2-2) at Carolina (2-2)
1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Point spread: Panthers -3.5
Risky Starter
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If you sat Chark last week, you actually got lucky. He had a touchdown called back on a penalty and might have caught another one if not for a pass-breakup in the end zone. He also caught a deep off-target throw from Gardner Minshew just barely out of bounds. This is a talented (and LARGE) receiver who could prove to be very good, but another tough matchup awaits this week. Panthers cornerback James Bradberry has yet to allow a touchdown this season, is yielding a completion percentage of just 41.2% and has only allowed 13 yards after the catch total. Bradberry needs to be on his A-game because it's become clear through four weeks that Chark will see multiple deep targets (he's got nine on the year) and at least one end-zone look per game. It's those two factors that keep Chark from being a straight-up sit in Fantasy — in a couple of short weeks he could really shine as his schedule improves before the bye.
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Risky Starters
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Through two games with Kyle Allen as the starter, Samuel has twice as many targets (14) as Moore (7). In fact, Moore is behind Samuel, Greg Olsen (11) and Jarius Wright (8) in targets. Samuel had four deep-ball targets last week (and 151 air yards), which is twice as many deep targets as Moore has from Allen in two games. Additionally, Allen isn't particularly money with his deep lobs, making that connection untrustworthy for Fantasy. While Samuel's speed and target share gives him a chance, Moore would need to see a big uptick in targets to be considered as reliable as he was with Cam Newton. The difficulty of the matchup hinges on Jalen Ramsey — if he plays then both receivers could struggle, especially since the Jaguars pass rush (57 quarterback pressures) could force Allen into some mistakes.
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New England (4-0) at Washington (0-4)
1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Point spread: Patriots -15.5
Start Him in non-PPR
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While I'm not ready to say Michel has rounded into the form we fell in love with last season, I am ready to say that whatever happened in Week 3 was an outlier. Michel rebounded from playing 22% of snaps to getting 44% of the work in Week 4 in what turned out to be a more competitive game WITH James White back. Maybe it was a byproduct of Rex Burkhead dealing with a foot injury but Michel had 17 carries for 63 yards including a 15-yard run to begin the game. Washington's run defense made Wayne Gallman look like Saquon Barkley last week and given the enormous point spread being offered, chances are the Patriots will build a big lead. Usually when that happens, running backs like Michel get opportunities to rack up yardage and maybe even a score. Count on him as a No. 2 rusher in non-PPR and a flex in PPR.
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Risky Starter
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In his last two games, Gordon has caught 9 of 18 targets for 129 yards. Of the 18 targets, four were deep, one was in the end zone and three were dropped (including the one in the end zone). Teammate Phillip Dorsett has actually been equally inefficient over the past two games (8 of 16 targets caught), but he found the end zone once. Gordon is due for a score and the Redskins not only have allowed 10 passing touchdowns on the year but yield the highest catch rate of any team in the league (78%). Outside cornerback Josh Norman has especially been bad — he's on the hook for four scores already this season. No doubt we'll see Gordon lined up across from him more than just a couple of times. So the matchup isn't bad, but Gordon's inefficiency and the likelihood that the Patriots won't have to throw a ton suggest significant risk.
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Buffalo (3-1) at Tennessee (2-2)
1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Point spread: Titans -3
Sit Them
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The Titans' run defense numbers don't seem impressive — they rank 15th against the run and have allowed 4.6 yards per carry — but it's on the back of two runs against them that went beyond 50 yards. Take those away and they're among the stiffest run defenses in football (3.3 yards per carry). They'll also focus on slowing the Bills' run game and daring backup quarterback Matt Barkley to throw. Gore did well without Devin Singletary the last two weeks, racking up three runs of 20-plus yards over the last two games, but he's generally not an explosive back (his longest carry in his first two games with Singletary was 9 yards) and won't do much in the passing game with Singletary back. Unless you're thin on running backs in Week 4, Gore should be on the bench.
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In case you haven't noticed, this Bills defense is very good. They've given up one receiving touchdown to a receiver and none to a tight end through four weeks. Granted, the only tight end worth a darn they've taken on is Evan Engram, but they held him to under 50 yards. Walker had a minimum of six targets and four catches per game until last week's startling win at Atlanta where the Titans receivers made some big plays and left little for Walker to do (two targets). I'd expect Walker's targets to rebound, but the Bills should know enough to cover him in the red zone and otherwise limit him to a short-area target. I like the upside with Jimmy Graham and Jack Doyle and would start them over Walker.
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Baltimore (2-2) at Pittsburgh (1-3)
1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Point spread: Ravens -3.5
Sit Him
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Even against a Browns secondary missing three starters last week, the Ravens dialed down their passing aggression as Lamar Jackson attempted just four long throws. It might have been a reaction to a 3 for 16 passing mark on deep balls the week prior against the Chiefs. Keep in mind that the Ravens played from behind for all of the second half and still seemed to hold Jackson back. The Steelers have allowed 16 pass plays of 20-plus yards (tied for 10th-worst) but only nine came in their last three games, and six of those were short passes that turned into longer plays, not deep lobs. This is important since Brown, who had six deep targets against the Chiefs and zero against the Browns, seemed to specialize in big plays to begin the season. Not only did Brown not get any long looks last week but he also had a drop at mid-field and had a shot to corral a short touchdown but the pass was a little low and he couldn't come up with it. The Steelers figure to play a lot of zone coverage to keep Brown from busting them deep and there's no certainty that the Ravens will let Jackson air it out after he seemed limited a week prior. Brown is due for a good game but the evidence is lacking on him having it this week.
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Arizona (0-3-1) at Cincinnati (0-4)
1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Point spread: Bengals -4.5
Sit Him
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I can't, in good conscience, recommend Dalton as a streaming quarterback. I just can't do it. The truth is his offensive line has struggled to protect him all year (only Kyler Murray has been sacked more) and his receiving corps lacks defense-stretching speed. Those factors have limited Dalton to a 61.4% completion percentage and a not-so-nice 6.9 yards per attempt. It's true that the Cardinals' secondary is a wreck and they give out tight end touchdowns like Halloween candy, but they do have a good pass rush (12th-best 46 quarterback pressures per Sports Info Solutions). That could be enough to sink Dalton. I'd rather start Kirk Cousins!
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Atlanta (1-3) at Houston (2-2)
1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Point spread: Texans -5
Sit Him
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The most frustrating part of watching Ridley play these past couple of games is that he's still getting open, but the connection isn't happening. One reason for it: Matt Ryan is getting rid of the ball quickly so he doesn't get mauled. The Falcons O-line is a problem, and so long as Ryan doesn't have time to throw, Ridley won't come down with big catches. It's pretty clear that when Ryan has to get rid of the ball, pretty much everyone in the Atlanta offense except Ridley gets targets. The second-year receiver has 23 targets in four games (10 came in Week 2) -- eight were deep balls and only two have come in the red zone. So even though the Texans present a favorable matchup on paper for Ridley because they're allowing a 71% catch rate and over 250 passing yards per game, their pass rush figures to force Ryan into uncomfortable moments that won't lead to seven-step drops and long tosses.
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Risky Starter
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For the first time in four games, Fuller got an end-zone target last week (from 20 yards out). And after having seven deep-ball targets through the first two games, he's had three since. Otherwise he's running a bunch of in-breaking routes to gain around 10 yards per grab but not breaking away from the defense. Combine that with his lack of high-leverage targets, especially over the last two weeks, and he's more or less a feast-or-famine flex play with the kind of bust potential we've realized in his first four games. So while it helps that the Falcons pass defense stinks and their pass rush shouldn't make Deshaun Watson overly uncomfortable, there's not a lot of evidence that makes Fuller any more trustworthy than in the previous four games.
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Tampa Bay (2-2) at New Orleans (3-1)
1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Point spread: Saints -3.5
Start Him
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In his past two games, Jameis Winston has completed over 65% of his passes for 765 yards (10.5 yards per attempt), seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He's overcoming a so-so offensive line and making plays to his incredible receivers. Honestly, he hasn't looked bad except for his first game this year. Speaking of looking bad, the Saints made the Cowboys offense look awful last Sunday but it was the first time this season they held a quarterback to under 21 Fantasy points. New Orleans has seen the fifth-most Air Yards of any team this season (1,393) along with the fourth-highest average depth of target (9.9 yards). The game is expected to be high-scoring (over/under of 47 points), and if the Saints run defense continues to be a factor, Winston will have to throw. I don't mind his chances if the Saints to with man-coverage as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have done well in one-on-one situations all year. Pencil Winston in for two touchdowns, plenty of yards ... and an interception. Hey, he's still Jameis Winston, after all.
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Minnesota (2-2) at New York Giants (2-2)
1:00 p.m. ET (Fox)
Point spread: Vikings -5.5
Flex Starter
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Alright, maybe not everything will be awesome with Daniel Jones under center. Shepard caught seven of nine targets last week in a dreamboat matchup and finished with just 76 yards. Vikings top cornerback Xavier Rhodes hasn't been playing his best this season -- he's allowing an 86.4% catch rate -- but only Davante Adams has converted his catches into more than 50 yards against him. Another fun fact: The Vikings have given up five touchdowns to receivers, but only one wideout (Calvin Ridley) has more than 10 non-PPR Fantasy points against them and only two (Ridley, Adams) have over 15 PPR points. Shepard's a better bet in PPR than non-PPR but can qualify as a flex starter in any format.
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Chicago (3-1) at Oakland (2-2)
1:00 p.m. ET (Fox)
Point spread: Bears -4.5
Flex Starter
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The weakness of the Raiders pass defense has been in the slot -- 4 of 6 touchdowns scored from receivers have come against their slot corners, along with the touchdown grab by Eric Ebron late last week. Robinson has actually run 40% of his routes from the slot this season, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him lined up there in the red zone against the Raiders. Chase Daniel was a perfect 7 for 7 connecting with Robinson last week, so you can't call the quarterback a liability. Perhaps the only concern is that the Bears find themselves running the ball a bunch, taking pressure off Daniel's shoulders. Ultimately, Robinson should be fine in PPR and good enough to call a flex in non-PPR.
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Sit Him
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Playing without defensive studs Akiem Hicks and Roquan Smith last week, the Bears held leading rusher Dalvin Cook to 35 rush yards on 16 carries with a short-yardage touchdown. Jacobs might be lucky to get even that much. The Raiders haven't been shy about giving him carries (he's averaging 15.5 per), but the lack of catches (two last week, three on the season) hurts his upside in a matchup that figures to involve the Raiders playing from behind. Chicago's run defense has afforded 3.1 yards per carry to opposing backs on the season, and only Cook burst through for double-digit Fantasy points.
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New York Jets (0-3) at Philadelphia (2-2)
1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
Point spread: Eagles -14
Start Him
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Flex Starter
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Despite three touchdowns last Thursday, Howard is still expected to share with rookie Miles Sanders. It's just the Eagles' way — no one back handles all of the work. And even though Howard had over 100 total yards in Week 4, it was Sanders who had over 100 total in Week 3. There are some edges that favor Howard. He's the only Eagles running back to have multiple carries from the 2-yard line or closer this season (Darren Sproles has one, Sanders has zero). Howard also has more red-zone carries (11) and as many inside-the-10 carries (6) than Sanders (7 and 6). This is important because the Eagles have logged 47 red-zone plays already this season and figure to have plenty more against the Jets' depleted defense on Sunday. Gang Green has managed to hold opposing runners to 3.7 yards per run this year, but the Eagles' offensive line will be the best they've faced and it should make a difference. Howard's goal-line edge is enough to give him a tiny edge over Sanders, making him more of a low-end No. 2 Fantasy running back, at least for this week. Sanders should be considered right behind him as a flex.
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Denver (0-4) at Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)
4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Point spread: Chargers -6.5
Start Him
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Flex Starter
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I'm not ready to say the Chargers defense will be fine despite them giving up one passing touchdown at Miami last week. Both starting safeties are out, they've had to switch starting cornerbacks and last week they lost edge rusher Melvin Ingram for a few games. Look for the Broncos to line up Sanders in the slot against nickelback Desmond King -- he's been having a bad year (81.8% catch rate allowed) and should create some opportunities for Sanders to make plays. Sutton doesn't line up enough in the slot to take advantage, but he's still serviceable as a flex given the steady work he's been getting (at least seven targets and four catches per game, three with 13-plus in PPR). I suspect he will only get shadowed by top cornerback Casey Hayward if Sanders plays in the slot. Otherwise, he might end up with a decent matchup against Michael Davis.
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Green Bay (3-1) at Dallas (3-1)
4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
Point spread: Cowboys -3.5
Start Him in PPR
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Admit it, Valdes-Scantling was hosed on the end-zone no-call last week. It wouldn't have resulted in a touchdown, just a pass-interference call, but it was his third target from Aaron Rodgers following the injury to Davante Adams. Only Jimmy Graham, with five, had more. More than just a lanky deep-ball threat, Valdes-Scantling is in prime position to reap a bunch of targets from Rodgers. Don't expect touchdowns, just volume — Graham profiles as Rodgers' preferred short-area target (four inside-the-10 targets this season) and the Cowboys have given up just two touchdowns to wide receivers all year. In three of four career games with eight-plus targets, he's delivered a minimum of 12 PPR points.
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Indianapolis (2-2) at Kansas City (4-0)
8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
Point spread: Chiefs -10.5
Start Him
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It's unlikely Brissett will ever be a dominant Fantasy quarterback, but he shouldn't hurt you too badly. Yet to have a game without multiple touchdowns, Brissett has delivered at least 21 Fantasy points in each of his past three games with over 250 yards in his past two (both at home). He's also only been sacked six times thanks to his stalwart offensive line. That fivesome should keep the Chiefs at bay -- they're ninth-worst in quarterback pressures and second-worst in quarterback hits, according to Sports Info Solutions (they have nine sacks through four games). Because it's assumed the Colts will be trailing, expect Brissett to throw a little more than usual. That should lead to nice stats, and it'll only help if T.Y. Hilton is active.
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Cleveland (2-2) at San Francisco (3-0)
Monday, 8:20 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Point spread: 49ers -3.5
Start Him
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The only quarterback to not score twice on the Browns this season is Luke Falk. Marcus Mariota, Jared Goff and Lamar Jackson have all found the end zone multiple times, the past two finding plenty of yardage with it. Credit to Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks for putting a competitive secondary together without three starters, but the 49ers played against his scheme twice last season when he was in Arizona and figure to have some ideas on how to beat it. One way is to exploit those backup cornerbacks and safeties, a perfect way to get George Kittle some major numbers. Garoppolo has played well but has been unlucky with touchdowns getting called back and interceptions getting tipped into defenders' hands. The Browns pass rush can make a small impact on him, but ultimately expect good numbers from Garoppolo.
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Flex Starter
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I am cautiously optimistic about Landry's chances to have another solid game. The 49ers secondary lost two cornerbacks since Week 3 but figure to keep slot guy K'Waun Williams in place. That's who Landry would see, and he's beatable (Williams is allowing a 70% completion rate over 10 targets with a touchdown). Even if you took away Landry's improbable 65-yard catch-and-run last week, he still accrued over 100 yards on his other seven grabs. Cleveland has a lot of burgeoning talents in their receiving corps but Landry's been steadily at seven-plus targets per game, and he's averaging 15.5 yards per catch if you remove the 65-yard play from Week 4. That's pretty great. Let's hope the catch rate continues its upward trend.
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Los Angeles Rams (3-1) at Seattle (3-1)
Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
Point spread: Seahawks -1.5
Start Him
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It's borderline impossible to sit Dissly at this point. His playing time hit a season-high last week (79% of snaps) and his games streak with five-plus receptions has hit three. The Rams have given up touchdowns to tight ends in consecutive games and lost safety Taylor Rapp to an injury last week. Dissly's emergence has put defenses in a bind because he can beat linebacker coverage and safeties can't both focus on him and the Seahawks' deep ball at the same time. Though the Seahawks should run the ball plenty, Dissly can make a play or two in the red-zone to keep his hot numbers alive.
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Non-PPR Flex Sleeper
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Sounds like Penny was close to being active for the Seahawks game at Arizona last week but was held back so that he'd be in top condition for their Thursday night game this week. There's no doubt that Chris Carson is the Seahawks' top back, but the Seahawks should aim to run the ball a ton and Carson can't do it all. The Rams may be ninth-best in the NFL against the run but their defense was on the field for 73 snaps against the Bucs last week and are now forced to play on the road on four days' rest. It's borderline unfair. Unleashing a fresh-legged young whipper-snapper like Penny seems like the kind of run-focused idea the Seahawks would try.
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So who should you sit and start this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 5 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.
