There is no worse feeling in fantasy football than leaving a player who is having a career day on your bench while your starter struggles. This type of game management is what separates the elite fantasy football coaches from the casual.
Heading into Week 5, we’re starting to get a clear idea of which players should be every-week starters and which you might have to make difficult decisions with. In this article, we will dive into five names facing difficult situations that you may be better off leaving on the bench.
In each of these cases, your alternative options dictate how seriously you should consider putting one of these names on the bench. But here are five typical weekly starters who may not be in line for their best success in Week 5 of the NFL season.
Zack Moss, RB, Cincinnati Bengals (86.1% rostered)
Through the opening four weeks of the season, Zack Moss has tallied 48 carries for 187 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. He also has added 12 receptions for 96 yards and a receiving touchdown. He ranks 19th among running backs on the season based on DraftKings scoring.
The Bengals are set to face off this week with the Baltimore Ravens, which is a tough matchup for Moss and the team. Currently, Baltimore is leading the NFL with the fewest rushing yards allowed and the fewest yards per attempt. Moss was held to just 5.7 fantasy points, the 42nd most among running backs, in Week 2 against the Chiefs who have a similar defensive profile.
Chase Brown also continues to look sharp and is beginning to see his role grow within the Bengals’ offense. Brown is coming off his best game in which he tallied 15 carries for 80 yards with two rushing touchdowns last week. With Brown’s opportunity growing and this being a tough matchup overall, stay away from Zack Moss in Week 5.
Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings (79.7% rostered)
Last week marked the breakout performance from Jordan Addison after an ankle injury kept him out in Weeks 2 and 3. Against the Packers, Addison recorded three receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown while adding a seven-yard rushing touchdown. This output made him the 7th best wide receiver last week in DraftKings scoring but he was a bit too big-play reliant for my liking. Through the two games he has played, Addison has had just eight targets thrown in his direction.
Heading into this week, the Vikings will face off against a stingy Jets defense. They are holding teams to the worst net yards-per-pass play, rank second in yards allowed, and have the fifth-best scoring defense. In the past two weeks alone the Jets have given up just 13 total points. From a fantasy football perspective, the Jets have given up the fewest points to perimeter receivers so far this year.
There will be weeks in which Addison makes his impact felt but you should have modest expectations for this matchup. Justin Jefferson will headline the offensive attack while the Vikings may need to rely more on their running game than they have thus far. Drop Addison to the bench for Week 5 and look for a player with more clear opportunity in front of him.
Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders (67.7% rostered)
The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled to generate any sort of regular rushing attack. They currently rank 30th in yards per attempt and 24th in overall rushing yards. Zamir White has been at the heart of these struggles and on the season has tallied 49 rush attempts for 152 yards without reaching the end zone.
More notably, White is beginning to see his workload shrink and played just two snaps after fumbling last week. White has the worst DVOA of any running back in the league, with Alexander Mattison nearly doubling this. Mattison made the most of his opportunity last week taking his five carries for 60 yards. Expect Mattison’s role to grow within the offense and for this to come at White’s expense. White also landed on the injury report this week with a groin injury which only increases concerns.
In addition to the internal concerns, the Raiders have a tough matchup against the Denver Broncos. Denver has allowed just 22 points combined over the last three games and leads the NFL with the fewest yards-per-play allowed. Expect this week to be a sign of things to come and for White not only to be a must-sit for this week but possibly the weeks moving forward.
Keenan Allen, WR, Chicago Bears (78.7% rostered)
The Chicago Bears are on their way to turning around their level of offensive play after underwhelming greatly in the first few weeks. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily mean Keenan Allen will be a significant part of the production. As has been the story for most of his career, Allen has battled injuries to start the season. He missed Weeks 2 and 3 with a heel issue and made his return last week. In the victory over the Rams, Allen had just three catches for 19 yards. Allen has logged 68% of the offensive snaps in each of the games he has played.
The Bears’ offense will continue to improve, but there may not be enough opportunity for Allen. Both D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze have had more time to build chemistry with Caleb Williams and have done more in their opportunities thus far. Even a guy like Cole Kmet has impressed in a way Allen has not. There are too many mouths to feed here for Allen to be truly fantasy-relevant until he can fully find his stride and climb up the pecking order in the offense. There is plenty of opportunity as Chicago will face off with the Panthers, but look toward the other skill position when building out your lineups.
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys (93.8% rostered)
After inking a massive contract extension shortly before Week 1 kicked off, Dak Prescott has shifted his focus back on the field. Through the opening four weeks of the season, he is the 10th-ranked quarterback in DraftKings fantasy scoring.
While Prescott has been solid in his on-field play, it has not translated to fantasy relevancy in the way you desire. Throughout his career he has been surrounded with significant weapons he was able to lean on for production. Outside of CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys are more limited in weapons than has generally been the case. To add to this, Brandin Cooks will miss this week due to injury.
The Cowboys are set to face off with a Steelers defense that ranks second in scoring and fourth in yards allowed. They have allowed just four passing touchdowns on the season and are allowing just 3.7 yards per play at home. It also should be noted that Prescott’s yards per pass attempt drops by nearly a full yard when he plays on the road throughout his career. With the tough matchup and injury concerns, there are better options at quarterback than Prescott in Week 5.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
