Week 5 of the NFL season has arrived, and the fantasy quarterback landscape has taken quite the turn. Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson currently reign supreme, but who will stand out this week?
Let’s break down my Week 5 start ’em, sit ’em fantasy football quarterback picks.
Start ‘Em: Sam Darnold (Vikings) vs. Jets
This is one of the juiciest revenge game scenarios we’ve seen in a long time.
A little over three years after the Jets gave up on the former No. 3 overall pick, Darnold and company “host” his former squad this weekend in London. New York has seen multiple quarterbacks come and go since Darnold’s departure, recently going all-in on Aaron Rodgers. The former MVP was expected to provide a spark to an offensive unit featuring some of the best positional players in the league.
The early returns have been… underwhelming. The Jets rank 20th in points per game with 19 and are coming off a stunning 10-9 loss to Denver.
Meanwhile, that guy they gave up on a few years ago? He’s outperforming Rodgers in virtually every category. Yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, passer rating… you name it. Many were concerned about Minnesota’s offensive ceiling with Darnold under center. He’s answered those questions by leading the Vikings to a 4-0 start. The 27-year-old currently ranks as QB4, averaging 20.3 fantasy points per contest.
Sit ‘Em: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) vs. Saints
The unthinkable has become a reality.
Patrick Mahomes has not been great this season. It’s really that simply. The best quarterback in the league — sorry Josh Allen fans — has failed to score more than 17.4 fantasy points in each of his four outings. He currently ranks as QB16 on the year.
The reigning back-to-back champs boast a 4-0 record, but outside of their Week 1 win against the Ravens — which could’ve been a loss if Isaiah Likely had a smaller shoe size — all of their games have been underwhelming. Now with Rashee Rice sidelined, Isiah Pacheco out and Travis Kelce playing like a shell of his former self, Kansas City’s offense isn’t nearly as formidable. Mahomes is best left on your bench until he proves his value as an elite fantasy quarterback again.
Check out my full Week 5 start/sit article with picks at each position here!
Start ‘Em: Baker Mayfield — THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
It feels like not enough people are giving Mayfield credit for currently holding the *checks notes* QB3 ranking. We’re nearly one-quarter of the way through the season, that’s a large enough sample size to put stock in those numbers.
Baker bounced back from an underwhelming Week 3 result by absolutely torching what was supposed to be a formidable Eagles defense, racking up 28.9 fantasy points with 347 yards and three total touchdowns. Considering the current state of the fantasy quarterback landscape — which is UGLY outside of Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson as elite dual-threat QBs — it’s almost a no-brainer to ride with hot hand with Mayfield.
Fire him up as a legitimate QB1 once again on Thursday night.
Sit ‘Em: Dak Prescott (Cowboys) at Steelers
Dak put up a decent fantasy statline against the Giants last Thursday, racking up 16.7 points. That said, outside of Week 3, this hasn’t been the same guy who finished as the overall QB3 last season.
I’m not sure if it’s Dallas’ offense lacking the firepower they’ve boasted recently or the loss of Kellen Moore, but the Cowboys don’t look as dangerous on that side of the ball. They also definitely don’t look as formidable defensively, but that’s not relevant to this pick.
After throwing for a career-high 36 touchdowns in 2023, Prescott is on pace for fewer than 26 through four weeks. That’s enough of a sample size to foster concern about his fantasy prospects. There will still be weeks where Dak is a clear start due to matchup, but that’s certainly not the case against this stout Steelers defense, which has allowed just 11.2 points to opposing signal callers.
Fantasy Advice Twitter Takeover
On Sunday from 11-1 ET, Jeff Pratt will be taking over the DraftKings Network X account to answer all of your start/sit questions. Don’t miss out!
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em Week 5 fantasy football quarterback picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice next week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
