Heading into Week 5 of the NFL season, we are beginning to see how the portrait of the NFL is being painted. The good and bad have begun to separate on both a team and individual level.
From a fantasy football perspective, these decisions also are beginning to become clear. One of the worst feelings is to leave a player on your bench during their breakout performance. This feels even worse when that player is outperforming a player in your starting lineup.
In each of these cases, your alternative options must be firmly considered as every fantasy football roster is different. But here are five players who you may not have as a lock for your lineups and should be expected to outperform their typical production.
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants (57.8% rostered)
There has been plenty of buzz surrounding standout rookie Malik Nabers through the opening four weeks. But not enough attention has been paid to the Giants’ WR2 in Wan’Dale Robinson. So far this season, he ranks 25th among all wide receivers in fantasy production based on DraftKings scoring. He ranks seventh in targets and sixth in catches among the entire NFL.
Heading into this week, Robinson should expect an even further uptick in targets. The Giants will be without Nabers due to a concussion as they face off against the Seahawks. One could make the case that Robinson should be an every-week starter regardless, but without Nabers, Robinson approaches must-start territory. Expect him to outperform expectations and record more than the 13.2 fantasy points he is already averaging.
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers (90.6% rostered)
The 49ers have battled injuries to start the season and are off to just a 2-2 start. One of the bright spots on the team has been Brock Purdy’s level of play. The former Mr. Irrelevant has taken on more responsibility in the offense this year and is growing into the true franchise quarterback that many had hoped for.
Through the first four weeks of the season, he ranks fourth in passing yards and third in passing yards per game. This has occurred without much success in throwing for touchdowns as he has just five on the season. Overall, Purdy ranks 12th amongst quarterbacks in fantasy production and should be expected to climb this list.
The 49ers are set to face off with the Arizona Cardinals who are desperate for a win with their 1-3 record. Expect this to be a matchup with a great deal of scoring and for Purdy to be tasked with delivering. Get him in our fantasy football lineups and expect him to finish as a top-10 performer this week.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers (87.8% rostered)
The outlook for the Panthers offense changed greatly following the quarterback swap. Chuba Hubbard has been one of the primary beneficiaries of this change. Over the last two weeks, he has received 43 touches which he has converted into 290 total yards and a pair of touchdowns. He ranks fourth in production among running backs during these two weeks. His efficiency has also nearly doubled during this stretch on a yards-per-touch basis.
The Panthers are set to face off with a Chicago Bears team that has given up a rushing touchdown in every game in which the opposing starter played in its entirety. Joe Mixon suffering an injury against Chicago in Week 2 is the only outlier in this trend. In addition, the Bears are allowing the 14th-highest yards per carry and the 10th-most fantasy points per game. Expect Hubbard to continue getting plenty of opportunities and for him to finish as one of the top overall scorers this week.
Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (90.7% rostered)
While the Chiefs are off to a 4-0 start to the season, they have not yet found their full stride in the passing game. Through the opening four weeks, they rank 11th in passing yards, 15th in total yards, and 14th in scoring.
Currently, Worthy ranks third on the Chiefs in targets behind Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce. The rookie speedster should expect to see his opportunity grow following the injury to Rice. He has had at least three touches in all four games and found the end zone three times already this year.
Expect Andy Reid to have already schemed up a way to get Worthy involved more heavily this week to help fix their offensive concerns. His breakaway speed makes him a big-play threat on every snap and he has been narrowly missed on a few of these opportunities this year. Count on things to click for Worthy and the Chiefs this year and for this to result in an impressive fantasy output.
Allen Lazard, WR, New York Jets (38.6% rostered)
The New York Jets are traveling overseas this week to face off with the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings who have been extremely impressive to start the year. They will need to answer Minnesota’s level of offensive production. Expect Allen Lazard to play a role in this. Through the first four weeks of the season, he has tallied 16 receptions for 204 yards and three touchdowns.
While the Vikings have been dominant on offense, they are allowing a league-worst 221.5 receiving yards per game and the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. Expect there to be plenty of opportunity for the Jets’ skill positions to produce and for Lazard to be right in this mix.
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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.
