Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups based on a PPR scoring system in fantasy football. This column will not cover the elite players in the NFL like Josh Allen, Jonathan Taylor or Cooper Kupp. Instead, I’ll look at the players you have questions about who could exceed or fail to meet expectations at each position. For all of your final fantasy lineup decisions, be sure to check out my weekly player rankings which will be updated daily throughout the NFL season.
Fabs Top 10 Quarterbacks
1.Josh Allen vs. Steelers
2. Patrick Mahomes vs. Raiders (MNF)
3. Jalen Hurts at Cardinals
4. Lamar Jackson vs. bengals
5. Justin Herbert at Browns
6. Joe Burrow at Ravens
7. Kyler Murray at Eagles
8. Tom Brady vs. Falcons
9. Aaron Rodgers vs. Giants (London)
10. Russell Wilson vs. Colts (TNF)
My complete positional rankings: QB | RB | WR | YOU | FLEX | K | DST
Week 5 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACK | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS & TEAM DEFENSES
Week 5 Start ‘Em: Quarterbacks
Start of the week
Tom Brady vs. Falcons (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Listed as a start ’em last week, Brady had his best game of the season with 385 yards, three touchdowns and 25.4 points in a loss to the Chiefs. I’d keep him active this week, too, as the Buccaneers face off against a Falcons defense that’s allowed an average of nearly 19 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Brady also averaged 29.2 points against them in 2021.
start ’em
Joe Burrow at Ravens (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Burrow, also listed as a start ’em a week ago, scored over 20 fantasy points for the second straight week. I believe he can make it three in a row, as the LSU product faces a vulnerable Ravens defense. Over their last eight games dating back to last season, Baltimore has allowed an average of 22.5 fantasy points a game to quarterbacks. That’s the most in the NFL.
Derek Carr at Chiefs (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Carr has been inconsistent in the stat sheets, scoring 18-plus points twice while also failing to score 14 points in his other two games. I do like him this week, though, as the Raiders face a Chiefs defense that’s allowed nearly 22 fantasy points a game to quarterbacks. Carr has also scored 18-plus fantasy points against them in three of their last four meetings.
James Winston vs. Seahawks (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Winston missed last weekend’s game in London, so be sure to keep tabs on his status throughout this week. If he is able to start, I like him as a streaming option against the Seahawks. Their pass defense has been brutal, allowing an average of 282.8 passing yards and 21.4 fantasy points per game to opposing signal-callers in their first four contests.
Ryan Tannehill at Commanders (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Tannehill has been hard to trust this season, but fantasy managers in a bind could do worse than start him in a matchup against the Commanders. Their defense has surrendered 10 touchdown passes and more than 21 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. What’s more, two of the last three QBs to face them have scored 26-plus points.
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More Starts
• Jared Goff at Patriots (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Kirk Cousins vs. Bears (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Trevor Lawrence v. Texans (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
DFS Bargains
• Ryan Tannehill at Commanders ($5,800)
• Carson Wentz vs. Titans ($5,700)
• Trevor Lawrence v. Texas ($5,600)
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Week 5 Sit ‘Em: Quarterbacks
Sit-of-the-Week
Matthew Stafford vs. Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Stafford has been brutal in the last two weeks, scoring a combined 17 fantasy points with no touchdowns. He simply doesn’t look right, and his offensive line is a mess. That’s bad news against an aggressive Cowboys defense that will pressure Stafford and could force him into making bad decisions. Unless you’re in a super flex league, Stafford is a sit ’em.
sit ’em
Geno Smith at Saints (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Smith was one of my favorite DFS plays last week, and he surpassed expectations with more than 30 fantasy points against the Lions. I still don’t see him as more than a matchup-based option, however, and this week’s game in New Orleans is a bad one. Their defense has allowed just one quarterback to score more than 12.9 points against them in their last eight games.
Daniel Jones at Packers (London, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network): Jones put up a nice stat line last week, rushing for two touchdowns while scoring 21.6 points in a win over the Bears. He did suffer an ankle injury in the game, though, so he could be somewhat limited or even inactive when the Giants faced the Packers in London. The matchup is bad and if his ankle is bad, too, Jones won’t be a fantasy option.
Justin Fields at Vikings (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Fields has been an absolute nightmare in fantasy leagues, scoring no more than 13.6 points in his first four games. That makes him a risk even in super flex and multi-quarterback leagues. So while this week’s matchup against the Vikings isn’t terrible on paper, it’s impossible to trust Fields in an offense that has allowed him a mere 67 pass attempts this season.
Jimmy Garoppolo at Panthers (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Garoppolo might find success on the field, but he’s not much of a fantasy quarterback. He’s scored a combined 22.3 fantasy points in his last two games, and he hasn’t thrown for multiple scores in six straight games and seven of his last nine dating back to last season. So while the matchup against the Panthers isn’t terrible, I simply can’t trust Garoppolo.
More Sits
• Matt Ryan at Broncos (Thur. 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
• Marcus Mariota at Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Baker Mayfield vs. 49ers (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox)
DFS Fades
• Kyler Murray vs. Eagles ($7,400)
• Matthew Stafford vs. Cowboys ($6,400)
• Geno Smith at Saints ($5,500)
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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy soccer analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, Youtubeand instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business to help you win a fantasy championship!
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