Hopefully we're not going to have to do this every week. But the Titans' Week game against the Bills is in question and that means Fantasy managers may need to make plans to be without Josh Allen and Ryan Tannehill. This is made more difficult by the fact that Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford are on a by and Cam Newton, as of Thursday afternoon, is still on the Covid-19 Injured Reserve list. But we do have options.
Teddy Bridgewater is still my favorite streaming option of the week and he's still available in 40% of leagues. He has a fantastic matchup against the Falcons and he's been very efficient as a passer everywhere but the red zone. If you can't land Bridgewater, or want to wait a little longer on Allen, Justin Herbert has a similar roster rate and plays on Monday night at New Orleans, which adds some flexibility. Herbert was very good in Week 4 against a good Tampa Bay defense, and the Saints could be without several defensive starters for the second consecutive week.
As of Thursday afternoon, the best case scenario for Allen and Tannehill looks like a Monday or Tuesday night matchup. Herbert would give you the best chance to wait things out, but Bridgewater is the guy I have projected for the most Fantasy points. I'd start Bridgewater over Tannehill even if the game was on as scheduled.
Can't find Bridgewater or Herbert in your league? I have more options below.
More Week 5 Fantasy Prep: Starts & Sits, Sleepers & Risks | QB Start 'Em & Sit 'Em | RB Start 'Em & Sit 'Em | WR Start 'Em & Sit 'Em | Waiver Wire | QB Preview | RB Preview | WR Preview | TE Preview | Trade Values | Cut List
Week 5 QB Preview
Numbers to know
- 804 -- Dak Prescott is on pace for more than 800 pass attempts. That would (quite obviously) be a record.
- 16 -- Deshaun Watson has been sacked 16 times, the most in the NFL.
- 30.8% -- Nearly a third of Justin Herbert's pass attempts have been at or behind the line of scrimmage. The loss of Austin Ekeler could be massive.
- 10.84 -- Kirk Cousins leads the NFL in air yards per attempt. He has a great matchup against Seattle this week, but it's hard to trust him when he's yet to attempt more than 27 passes in a game.
- 111 - Carson Wentz already has 111 yards and three scores on the ground. If he could get anything going in the passing game he could be a Fantasy starter again.
- 5.9 -- Opposing quarterbacks are averaging less than six yards per attempt against San Francisco. Even with all the injuries, this looks like a bad matchup for Ryan Fitzpatrick.
- 38.5 -- The Falcons have surrendered 38.5 Fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. That's one of several reasons Teddy Bridgewater is the top streamer below.
Matchups that matter
We're going through every matchup on the schedule for Week 5 on the Fantasy Football Today podcast. Subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts:
Waiver Wire Targets
Bridgewater remains the top streamer for a second straight week. And why wouldn't he after a Week 4 performance in which he scored 30 Fantasy points and finished as a top-five quarterback? Bridgewater now ranks sixth the NFL in passing yards and the touchdowns may be starting to come as well. If they do, Bridgewater could be a starter against even average matchups. But the Falcons are no average matchup. Add him and start him with confidence.
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That confidence part? Not so much with Jones. But he is my second-favorite streamer this week and I'd rather start him than Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, or Carson Wentz. They're all on the road against what should be good defenses (we'll see how healthy New Orleans is), while Jones is at home against a Cowboys team that has not stopped anyone all year. Jones has faced the Steelers, Bears, 49ers, and Rams to start the season so this will be a welcome respite. He's also run for at least 45 yards in his past two starts, which helps his floor.
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I know this feels gross, but Carr has been a borderline No. 1 quarterback this season. He's also scored 20-plus Fantasy points in three straight games against the Saints, Patriots, and Bills.
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If Garoppolo can get healthy by Week 6 he'll face the Rams in primetime. Hopefully he'll also have Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle as full gos for the first time this season.
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DFS Plays
Even after last week Prescott is still not the most expensive quarterback on either site for Week 4. The Giants haven't actually been a great matchup for quarterbacks this season but I don't believe matchups matter all that much for Prescott.
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Despite a great matchup and a low price, Bridgewater's early roster rate projected hover around five percent. If that's the case on Sunday morning he may be my most rostered quarterback.
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Heath's projections
So who should you start and sit 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.
