Fantasy Football Roundtable: Bold predictions for Week 5
The Yahoo Fantasy Football crew reveals their boldest takes for Week 5. Check out what Scott Pianowski, Matt Harmon, Ray Garvin, Justin Boone and Joel Smyth have to say.
Justin Fields finishes as THE QB1 of Week 5
I'm not even sure if this qualifies as bold anymore. We know Fields has amazing running skills, but I'm encouraged by his improvement with accuracy and pocket awareness. Finally, he's moved his sack rate into a reasonable area. And Fields is showing excellent rapport with his former Ohio State running mate, Garrett Wilson. Mix in that lousy Dallas defense and you have a recipe for fantasy Nirvana. — Scott Pianowski
Marvin Harrison Jr. finishes Week 5 in the top 12
At first glance, calling for Marvin Harrison Jr. to finish inside the top 12 might look like "point chasing." The second-year receiver finally got over 20.0 PPR points after two consecutive weeks under 10. His TD reaction looked more like relief than a celebration. But Harrison’s 21.5% slot rate and 10.8-yard aDOT are career-bests. Along with an uptick in targets on screens, the numbers back up the idea that OC Drew Petzing is finding better ways to get his WR1 the ball.
And facing the Titans gives Harrison the ideal environment to build on last week’s momentum. Tennessee has surrendered top-16 finishes to three of the four WR1s to face them. From Courtland Sutton in Week 1 (9-61-1) to Michael Pittman Jr. two games later (6-73-1), the archetypes of receiver that have exploited the Titans’ secondary align with Harrison’s strengths and on-field deployment. With Tennessee allowing the fifth-most PPR PPG to opposing WRs, we should expect to see another big day for the Cardinals’ WR1. — Chris Allen
Jameson Williams goes for 20+ fantasy points in Week 5
Through four games, Williams has boomed once and busted three times. We have not seen that route tree expand as promised, but we did see an uptick in volume last Sunday. Although Williams' average depth of target has flown up from 12 to 21 yards downfield (second-highest in the NFL), the Lions are at least using him creatively downfield. On his eight targets versus Cleveland, Williams had a handful that were inches away from game-breaking plays. Whether it was a drop, a touch overthrown, a touch underthrown or Goff being hit under pressure, things just didn’t pan out.
[Upgrade to Fantasy Plus and gain your edge in player projections and much more]
I believe that reverses course on Sunday against a Bengals defense that is seventh-worst against WRs and bottom-five in pressure rate. — Joel Smyth
Cam Skattebo finishes as a top-five fantasy RB
The loss of Malik Nabers to a season-ending injury is a tough break for a Giants squad that just got kick-started by the arrival of Skattebo and Jaxson Dart. Fortunately for New York, the Saints will provide a nice distraction for a week. New Orleans has allowed 121 points through four games and have been very generous to fantasy backs during that time. James Cook, Christian McCaffrey and Kenneth Walker III have all finished inside the top-10 when they played the Saints. And if you combine the production of James Conner and Trey Benson, they would have as well.
Meanwhile, Skattebo has completely consolidated the Giants’ backfield work, leading to 27 touches in their Week 4 win over the Chargers. The rookie has now reached 90 scrimmage yards in back-to-back games. If this volume continues, he’ll be a matchup-proof fantasy starter moving forward with an extremely high ceiling against softer opponents — like the Saints. — Justin Boone
Michael Pittman Jr. is a top 10 WR in Week 5
The Colts' veteran receiver is tied with George Pickens for third among wideouts in first-down targets. Heading into Week 5, Puka Nacua leads the way with 20, Malik Nabers has 18 and Pittman sits at 17. He’s been the guy on early downs and the primary read of the offense. Pittman’s ability to run routes over the middle of the field and his excellent sense for when to settle in zone coverage has been a huge boost for Daniel Jones. Pittman is the type of big-bodied and sure-handed receiver that fits well with Jones.
Fewer than 60% of Yahoo teams are starting Pittman right now. That’s a mistake. He goes up against a Raiders defense that’s second in yards allowed to outside receivers in Week 5. He will clear 90 yards and find the end zone this week. — Matt Harmon
Woody Marks stays hot, delivers another top-10 finish
Woody Marks was RB6 in half-PPR last week, and I’m betting he stays hot with another top-10 finish in Week 5. The Baltimore Ravens' defense is a disaster right now. They’re giving up over 30 points per game, most in the NFL, and outside of the Cowboys, they’ve allowed the second-most total yards. This isn’t the physical Baltimore unit we’re used to. Injuries have gutted them with Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Chidobe Awuzie and Kyle Hamilton all on the injury report.
That creates a dream spot for a versatile back like Marks. He isn’t limited to what he can do on the ground. His involvement in the passing game gives him another layer of upside and another way to rack up production against a defense that can’t stop anyone. With his usage rising and the Ravens bleeding yardage everywhere, Marks has a clear path to back-to-back top-10 weeks. — Ray Garvin