Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 5
After four weeks of the 2023 NFL season, we’re beginning to get a holistic view of the league and each team. Yes, it’s still early, but with Bye Weeks now in play, plus the unpredictable injury variable, building depth via waiver wire or trade remains integral to staying ahead of league mates. If you aren’t sure where or how to identify sleeper prospects in fantasy football this season, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered here at FantasyData.
Based on the trajectory of certain offenses, combined with usage, opportunity, and skillset, NFL fantasy analyst Matt MacKay reveals six players that can be defined as sleeper candidates to acquire entering Week 5. As always, half-PPR scoring is the format used to analyze each player’s production through the first four weeks of the season.
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Gus Edwards (RB – Ravens)
In Week 4, despite playing against one of the top run defenses in the league, Baltimore scored four touchdowns, while Gus Edwards handled the bulk of carries. Yes, Lamar Jackson continued to score touchdowns, but Edwards played 69 percent of snaps and logged a 45.5 percent rushing share. He’s the definitive RB1 in the Ravens’ backfield, which, despite the presence of OC Todd Monken, continues to be a run-centric offense with Jackson’s dynamic ability as a runner keeping defenders stagnant at the line of scrimmage. Edwards is averaging 7.1 fantasy points per game, but he’s already scored once, so expect more valuable red zone touches to come his way, as Justice Hill and Melvin Gordon III only handled a 9.1 percent rush share in a dominant Week 4 win with a game script that favored running out the clock. Edwards is a mid-range RB3 with RB2 upside.
Zach Charbonnet (RB – Seahawks)
Seattle’s tendency to grind clock with a heavy dose of its run game will pay dividends for Zach Charbonnet, who remains the RB2 behind Kenneth Walker III. The rookie running back is a physical player with good vision and lateral quickness, bursting through lanes and functioning as a quality receiver out of the backfield. Given Walker’s tendency to get banged up a bit, Charbonnet could be thrust into an RB1 role before long. Even with Walker healthy, the Seahawks have one of the best offenses in the league, which means more red zone trips for touchdowns. Charbonnet is an ascending player in a good offense that likes to run the football, so value him as a high-end RB3 with RB2 upside, with the ability to climb into RB1 usage depending on injuries.
Allen Lazard (WR – Jets)
Allen Lazard’s target share is nowhere close to Garrett Wilson’s, but the big-bodied wideout serves as a reliable target in the red zone, which is exactly how he scored his first touchdown with the Jets against the Chiefs on Sunday night. Lazard caught a ten-yard reception in the fourth quarter to tie the game, coming through in the clutch for Zach Wilson, who played much better than in previous outings this season. This could be a catalyst to get Lazard more targets, as Wilson’s ridiculous 33 percent target share dwarfs the 13 percent Lazard has seen through the first four games. Lazard is a boom-or-bust WR4 with low-end WR2 upside, functioning as a security blanket in the red zone.
Romeo Doubs (WR – Packers)
Romeo Doubs is being overshadowed by Christian Watson’s return to the Packers’ offense. Fantasy managers need to take advantage of this perception. Doubs has 25 targets across his past two games, garnering a 27.5 percent target share this season. The second-year wideout caught nine of 13 targets for 95 yards in Week 4 against a good Lions defense. He has scored 12.6 fantasy points per game, catching over 60 percent of passes thrown his way. Green Bay likes to take deep shots with quarterback Jordan Love in the passing attack, and Doubs benefits heavily from this scheme. Doubs is a low-end WR2 with high-end WR2 upside and can be flexed into lineups ahead of a plus-matchup against the Raiders’ pass defense in Week 5.
Jake Ferguson (TE – Cowboys)
Dak Prescott loves targeting his tight ends, so naturally, Jake Ferguson has become a viable streaming option at a volatile position in fantasy football. Ferguson is the clear-cut TE1 for the Cowboys, who is second in target share at 18.5 percent, behind only CeeDee Lamb. He’s already scored once in the red zone, with a couple of drops that could have him sitting even higher in fantasy football rankings. If he’s on waivers, consider Ferguson a must-add prospect.
C.J. Stroud (QB – Texans)
Arguably the best story of the 2023 NFL season has been watching No. 2 overall pick, C.J. Stroud, defy everyone’s expectations set for him following a tumultuous draft process. Stroud has been cooking opposing defenses. He’s recorded the fourth-most passing yards (1,212), has a 7:1 touchdown to interception ratio, and has led the Texans to consecutive wins over Jacksonville and Pittsburgh. Houston is one of the most pass-centric teams in the league, as Stroud has attempted 151 passes, which is third in the league behind only Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins. While he doesn’t offer a huge rushing floor like some other fantasy quarterbacks, Stroud’s strong, accurate arm and quality decision-making have him averaging 18.5 fantasy points per game, which is good enough to plug him into starting lineups as a QB1 in one-quarterback leagues.
