Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 5
As the late-great Eddie Van Halen famously co-wrote, “You got to roll with the punches and get to what’s real.” The 2020 NFL season is best characterized by this lyric. Every manager is rolling with the punches, navigating their fantasy rosters amidst a pandemic to the best of their abilities. On top of that, injuries are far more common this year than in recent memory. The capability to roll with these punches, however, gets you to what is real, and that is winning your league.
The 2020 season is officially past the first quarter, and official bye weeks have begun. Properly filling your roster and replacing players on byes is pivotal in staying afloat throughout the treacherous 16-game season.
Outlined in this article are viable sleepers who can seal the void for rosters hammered by injuries or those looking for streaming options while the regular starters are on bye. You might as well jump at the chance to roster some of these players, as a few are poised to take the next step and elevate themselves into fantasy relevancy.
Quick Links
- Fantasy Football Rankings
- Fantasy Player Projections
- Advanced Metrics
- Advanced Efficiency Metrics
- Red Zone Data
- NFL Snap Counts
- Third Down Stats
- Start’em Sit’em Week 5
Running Backs
Justin Jackson (Los Angeles Chargers) – After losing workhorse running back Austin Ekeler for four-six weeks, rookie ball carrier Joshua Kelley is assumed to see the early-down duties and goal-line work. However, I expect Justin Jackson’s role to increase significantly. Jackson could step into the pass-catching role and third-down back responsibilities, a particular role he is familiar with over the last couple of seasons when the Chargers were without Austin Ekeler in 2018 due to injury and when Melvin Gordon held out in 2019. Jackson saw a 39% snap share on Sunday after Ekeler went down with an injury, an indication that he will have a sizeable role in the Charger’s offense moving forward. The Chargers play the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, a defense that has given up the sixth-least total rushing yards this season and rushing yards per game. If Kelley struggles to establish himself early, I would not be surprised if the Chargers turned to Jackson to carry the load. The Chargers rank 10th in total team rushing yards and 12th in team rushing yards per game, indicating the importance of the run game to the success of their offense and the team as a whole.
Chase Edmonds (Arizona Cardinals) – Kenyan Drake has simply not lived up to his preseason hype so far this season, averaging just 3.8 Yards Per Cary (11th worst) on 67 attempts (seventh-most). The Arizona Cardinals face a New York Jets’ defense that is extremely vulnerable, giving up the 10th most total rushing yards so far this season and 11th most rushing yards per game. If Drake continues to be inefficient, perhaps Edmonds gets a crack at seeing an uptick in touches as early as this week. Despite serving as a backup, Edmonds is tied for 11th in targets and tied for 12th in receptions among running backs, indicating his versatility in the backfield and highlighting the value he could bring to an offense in an expanded role.
Damien Harris (New England Patriots) – Damien Harris returned from IR and rushed for 100 yards on 17 carries against a surprisingly susceptible Kansas City Chiefs run defense. With Sony Michel on IR, Harris is primed to handle the majority of rushes moving forward, while James White serves as the pass-catching back and Rex Burkhead as the change-of-pace option. The Patriots rank second in total team rushing yards and rushing yards per game, so despite battling against the Denver Broncos, a defense that ranks 13th in total rushing yards allowed this season, the Patriots could look to further establish the run by featuring Harris in an expanded role in their offense.
Wide Receivers
Mecole Hardman (Kansas City Chiefs) – The epitome of boom or bust, Hardman has brought in four receptions, a touchdown, and posted double-digit fantasy points in each of his last two games. Predicting Hardman’s usage has been a challenge, but if a manager needs a desperation play, Hardman could be the guy. Playing for a top-five offensive team in the league gives Hardman the advantage and opportunity to explode for a big game on any given Sunday. The Raiders’ defense has given up the 12th most team passing yards and 13th most passing yards per game, a number that could significantly raise after facing Patrick Mahomes and the high-octane Kansas City Chiefs. If a fantasy manager is looking for a homerun swing, plug Hardman in your lineup and hope he brings in a long touchdown reception.
Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals) – The Bengals have emerged as one of the more pass-friendly teams in the league, averaging 44.2 attempts per game, second-most in the NFL. As A.J. Green’s productivity has significantly decreased this season, 2020 second-round pick Tee Higgins has emerged as a budding alpha receiver for 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow. Higgins has shown his reliability as a pass-catcher, hauling in 12 receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns through three games. If Green continues to play at a subpar level, he could be quickly usurped by Higgins as the dominant weapon on the outside.
Cole Beasley (Buffalo Bills) – Cole Beasley is currently ranked higher than Julian Edelman, D.J. Moore, and Michael Gallup in fantasy points on the season. Beasley is benefitting from MVP-level performance from quarterback Josh Allen, but Beasley has also showcased his dependability as a receiver. He has put up double-digit fantasy points in three out of four games this season, including a six catch, 100-yard performance in Week 3. Facing a Tennessee Titans defense that ranks 11th in passing yards allowed per game, Beasley could be a relatively safe flex option and a solid pickup in leagues with thin waivers.
Tight Ends
Eric Ebron (Pittsburgh Steelers) – Eric Ebron is coming off his best game of the season and could align himself for another solid outing against the Philadelphia Eagles, a defense that ranks right around the middle in passing yards per game. Ben Roethlisberger is 11th in the league in pass attempts per game, an indication that the Steelers look to throw the ball at a high volume. Ebron could be in for a nice game, especially if he were able to find the end zone.
Mo Alie-Cox (Indianapolis Colts) – Currently sitting right outside of TE1 territory, Mo Alie-Cox has proven to be a valuable fantasy asset. Since taking over as the primary tight end in Week 2, Alie-Cox is averaging 12.8 fantasy points per game. Alie-Cox is set to battle against a Browns’ defense that has been destroyed in the passing game this season, surrendering the third-most total passing yards and passing yards per game to opposing teams. Philip Rivers relies heavily on his tight ends and will continue to do so by feeding Alie-Cox, making the tight end an interesting sleeper candidate for Week 5.
Logan Thomas (Washington Football Team) – Logan Thomas’ 2020 NFL season has been somewhat perplexing, as the former quarterback turned tight end posted four receptions from eight targets for 37 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, good enough for 15.7 fantasy points. However, since his breakout performance, his numbers have declined slightly. Despite the small bump, his snap percentage has remained high, playing 91%, 86%, and 93% of snaps over the last three weeks. Thomas was also heavily targeted over this span, indicating that the volume is there, and the production will follow. Better things could be on the horizon for Thomas if he can seize on his opportunities in an offense with little competition. Thomas is a great streaming option for tight end needy teams, or in leagues with tight end premium scoring or start-two tight end leagues.
Quarterbacks
Teddy Bridgewater (Carolina Panthers) – The Atlanta Falcons’ defense is giving up 341.5 passing yards per game and 1,366 total passing yards on the season, the second-most among all team defenses. Bridgewater has appeared to have found his groove in Carolina and has the chance for his biggest game of the season against his easiest opponent yet. Bridgewater has legit weapons in DJ Moore and Robby Anderson, while Mike Davis has excellently filled Christian McCaffrey’s role while CMC is on IR. This game has all the makings of a high scoring contest, with Bridgewater in position for an excellent day. Bridgewater is a QB2 with upside this week.
Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) – The only team giving up more team passing yards per game and has given up more total passing yards to opposing teams on the season than the Atlanta Falcons is the Seattle Seahawks. Despite the Seahawks undefeated record, they are allowing 401.0 passing yards per game and a whopping 1,604 total passing yards on the season. Although the Vikings offense has been inconsistent at times, Cousins is set up for a massive game as he looks to continue to build on his chemistry with rookie first-rounder Justin Jefferson and further his connection with his WR1 Adam Thielen and franchise running back Dalvin Cook.
Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers) – After taking over for an injured Tyrod Taylor in Week 2, Justin Herbert has shown why the Chargers selected the quarterback with the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft. Over his first three career starts, Herbert has thrown for 931 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions. Herbert also has scrambling upside that he has yet to fully tap into. Herbert will surely have some rookie woes, but an impressive start has led head coach Anthony Lynn to name Herbert the starter moving forward. The Saints are middle of the pack in terms of their passing defense, allowing 236.8 passing yards per game, and if cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Marshon Lattimore were to miss this game, their defense could surrender large chunks of yards through the air. Herbert looks to shine bright in his primetime matchup.
