Even when he's not clicking in the passing game, Jalen Hurts has been putting up numbers with his all-around production. Fantasy managers aren't so picky about where those numbers come from, and Hurts is a good bet to do that again against the Panthers. That makes Hurts one of the easier lineup calls for Week 5, but others aren't so simple.
Jamey Eisenberg has his Start and Sit calls for QB here, whether you need an injury replacement or are just playing the matchups. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' quarterback preview for more help with matchup notes, Week 5 numbers to know and more.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Quarterbacks
Start 'Em
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Hurts delivered as the Start of the Week in Week 4 at Kansas City with 31 Fantasy points, and he could have had an even bigger outing if not for losing two touchdowns due to penalties. He's now scored at least 21 Fantasy points in every game this season, and his floor is safe thanks to his rushing production (at least 35 yards in every game). This week, he has a tough matchup at Carolina, but Dak Prescott just had 34 Fantasy points against the Panthers, including 35 rushing yards. Hurts once again should be considered a top 10 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.
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Cousins had his first bad game of the season in Week 4 against Cleveland with 12 Fantasy points, which ended his three-game run of scoring at least 26 points to open the year. He should get back on track this week against the Lions, who he has demolished in his career. In his past five meetings with Detroit, Cousins has 1,458 passing yards, 15 total touchdowns and no interceptions. He averaged 33.0 Fantasy points against the Lions in two games last year, and he should once again have another standout outing against them this week.
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Darnold is averaging nearly nine Fantasy points per game on average with his rushing stats alone. He has five rushing touchdowns on the season, which is the same amount as Kyler Murray (three) and Lamar Jackson (two) combined). We'll see if he can keep up his production on the ground, but he's doing well throwing the ball also. He comes into Week 5 with three games in a row with at least 300 passing yards, and he's scored at least 21 Fantasy points in every game this year. This week, he gets an Eagles defense that has allowed 10 total touchdowns to Jimmy Garoppolo, Prescott and Patrick Mahomes in the past three games. Darnold has gone from streamer to borderline must-start quarterback heading into this week.
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Burrow was excellent in Week 4 against Jacksonville with 348 passing yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-32 passing, and he helped Cincinnati overcome a 14-0 halftime deficit. The Bengals could find themselves chasing points again this week against the Packers, and we like it when Burrow's pass attempts are up. He should get Tee Higgins (shoulder) back this week, and Burrow could be asked to do more heavy lifting if Joe Mixon (ankle) is out as expected. And the Packers likely won't have standout cornerback Jaire Alexander (shoulder), which is another boost for Burrow's Fantasy outlook this week.
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The last time I recommended Jones as a starting Fantasy option was Week 3 against Atlanta, and he flopped with just 15 points. Otherwise, he's scored at least 22 Fantasy points in each of his three other games, and he's scored 30 Fantasy points in each of his road outings this year at Washington in Week 2 and at New Orleans last week. He's on the road again in Week 5, and Dallas is allowing an average of 336 passing yards per game with 11 total touchdowns to quarterbacks. Now, the Cowboys do have eight interceptions on the season, but Jones should get plenty of volume -- in the air and running the ball -- to be a quality Fantasy option this week. I'm confident that Jones will deliver a solid Fantasy outing in Week 5.
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Sleepers
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We'll see if Garoppolo is able to play despite injuring his calf last week, but if Lance starts then he should be considered a potential Fantasy starter in deeper one-quarterback leagues. Lance showed his upside in Week 4 against Seattle when he took over for Garoppolo in the second half and scored 24 Fantasy points. He passed for 157 yards and two touchdowns and added 41 rushing yards in relief. The over-under for this game is 50 points, and Lance might have to keep up with Kyler Murray for the 49ers to stay in contention.
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Lawrence is worth a flyer this week against the Titans, who have allowed three quarterbacks to score at least 21 Fantasy points in four outings. Lawrence looked better in Week 4 at Cincinnati, but he scored just 17 Fantasy points. He doesn't have D.J. Chark (ankle), but he should get enough out of Marvin Jones and Laviska Shenault to be a decent Fantasy option in deeper leagues this week against Tennessee.
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Wilson is worth a flyer in deeper leagues for his matchup with the Falcons, who have allowed the second-most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. Wilson just had 21 Fantasy points against the Titans in Week 4, and he could have similar production in London. The Falcons have only sacked opposing quarterbacks seven times, so Wilson should have time to look downfield in this matchup.
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Sit 'Em
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We'll see if the Titans get A.J. Brown (hamstring) and Julio Jones (hamstring) this week, and that will change things for Tannehill. But if he's without those guys again, Tannehill is tough to trust. Last week at the Jets, Tannehill was held to just 19 Fantasy points, and he struggled without his top receivers. The offensive line was also a mess for the Titans, and Tannehill was sacked seven times and hit on 14 occasions. I'd only start Tannehill in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues.
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The matchup against Washington is great for Winston, but will he do enough to help your Fantasy roster? He's attempted 23 passes or less in every game this year, and he's been at 17 Fantasy points or less in each of the past three games. He's losing too much time to Taysom Hill, and Winston just isn't trustworthy as a Fantasy quarterback. I would love to see him light up Washington as we've seen Josh Allen and Matt Ryan do the past two weeks, but Winston isn't in their class right now as a Fantasy option. Keep Winston in two-quarterback and Superflex lineups only.
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Roethlisberger is a disaster right now, and he's dealing with a hip injury coming into Week 5. He might get Chase Claypool (hamstring) back for this matchup, but that probably isn't enough to help Roethlisberger even in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues. He's scored 15 Fantasy points or less in every game this year, and he has three touchdowns and four interceptions in his past three outings against Las Vegas, Cincinnati and Green Bay. Denver also hasn't allowed multiple passing touchdowns in any game this season, so things aren't encouraging for Roethlisberger in Week 5.
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Mayfield remains a questionable Fantasy starter even in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues. He has scored 19 Fantasy points or less in every game, and he has yet to pass for multiple touchdowns in any outing this year. The Chargers have only allowed Patrick Mahomes to score more than 17 Fantasy points against them this season, including matchups with Dak Prescott and Derek Carr, and Mayfield just isn't enough of a standout Fantasy quarterback to trust in most formats in this game.
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Bust Alert
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Ryan just scored a season-high 36 Fantasy points against Washington in Week 4, and he has six touchdowns and no interceptions in his past two outings against the Giants and the Football Team. You would think the matchup against the Jets is favorable, but they have actually done well against opposing quarterbacks. They have yet to allow multiple passing touchdowns in a game this season, and their pass rush just beat up on Tannehill for seven sacks and 14 quarterback hits. Ryan is the best passer the Jets have faced since the other opponents were Darnold, Mac Jones, Teddy Bridgewater and Tannehill, but I don't see Ryan having a huge outing this week in London. He's only worth starting in two-quarterback and Superflex leagues.
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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 has out-performed experts big-time.
