Fantasy Football Week 5 Sleepers & DFS: Carson Wentz, Ryan Tannehill both solid options in D.C. clash
Less obvious options to get your Fantasy and DFS lineups ready to win
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5 min read
The Carson Wentz experience has been fun so far this season. It will be interesting to see what he does in Week 5 against Tennessee, and he's worth using as a streaming option in all leagues.
Wentz had two favorable matchups to open the season against Jacksonville and Detroit, and he scored at least 33 Fantasy points in each outing. Then came two brutal matchups against Philadelphia and Dallas, and Wentz combined for 16 Fantasy points in those two games.
He should get back on track this week against the Titans, who have allowed three quarterbacks in a row to score at least 22 Fantasy points, including Matt Ryan, Derek Carr and Josh Allen. Every opposing quarterback, Daniel Jones included in Week 1, has multiple passing touchdowns against Tennessee, and Allen, Carr and Ryan all had over 300 passing yards.
Wentz isn't a trustworthy Fantasy quarterback in difficult matchups, but this is a week where he should have success given the opponent. I like Wentz as a low-end starting option in all leagues.
Every Friday, you can find this column on sleepers and DFS plays on DraftKings and FanDuel. I'm also going to include our Friday show notes from Fantasy Football Today on CBS Sports HQ, which gives a game-by-game breakdown of starts, sits, favorite props and favorite DFS plays. It should help you with some lineup decisions each week.
Week 5 Sleepers
Week 5 Preview
Sleepers
Sleeper QBs
Tannehill has two games this season with at least 20 Fantasy points and three games this year with multiple touchdowns. His only bad game was at Buffalo in Week 2, and we should give him a pass in that matchup. This week, he's facing a bad Washington defense that is allowing 24.5 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. The Commanders have allowed 10 passing touchdowns and just one interception this year.
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Bridgewater is starting for Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) this week, and he has a favorable matchup against the Jets. They are allowing an average of 20.5 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and Bridgewater had plenty of time to prepare for this matchup since the Dolphins last played Thursday night in Week 4 at Cincinnati. The Jets should struggle to stop Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and Bridgewater is worth starting in 14-team leagues and larger. He's a quality No. 2 option in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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This post will clearly change if Jameis Winston (back) is healthy, but it sounds like Dalton could start again for the Saints in Week 5. He has a great matchup against the Seahawks, who are allowing 24.0 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Dalton would benefit greatly if Michael Thomas (foot) and Alvin Kamara (ribs) are active this week, and Dalton passed for 236 yards and one touchdown in Week 4 against the Vikings in Minnesota with a barren receiving corps. If Winston starts this week then you can consider him a sleeper as well given the matchup.
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Sleeper RBs
Dillon is worth using as a No. 2 running back in all leagues this week against the Giants in London. The Packers are eight-point favorites as of Wednesday, and Dillon should have the chance for plenty of carries. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1, so he's due, and the Giants have struggled with running backs of late as four guys in the past three games have either 100 total yards or a touchdown. I like Aaron Jones and Dillon in this matchup, with Dillon no worse than a flex in all formats.
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Wilson continues to produce in place of the injured Elijah Mitchell (knee), and he's now scored at least 11 PPR points in three games in a row. He scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 3 against the Rams, and he now has either 100 total yards or a touchdown in each of the past three weeks against Seattle, Denver and the Rams. He has at least 15 total touches in each outing, and he should continue to play well this week against the Panthers. Carolina has only allowed one rushing touchdown and three running backs to score more than 11 PPR points this season, but Wilson should be at least a flex option in the majority of leagues.
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Hunt has been frustrating as a Fantasy option over the past three weeks because he's averaging just 7.7 PPR points per game, and he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1. It's been the Nick Chubb show, understandably so, but Hunt is still averaging 14.0 touches per game. This could be a week where both Browns get going against the Chargers, who are No. 3 in Fantasy points per game allowed to running backs. Six running backs have already scored at least 10 PPR points against the Chargers, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, James Robinson and Dameon Pierce all scoring at least 15 PPR points. Hunt is worth trusting as a flex in all formats.
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White is worth using as a flex option in deeper leagues, especially if his performance in Week 4 against the Chiefs is a sign of things to come. He had a season-high 24 snaps in Week 4 against the Chiefs, and he played well with three carries for 6 yards and a touchdown, along with five catches for 50 yards on five targets. He's clearly gaining the trust of Tom Brady and the coaching staff, and we could see him start to play more in tandem with Leonard Fournette. If the Buccaneers are up big on the Falcons this week, we could see White get some garbage-time production. He could be a sneaky play if the Buccaneers continue to use him alongside Fournette.
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Sleeper WRs
I'm hopeful that Aaron Rodgers sticks with Doubs despite his unfortunate drop in the end zone in Week 4 against New England. Rodgers threw a perfect 40-yard pass to Doubs, who lost the football as he hit the ground. Thankfully, Doubs caught a touchdown earlier in the game, his second in as many weeks, and he has consecutive games with eight targets. He's become a go-to option for Rodgers, and Doubs should be started as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all three-receiver leagues against the Giants in London.
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It's been a frustrating start to the season for Davis, but this could be his time to shine. He was a full participant in practice Wednesday, so hopefully the ankle injury he's been dealing with is behind him. Dawson Knox (foot) is out in Week 5, Isaiah McKenzie (concussion) could be out this week, and Jamison Crowder (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. That puts Davis in line for a potential target bump against the Steelers, who have already allowed six receivers to score at least 13 PPR points this season. We've made plenty of excuses for Davis between the ankle injury and the poor weather in Baltimore in Week 4, but he only has one touchdown so far and one game with more than six PPR points. He should reward the Fantasy managers who stuck with him with a big game this week.
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With Treylon Burks (toe) out, this should be another good week for Woods against the Commanders, who lead the NFL with seven touchdowns allowed to opposing receivers. There have been seven receivers to score at least 12 PPR points against Washington, and Woods comes into this game having scored at least 12 PPR points in each of his past two games. He has eight catches for 115 yards and a touchdown over that span on 13 targets, and he should have the chance for another quality outing this week given the opponent.
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We'll find out if Zach Wilson starts to lean more on Garrett Wilson or Elijah Moore moving forward, but so far it appears like Davis is his guy. In Zach Wilson's first game in 2022 in Week 4 at Pittsburgh, Davis led the way with five catches for 74 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. Going back to last season, Davis scored at least 14 PPR points in three of his first six games with Wilson under center. Davis also scored at least 13 PPR points in three of four games this year, and it's time we started treating him like a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues. He's also facing a Dolphins defense this week that is No. 10 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers.
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Duvernay could be a sneaky No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues this week with Rashod Bateman (foot) banged up. If Bateman doesn't play then Duvernay could find his way into the end zone, and he already has three touchdowns on the season. The Bengals have only allowed one touchdown to a receiver this year, but this game has a projected total of 48.5 points, according to Caesars Sportsbook. I'm expecting a high-scoring contest, and Duvernay could end up with quality production as the No. 2 option in the passing game behind Mark Andrews.
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Sleeper TEs
The Dolphins have allowed a tight end to score in two of the past three games with Mark Andrews in Week 2 and Hayden Hurst in Week 4. Conklin had a down game in Week 4 against Pittsburgh in the first game with Zach Wilson, but he still managed three catches for 52 yards on five targets. Conklin scored at least 10 PPR points in each of his first three games this season, and he's capable of getting back to that level again this week.
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Tonyan had seven targets in Week 3 at Tampa Bay and finished with six catches for 37 yards. He came back in Week 4 against New England and scored his first touchdown of the year with two catches for 22 yards on two targets. He's hopefully starting to get going after coming back from last year's ACL tear, and he's worth using as a starter in deeper leagues this week against the Giants.
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Hill is the same as a touchdown-or-bust traditional tight end that you need him to score to help your Fantasy roster. Well, he's run for a touchdown in two of three games this year, and he could easily score against the Seahawks this week. Seattle has already allowed five total touchdowns to running backs, including four on the ground, and the Saints will use Hill in his typical gimmicky role. He's a good streaming option in non- and 0.5-PPR leagues.
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Week 5 Preview
DFS GAME PREVIEWS & LINEUPS
These are game previews from our Fantasy Football Today show on CBS Sports HQ on Friday from me, Adam Aizer and Dave Richard. The player props are from Caesars Sportsbook.
Steelers at Bills (Dave Richard)
- Injury of note: Diontae Johnson (hip), Dawson Knox (foot), Isaiah McKenzie (concussion)
- Start or Sit: Sit all Steelers
- DFS play: Isaiah McKenzie (DraftKings $5,000/FanDuel $6,100)
- Prop to play: Najee Harris under 70.5 total yards (-115)
Chargers at Browns (Adam Aizer)
- Injury of note: Keenan Allen (hamstring), Josh Palmer (ankle), Gerald Everett (hamstring)
- Start or Sit: Start Kareem Hunt
- DFS play: David Njoku (DraftKings $3,700/FanDuel $5,700)
- Prop to play: Nick Chubb over 92.5 rushing yards (-113)
Texans at Jaguars (Jamey Eisenberg)
- Injury of note: Zay Jones (ankle)
- Start or Sit: Start Trevor Lawrence
- DFS play: Brandin Cooks (DraftKings $6,100/FanDuel $6,800)
- Prop to play: Davis Mills over 0.5 interceptions (+118)
Dolphins at Jets (Dave Richard)
- Injury of note: Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), Jaylen Waddle (groin), Tyreek Hill (quad), Breece Hall (knee)
- Start or Sit: Sit Chase Edmonds
- DFS play: Teddy Bridgewater (DraftKings $5,400/FanDuel $6,400)
- Prop to play: Zach Wilson over 8.5 rush yards (-115)
Titans at Commanders (Adam Aizer)
- Injury of note: Jahan Dotston (hamstring), Curtis Samuel (illness)
- Start or Sit: Start Terry McLaurin
- DFS play: Robert Woods (DraftKings $5,200/FanDuel $5,900)
- Prop to play: Carson Wentz over 1.5 passing touchdowns (+159)
Bears at Vikings (Jamey Eisenberg)
- Injury of note: David Montgomery (ankle)
- Start or Sit: Start Adam Thielen
- DFS play: Kirk Cousins (DraftKings $6,300/FanDuel $7,100)
- Prop to play: Justin Fields under 0.5 passing touchdowns (+126)
Lions at Patriots (Dave Richard)
- Injury of note: Mac Jones (ankle), Jakobi Meyers (knee), Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle), D'Andre Swift (shoulder)
- Start or Sit: Start Josh Reynolds
- DFS play: Nelson Agholor (DraftKings $4,000/FanDuel $5,500)
- Prop to play: Damien Harris to score 2-plus touchdowns (+500)
Seahawks at Saints (Adam Aizer)
- Injury of note: Jameis Winston (back), Michael Thomas (foot), Alvin Kamara (ribs)
- Start or Sit: Sit Rashaad Penny
- DFS play: Alvin Kamara (DraftKings $6,900/FanDuel $7,000)
- Prop to play: Geno Smith under 241.5 passing yards (-109)
Falcons at Buccaneers (Jamey Eisenberg)
- Injury of note: Kyle Pitts (hamstring), Chris Godwin (knee), Julio Jones (knee), Russell Gage (hamstring)
- Start or Sit: Sit Tyler Allgeier
- DFS play: Tom Brady (DraftKings $6,000/FanDuel $7,800)
- Prop to play: Tom Brady over 0.5 interceptions (+136)
49ers at Panthers (Dave Richard)
- Injury of note: None
- Start or Sit: Sit Brandon Aiyuk
- DFS play: Deebo Samuel (DraftKings $7,700/FanDuel $7,300)
- Prop to play: Baker Mayfield under 0.5 pass touchdown (+152)
Eagles at Cardinals (Adam Aizer)
- Injury of note: Marquise Brown (foot)
- Start or Sit: Sit James Conner
- DFS play: DeVonta Smith (DraftKings $5,800/FanDuel $6,600)
- Prop to play: DeVonta Smith over 53.5 receiving yards (-115)
Cowboys at Rams (Jamey Eisenberg)
- Injury of note: CeeDee Lamb (groin)
- Start or Sit: Sit Ezekiel Elliott
- DFS play: Michael Gallup (DraftKings $5,000/FanDuel $6,000)
- Prop to play: Tony Pollard under 29.5 rushing yards (+102)
DraftKings
QB: Tom Brady ($6,000) vs. ATL
RB: James Robinson ($6,300) vs. HOU
RB: Damien Harris ($5,600) vs. DET
WR: Mike Evans ($6,900) vs. ATL
WR: Chris Godwin ($5,900) vs. ATL
WR: Terry McLaurin ($6,200) vs. TEN
TE: Tyler Conklin ($3,700) vs. MIA
FLEX: Gabe Davis ($6,400) vs. PIT
DST: Titans ($3,000) vs. WAS
Brady has an amazing history against Atlanta (1,433 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and two interceptions in his past four games), as does Godwin (35 catches for 558 yards and six touchdowns in his past five meetings). And Evans has three games in his past four outings with at least 16 PPR points against the Falcons.
Robinson is our Start of the Week, and the Texans allow the most Fantasy points to opposing running backs. And Harris is facing a Lions defense that is No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to running backs, so both should go off.
I love the setup for McLaurin against the Titans, and he should benefit with Jahan Dotson (hamstring) out. Davis is due for a big game, and this matchup at home against the Steelers should help him get back on track. As for Conklin, we'll see if he can find the end zone against the Dolphins, who have allowed a tight end to score in two of the past three games.
FanDuel
QB: Carson Wentz ($6,800) vs. TEN
RB: Dalvin Cook ($7,300) vs. CHI
RB: Alvin Kamara ($7,000) vs. SEA
WR: Chris Olave ($6,900) vs. SEA
WR: Terry McLaurin ($6,500) vs. TEN
WR: Gabe Davis ($6,000) vs. PIT
TE: Zach Ertz ($5,900) vs. PHI
FLEX: Austin Ekeler ($9,000) at CLE
DEF: 49ers ($4,400) at CAR
I'm going to play Wentz in this lineup and stack him with McLaurin. You can read about Wentz above, and McLaurin is facing a Titans defense that has already allowed five touchdowns to opposing receivers.
Cook is due for a big game, and the Bears have allowed some big games already this season to Aaron Jones, Dameon Pierce and Saquon Barkley. This could be Cook's breakout game in Week 5. Kamara is back after missing Week 4 with a rib injury, and he's facing a Seattle defense that has allowed five total touchdowns to running backs and four guys to gain at least 100 total yards. And Ekeler should stay hot against the Browns coming off his three-touchdown game against the Texans in Week 4.
Olave should be the top receiver for the Saints, even if Michael Thomas (ankle) plays this week, and he's coming off three excellent games in a row prior to Week 5, including scoring his first touchdown against the Vikings in London in Week 4. I'll use Davis again in this lineup for his big-play potential, and Ertz should be great in a revenge game against his former team.
