NFL Fantasy Football Reactions: Week 5

Many thought we saw our "week winner" on Thursday night after DJ Moore had 49 PPR points. Nope! Ja'Marr Chase had yet to play.  Let's look at the Week 5 Sunday action.

Reactions

• Last week, Joe Burrow said he came out of the game feeling better than he had all season. Of course, it didn't hurt that the Bengals had a favorable matchup against the Cardinals, who lack a strong pass or big-time cover corners. Whether it was better health, matchup or both, Burrow looked great. It certainly didn't hurt that he focused heavily on getting the ball to Ja'Marr Chase. As a result, Chase had an eruption game, scoring more than 50 PPR points. Burrow threw for more than 300 yards and three TDs. Unless we hear that Burrow has another setback to his troublesome calf, it might be time to trust him again in fantasy.
• The London games are often weird. Well into the third quarter, it looked as if the Jaguars were about to have another disappointing fantasy performance. But fortunately, the game turned into a shootout toward the end. Trevor Lawrence threw for 300 yards, Travis Etienne rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns. And, finally, Calvin Ridley broke his slump. Even though he didn't score a touchdown, he surpassed 100 yards for the first time since Week 1. I've mentioned for weeks that the Jacksonville offense was just a slight bit off. However, this might have been the performance it needed to unlock itself as one of the elite units in the league. 
• The Bills looked as if they were coming off of a long flight. They seemed to be sleepwalking in the first half. While playing with a deficit, they had to rely on their passing game to come back after intermission. As a result, Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis had outstanding fantasy performances. The running game has been uneven from week to week. It's great to see the Bills putting up big passing numbers pretty consistently since Week 2.
• The Lions came into Sunday's game beat up but took care of business against an inferior Panthers team. Going back to last year, Jared Goff always seems to do extremely well for fantasy in home games. That continued to hold true this week, as he accounted for four TDs. As expected, David Montgomery was the focal point of the offense. He definitely didn't let his fantasy investors down. It's difficult to view Montgomery as anything less than a top-12 running back. And Goff is almost a must start in home games.
• For the fourth game in a row, Adam Thielen played excellent football. With his reliable role in the middle of the field, he should be started each week with confidence.  Unfortunately, there isn't another Carolina player we can start each week with confidence.
•  It was very discouraging to see Anthony Richardson injured yet again. For the third time in four games, he left with an injury. Maybe it's just a streak of bad luck, but it's reasonable to start questioning his durability because of his play style. It was great to see Jonathan Taylor back, but Zack Moss stole the show. Regardless of how outstanding Moss has been, with Taylor now paid, he should quickly step back into a lead role.
• Last week, Derrick Henry had a fabulous fantasy performance. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to put together a similar effort against the Colts. He continues to be on the sidelines often while Tyjae Spears is on the field. And Tennessee might not be a team that has the ball near the goal line often, which hurts Henry's TD upside. Never count out Henry. But it is certainly fair to lower weekly expectations.
• One thing that fantasy managers thought was an absolute was that the Falcons would have incredible success running the football each week. Not only did they bring back their primary blockers and scheme from 2022, but they added Bijan Robinson to the mix. Although the team has had its moments on the ground, it is not dominating opponents by pounding them into submission. Obviously, starting Robinson is a no-brainer, but there isn't another player on this team to be excited about starting each week. It was surprising to see the passing offense come up with a big game. Desmond Ridder, Kyle Pitts and Drake London had solid performances. The Falcons were chasing points late, so that helped the stat lines look better than they might have otherwise. It's great for fantasy. However, it's difficult to imagine this passing game will consistently produce.
• When the Dolphins face defenses that cannot disrupt their timing or bring quick pressure at Tua Tagovailoa, Miami can score in the blink of an eye. It's hard to call some of these touchdowns scoring drives. It's often just a single play or two where they break off massive chunks of yardage. Just sit back and enjoy the show when they are rolling. This is one of the most fun offenses we've ever seen when it's humming along. You don't need me to tell you to start the key players in this offense. The only real concern is that Jaylen Waddle rarely sees high target volume, though it was fantastic to see him get double-digit targets in this game. Even when the volume is lacking, he's excellent in the red zone. He's also a player who could produce a big play at any time. With Waddle, we just take the good with the bad.
• Fantasy managers finally got to see a strong game from Darren Waller. He was close to scoring a first-half touchdown, but a defender made an outstanding play by knocking the ball away at the last second. When the Giants play good defenses, the offense likely will continue to have terrible struggles. But at least Waller is beginning to show the ability to be trusted in fantasy lineups, even though it's unlikely we'll see anywhere near the upside we hoped for in preseason. 
• Not only have the Steelers been bad offensively this year, but they played Kenny Pickett while he dealt with a knee injury that limited his mobility. Despite George Pickens finally having a big game, this is mostly an offense to avoid. It is often in terrible down-and-distance situations. Jaylen Warren sees high volume, especially as a receiver because of the negative scripts. In PPR leagues, he is a strong weekly flex option. It's nearly impossible to trust Najee Harris at this point. I understand that he has been great at breaking tackles and getting yards after contact. It's just that the offense is so dysfunctional, he rarely has a chance to get into a rhythm. 
• The Ravens haven't been a smooth offense from drive to drive this year. It looks like getting consistent and strong fantasy performances from many of their players is going to be a problem. Lamar Jackson continues  to produce as a runner, which always makes him a nice fantasy option. But going back to last year, he doesn't throw many TD passes. Gus Edwards could be a very good player, but for whatever reason the coaching staff continues to limit his work. He also sees far too little work in the red zone. And, of course, Mark Andrews is a fantasy starter each week, but we've yet to see the consistent upside we've come to expect. I wouldn't worry. Andrews will eventually  raise and stabilize his weekly production. Also, since Week 1, Zay Flowers  hasn't turned his solid target volume into big weekly yardage. 
• I wish I had something good to say about the Patriots' offense. It has no explosive ability. The offensive line has been ineffective while dealing with injuries as well. When the Patriots play a good defense, they almost have no chance to sustain offense. Aside from the volume Rhamondre Stevenson gets, it's very difficult to recommend any of their players as reliable fantasy starters. Of course, I shouldn't leave out Hunter Henry. Most games he gets five or six targets and he usually puts up decent yardage — Sunday notwithstanding (no catches on two targets).
• It's tough to truly evaluate the Saints while Derek Carr is at less than full strength. The usage for Alvin Kamara has been promising. Michael Thomas has had a reliable floor each week, and there's little reason to expect that to change. Chris Olave had a down game, but he's obviously a superstar who's a high-end starter every week. 
• One week after Zach Wilson looked like he could turn things around against the Chiefs, reality set back in. Despite facing a terrible Denver defense, he was unable to sustain drives. He killed the fantasy values of his receivers. It was great to see Breece Hall get extended work. It's possible that Hall is so good that even Wilson can't ruin his fantasy value. Hall looked like his 2022 version when scoring on a 72-yard run. I'm moving Hall inside the top-10 RBs now that he had most of the RB carries for the Jets. 
• With Javonte Williams out, Jaleel McLaughlin showed explosive ability for the second week in a row. Even though Samaje Perine serves a purpose as a blocker, it might be hard to keep the rookie off the field. I have no idea what Sean Payton will do, but when Williams is healthy, he and McLaughlin might be their best backfield duo. If McLaughlin gets a regular role in the offense, he should move into the RB2 discussion. 
• Travis Kelce suffered an ankle injury, but even before that, the Kansas City offense had issues moving the ball against an ordinary Minnesota defense. At least as the game went on, it figured things out. Regardless, maybe the Chiefs need to consider making a deal for a WR before the trade deadline. Overall, they've been fine on offense. However, they've had too many stretches this year where they haven't been the high-flying offense they likely will need to win another Super Bowl. Their wide receivers have been decent at times, but there is nothing special about that group. Also, if Kelce ever has to miss time, the WR limitations could be a major issue.
• Cooper Kupp is back! He looked as good as ever while posting 95 yards in the first half. Both Matthew Stafford and coach Sean McVay have been on their "A" games all season. The duo of Kupp and Puka Nacua makes it likely the Rams will have an outstanding passing game all season. I viewed Kupp as an immediate top-8 WR upon his return, but I don't see why Nacua can't be a top-24 (maybe better) WR.
• The Eagles finally had a Dallas Goedert sighting! He scored and topped 100 yards. HIs target volume in most games hadn't been terrible, but his yardage definitely was troubling until this week. With just five games in the books, this looks like simple variance. When the season ends, Goedert likely will finish close to his typical annual yardage range. What's tough about Goedert's good game is that DeVonta Smith was the loser, as he had one of his worst games to date. The one player who should be stable from week-to-week is A.J. Brown.
• If one team can't afford to lose a key player, it's the Cardinals. At the end of a 35-yard run, James Conner injured his knee. Soon after, the Cardinals found themselves down 10 points on the scoreboard. If Conner misses time, Emari Demercado should easily hold off Keaontay Ingram for the lead RB role. But don't be surprised if Rondale Moore sees some work out of the backfield as well. Also, after Michael Wilson posted 76 yards and two TDs last week, he was nearly invisible against the Bengals. Although he could have a few good games, I'm not ready to rank him as a top-50 WR.
• Kirk Cousins and the Vikings' passing attack wasn't at their best at home against the Chiefs. That said, the Chiefs are capable of playing great defense when they're on their game. I would just see this as one of those games where things don't work out. Minnesota has an excellent passing attack. It will be fine, and I have no reason to rank Cousins and the receivers any differently than usual each week.

Injuries

The following players injured and were unable to return:

• James Conner injured his knee. Emari Demercado and Rondale Moore took over the rushing work in his absence.
• Anthony Richardson sustained a shoulder injury. While he's out, Gardner Minshew remains one of the best backups in the league. If Minshew starts games, he has obvious superflex value.
• Daniel Jones suffered a fourth quarter neck injury. Tyrod Taylor took over.
• Tank Dell was diagnosed with a concussion.

Finally,

• Justin Jefferson injured his hamstring late in the game. No update was given regarding his status.