One of the aspects of fantasy football that never fails to amaze me is when fantasy owners don’t take into account bye weeks. Week 5 will be the last time in a long time that every player on most rosters will be available.
Injuries do their part to gut fantasy rosters, so players who had no draft-day intention of being in the starting lineup are there more weeks than not. Bye weeks are a meaningless gutting – those guys are healthy, just not playing.
There will be eight weeks in which at least two and as many as six teams will be on bye. If you’re a seasoned fantasy player, you probably paid attention to the bye weeks as you were assembling a draft/auction roster, but a lot has happened since then.
A week from now it will dawn on some casual players that the bye weeks have started. You can be ahead of that curve and prepare for it now. If you see a week that will be rough, make a trade to diversify your roster. There will be someone in your league who effectively forfeits a week because too many key players are on their bye. Don’t let that be you.
Here is the Week 5 Fantasy Football Market Report:
Fantasy football risers
Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff – Some might snicker at the idea of having Goff as a fantasy starter, but he’s been the real deal. In his last three games, he has thrown for 911 yards and nine touchdowns, including a pair of four-TD games. If he is still available, he might be worth stashing and cashing.
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce – There was a lot of steam surrounding Pierce coming out of the preseason, but after a stink bomb in Week 1, interest seemed to wane. However, the positive momentum is back. In his last three games, Pierce has rushed 49 times for 280 yards and two touchdowns. To date, he has been a one-trick pony by offering little as a receiver, but 90 yards a game and a touchdown is a pretty good trick.
New England Patriots RB Damien Harris – It’s always difficult to endorse a Patriots running back, because the coaching staff has a history of mixing and matching from week to week. While his numbers haven’t been off the charts, Harris has averaged 15 carries a game over the last three weeks and has scored a red-zone rushing touchdown in each. He may not be a first (or second) choice to start, but his numbers are worthy of being in fantasy lineups.
Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku – Njoku has been a frustrating player, because he has elite talent but has never lived up to his hype. However, he and Jacoby Brissett are building a rapport. In his last two games, nobody on the Browns has been more productive in terms of targets (17), receptions (14) and receiving yards (162). If you have a need at tight end, Njoku is experiencing a quick increase in his fantasy value that will only increase when Deshaun Watson returns.
Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence – The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Lawrence is finally showing consistency, which is what you want in a backup fantasy quarterback. Over his last three games, he has thrown seven touchdowns with weekly totals of two, three and two TDs. He isn’t lighting the fantasy football world on fire and was a turnover machine in Week 5, but the first requirement for a fantasy QB is consistency and he is displaying that.
Fantasy football fallers
Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor – In almost every fantasy league around the planet, Taylor was the first overall pick. But neither he nor the Colts are playing like it. Through four games, Taylor has scored just one touchdown, posted only one game with more than 71 rushing yards, and caught just nine passes for 44 yards. It hasn’t been due to a lack of trying – in the last two games (both at home), he has rushed 41 times for just 113 yards and no TDs. Nobody is going to bench him, but this isn’t what they signed up for. Taylor suffered a minor ankle injury in Week 4 and has a day-to-day status.
Las Vegas Raiders TE Darren Waller – There was the perception that the Raiders’ signing Davante Adams would open things up for Waller and reduce double-team coverage. Through four games, Waller has caught just 16 passes for 175 yards and no touchdowns – with no game over 50 yards since Week 1 and six catches for 46 yards in the last two games combined. That will leave a bruise.
Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott – Elliott has been the prime guy in the Cowboys backfield – he has the most carries in each game this season – but the results are minimal. He has rushed 59 times for just 227 yards (a 3.8-yard average) and one touchdown. He has brought almost nothing to the passing game (five catches for 27 yards and no TDs). One has to wonder if Tony Pollard is going to get the opportunity to show what he brings to the table before hitting free agency next year – and he will, due in part to Zeke’s contract that takes the franchise tag off the table.
Carolina Panthers WR DJ Moore – Moore’s stock hasn’t taken a big hit despite a revolving door at quarterback the last few years, but Baker Mayfield and Moore aren’t on the same book, much less the same page. Moore has caught just 13 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown, and those who were counting on him when the season began are starting to explore their other options. Right now, Moore is less.
Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner – I’ve never been a big Conner proponent because his value is minimal as a weekly fantasy play if he doesn’t score touchdowns. He is still the featured guy (he has twice as many carries as Eno Benjamin), but his weekly rushing yardage totals are 26, 25, 39 and 55. He is averaging just 3.2 yards a carry and has one touchdown – which came in Week 1. If you have alternatives, start considering them.
