Fantasy football lineup advice: Week 5 BOOM or BUST!
Fantasy football lineup advice – Wide Receiver
BOOM:
Tyler Lockett, SEA vs. LAR
A play who had lofty expectations heading into 2019, Lockett has thrived thus far as Seattle’s top option in the passing game. Following Doug Baldwin‘s retirement, Lockett currently sits as the overall WR9 in PPR formats (17.7 FPPG). His services weren’t needed as much in a blowout win versus the Cardinals last week, but in his previous two games, he saw 12 and 14 targets from Russell Wilson.
Los Angeles was thought to have had one of the NFL’s better secondaries until a miserable showing against Jameis Winston and co. last week. To say that the Rams were suspect against the Buccaneers last week is generous. They were utterly dominated by Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for 261 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-40 loss. This Thursday night game has the looks of a shootout, suggesting a big game could be in the works for Lockett.
Larry Fitzgerald, ARI @ CIN
Even at the age of 36, Fitzgerald refuses to slow down. He had a down-week in his last outing, but even with his 9.8-point effort, he still sits as the WR13 on the season (16.2 FPPG). Some ups and downs were expected this year catching passes from the inexperienced Kyler Murray, but more often times than not, the Cardinals’ modernized offense has done wonders for the future Hall of Famer.
Don’t let the Bengals’ stats against wide receivers in the early-going fool you. Although they’ve given up just the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position, teams have only thrown 28.2 pass-attempts per game (lowest in the NFL) against them. Cincinnati has actually handed over the third-highest QBR in football to opposing QBs, meaning this is far from a shutdown secondary. With teammate Christian Kirk doubtful (ankle), Fitzgerald should see as many targets as he can handle.
BUST:
Jarvis Landry, CLE @ SF
As Odell Beckham Jr. got bottled-up by the Ravens last week, Landry had himself a heyday. Maybe focusing too much of their attention on the Browns’ star wideout, Baltimore must’ve forgotten there were other WRs on the field. Landry’s 24.7 fantasy points were a season-best and his 167 receiving yards marked a new career-high. However, his day was cut short as he exited early with a concussion. Cleveland plays on Monday night this week, so Landry will have a little extra time to clear protocol before their matchup with the Niners.
He allegedly told teammates on Tuesday that he “feels great,” which is good news for his upcoming availability. Assuming he’ll be ready to go, he’ll almost surely return to playing second-fiddle to Beckham, which had resulted in him being fantasy’s WR58 prior to his Week 4 outburst. San Francisco’s pass defense has been better than advertised thus far, ranking in the top half of the league against WRs. Landry might have big weeks from time to time, but don’t expect it in this matchup.
Curtis Samuel, CAR vs. JAX
One of the more-popular breakout candidates heading into the season, Samuel has been about as average as they come (10.7 FPPG). There were worries that Kyle Allen‘s insertion at starting quarterback would hinder his fantasy value, but he’s remained a consistent cog in the team’s offense with Allen under center. But being involved doesn’t always mean efficient. Although he’s drawn seven targets in each of his past two games, he’s caught a mere 50 percent of his looks.
As someone who thrives off of the deep ball, he may not have a ton of room to operate against the Jaguars. Jalen Ramsey will likely be back this week after Jacksonville has held firm in the midst of his trade requests, spelling trouble for Samuel. The Jaguars have been good at limiting big plays by wideouts this year, allowing the fifth-fewest passing TDs per game over their last three matchups.
Sleeper:
Mohamed Sanu, ATL @ HOU
Sanu isn’t a guy that’s going to win you your matchups, but he’s a rock-solid contributor in the passing game for the struggling Falcons up to this point. Targeted no fewer than six times in any game, Sanu is a sure set of hands that Matt Ryan can rely on. He’s yet to notch a score this year but has a nice shot to do so against the Texans, a secondary that’s handed over 41.1 FPPG (seventh-most) to wideouts early-on.