Fantasy football players had a mixed bag in Week 4, which saw plenty of booming performances and stars go down with injuries. In between the extremes, however, we saw a few players expected to come up big deliver disappointing results for teams who started them.
How should fantasy owners handle those underachievers in Week 5, which is down two teams as Kansas City and Carolina go on bye?
George Pickens
After being a league-winner last year, things have gone much differently for Pickens as he plays out the season on a franchise tag. CeeDee Lamb has stayed healthy and dominated target volume for the Cowboys with Pickens being the clear Robin of the duo, turning three targets into two catches for 75 yards on Sunday.
Even though Pickens has yet to find the end zone there is no reason for his backers to abandon him since Dak Prescott has shown the ability to make both receivers fantasy relevant. The struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on the docket in Week 5 and could roll attention towards Lamb after his historic day, which makes Pickens a must-start in a breakout spot.
Verdict: Start
Braelon Allen
The absence of Breece Hall due to injury in Week 4 gave Allen exclusive run in the Jets' backfield as no one else even logged a carry in Sunday's loss to the Chicago Bears. Allen didn't do much with his opportunity, however, turning 14 carries into 59 yards as the New York offense was barely on the field against the Bears.
The fact that the Jets are going to continue feeding Allen the football is good but he has an average skill set, which limits the potential for explosive plays. The interior offensive line has also regressed over the past three weeks for the Jets, who have a tough draw against a stout Browns' defensive line here which could mean more brick walls on tap for Allen on Sunday.
Verdict: Bench
Garrett Wilson
The Jets' offensive ineptitude on Sunday also swallowed up Wilson, who had been ascending thanks to a strong connection with Geno Smith. Chicago made taking Wilson away the focus of their game plan on Sunday and he did tie for the team lead in targets, but that was only four with Wilson delivering a 3-27 line while Isaiah Williams caught New York's only touchdown.
Wilson was not happy about his output after the game and head coach Aaron Glenn indicated that they needed to find more creative ways to get his top playmaker the football. The Browns' defense has vulnerabilities in the secondary and with Hall expected to be out again on Sunday the Jets will likely triple their efforts to feed Wilson the ball, making him a prime bounceback candidate in this matchup.
Verdict: Start
Treveyon Henderson
Just two weeks after it looked like Henderson would overtake Rhamondre Stevenson to be RB1 in New England the old world order has been restored. Henderson worked behind Stevenson in Week 4's win over the Buffalo Bills, logging one more carry (14-13) in a nearly even split but rushing for five fewer yards on the day (47 compared to 42 for Stevenson).
Considering the blueprint resulted in a win, there seems to be little chance the Patriots will alter the status quo for a bit, especially since head coach Mike Vrabel is a big fan of Stevenson's contributions as a pass protector. The improved Las Vegas Raiders are on the docket in Week 5 so this feels like a light week for Henderson, who didn't show off the usual burst that helps him siphon work away from Stevenson on Sunday.
Verdict: Bench
Trey McBride
The unquestioned TE1 entering the season had the lightest workload of his season thus far at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. McBride did catch seven passes in a loss to the Giants but had no room to operate once he got the football, recording just 31 receiving yards in the defeat.
The dip in yardage appears to be a one-week blip for McBride, whose target volume has been consistent so far with at least 10 in every game. Arizona also draws the burnable Detroit defense in Week 5 so McBride could be in line for his best outing of the season if Jacoby Brissett lights up the Lions like everyone else does.
Verdict: Start
Parker Washington
The last player we'll look at this week is Washington, who entered the year looking like Trevor Lawrence's go-to-guy for the Jaguars. Washington had a very light performance on Sunday, catching only one pass for seven yards as Lawrence looked his way just three times.
Aside from a Week 2 blowup in a tight game with Denver, Washington has gotten roughly five targets a game to make him more of a WR3 play. The matchup against the Eagles on Sunday is fantasy friendly, so Washington will get a start call here, but if he can't deliver it's time to explore other options as a WR3/FLEX candidate.
Verdict: Start (Last Chance)
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