Week 5 is here, and we need to research and digest the critical stats developing in 2023 to help guide us to victory in our fantasy football leagues. With the NFL being five weeks into the season, trends are forming, patterns are developing, and we can now pick the best matchups to optimize our lineups. These five stats will help you build your research and dominate in Week 5 against your fantasy football opponents.
- Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Stats To Know Before Setting Your Fantasy Football Lineup
You Win The Game With The Line
Although you don’t procure fantasy football points with how your offensive/defensive lines play, they are crucial to fantasy football success for every team. You will fail in your fantasy league if you avoid researching offensive line stats. With this proper research, you would know that the Pittsburgh Steelers allow the highest pressure percentage per dropback at 47.9%. The Steelers are followed up swiftly by the New York Jets (47.2%) and the New York Giants (46%).
What does that teach us?
We first learn that playing a defense against these offensive lines is key to success. We have spoken before that:
Pressures + Sacks = Turnovers
Considering that rule, we look at the Baltimore Ravens in Pittsburgh, the Denver Broncos, and the Miami Dolphins. Now, we break down these defenses more and eliminate the Denver Brocnos from our pool of defenses that could be used because they are awful. Both teams are great options to use if available in your league.
The Ravens face a Pittsburgh Steelers offense with an injured Kenny Pickett, who is missing his starting tight end, Pat Freiermuth. We also have the Miami Dolphins facing the woeful New York Giants offense, and Miami likes to bring the heat. The Dolphins’ percentage of dropbacks under pressure is seventh in the NFL with 38.1%
I know what you are thinking: what defense leads the NFL with percentage of dropbacks under pressure? That would be the Dallas Cowboys at 56.3 %, and they are facing the San Francisco 49ers, who are fourth best in that category (41%). Play all offensive options carefully because this game can hit the under for implied totals extremely fast, leaving your fantasy team behind the eight-ball in Week 5.
Explosive and James Conner in The Same Sentence?!?
Did you know the Arizona Cardinals have 8.3% of attempts going for 15+ yards in 2023? The only team that has a higher percentage is the Miami Dolphins. James Conner isn’t the “sexy” name for your fantasy football team. However, Conner delivers volume, which is king in fantasy football. If he can stack explosive plays on top of volumes like a can of Pringles, your fantasy football team can eat with this mid-round running back.
Jared Goff + Jameson Williams = Fantasy Heaven
We have thrown the bat symbol into the sky, and thankfully, Jared Goff has answered the call. In 2023, Jared Goff has five Hero throws heading into Week 5. Hero throws are balls that are 20+ yards in the air. Jared Goff has been magnificent on those throws, with a 119.4 QB passer rating. He now gets to incorporate his first-round draft capital, Jameson Williams. Williams stands at six feet tall and runs a 40-yard dash at 4.39. The combination of Goff and Williams can open up the playbook and the Lions’ offense to be even more explosive in 2023. The Lions offense is eight in yards per game, seventh in explosive passer rate, and 12th in points per game this season. This addition can elevate this team to a Top-3 offense, and your fantasy team could prosper building around this duo.
Daniel Jones Was Always A Trap
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Don’t you hate when something your parents used to say comes back to be correct? Well, that’s how you should feel about Daniel Jones. I tried to warn you all offseason about the “Konami code” quarterback. Why a quarterback who threw 15 touchdown passes had the fantasy football community up in arms is another discussion. However, today, let’s discuss the struggles of Daniel Jones at every level of the passing game.
Daniel Jones struggles at all three levels of passing the football. On passes that go 0-9 yards, Jones has a 69.1 passer rating. This stat ranks Daniel Jones as the 39th overall quarterback in 2023. QUICK REMINDER: we have 32 teams in the NFL. Let’s go to the intermediate routes. Daniel Jones is the same there. He has a 64.6% passer rating. That would land him as the 33rd overall quarterback in the NFL. Finally, on deep balls of 20+ yards or more, Jones has a 79.2% passer rating. This ranking lands Jones as the 22nd-best quarterback in 2023.
We spoke about how bad the offensive line is with handling pressure, and now, combined with this stat, Daniel Jones is a fade every week until proven wrong. You can not keep risking your fantasy team’s success because he can rush the ball. There are better options with a safer floor and a chance at a potential “Boom” game.
Homerun Hitters Feast On This Defense
The Denver Broncos have been a train wreck in 2023. They allowed a team to score 70 points; they almost lost to the Chicago Bears and are struggling to stay above water this NFL season. Something else they need help with is explosive runs against their defense. They have the worst percentage of explosive runs plays against in the NFL at 48.9%.
With the New York Jets coming to town, this is the perfect chance for Breece Hall to show out and have an RB1-level game. Breece Hall has 72.4% of yards coming from explosive runs this season. Could this be a disaster for the Denver Broncos? We believe so, considering the New York Jets coaching staff said they are taking Breece Hall off a snap count. Expect more of the same from the Broncos defense in Week 5.
Remember to read all the fantastic work here at FantasyPros and contact me on X (@jpep20) if you need more advice in Week 5.
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