An offense that exploded against a cupcake opponent in Week 4 stayed hot in Week 5. It was also a get-right week for an offense that entered the season with aspirations to be among the NFL’s best. Running backs were a story in Week 5, too. And, unfortunately, everything wasn’t roses, as injuries and continued stagnation from an offense that generated buzz in the offseason were also meaningful storylines in Week 5. Here are all my takeaways from Week 5 as we look ahead to Week 6 of fantasy football. And below are thoughts on a few notable players.
- Waiver Wire Advice
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- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Surprises
Just Add the Bears, and You Have a Shootout
Chicago has turned their offense around in the previous two weeks. They hung 28 points on the hapless Broncos in Week 4. However, more impressively, they hung 40 on the Commanders in D.C. after a quick turnaround. According to Pro-Football-Reference, Chicago has exceeded 450 yards of offense in back-to-back games.
Since Week 4, Justin Fields has completed 43 passes on 64 attempts (67.2%) for 617 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception. Fields also scampered for 78 yards on 13 attempts in those contests.
DJ Moore did the heavy lifting on the receiving end of Fields’s passes, hauling in 16 receptions for 361 yards and four touchdowns in the previous two weeks. Cole Kmet was also stellar, securing 12 receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns.
Khalil Herbert consolidated the backfield work during those two games. He handled 28 of the backfield’s 44 rush attempts for 179 yards. Moreover, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), Herbert ran 43 routes versus 12 for Roschon Johnson. Unfortunately, he got nicked up on Thursday night and will likely miss a few weeks.
Chicago’s offense’s excellence during the two-game stretch is only part of the story. The Bears have coughed up at least 20 points every week and at least 27 points in four games. They’ve also yielded over 300 yards of offense to all their opponents. If the Bears can maintain their momentum offensively, their games could be outstanding sources for streaming, DFS selections and general fantasy football fireworks.
Who Dey? Indeed
The Bengals shook off their early-season struggles and hung 34 points on the Cardinals in Arizona, despite Tee Higgins missing the game with his rib injury. Joe Burrow completed 36 of 46 passes for 317 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also moved around less gingerly and had a 10-yard rush.
The passing game was funneled through Ja’Marr Chase and, to a lesser extent, Trenton Irwin and Tyler Boyd. Chase barbecued the Cardinals for 15 receptions, 192 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 19 targets. Irwin also had 10 targets, eight receptions and 60 receiving yards, making him an intriguing option in larger leagues as long as Higgins is out. As long as Burrow doesn’t suffer a setback with his calf injury in practice this week, he’s back in the circle of trust in fantasy football leagues.
The Jets Are Done With Their Running-Back-By-Committee (RBBC) Approach
Breece Hall wasn’t a one-man show this week, but he was the clear-cut featured running back. The sensational sophomore handled 22 of Gang Green’s backfield’s 29 rush attempts, steamrolling the lowly Broncos for 177 yards and one touchdown.
In addition, per PFF, Hall ran 10 routes and had three targets, three receptions and 17 receiving yards. Michael Carter paced the backfield in routes (17), but Dalvin Cook ran only four. It’s wheels up for Hall. Conversely, Cook can be cut in anything shallower than 14-team leagues.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.