Which under-the-radar players might be able to give your fantasy team a lift? Which chalky players might not be as safe as they seem? Our featured analysts name some potential sleepers and underachievers, along with start/sit advice for Week 5.
- Waiver Wire Advice
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Q: Which player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros flex rankings is a good sleeper start, and why do you think he has upside this week?
Jameson Williams (WR – DET)
“Hmmn…the pickings are pretty slim once you’re out of the top 100, so I’ll go with the guy with the most talent in Jameson Williams. Williams has the prototypical size and electric speed to take it to the house anytime he touches the rock. That’s good because it sounds like Lions’ head coach, Dan Campbell, doesn’t want to give him a full workload in his first game back from suspension. Remember, though, all it takes is a few great plays to have a good fantasy week, and Williams is definitely capable of that. Few players have the talent and immense upside of Jameson Williams imo.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
“Jameson Williams is ranked outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros flex rankings at #165. Jameson Williams has been officially reinstated by the NFL from his gambling suspension and is eligible to play in week 5. He should make an immediate impact on a Detroit team that has a high-powered offense. ”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)
Cam Akers (RB – MIN)
“I’m happy to go back to the well with Cam Akers. Now in Minnesota, the Vikings desperately need to find a balance in their offensive approach. They are last in rushing attempts and have no runs of over 20 yards. Akers can be as dynamic as they come, and finally being on a team that appreciates his skillset should see him flourish.”
– Matt De Lima (The Game Day)
K.J. Osborn (WR – MIN)
“K.J. Osborn is right outside of the top 100, and he gets the Chiefs this week. He has been running ahead of Jordan Addison and has a level of comfortability with Cousins. In a potential shootout, we have seen Osborn have blow-up games when Cousins has to pass a lot. He brings some major upside with some big-time wideouts on Bye or injured this week. Take a shot on Osborn if you are needing an upside play.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)
Zach Ertz (TE – ARI)
“Zach Ertz is second in the NFL among tight ends in targets (30) and fourth in receptions (20). The veteran scored 8.3 half-point PPR fantasy points last week despite dropping a touchdown pass. More importantly, he led the team in targets in Week 4 (10) and is only two targets behind Marquise Brown for the team lead this season. This week, the veteran faces a Cincinnati Bengals defense that has given up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends (12.6). The Bengals have also given up a touchdown to tight ends in all but one game this year. Ertz should be significantly higher in the rankings than TE16.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
Luke Musgrave (TE – GB)
“Let’s go back to the well with Luke Musgrave, assuming he returns from the concussion protocol. He was supposed to break out last Thursday night before sustaining the concussion early on. His usage has been fantastic for a rookie tight end; that boom stat line has avoided him so far, though. I’m prognosticating 50 yards and his first career touchdown on Sunday in a plus matchup with the Raiders.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)
Wan’Dale Robinson (WR – NYG)
“Wan’Dale Robinson has some sleeper appeal in deeper leagues. Robinson played just 22% of snaps in his season debut and immediately received five targets. Last week, Robinson played 64% of snaps and saw a team-leading six targets and one rush attempt. The Giants clearly want to get him involved and the usage could lead to a bigger stat line facing a Dolphins defense that is allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to receivers. ”
– John Hesterman (Dynasty League Football)
Michael Gallup (WR – DAL)
“Two years removed from his ACL injury, Michael Gallup is back to being a fantasy sleeper. After the Cowboys acquired Brandin Cooks this offseason, Gallup became a fantasy afterthought. Four weeks into the season, it seems the opposite has come true, as Gallup has more targets, yards, and receptions per game. Coming off back-to-back 5+ receptions and 60+ yard performances, Gallup slides into the fantasy flex tier. This week against an elite 49ers, Prescott will be forced to look outside of CeeDee Lamb and Pollard, further increasing Gallup’s upside.”
– Ellis Johnson (RotoBaller)
Jonnu Smith (TE – ATL)
“Did Jonnu Smith just take over the TE1 role from the much-heralded Kyle Pitts? I think so! He has seen 6+ targets in the last three games and went off for 95 yards last week in England against the Jags! Tight ends are a game of chance after the first 3-4, so follow the targets and hope the production continues this week in Houston.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
Zach Wilson (QB – NYJ)
“Zach Wilson is my sleeper for Week 5. You read that right, Zach Wilson! In Week 4, Wilson showed the first signs of progressing as an NFL quarterback as he put up 26 fantasy points in a close loss to Kansas City. In Week 5, he faces a Broncos defence that just made the Bears offence look like the Miami Dolphins. Wilson is a solid streaming option this week, with bye weeks limiting our options. Fire him up as a mid-range QB2 with upside in a juicy matchup.”
– Aaron St Denis (The League Winners)
Tyler Conklin (TE – NYJ)
“Identifying a receiver for the Jets does not immediately come off as a winning strategy. But with Tyler Conklin, you have a blend of an improving player meeting an exploitable matchup. He has seen his targets per route run and average depth of target increase in each of the last three games, all while Zach Wilson has gotten more comfortable under center. Conklin is also third on the team with 11.8% of the Jets’ first-read targets. In Week 5, he will have the advantage of a great matchup against the Denver Broncos, a defense that is currently allowing 12.8 FPPG to opposing tight ends. Fantasy managers looking for an option to stream this week at the position should use Conklin as a preferred pick-up and play tight end. ”
– Brandon Murchison (RotoBaller)
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR – KC)
“We should be expecting points, and lots of them, in this Vikings – Chiefs contest Sunday. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has a chance for a boom this weekend against Minnesota, who allow the most points to the WR position thus far. While the early returns for MVS have been simply unspectacular, he can make for an interesting high-ceiling play this weekend if you are simply chasing long touchdowns. The floor is very low; the ceiling is tremendous. ”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
Q: Which player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros flex rankings is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week?
Miles Sanders (RB – CAR)
“The sitcom, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” should be the title for any RB running behind the Eagles’ stout offensive line. Unfortunately for Miles Sanders and the poor saps who drafted him, he’s now in Carolina. The Panthers’ offense is a train wreck- due in large part to the poor play of their offensive line. Rookie QB Bryce Young is under siege, and that impacts everyone, including Sanders. It’s hard to see things improving on the road this week versus a solid Detroit defense.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
“Game script isn’t likely to work in Miles Sanders’s favor in Week 5 against the Lions. Detroit leads the league in rush defense, allowing just 243 yards and 18 rush first downs (t-third fewest). Sanders is averaging 17.25 touches per game and yet has only eclipsed 9.8 fantasy points (Half PPR) once so far this season. If the Lions jump out to an early lead, Sanders’s usage could be a wash which is all that’s been working in his favor this year.”
– Matt De Lima (The Game Day)
“Miles Sanders has been dealing with a groin injury. While he played in Week 4, Chuba Hubbard out-snapped him (54%-43%) and had more rushing yards (41-19). Sanders won’t lose his starting role, but Carolina’s backfield could become a near 50-50 split moving forward. More importantly, the veteran faces an elite Detroit Lions run defense in Week 5. The Lions have held running backs to only 2.87 yards per rushing attempt and 12.4 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, the sixth-fewest in the NFL. Expect Sanders to have a quiet performance in Week 5.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
“Detroit’s defense was stingy in Week 4, and Miles Sanders is sharing too much playing with Chuba Hubbard right now. He was hampered by a groin injury, but starting Sanders as anything more than a flex in any format in Week 5 would be a tough pill to swallow. I’ll give him at least one more week to get back on track.”
– Zach Greubel (Gridiron Experts)
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB – DET)
“Jahmyr Gibbs is at 34 in the flex rankings, and he is currently RB32 on the year. We continue to project the upside, and finally, we are ranking Montgomery above him. I would love to see it, and the Panthers are a good matchup. But I could also see the Lions being up early and David Montgomery grinding out the clock like he did last week. I would love to see a breakout game, but even when Montgomery missed time, he didn’t crack double-digit PPR points. Gibbs is a flex play at best until he proves otherwise. Even with Bye weeks, you likely have better options until he starts to show up.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)
Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG)
“Saquon Barkley is a player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros flex rankings that is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week. He’s currently ranked #31. If you watched any of the Monday Night Football game against Seattle, the Giants players have quit on this team. This team is a mess, and it’s difficult to start any offensive player on this team. ”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)
Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE)
“Rhamondre Stevenson is struggling to produce over the last two weeks. After posting 13 or more PPR points over the first two weeks, Stevenson has failed to hit double-digit points over the last two. His 2.62 YPC and 6.5 receiving yards average over the last two games have left fantasy managers frustrated. This week, he faces a New Orleans Saints defense that is allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points to running backs, making his outlook unsavory. ”
– John Hesterman (Dynasty League Football)
“I have been down on him since drafts, but Rhamondre Stevenson is a sit for me this week for New England. Stevenson has had to rely on catches and a singular touchdown to be relevant most weeks, with the last two weeks seeing Stevenson finish outside the top 30 in half-PPR scoring. The Saints haven’t allowed a touchdown to the running back position yet, and I struggle to see how that will change this week after the Patriots got destroyed in Dallas a week ago. No thanks, sit Rhamondre Stevenson.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
“I’ll continue to play with fire and call De’Von Achane a disappointment this week. This offense is arguably the most creative in the league, but they thrive on using multiple players. This week, he has an excellent matchup against a Giants team, allowing the seventh most rushing yards per game. It may only take one play to make me regret this call, but with the potential return of Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert being the backfield leader, Achane could see fewer than 10 touches. That makes him a high-risk player who is currently ranked as the 14th flex option overall.”
– Ellis Johnson (RotoBaller)
Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA)
“Raheem Mostert was the RB1 through the first three weeks, and then the Dolphins went to Buffalo where he was held to 9 yards on 7 carries. His problems compounded when he fumbled twice (one lost), and De’von Achane ran like he was shot out of a cannon! I see his touches and production continuing to dwindle each week. Sell the great story if you can, although you might have missed the bus on that after last week.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND)
“Jonathan Taylor is an avoid for me. Not only will this be his first game back from injury, but it will be against the vaunted Titans run defence. It’s unknown both if he will play and how much he will play if he does. Taylor is a must-bench in his return to action and can’t be trusted in a bad matchup.”
– Aaron St Denis (The League Winners)
Tony Pollard (RB – DAL)
“Tony Pollard currently sits at RB10 with 16.6 FPPG through the first four games on the 2023 season. Fantasy managers won’t argue with the production he has provided, as he currently is in the Top five at the position in both carries (73) and rushing yards (311). But a deeper look into the analytics, and you find a player that has seen his fantasy point production dip in every week, capped off with an underwhelming 9.0 FP game in Week 4. Expecting a bounce-back performance for Pollard in Week 5 will also be a tall task for fantasy managers as he will be facing a 49ers defense that allowed just 15.1 FPPG to running backs to begin the 2023 season. In what is expected to be a low-scoring game, Pollard would need to find the end-zone to come close to his current ECR of RB4 for the week. Something that I do not expect to see happen. ”
– Brandon Murchison (RotoBaller)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio