Thursday Night Football was a blast! Anyone outside of Atlanta or Tampa Bay who says they knew that this would be the game of the week and likely one of the best contests of the year would be lying. Divisional battles often present the unexpected, and this was no exception. Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins flourished on the prime time stage, with Baker throwing three first half touchdowns and Kirk tossing a Falcons record 509 passing yards, eclipsing the record held by Matt Ryan — on Matt Ryan’s ring of honor day. Kirk exploding meant his pass catchers also had a good day, with Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Kyle Pitts all flashing the type of chemistry we expected to see when Cousins headed to the Falcons. On the IDP side of things, Logan Hall somehow notched two sacks, the Bucs’ corners all stacked tackles due to Cousins throwing 58 times, Lavonte David had six solos and his first pick in years, while David Onyemata got the lone sack for the Falcons. Looking ahead to this weekend, we will take a look at five players fantasy managers should do their best to plug into their lineups and five others who are better left on benches despite promising upside. Let’s dig in.

Fantasy Football IDP Start/Sit Week 5

Start em

Micah McFadden (LB – NYG)
McFadden has a firm hold on the linebacker role next to Bobby Okreke and has responded with five or more solos in each of his last three contests. He played 75 percent of the snaps in Week 4, with Darius Muasau playing zero and Isaiah Simmons playing 25 percent. Neither player appears to be a threat to McFadden’s playing time going forward. He is a strong LB3 option who can double as an LB2 play during the heavy byes but with just four teams on break for Week 5, treat him as an LB3 for a neutral matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

Jamien Sherwood (LB – NYJ)
Sherwood is an IDP option as long as CJ Mosley remains sidelined. The Jets had high hopes for Sherwood before Quincy Williams ran away with the job. Mosley is dealing with a toe injury and did not practice at all leading up to Week 4, and has only been able to log limited practices this week, so Sherwood could indeed be in line for at least one more start for the Jets. He was solid in Week 4, tallying six solos, one assist, and a tackle for loss and has two contests with six or more solos since Mosley was injured. It is better to view him as an LB4/flex, but with the byes here, he is more than serviceable as an upside LB3 play. Act accordingly.

Deatrich Wise (DE – NE)
Wise was excellent in Week 4, recording two solos, four assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended. Wise has recorded a sack in back-to-back weeks and makes for an intriguing DL4 play for Week 5, thanks to a plus matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

Tony Adams (S – NYJ)
Adams was excellent in Week 4, tallying five solos, six assists, and two tackles for loss. It was a bounce back performance for Adams, who was a standout in the opener before going quiet over the last two weeks. Adams remains more DB3 than DB2 for now but has flashed obvious DB2 upside. Start Adams as an elite DB3 play for Week 5, thanks to a plus matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

Baylon Spector (LB – BUF)
Spector was excellent in Week 4, tallying four solos, two assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one fumble recovery. Baylon has been solid filling in for the injured Terell Bernard and should be rostered in all competitive leagues until he returns. Tap Spector as an LB2 option for a plus Week 5 matchup against the Houston Texans.

Sit em

Braden Fiske (DE – LAR)
Fiske showed up in Week 4, recording two solos, two assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. The sack was the first of his career and should lead to an expanded role, but as an odd front end, he is going to be inconsistent. Leave him on benches for Week 5.

Justin Strnad (LB – DEN)
Strnad showed up in Week 4 to the tune of three solos, one assist, one sack, and two tackles for loss. He is seeing an expanded role due to injury but should not be counted on until he shows some semblance of consistency. Leave him on benches in all formats despite a plus matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Jabrill Peppers (S – NE)
Peppers flashed in Week 4, racking up three solos, four assists, one interception, and two passes defended. Peppers should be left on benches (or the wire) for Week 5 despite his standout production in Week 4, as he has yet to show any consistency and has yet to surpass three solos all season. He may be worth a look during the heavier byes if he can start to heat up, but IDP managers should look elsewhere for Week 5, despite a plus matchup against the Miami Dolphins.

Eric Murray (S – HOU)
Eric Murray recorded three solos, one assist, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one pass defended against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4. Murray should be left on benches for Week 5, even if Jimmie Ward misses the game. Look elsewhere for your Week 5 DB3/4.

Jordyn Brooks (LB – MIA)
Brooks finally got it going in Week 4, racking up nine solos, four assists, one sack, two tackles for loss, and one pass defended. There were high hopes for Brooks coming to Miami due to his propensity to soak up tackles, but Brooks had been a second string tackler behind David Long through the first three weeks of the season. Long missed Week 4 with a hamstring injury after not practicing all week but has returned to limited sessions ahead of Week 5. There is no reason to push someone dealing with a hamstring issue to full participation, so there is a strong chance Long is back this week. Brooks recorded eight solos in total in the first three weeks of the season, so don’t go chasing the nine he had last week. Leave Brooks on benches for Week 5 despite the strong production and excellent matchup against the New England Patriots.

Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.