Week 5 Fantasy Football Start/Sit: Trust the Matchups, Not the Names
Week 5 is here, the bye weeks have arrived, and fantasy managers are officially rummaging through the pigpen for answers. Here are eight players where the matchup should make the decision easier.
Start ’Em
Jared Goff, QB, Lions at Cardinals
Arizona has been generous to opposing offenses, and Detroit brings one of the league’s best scoring attacks. Goff has plenty of weapons and should spend Sunday carving up a Cardinals defense that has struggled to get off the field.
Kyren Williams, RB, Rams vs. Bills
Buffalo has surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs. Williams owns the workload, the goal-line opportunities and now a matchup that looks tastier than a fresh bucket of slop.
DK Metcalf, WR, Steelers vs. Colts
Metcalf has scored at least 12 fantasy points in consecutive games, and Indianapolis has shown enough vulnerability against receivers to keep the big-play machine running. If Rodgers gets time, Metcalf gets chances.
Isaiah Likely, TE, Giants at Commanders
Twelve targets last week is the number to circle. Washington has been one of the league’s friendliest defenses for quarterbacks and pass catchers, making Likely a legitimate touchdown-upside streamer.
Sit ’Em
Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles at Jaguars
With Philadelphia dealing with injuries to key offensive weapons, Hurts faces a Jacksonville defense ranking among the league’s better units against fantasy quarterbacks. After finishing last week with a 44% completion rate and 93 yards, it’s time to consider alternatives.
Jake Ferguson, TE, Cowboys vs. Buccaneers
Ferguson needs touchdowns to rescue mediocre target volume. That’s a dangerous recipe when there are other tight ends with more reliable workloads.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Buccaneers at Cowboys
Egbuka has a tempting matchup against Dallas, but the quarterback situation is the pig in the poke. With Jalen Daniels making another start, Egbuka’s target floor has taken a hit, and he managed only four targets in the first game without Baker Mayfield. The matchup says “feed me”; the passing game says “maybe tomorrow.” He’s a shaky FLEX play this week.
David Montgomery, RB, Texans at Titans
Montgomery is coming off a rough stretch, and Houston’s backfield has become a two-man committee with Woody Marks. The Texans produced just 46 combined rushing yards from their backs in the last game, while Montgomery’s workload hasn’t been consistent enough to make him matchup-proof. At RB24 in Week 5 consensus rankings, he’s a reasonable FLEX option—but one PigSkinFantasy would rather leave in the mud this week.
PigSkinFantasy rule: The matchup doesn’t care where you drafted him. Feed the pig that’s positioned to eat.
