Somehow, we are already entering Week 5 of the 2023-24 Fantasy Football season. With lots of surprise breakout stars and tough injuries, this has been a very eventful year thus far. We here at 4QWI are here to bring you our staff-selected starts/sits for all major Fantasy Football positions to make sure you enter the next third of the season with a fat juicy dub in Week 5.
This may go without saying, but we will go ahead and leave out the effective matchup-proof picks such as Tyreek Hill, Christian McCaffrey and Justin Jefferson. Let's get down to business.
Quarterbacks: @BreTT_Shevlin
Start: Matt Stafford vs. Philadelphia Eagles (10/8 @ 4:05 PM EST)
Despite the hip contusion Stafford suffered Sunday against Indianapolis, he is expected to play so start him in your lineups! Cooper Kupp is expected to come off IR this week which only gives coach Sean McVay more options to scheme against the Eagles 30th ranked pass offense. Start Stafford with confidence in this one.
Sit: Trevor Lawrence vs. Buffalo Bills (10/8 @ 9:30 PM EST - London)
Trevor Lawrence has had a very lackluster start to the 2023 season and I don’t see it getting any better this week going up against a stiff Bills defense in London. Seek better options.
Running Backs: @BreTT_Shevlin
Start: Breece Hall @ Broncos (10/8 @ 4:25 PM EST)
Breece has not had the season many fantasy mangers hoped when they drafted him in the 5th round, but even with his limited opportunities he’s still managed to break away for quite a few long runs. Going up against Denver this week who gave up 350 rushing yards to the Miami Dolphins, the Jets would be stupid not to exploit this
Sit: Rhamondre Stevenson vs. New Orleans Saints (10/8 @ 1:00 PM EST)
The Patriots offense just isn’t trustworthy right now. Averaging a measly 13.5 points per game this season and with their issues with the offensive line, I don’t expect it to improve against a defense of the Saints caliber.
Wide Receivers: @Endydoe
Start: Terry McLaurin vs. Chicago Bears (TNF, 10/5 @ 8:15 PM EST)
Scary Terry has been heating up in the past few weeks this season and finds himself against the volatile (to put it kindly) Chicago Bears in the bright lights of Thursday Night Football. Coming off an 8 catch, 86 yard outing in a competitive game against the Eagles last week, McLaurin is sure to feast and get your team looking right heading into Sunday.
Start: Zay Flowers @ Pittsburgh Steelers (10/8 @ 1 PM EST)
Baltimore is in a weird situation where they are are in the upper echelon of the AFC and yet do not have many offensive players that make you want to start them each week. Zay Flowers comes recommended heading into a rather important divisional matchup against the Steelers, who are currently allowing the 6th most receiving yards per game in the league. The rookie clearly has an important spot in this Baltimore offense, and with injury-related scratches to his compatriots Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman possible, this week seems like a good candidate for him to reach the endzone for the first time in his young career.
Sit: George Pickens vs. Baltimore Ravens (10/8 @ 1 PM EST) Mr. Pickens has had a rather up and down season thus far, and with Kenny Pickett currently out with a knee injury, Pickens is going to have to try to pull a connection with Mitch Trubisky out of thin air. Last year's Trubisky-Pickens setup did not yield great results before Pickett took over, and together they go up against a Baltimore defense allowing the 7th-least receiving yards per game. Even with Diontae Johnson on IR, though tempting, it is better to look elsewhere.
Sit: DeAndre Hopkins @Indianapolis Colts (10/8 @ 1 PM EST) Despite his name value, Hopkins has unfortunately made it seem like he is joining names such as Julio Jones and Andre Johnson as once-great receivers travelling to Tennessee to go behind the proverbial woodshed. Don't get it twisted, Hopkins is having a decent season for most receivers, but in the extremely milquetoast Titans offense, he finds himself not the priority. Despite the favorable matchup against the Colts, the Titans have the 10th least points scored in the entire NFL, and with Johnathan Taylor looking likely to play for Indy, this could be a boring game of attrition combated primarily on the ground. Surely, there are better options for you this week, especially in non-PPR.
Tight Ends: @Endydoe
Sam LaPorta vs. Carolina Panthers (10/8 @ 1 PM EST)
LaPorta is looking to be a lineup lock every single week, as the rookie sensation has burst onto the scene as a favorite target of Jared Goff, filling the void at Tight End TJ Hockenson left in Detroit. Despite a matchup gainst a surprisingly stout Carolina pass defense who are allowing the 6th least receiving yards per game, LaPorta finds himself primed to take advantage of short pass routes and potentially hit paydirt in a game the Lions are favored to win handily. Start LaPorta with extreme confidence this week.
Cole Kmet @ Washington Commanders (TNF, 10/5 @ 8:15 PM EST)
I'll bite. The tight end position is by far the weakest in this fantasy football season, which is generally par for the course. For some other positions, one blow up game isn't always cause enough to break the glass, but in the case of Kmet, why not man? Coming off of a 7 reception, 85 yard, 2 touchdown game against the Broncos, Kmet marches into Thursday Night Football just days later with a lot of momentum on his side. Dallas Goedert of the Eagles faced the Commanders last week and though only had two receptions, did average 12.5 yards per catch, so take that for what you will. You probably don't have a better reason to start another tight end, so just do it and see what happens.
Bonus Start: Hunter Henry vs. New Orleans Saints (10/8 @ 1:00 PM EST)
As my dear friend Brett said above, the Patriots offense isn't trustworthy and therefore it is very difficult to justify confidently starting almost any offensive player on the Patriots in fantasy football. But damn it, we Pats fans are sad and we need something. Henry has been rather impressive on the season from the eye test, making athletic, contested catches on occasion and is one of the more fun Tight Ends in the league to watch. Having a strong year off a newfound connection with Mac Jones, Henry might be one of the only sparks of offense available against a tough New Orleans Saints defense.
Sit: Dallas Goedert @ Los Angeles Rams (10/8 @ 4:05 PM EST)
Despite being an extremely talented and historically solid tight end, the 6'5, 255 lb Goedert finds himself having a generally down year in a crowded Philly offense. Going against a tough matchup against the Rams, who are currently allowing the 4th least receiving yards per game in tandem with having only allowed 3 receiving touchdowns, Goedert is currently a touchdown-dependent option as he enters this week as TE30 on the season.
Sit: Tyler Higbee (Q) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (10/8 @ 4:05 PM EST)
Higbee has had two strong fantasy outings in a row, with 10 catches for 135 yards, but there's some factors going against him as he enters week 5. Sustaining what seems to be a minor thumb injury last week, along with a potential Cooper Kupp return, Higbee is going to continue to be not much more than fantasy bench fodder in a Rams offense featuring several new breakout stars commanding Matthew Stafford's attention.
D/STs: @jvr1210
Start: Ravens D/ST @ Pittsburgh Steelers (10/8 @ 1:00 PM EST)
The Ravens are coming off of a week where they feasted on rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson with 3 interceptions and 4 sacks. It was a bad day for the Cleveland offense and a great day for a Ravens defense that has been elite so far this year.
The Ravens D/ST get another very favorable matchup this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers who rank 29th in offensive yards and offensive points this season. Add in the fact that Kenny Pickett (currently listed as questionable with a knee injury) may not play and that the Ravens D/ST are in for another great week. Whether or not Kenny Pickett or Mitchell Trubisky is leading the Steeler's offense on Sunday, the Ravens are a must-start.
Start: Saints D/ST @ New England Patriots (10/8 @ 1:00 PM EST)
The Saints defense will look to rebound after a rough week against the Buccaneers that saw them on the field more often than they would have liked to be. This week the Saints will be going against the New England Patriots who just suffered their worst loss in the Belichick era to the Cowboys. The Patriots currently rank 17th in the league in offensive yards and 30th in the league in offensive points. Not only that but they have turned the ball over 7 times.
The Saints D/ST should be able to rebound this week and put some points on the board against the crumbling New England offense.
Start: Detroit Lions D/ST vs. Carolina Panthers (10/8 @ 1:00 PM EST)
The Lions defensive line has been insane the past two weeks with five sacks against GB last week and 7 sacks against the Falcons the week before, while taking on 3 takeaways in those 2 games. Combine their elite ability to pressure the QB against a struggling rookie quarterback who has turned the ball over 4 times and been sacked 11 times in 3 games this season and it’s going to be a massacre.
The Lions defense ranks 4th in the league in yards allowed and 13th in the league in points allowed and with a matchup against a team that allowed the Vikings D/ST to score 19 fantasy points last week, they should feast.
Sit: Jaguars D/ST vs. Buffalo Bills (10/8 @ 9:30 PM EST - London)
The Jaguars D/ST have been good every week except for week 3 against the Texans. In Week 5 they have a tough match-up against the juggernaut that currently is the Bills offense. The Bills currently rank 6th in the league in offensive yards and 2nd in the league in offensive points and are coming off of a week where they dismantled the Dolphins defense to the tune of 414 yards, 4 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs. Expect more of the same this week from the Bills offense as Josh Allen squares off against Josh Allen.
Sit: Patriots D/ST vs. New Orleans Saints (10/8 @ 1:00 PM EST)
The Patriots defense is coming off a week where they allowed 377 total offensive yards, 1 passing TD, and 1 rushing TD while scoring 2 fantasy points. Add in the fact that they were already without defensive backs Jack Jones and Marcus Jones onto the week four injuries of defensive stars Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez and this Patriots defense is in trouble.
In four matchups against New England, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has faired well with 909 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions but has failed to consistently get the win with a 1-3 record. With Alvan Kamara back the biggest question remains how serious Carr’s sprained AC joint is. We expect the Saints offense to perform while against a battered and broken New England Defense. Consider New England as a sit this week.
Sit: Steelers D/ST vs. Baltimore Ravens (10/8 @ 1:00 PM EST)
The Pittsburgh Steelers D/ST have struggled against good offensive teams, scoring 3 points against the 49ers in Week 1 and -6 points against the Texans last week (yes we are calling the Texans a good offense now). With a defense that has allowed the 3rd most yards and the 10th most points don’t expect a favorable matchup against the Ravens.
In particular, the Steelers have allowed 594 rushing yards in 4 games, good for 4th worst in the league. Facing the best dual-threat QB in the league Lamar Jackson, the running defense is sure to struggle again and I’d expect fantasy results similar to their results against the 49ers and Houston. ‘
Kickers: @jvr1210 Start: Jake Elliot @ Los Angeles Rams (10/8 @ 4:05 PM EST)
The #1 kicker has been put to work early this year with the second most attempts out of any kicker in the NFL with 14. He has been near perfect going 13/14 with his one miss being a 55-yarder against the Vikings in week 1. With a favorable matchup against a struggling Rams defense, the Eagles should continue to drive down the field and give Elliot opportunities for FG and XP attempts. If you're in one of the 9.7% of ESPN leagues that Elliot isn’t owned in yet, add him immediately.
Start: Brandon Aubrey @ San Francisco 49ers (10/8 @ 8:20 PM EST)
Brandon Aubrey is one of two kickers in the NFL right now who has over ten FGA and has yet to miss a FG this season. The rookie kicker has been impressive this season and is only owned in 33.9% of ESPN leagues so far. Snatch him up while you can as both the Dallas offense and Dallas defense have excelled at giving him opportunities to score fantasy points. Dallas matches up against a tough 49ers defense this week that may give Aubrey more field goal attempts.
Sit: Evan McPherson @ Arizona Cardinals (10/8 @ 4:05 PM EST)
One of the higher-taken kickers off the board in most draft rooms in 2023 has been a bust. Evan McPherson himself is a decent 7/9 on field goal attempts and 4/4 on XP attempts, however to everyone’s shock the Bengals have the worst-scoring offense in the NFL right now with Joe Burrow playing through a calf injury. Until the Bengals have proved that they can consistently get the ball downfield like they have previously under Burrow I would recommend avoiding McPherson.
Sit: Daniel Carlson vs. Green Bay Packers (MNF, 10/9 @ 8:15 PM EST)
Another high-owned kicker who has struggled due to a lack of volume this season. Carlson is currently owned in 75.7% of ESPN leagues and is perfect so far this year. However volume has been an issue with only 4 FGA and 6 XPA, Carlson has not been serviceable this year. With Garoppolo still in concussion protocol and questionable for Monday night’s game against the Raiders, Carlson may be in for another low-volume week and should be avoided at least until Garoppolo is healthy again.
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