Week 5 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Lineup Advice, Stars to Exploit and Sleeper Options

Week 4 brought more injuries and uncertainty to the fantasy football world, and now, it's time for bye weeks to come into play.

On Sunday, managers saw standouts like Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Saquon Barkley, and Rashee Rice exit with injuries. This week, the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs will be off. This means that many managers will be looking to play second-tier stars, searching for the best matchups, and targeting the waiver wire for sleeper options.

Here, you'll find some early start/sit advice for Week 5—which will begin with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night—along with a list of top sleepers to target on the wire. All picks and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring

It was the Kyle Monangai show for the Chicago Bears on Sunday, as the second-year back racked up 146 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the New York Jets. He completely took over the backfield after D'Andre Swift fumbled and gashed the Jets' defense repeatedly.

Swift has also been dealing with a knee injury, though head coach Ben Johnson told reporters after the game that Swift wasn't benched due to any injury.

There's a chance that Swift will regain his role as the lead back this week against the rival Green Bay Packers. However, Chicago would be foolish to pull Monangai from the game plan after his strong Week 4 performance. The Packers have been soft against the run, so Monangai should come through even in a complementary role.

The Packers have surrendered an average of 27.6 fantasy points to opposing backfields this season.

It would appear that opposing defenses are willing to make New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston beat them, much to the detriment of running back Cam Skattebo.

Skattebo logged 18 carries in Week 4 but finished with just 58 rushing yards and one reception. He has now fallen short of 10 fantasy points in two of the last three weeks, and he faces a tough matchup in Week 5.

The Giants are set to visit the rival Washington Commanders, who have been susceptible to the pass but fairly stout against the run. Washington has surrendered the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing backfields this season.

There's a chance that New York will be able to play with a lead and grind out the game on the ground, depending on the health of Commanders QBs Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Marcus Mariota (knee). However, betting on Skattebo carries a lot of risk in this matchup.

Start: Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Michael Wilson continues to thrive in his role as the Arizona Cardinals' new No. 1 receiver—while 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. continues to disappoint.

Wilson had another big game in Week 3, catching seven of 13 targets for 95 yards. Over the first month of the season, he has been targeted a whopping 44 times. He should see double-digit targets again in Week 5 against the Detroit Lions.

Detroit struggled to contain Carolina Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan on Sunday night, even though it was clear the ball would be coming in his direction. McMillan caught 14 passes on 16 targets for 192 yards and two touchdowns.

Only the Houston Texans have surrendered more fantasy points to opposing receivers this season than Detroit.

Sit: Mike Evans, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Veteran Mike Evans has slotted into the San Francisco 49ers' offense nicely, and he's coming off a five-catch, 76-yard game against the Denver Broncos. Of course, it's worth mentioning that the Broncos lost cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss to injuries during the game.

Evans is likely to draw a matchup with Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon in Week 5, which limits his fantasy floor significantly. Even if Witherspoon isn't on Evans all game, it's a tough matchup for the 33-year-old.

Seattle's defense has surrendered the fewest passing yards and the fewest net yards per pass attempt in the NFL this season. It has also surrendered an average of just 16.8 fantasy points to opposing receiver groups.

Evans projects as a touchdown-dependent option this week, and while he'll be hard to sit in deeper leagues, managers should explore other options.

In addition to injuries, managers will also have to navigate the bye-week absences of players like Patrick Mahomes, Bryce Young, Kenneth Walker III, Tetairoa McMillan, and Travis Kelce this week.

Here are a few potential sleepers and waiver-wire targets to consider adding for spot starts:

Keaton Mitchell, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros