Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 5 Lineups Include Javonte Williams, Jerry Jeudy, Deshaun Watson, Dalton Kincaid, more

Well, Week 4 is in the rearview mirror. We had more injuries, including Kansas City Chiefs WR1 Rashee Rice. Guys are dropping left and right and it’s altered the fantasy landscape. No use crying over spilled milk, so we must keep marching forward. Week 4 was very kind to us here. We correctly labeled Jayden Daniels and Tony Pollard as boom plays. Daniels finished as the QB5 while Pollard was the RB14. We also nailed all three of our bust calls. Zay Flowers only caught one pass, J.K. Dobbins was the RB34, and Anthony Richardson was the QB31. We got a little lucky on the Richardson call with him leaving the game early due to injury, but sometimes injuries can work in your favor. DJ Moore was our big miss of Week 4. He only managed a 3-22-1 line on six targets against a Rams secondary that has been routinely gashed. Shane Waldron is quickly become enemy No. 1 for fantasy gamers everywhere.

Bye weeks are here and that means managers need to find replacements to plug into their lineups. Sometimes that means you have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to do so. Fear not, though, we have some good options for you to consider.

Make sure you’re following RotoBaller on X and check out RotoBaller.com for all your fantasy football needs. Let’s get into our boom/bust picks for Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season.

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Week 5 Fantasy Football Booms

Javonte Williams - RB, Denver Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Williams is coming off his best game of the season in a Week 4 upset victory over the New York Jets. He only ran for 77 yards, but posted a season-best 4.81 yards per carry on a season-high 16 carries.

This week, Williams draws a home match with a Las Vegas Raiders defense that ranks 23rd in defensive rush DVOA, per FTN Fantasy, and allows the eighth-most PPR points per game to opposing backs, per Fantasy Football Today.

Denver’s defense has been very stout through the early going and should be able to limit the Raiders offense to keep this game competitive. That will mean a positive game script and plenty of rushing opportunities for Williams.

He has massively underperformed so far this year but showed signs of life last week. This is a good spot to start him if you’re thin at running back due to byes.

Deshaun Watson - QB, Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders

Alright, I get it. Watson has been god-awful for the better part of two years now. He doesn’t look like the same player he once was. However, he gets the matchup of all matchups in Week 5. Here’s how quarterbacks have fared against Washington so far this year:

Week 1: Baker Mayfield, 29.66 fantasy points, QB2
Week 2: Daniel Jones, 18.32 fantasy points, QB6
Week 3: Joe Burrow, 25.36 fantasy points, QB7
Week 4: Kyler Murray, 9.98 fantasy points, QB24

Murray’s complete dud aside, this has been a defense to target as it has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Watson also still brings rushing upside to the table as he’s gained the seventh-most rushing yards among all quarterbacks in 2024.

Starting Watson feels queasy and does require a strong dose of Pepto Bismol, but this is the week to throw him in lineups. If you need a signal-caller, Watson is the best move because he has the highest ceiling.

Wan’Dale Robinson - WR, New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks

Robinson has been a nice surprise in the early going. He is tied for fourth in the league in targets and is currently the PPR WR22 for the season.

Daniel Jones' second TD goes to Wan'Dale Robinson!

📺: #NYGvsWAS on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/PPrGmzWgm8

— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024

The third-year receiver could be New York’s WR1 this week if Malik Nabers is sidelined due to a concussion. Even if Nabers suits up, Robinson has been targeted at an extremely high rate and is likely to produce. Per Fantasy Points Data Suite, Robinson has a targets per route run rate of an eye-popping 32%. This is a very strong number and a mark this high usually leads to fantasy points.

New York is also listed as a 6.5-point underdog this week, so it is likely to be trailing in this game. That would ensure plenty of opportunities for Robinson.

In a week where you’re likely without one of your top receivers, Robinson is about as good of a replacement option as you’ll find, but he is a better option in full PPR leagues. Start him as a WR3 or flex with upside for more.

Jerry Jeudy - WR, Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders

We’re doubling down on the Browns offense this week with our final boom call. The fifth-year receiver has played well in 2024. He is currently 28th out of 122 eligible receivers in PFF’s Receiving Grade.

JERRYYYYYY #CLEvsJAX on CBS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/YdGLdrfE1D

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 15, 2024

He goes against the aforementioned Washington secondary that has struggled mightily this year. It ranks 31st in defensive DVOA against wide receivers and allows the most PPR points per game to opposing receivers.

Amari Cooper is also a fine start. We went with Jeudy as it’s likely the Cooper manager is starting him regardless due to several teams being on bye. Nonetheless, Jeudy is a good option as a WR3 or flex play.

It’s a good matchup, and he’s arguably shown the best chemistry with Watson through Cleveland’s first four games. He could have his best game of the season and might find the end zone for his first score.

Week 5 Fantasy Football Busts

Dak Prescott - QB, Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers

Prescott is coming off QB2 and QB11 performances the past two weeks. However, he is likely to hit a wall against Pittsburgh’s defense in Week 5. The Steelers only allow 174.5 passing yards per game, which ranks ninth in the league and could limit Dallas’ passing attack.

The Cowboys' offensive line play hasn’t been great as they rank 21st in PFF’s pass-blocking grade. Pittsburgh ranks sixth in adjusted sack rate, per FTN Fantasy, but only 16th in sacks. We could be in line for a big correction in this game. Prescott will likely be under duress and could have trouble staying upright and connecting downfield for big plays.

If you have another quarterback option on your team, you should consider sitting Prescott. There are also better options likely available on waivers as well. Bottom line -- this is not the game to play Prescott. Get him out of your lineup if you can.

Dalton Kincaid - TE, Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans

I was all over Kincaid in this article as a boom call last week. I even placed a wager on the over for his receiving yards and released that play in the RotoBaller Discord for premium members. While that bet was cashed, Kincaid did not provide the week we were hoping to see.

He is still losing too many snaps to Dawson Knox and splitting playing time with the veteran. As long as that continues, it will be hard for Kincaid to hit his ceiling. He now goes against a Texans defense that ranks first in DVOA against opposing tight ends, allows the second-fewest receiving yards per game to the position, and allows the second-fewest PPR points per game to tight ends.

This is not a good matchup to deploy a player stuck in a platoon. Gamers would be wise to consider other options, maybe Tucker Kraft, instead of rolling Kincaid out there again this week.

Garrett Wilson - WR, New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings

Four weeks into the year, and there might not be a bigger disappointment than the Jets WR1. He has yet to eclipse 60 receiving yards in a game and is only the WR39 of the year.

What’s concerning for Wilson is that there have been numerous plays throughout the year where he and Aaron Rodgers have not been on the same page. While some miscommunications were bound to happen, it’s a little alarming to see the rate at which these mishaps are occurring.

Rodgers notoriously prefers throwing to receivers he trusts and can rely on. He has been persistent in targeting Wilson as he knows how talented of a player he is, but his patience could be wearing thin. Wilson now gets a Vikings defense that ranks first in defensive passing DVOA and third in DVOA against opposing teams’ WR1. This is going to be another tough assignment for the Wilson/Rodgers duo.

Right now, it looks like they’re still going through some growing pains. These two are going to get on the same page at some point this year. They are both too talented not to do so. But given how they struggled last week against a stout Broncos defense, a date with the Vikings' ultra-aggressive defense does not seem like the spot Wilson and Rodgers figure it out.

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