X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Disaster Recovery Week 5 - Studs Turned Duds

Welcome to Disaster Recovery, where each week I'll examine why your studs played like duds. This isn't a place to find out why you should have benched a player for somebody on your bench. Disaster Recovery is to examine the guys who you didn't think twice about benching, and deciding if you should be panicking at all about their value moving forward.

The players covered in this column will usually have to be in the RotoBaller top-10 at their respective positions, but it may vary depending on the status of the players each week.

Week 5 saw plenty of studs play like studs, but we did see some surprisingly poor performances from some of this season's best fantasy options.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Week 5 Duds

Todd Gurley (RB, LAR) (#4 RB)

What Happened: Gurley ran 14 times for 43 yards and added two receptions for seven yards in a low-scoring loss to the Seahawks.

How Did It Happen: Gurley came close to scoring a touchdown early in the game, but Earl Thomas swatted the ball out of hands and through the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety. Gurley didn't receive as much volume as he usually does and the Rams offense was finally slowed down after four impressive showings to open the season.

Panic Meter: LowTodd Gurley had 596 total yards and seven total touchdowns in his first four games this season. He was due for a dud at some point. His 16 touches this week was his lowest of the season. Even with Tavon Austin rushing for a touchdown out of the backfield, owners should not be concerned about Gurley's volume moving forward. He's going to get fed. I'm not sure how often he'll be able to replicate what he did over the last two weeks, but numbers closer to the first two weeks of the season are very doable as the season moves along. There's no reason to panic on Todd Gurley.

 

Jordy Nelson (WR, GB) (#2 WR)

What Happened: Nelson caught two of his four targets for 24 yards and a touchdown.

How Did It Happen: Nelson was held out of the final drive due to an injury evaluation, paving the way for Davante Adams to score the game winning touchdown. His four targets are his lowest in almost a year, excluding Week 2 of this season. Even in a bad game, Nelson still managed to save himself from complete disaster by scoring a late game touchdown.

Panic Meter: Low. Similar to Gurley, Nelson was due for a slow game, but the fact that he was held out of the final drive due to an injury gives me a little pause. Nelson missed almost the entirety of the Packers' Week 2 matchup due to a thigh injury and is only two years removed from missing the entire 2015 season. He's a 32 -year-old playing in his 10th NFL season. By no means am I benching a healthy Nelson, but we need to hope that this week's injury is just a minor tweak and nothing that will continue to nag him as the season moves along.

 

Mike Evans (WR, TB) (#1 WR)

What Happened: Evans caught five of his eight targets for 47 yards on Thursday night.

How Did It Happen: Four different Tampa Bay players caught five passes and eight total players had receptions in Week 5. Winston was giving everybody a shot, and Evans found himself sharing the workload with a couple different guys.

Panic Meter: Medium. The good news is that even in a game where DeSean Jackson and Cameron Brate both received nine targets, Evans still managed to get eight passes thrown his way. He's yet to receive less than eight targets in a game this season. He's going to have a nice floor moving forward.

Here's the bad news: Mike Evans is on pace for 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns this season. That's fine for a normal receiver, but not for a guy who was viewed as a consensus first round pick. Evans has failed to eclipse 70 yards in each of his past three games. He hasn't crossed the 100 yard mark or had multiple touchdowns in his last nine games. He's never a bad play due to his high floor and his red zone capabilities, but it doesn't look like he's going to be the dominant WR1 most expected him to be.

 

Carlos Hyde (RB, SF) (#8 RB)

What Happened: Hyde ran eight times for 11 yards and added a reception for seven yards in Week 5.

How Did It Happen: Backup Matt Breida took the bulk of the carries, running 10 times for 49 yards in addition to 22 yards receiving. Hyde was banged up entering the game, but both Hyde and Kyle Shanahan insisted that he was healthy, with Shanahan saying that he chose to ride the hot hand in Week 5.

Panic Meter: Medium. I'm cautiously optimistic on this whole situation. Hyde has ran well for the most part this season. His monster performances in Weeks 2 and 3 show that he can be a RB1 at times. Even as Matt Breida's carries rise, Kyle Shanahan managed his timeshare running backs well in Atlanta, and I find it hard to believe that Hyde wouldn't play the Devonta Freeman role should they split the carries a bit this season. Hyde was the only 49er running back to receive a carry inside the five, and I still believe he'll receive the goal line touches all season long. The only reason the concern here is medium is because games like this have happened to Shanahan's starting running backs in the past. Hyde's upside is still too high for him to be benched in most leagues.

 

More Week 6 Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Mark Canha11 mins ago

Activated Off Injured List
Jake Cronenworth4 hours ago

Targeting Earlier Return
Liam Hendriks4 hours ago

Set To Return On Saturday
Jackson Merrill4 hours ago

Not Expected To Return Next Week
Martín Pérez4 hours ago

Martin Perez Will Undergo MRI On Saturday
Casey Schmitt4 hours ago

Expected To Hit Injured List
Brock Stewart4 hours ago

Expected To Return On Sunday
Luke Keaschall5 hours ago

Busy In MLB Debut
Jose Fleury5 hours ago

Continues Strong Start On Friday
AJ Smith-Shawver5 hours ago

Strikes Out Eight In Defeat
Marcelo Mayer5 hours ago

Tallies Seven RBI On Friday
Zyhir Hope5 hours ago

Hits Two Home Runs On Friday
Andrew Painter6 hours ago

Sharp In Second Rehab Outing
Tyler Anderson11 hours ago

Keeps Hot Streak Rolling Friday
Logan Webb11 hours ago

Fans 12 In Tough-Luck Loss
Carlos Rodón11 hours ago

Carlos Rodon Goes Six Scoreless To Snap Personal Losing Streak
Andrew Abbott11 hours ago

Dominates Orioles On Friday
Yoshinobu Yamamoto11 hours ago

Tosses Another Gem
Cam Smith11 hours ago

Hits Two Taters On Friday
Trevor Story11 hours ago

Mashes Pair Of Three-Run Homers
Zack Wheeler14 hours ago

Records 13 Strikeouts
Ja Morant15 hours ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams15 hours ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis16 hours ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.16 hours ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Taurean Prince16 hours ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup Saturday
NFL16 hours ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Waived With Non-Football Injury
Isaiah Stewart16 hours ago

To Return For Game 1
Ausar Thompson16 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Rui Hachimura16 hours ago

On Track To Play Saturday
Austin Reaves16 hours ago

Ready To Go For Game 1
NFL16 hours ago

Bills Release Armani Rogers, Branson Deen
Luka Dončić16 hours ago

Luka Doncic Removed From Injury Report
LeBron James16 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Game 1
Ben Sheppard17 hours ago

Probable For Saturday's Game 1
NFL17 hours ago

Kolton Miller Absent From Raiders' Voluntary Offseason Program
Kevin Durant17 hours ago

To Houston Already Losing Steam
Lauri Markkanen17 hours ago

Wants To Stay With The Jazz
NFL17 hours ago

Ross Blacklock Let Go By New York
Bennedict Mathurin17 hours ago

Expected To Play In Game 1 Saturday
Pascal Siakam17 hours ago

Available For Playoff Opener
Tyrese Haliburton17 hours ago

Returning From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Cade Cunningham17 hours ago

Available For Game 1 Against Knicks
Josh Hart18 hours ago

Back In Knicks Lineup Saturday
OG Anunoby18 hours ago

Good To Go For Game 1
Jalen Brunson18 hours ago

Available For Saturday's Game 1
NFL18 hours ago

Raiders Considering Drafting A Quarterback
Irv Smith19 hours ago

Sticking With Texans
Ryan Lindgren19 hours ago

Set To Return Saturday
NFL19 hours ago

Texans Expected To Draft Wide Receivers
Greg Dortch19 hours ago

Returning To Cardinals
Josh Manson19 hours ago

Available For Game 1
Mark Andrews19 hours ago

Could Be Traded Soon
Ondrej Palat19 hours ago

To Return For Start Of Playoffs
David Savard19 hours ago

Will Retire After Playoffs
NFL19 hours ago

Raiders, Falcons Could Have Interest In Jalen Ramsey
Robert Thomas19 hours ago

Good To Go Saturday
Matthew Tkachuk19 hours ago

Expected To Return For Game 1
19 hours ago

Raiders Are High On Ashton Jeanty
Jason Robertson20 hours ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Rome Odunze20 hours ago

To Hopefully Get More Involved
NFL20 hours ago

Dolphins Could Draft A Quarterback
James Cook20 hours ago

Could Stay Away From Voluntary Workouts
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Wins First Rocket Richard Trophy
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Bags Third Art Ross Trophy
Bryan Rust1 day ago

Scores Twice In Season-Ending Win
Igor Shesterkin1 day ago

Shuts Out Lightning With 27 Saves
Dylan Cozens1 day ago

Picks Up Three Points In Regular-Season Finale
Matvei Michkov1 day ago

Caps Off Rookie Campaign With Three-Point Effort
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Makes Early Exit For Precautionary Reasons
Jake Tonges2 days ago

Signs Exclusive-Rights Tender
Denver Broncos2 days ago

Broncos To Focus On RB Position In Next Week's Draft
Drew Lock2 days ago

Sam Howell, Drew Lock Expected To Compete For Backup Job
New York Giants2 days ago

Giants Leaning Toward Taking Best Player Available At No. 3
New Orleans Saints2 days ago

Ryan Ramczyk Announces His Retirement
Buffalo Bills2 days ago

Tre'Davious White Reunites With Buffalo
Aaron Rodgers2 days ago

Willing To Play For $10 Million A Year
Jakob Chychrun2 days ago

Returns Against Penguins
Rasmus Andersson2 days ago

Out Against Kings
Jonathan Huberdeau2 days ago

Sits Out Regular-Season Finale
Ryan Pulock2 days ago

Out On Thursday
Jake Sanderson2 days ago

Back In Action Thursday
Thomas Chabot2 days ago

To Be Rested Against Hurricanes
Claude Giroux2 days ago

Active On Thursday
Lucas Glover3 days ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Daniel Berger3 days ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka3 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
Justin Thomas3 days ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele3 days ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Maverick McNealy3 days ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry3 days ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
Will Zalatoris3 days ago

Eyes A Bounce-Back At RBC Heritage
Gary Woodland3 days ago

Could Add Some Surprise At Hilton Head
Sam Burns3 days ago

Hoping For Better Times At RBC Heritage
Sahith Theegala3 days ago

Still Trying To Put It All Together
Aaron Rai3 days ago

Might Be That Guy For Hilton Head
Robert MacIntyre3 days ago

All Or Nothing At RBC Heritage
Tom Hoge3 days ago

Still Playing Solid Heading To Hilton Head
Nick Dunlap3 days ago

Continues To Have Rough Stretch
Keegan Bradley3 days ago

Looks To Move On From Masters Performance
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay3 days ago

A Strong Play At RBC Heritage
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Targets Another Strong RBC Heritage Showing
Collin Morikawa3 days ago

Eyeing Victory At RBC Heritage
Max Homa3 days ago

Breaks Through At The Masters
Alexander Volkanovski4 days ago

Reclaims Featherweight Title
Diego Lopes4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 314
Paddy Pimblett4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Michael Chandler4 days ago

Suffers TKO Loss
MMA4 days ago

Patricio Freire Gets Dominated In His UFC Debut
Yair Rodriguez4 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bryce Mitchell4 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 314
Jean Silva4 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 314
Dominick Reyes4 days ago

Wins Third Fight In A Row
5 days ago

Austin Dillon Nabs His First Top-10 Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
5 days ago

Ryan Blaney's Bold Strategies Fall Flat, Still Musters A Top-Five Finish At Bristol
5 days ago

Christopher Bell Finishes In The Top 10 After Falling Back Midway At Bristol
5 days ago

Ty Gibbs Earns His First Top-Five Finish Of The 2025 Season At Bristol
5 days ago

Chase Briscoe Quietly Scores First Career Top-Five Finish At Bristol
5 days ago

Denny Hamlin Cuts Into William Byron's Points Lead
5 days ago

William Byron Makes Best Of His Mediocre Qualifying Run With Sixth-Place Finish
5 days ago

Despite Engine Failure, Alex Bowman's Improved Speed Looks Promising
NASCAR5 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Enters Playoff Picture With Surprise Bristol Top-10 Finish
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF