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Welcome to Week 5 RotoBallers! The season is starting to ramp up, and it is crucial to make the optimal lineup decisions on a weekly basis. As injuries and bye weeks will start to pile up, it is important to start getting some wins under your belt to be in the playoff mix all season long.
Heading into the fifth week of action, we are pretty much at the stage where fantasy managers can start to get a real grasp on how good or bad their team is for the 2022 campaign.
Here are some players I think will be in for a tough game in Week 5 and could disappoint their fantasy managers. However, there could be some managers out there who aren't in any position to bench these players. It is important to remember that none of these guys are "must-sits," but fantasy managers need to temper expectations.
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Should I Bench Kyler Murray In Week 5?
Murray and the Cardinals' offense haven't gotten off to the greatest of starts this season, but the fantasy production has been solid for the dual-threat quarterback. Murray ranks as the QB6 through four weeks despite the Arizona offense looking out of sync, while also being without his stud wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
In Week 5, Murray will take on an Eagles defense that has allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards and the fewest yards per attempt this season. With Marquise Brown potentially seeing a lot of lockdown cornerback Darius Slay in this matchup, Murray’s No. 1 option in the passing game being taken away doesn't bode well for his outlook in this one.
Considering his production this season, he is by no means a must-bench in this one. However, fantasy managers should lower their expectations. We saw the Cardinals' offense struggle in Week 3 against the Rams, with Murray putting up just 13.4 fantasy points in that game.
Should I Bench James Conner In Week 5?
Sticking with the theme of tough matchups, Conner is for a matchup from hell in Week 5. The Eagles have allowed the ninth-fewest rushing yards this season, which doesn't bode well for a guy who averages 3.2 yards per carry. Conner has been extremely inefficient this season, meaning a potential negative game script that results in a lack of volume could be detrimental to his fantasy value in Week 5.
He has been extremely touchdown-dependent and hasn't necessarily gotten the touchdown luck that he did last season. That has resulted in him being the RB28 in PPR formats through the first month of the season.
James Conner hasn’t crack 11 PPR points since Week 1 and faces the Eagles this week…
Shaping up to be one of the worst non-injury related top picks of the season 📉
— Kev Mahserejian (@RotoSurgeon) October 5, 2022
It is tough to consider having to bench one of your early-round picks this early into the season, but there isn't much about this matchup that is appealing to the fantasy outlook for Conner. He’s more of an RB3 option this week rather than the high-end RB2 he was being drafted as.
There’s always the possibility he punches one in close to the goal line, but it is getting harder to rely on this considering he's found the end zone just one time in four games this season.
Should I Bench Ezekiel Elliott In Week 5?
Elliott will go against the Rams defense who have allowed the seventh-fewest rushing yards this season and just 3.9 yards per carry. Elliott averages 3.8 yards per carry this season and has run for more than 55 yards on just one occasion this season. Not to mention, he has only caught five passes all season, so you can't rely on a role in the passing game to heighten his floor against a tough run defense.
Despite the Cowboys' offense being pretty solid without Dak Prescott, this hasn't helped Zeke turn in much touchdown production. He's found the end zone just one time this year, which is a huge factor in his RB36 ranking through four games.
Tony Pollard has played a significant role in the offense this season, and it looks like a player with his skillset will likely find more success in a matchup of this nature. Fantasy managers should consider sitting Elliott in Week 5.
Should I Bench D.K. Metcalf In Week 5?
I wasn't high on Metcalf last week either, but he turned in an excellent performance for 149 receiving yards. This week, he’ll be going up against the stingy Saints secondary led by premier cornerback Marshon Lattimore. In their meeting last season, Metcalf caught just two passes, albeit for 96 yards. One big play inflated his numbers tremendously, but it is hard to rely on that on a weekly basis.
DK Metcalf will come face-to-face with a cornerback who gave him all the attention he could ever have wanted a year ago in a 13-10 Saints win in Seattle — Marshon Lattimore. (via @bcondotta) https://t.co/gO7TV6JKal
— Seattle Times Sports (@SeaTimesSports) October 6, 2022
This season, the Saints have given up the ninth-fewest passing yards and have allowed just three passing touchdowns. Sure, Geno Smith has looked surprisingly impressive so far. However, this matchup still makes me uneasy about Metcalf’s outlook. When he went up against two great pass defenses (DEN, SF) in the first two weeks of the season, Metcalf caught 11 passes for just 71 yards.
The speedy wideout isn't a must-bench this week considering he's the No. 1 option in the passing game, but fantasy managers should treat him as a low-floor option.
Should I Bench D.J. Moore In Week 5?
It’s becoming a common theme to have Moore on this list, but there may be some fantasy managers out there who want to keep betting on his talent and inserting him into their lineups. Baker Mayfield has been abysmal so far this season, and it isn't going to get any easier for the duo as they take on what looks to be the best defense in the league in Week 5.
The 49ers have allowed the second-fewest passing yards this season, as well as the fewest passing touchdowns with just two. Moore turned 11 targets into just 50 yards last week, in what was the most volume he has seen all year. He turned it into his most production of the season, but that isn't saying much.
The talent of Moore and his draft price makes it hard to bench him this early in the season, but there just doesn't seem to be any sort of ceiling for him in this matchup from hell in Week 5. Fantasy managers can bench him in favor of some less talented receivers with better matchups this week.
Should I Bench Pat Freiermuth In Week 5?
Freiermuth is a stud and has been a great option at a shallow tight end position so far this season. However, his matchup with the Bills is a reason for concern this week. The Bills' defense has allowed an average of just three receptions for 25.5 yards to tight ends this season, and are coming off a week where they held Mark Andrews to just two catches for 15 yards.
With rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett under center, Freiermuth could be relied on as a safety blanket against a tough defense, so he is by no means a must-bench option when you consider how limited the pool of startable tight ends is. Fantasy managers should beware of how tough the Bills' defense has been this season, even with a ton of injuries piling up on that side of the ball.
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