Xavier Worthy, George Pickens, Courtland Sutton: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks for Fantasy Football Week 5

Hopefully, Week 5 has treated you well so far, but there are still crucial fantasy start 'em, sit 'em decisions to make as we head into the afternoon slate of Sunday's games. Even if your matchup isn't looking great right now, there are still many ways to get a win, and they all start with setting the right lineup.

Xavier Worthy, George Pickens, and Courtland Sutton are all intriguing names at this point in the season. Each of them has shown potential but none have been consistently productive for fantasy in all four weeks thus far.

Does Worthy, Pickens, or Sutton deserve a spot in your starting lineup? Let's find out.

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Should I Start Xavier Worthy for Fantasy Football?

Xavier Worthy's first game as a pro went about as well as it possibly could have. The first-round NFL Draft selection scored on two of his three touches in the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. He followed this up with two underwhelming performances but made his way back to the end zone in Week 4.

The 21-year-old's fantasy value is on an upward trajectory not only because of his efficient showing last week but also due to the unfortunate injury sustained by Rashee Rice. Rice was in the midst of a breakout campaign, averaging 96 yards on nearly 10 targets per game through the first three weeks of the season.

In Rice's absence, we can expect star tight end Travis Kelce to be more involved and Worthy to step up as a top receiver for Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs are rumored to be interested in acquiring a wideout ahead of November's trade deadline, but in the meantime, Worthy will share the field with Justin Watson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Skyy Moore.

Worthy's talent should separate himself from the pack fairly quickly, but he may struggle in his first appearance as a WR1.

Xavier Worthy big downgrade this week.

With Rice out, many are hoping for Worthy to pick up the slack but Marshon Lattimore is one of the best in the business

— Grand Central Fantasy (@GrandCentralFan) October 5, 2024

Marshon Lattimore and the Saints are surrendering the 11th-fewest fantasy points per game to receivers this season. Still, his upside as a potential go-to target in Andy Reid's offense can't be ignored. Worthy is a strong flex play this week as the WR25 in our half-PPR consensus staff rankings.

Should I Start George Pickens for Fantasy Football?

Through the first two seasons of his NFL career, George Pickens operated primarily as a vertical threat with Diontae Johnson soaking up targets underneath. He was valuable on the field, but boom-or-bust for fantasy, especially with the likes of Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph at quarterback.

Now, Pickens is by far the most reliable pass-catcher on Pittsburgh's roster, and he has a significant upgrade under center. Justin Fields is completing over 70% of his passes in his first season in black and gold. The two have not connected for a touchdown yet but did unite for 113 of Fields' 312 passing yards last week.

On Sunday night, Pickens will face the Dallas Cowboys for the first time in his three seasons as a pro. Although the Cowboys' defense has been solid against the pass in 2024, Dallas allowed Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson to combine for 23 receptions and 186 yards last Thursday night. Furthermore, this is the type of matchup Pickens could exploit.

George Pickens has an elite matchup against the Cowboys' zone coverage

Pickens has been one of the most productive WRs against zone coverage, ranking 10th in yards per route run. The Dallas defense runs zone coverage at the 4th highest rate in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/HhENkdLIJS

— PFF PIT Steelers (@PFF_Steelers) October 4, 2024

The Steelers are favored at home but this should be a hard-fought battle. Dallas deployed the most potent offense in the league last season and is averaging over 24 points per contest over the past four weeks. Pickens' number should be called early and often, making him a must-start WR2 as the WR18 in our half-PPR consensus staff rankings.

Should I Start Courtland Sutton for Fantasy Football?

Fantasy points have been hard to come by in the Denver Broncos offense this season. There is one player whose output stands out amongst his teammates, however. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton is quietly the eighth-most targeted player in the NFL through the first four weeks.

Sutton came alive for fantasy purposes in Week 3 with seven receptions for 68 yards. He followed this up with another solid performance, posting three receptions, 60 yards, and a touchdown last week in a tough matchup against the Jets. He is clearly the favorite weapon of rookie quarterback Bo Nix and, most importantly, his go-to guy near the end zone.

Wide receivers with the most endzone targets this year and how many actual TDs they have:

1) Diontae Johnson: 9 tgts, 2 TD
T-2) Mike Evans: 7 tgts, 2 TD
T-2) Nico Collins: 7 tgts, 2 TD
4) Marvin Harrison Jr: 6 tgts, 4 TD
T-5) Courtland Sutton: 5 tgts, 1 TD
T-5) Brandon Aiyuk: 5… pic.twitter.com/O36mGPq9Fl

— Addison Hayes (@amazehayes_) October 4, 2024

As Nix continues to improve as a professional signal-caller, he'll build more chemistry with Sutton in an offense devoid of other dependable receiving options. On Sunday, the duo will face the Las Vegas Raiders in a divisional showdown. The Raiders have a middle-of-the-pack pass defense so far in 2024, allowing a top-20 fantasy showing to an opposing wideout in three of four games.

Sutton is far and away the best bet of any Denver pass-catcher to have an impact this week. He's on the fantasy radar in all but the most shallow formats and can be started as a WR3 or flex play with touchdown upside. He's the WR28 in our half-PPR consensus staff rankings.

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