by Week five of the fantasy season brought us more unexpected totals from unlikely players (hello, Taysom Hill), but it also saw some of the top players make a statement on the stat sheets. We also experienced another sideways week at the tight end position as no-names continued to come out while players we drafted fell. I’m looking at you TJ Hockenson and George Kittle.
Fantasy fans have also seen the continued success of one of the most surprising players in the league at quarterback, while another signal-caller who was a fantasy star last season may be on the verge of being waiver fodder. These are among what I believe to be the top 10 fantasy football storylines this week that will undoubtedly influence your starting lineup decisions moving forward.
Austin Ekeler is causing a statistical shock for the Browns. For the second week in a row, Ekeler put the Chargers and fantasy managers on his back. The talented running back rushed for 173 yards and a score and also had four catches for 26 yards and a second touchdown in a win over Cleveland. Overall, Ekeler posted 35.9 fantasy points. That topped the 34.9 points he scored in Week 4. After somewhat of a slow start, Ekeler once again proved he’s a top fantasy rusher.
Lombardi Lenny becomes Fantasy Fournette this week. Ekeler wasn’t the only running back to have a big week, as Fournette also put up 35.9 fantasy points against the Falcons. He was a pass-catching machine, posting 10 receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 56 yards and another score in the contest. Fournette has now averaged 54.3 fantasy points over his last two games and an upcoming matchup with the Steelers is favorable.
Taysom Hill is completely bananas against the Seahawks. Guys, I didn’t see this coming (Hill was the tight end sit of the week), but the versatile jack of all trades went down against the Seahawks. He rushed for two touchdowns, threw for one touchdown, recovered a fumble and had a 25-yard punt return. Overall, he scored 34.1 fantasy points. While I think his role could be reduced when Jameis Winston returns, Hill will undoubtedly be one of the top additions off the waiver wire.
Christian McCaffrey looks like Christian McCaffrey. The Panthers aren’t a very good offense, but at least CMC has been used a lot as a receiver lately. That didn’t happen through the first three games, where he had 10 catches for just 57 yards. He has seen a total of 16 catches over the past two weeks, though, and that equates to 49.2 fantasy points. This is the kind of production fantasy fans are looking for from the fantasy superstar. If you’re worried about McCaffrey’s recent lack of durability, now is the time to sell him high.
Apparently, Geno Smith is now the real fantasy deal. I said I’d give Smith props if he had a big day in New Orleans, and that’s exactly what he did. The veteran threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns against the Saints, and might have had a fourth score if not for a penalty. Overall, Smith put up 24 fantasy points and has now scored more than 50 combined points in his last two games. He was better than the quarterback he replaced in Seattle, Russell Wilson, and should be all-league. That’s your compliments from this fantasy analyst.
It’s time to freak out with Najee Harris. The Steelers offense is a disaster, and it shows in Harris’ totals the last two weeks. In that span, he has seen a combined 32 touches and is averaging 2.9 yards per rush. More importantly, Harris has scored 14 fantasy points in those two games. He’s now morphed into a matchup-based star, which is a huge drop from the must-start status he earned as a rookie. I would try to trade Harris, but you probably won’t get much.
Gabe Davis leaves in a win over the Steelers. Speaking of Pittsburgh, their defense gave it to Davis and the Bills. He caught just three passes in the game, but two of them went for long touchdowns (one for 98 yards, another for 62 yards). It was a Randy Moss-esque stat line, and it made the fantasy managers who drafted him look great. His next game is against the Chiefs, who Davis beat for four touchdowns in the 2021 postseason. Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Josh Allen. Scored more than 30 points in the first half and finished with 35.2. He has scored 30 or more points 12 times in his last 38 games.
Breece Hall comes into its own in fantasyland. Hall had two catches, 197 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins, finishing with 27.7 fantasy points. It also could have been even better, as Hall was tackled at the 1-yard line twice and was sacked by Michael Carter both times. The rookie has outperformed his backfield partner in terms of snaps and touches and should remain in the fantasy lineup as the No. 2 rusher in Week 6 against the Packers.
Matthew Stafford could fall in the majors. Stafford was one of the top fantasy quarterbacks in the league last season, but that hasn’t been the case five weeks into 2022. He’s getting destroyed by offensive defenses behind a swiss cheese offensive line, causing him to have more turnovers than touchdowns. After getting crushed by the Cowboys, Stafford has now failed to score more than 10.3 fantasy points in all but one game this season. In a tough campaign to predict, I’d rather have Geno Smith than Stafford right now.
George Kittle is no longer a must-start player. The tight end position is terrible and Kittle’s lack of production doesn’t help matters. He averaged just 7.7 fantasy points against the Panthers and has averaged fewer than eight points in six straight games dating back to last season. Fantasy managers who have Zach Ertz, Tyler Higbee or even David Njoku should consider sitting Kittle. Another note on the tight ends… non-fantasy starters Taysom Hill, Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Daniel Bellinger, Cade Otton, Zach Gentry and Eric Saubert are in the top 12 going into Sunday night’s game in Baltimore. Things are tough on these fantasy roads!
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Notes
- Fantasy fans finally got a nice stat line from Alvin Kamara, who had six catches and 194 total yards against the Seahawks. The six receptions were the most he had in a game since Week 7 last season, and part of that had to do with Andy Dalton being under center. If you can sell high on Kamara after this impressive performance, I would certainly listen to offers.
- Remember when Trevor Lawrence had three touchdown passes against the Chargers? Well, he’s been awful ever since. In his last two games, he had two touchdown passes and seven total tackles in losses to the Eagles and Texans. His poor play also stymied the value of Christian Kirk, who has been on fire through the first three weeks but has just three catches for 71 yards in his last two games. Next, they will look to turn things around against the AFC South Colts.
- The Dolphins lost Teddy Bridgewater (concussion, elbow) against the Jets, leaving quarterback Skylar Thompson to play most of the team’s loss to the Jets. With Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) already out and Tyreek Hill (foot) leaving the field with a boot, the Dolphins could find themselves at a huge disadvantage next week against the Vikings. If Thompson were to slot into a starting role, it would be a huge downgrade for both Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
- Rashaad Penny left Sunday’s game against the Saints with a fractured tibia, leaving rookie Ken Walker to take over the team’s leadoff spot. He looked good in the role, scoring on a 69-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He looks to be the biggest addition to fantasy football heading into Week 6 as Seattle’s new starter, as Penny is out indefinitely and won’t be back anytime soon.
- Brian Robinson made his NFL debut this weekend and it was bad news for Antonio Gibson’s value. While neither made a significant fantasy impact, the rookie saw nine touches compared to six for Gibson. With JD McKissic (five touchdowns) also in the mix, it will be hard to trust the Commanders’ rushers on a regular basis. However, I would like to add Robinson if he is available.
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Michael Fabiano it’s an award-winning fantasy football analyst for Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all of his articles here at SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for your latest fantastic news and the best analysis in the business!
