Welcome to Week 5 of the 2024 season, and our Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em series. The NFL season has been a disaster of epic proportions and leaves many managers with more questions than answers. In this week’s Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em column, we will do our best to decipher some players who could score points for you this week, although don’t get your hopes up at tight end.
As always, if you are struggling with a decision you can checkout our rankings for each Week. Or, if you want a more personal touch, reach out on social media. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or jump into our Discord server. All stats refer to 1/2 PPR, 6 point per passing touchdown leagues. The number in brackets next to an opponent is that teams rank against the position. Rank 1 is the best possible matchup, Rank 32 is the worst.
Start’Em
Brock Purdy (49ers) v ARI (4)
Purdy has put up three mediocre starts and one monster game in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. As a results of that Week 3 performance, he sits as QB13 on the season. This week the 49ers go up against an Arizona Cardinals defense that ranks as the fourth-best matchup for opposing quarterbacks and are allowing 19.6 fantasy points per game to the position. Purdy should have little trouble getting himself into the Top 10 this week, Top 5 if he has all his pass-catchers back in the lineup.
Jordan Love (Packers) v LAR (5)
Love has had two excellent games this season but finds himself as QB23 because those are the only two games he has played. He looks to be fully healthy and ready to go for the Packers Week 5 tilt with the Los Angeles Rams and that presents him with loads of upside. The Rams rank as the fifth-best matchup for opposing quarterbacks and are allowing 18.9 fantasy points per game to the position.
Caleb Williams (Bears) v CAR (9)
Williams got off to an awful start to his NFL career through two games but has started to get the hang of things over the past two weeks. He ranks as QB24 but is showing plenty of signs of being an elite quarterback. This week he faces the Carolina Panthers who ranks as the ninth-best matchup for opposing quarterbacks and are allowing 18.2 fantasy points per game to the position. Look for Williams and his ample weaponry to pile up points against a weak Carolina defense.
Sit ‘Em
Andy Dalton (Panthers) v CHI (32)
Dalton has been a pleasant surprise and a savior to the struggling Panther’s offense over the past two weeks but still lacks high-end weapons and is very much matchup dependent. In Week 5, he goes up against a Chicago Bears defense that ranks as the worst-matchup for opposing quarterbacks and is allowing only 9.0 fantasy points per game to the position. This will be a matchup of The New vs. The Old, and I fully except the rookie Williams to come out on top.
Dak Prescott (Cowboys) v PIT (27)
Prescott has been solid this season but not phenomenal and sits as QB7 on the year. He lacks weapons outside of CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson, but that hasn’t seem to matter. This week the Cowboys go up against the Pittsburgh Steelers who rank as the sixth-worst matchup for opposing quarterbacks and are a death sentence to their production, allowing only 12.2 fantasy points per game to the position. It may not be easy, but sit Dak if you have other options this week.
Daniel Jones (Giants) v SEA (23)
Jones has been downright awful for fantasy managers in two of his four games and awful for real football in all four. He currently ranks as QB19 on the season and that’s a testament to how bad the quarterback position is right now. This week he goes up against the Seahawks who rank as the ninth-worst matchup for opposing quarterbacks and are limiting the position to only 14.6 fantasy points per game. Add in the likely absence of stud rookie receiver Malik Nabers and Jones needs to be left on your bench this week.
Start ‘Em
Najee Harris (Steelers) v DAL (3)
Harris has been bad this season and sits as RB31 despite having the Pittsburgh backfield to himself with Jaylen Warren injured. He is yet to top 13 points on the season and has failed to score a touchdown. This week however, he faces the Dallas Cowboys who are a wonderful matchup for a struggling back and are allowing 27.5 fantasy points per game to the position. This is a make or break game for Harris. If he can’t perform against the Dallas run-defense with Warren out of the lineup, he has no purpose on your fantasy squad.
Trey Sermon (Colts) v JAC (7)
Sermon has yet to make a start for the Indianapolis Colts but will likely do so in Week 5 with Jonathan Taylor likely to miss this game with a high-ankle sprain. It’s entirely possible that he yields some touches to Evan Hull, but in this matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars he would still be a solid streamer. The Jaguars rank as the seventh-best matchup for opposing running backs and are allowing 24.4 fantasy points per game to the position. If Taylor sits, fire up Sermon.
Javonte Williams (Broncos) v LV (8)
Williams has alternated awful games with mediocre games through the first month of the season and currently sits as RB41 on the season. He should still be the workhorse and starter in this backfield and in this matchup with Las Vegas he can be flexed. The Raiders rank as the eighth-best matchup for opposing running backs and are allowing 23.4 fantasy points per game to the position. Much like Harris, if Williams cannot produce this week, he has not reason to be in your lineup again this season.
Sit ‘Em
Alvin Kamara (Saints) v KC (32)
Kamara has been other-worldly this season and currently holds down the RB1 overall spot. Unfortunately, he goes up against a Kansas City Chiefs squad that ranks as the worst-matchup for opposing running backs and are limiting the position to a minisculec13.1 fantasy points per game to the position. You probably can’t afford to sit him this week, but lower your expectations.
James Cook (Bills) v HOU (25)
Cook has been great when Buffalo wins and bad when they lose. He currently finds himself ranked as RB10 on the year. This week he goes up against the Houston Texans who rank as the seventh-worst matchup for opposing running backs and are allowing 16.4 fantasy points per game to them. The game-script should be decent enough for Cook, but if this one gets one-sided, Cook could be a total dud.
Travis Etienne (Jaguars) v IND (19)
Etienne has been surprisingly mediocre so far this season and has been slowly losing work to backfield mate Tank Bigsby. This week, in addition to losing touches to Bigsby, he will get a matchup with the Indianapolis Colts who are allowing only 18.7 fantasy points per game to the position. Etienne is a rapidly decreasing fantasy stock and should be benched this week.
Start ’em
Jayden Reed (Packers) v LAR (6)
Reed has been a beast to kick off the 2024 season. He scored more than 25 fantasy points in both Week 1 and 4 and sits as WR6 on the year. The Packers were a carousel at wide receiver for a while but have settled on Reed and Dontayvion Wicks as their 1-2 punch. In Week5, Reed gets a favorable matchup with the Los Angeles Rams who rank as the sixth-best matchup for opposing receivers. The Rams are allowing 30.9 fantasy points per game to the position and should make for another Top 10 finish for Reed.
Keon Coleman (Bills) v HOU (8)
Coleman’s rookie season has not gotten off to the start many had hoped for, in fact he is currently ranked WR65 overall. This week however is a potentially once in a lifetime chance for him to grab ahold of this wide receiving corps and never give it back. Khalil Shakir is set to miss this game and with the Texans being ranked as the eighth-best matchup for fantasy receivers it’s a chance for his big breakout. The Texans are allowing 30.2 fantasy points per game to the position and with no other significant competition, he should eat this week.
Brian Thomas Jr. (Jaguars) v IND (10)
Thomas Jr. is a stud in the making that seems to be getting better with every passing week. He currently sits as WR18 on the year and if Trevor Lawrence can ever get his act together, he has the potential to be a Top 5 receiver. This week, he faces off with the Indianapolis Colts who rank as the tenth-best matchup for receiver and are allowing 29.9 fantasy points per game to the position. Fire up Thomas Jr. this week for a sure-fire Top 12 finish.
Sit ’em
Stefon Diggs (Bills) v HOU (31)
Diggs has reignited his career his his first season with the Texans and has climbed all the way to WR13 on the year. This week he gets a revenge game against his old team the Buffalo Bills, but with the Bills ranking as the second-worst matchup for opposing receivers, and with him having tons of competition for targets, it’s a solid bet the Bills will shut down their former disgruntled star. The Bills are limiting the position to 15.5 fantasy points per game and will make for a long day for Diggs.
Chris Olave (Saints) v KC (22)
Olave got off to a horrible start in Week 1 but completely counterintuitive to logic, as the Saints offense has gotten worse, Olave has gotten better. He has climbed all the way to WR23 on the season and has become consistent over the past three weeks. The problem this week is that the Kansas City Chiefs have elevated to Bill Belichick levels of success at shutting down a teams WR1. Look for the Chiefs to shut down Olave completely, leaving Rashid Shaheed as the receiver to play in this matchup.
Xavier Worthy (Chiefs) v NO (18)
Worthy is the hottest name in football this week with both Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown out of the Chiefs lineup. With that lack of competition, most fantasy managers expect a field day for Worthy, I on the other hand expect Travis kelce to be elevated back to TE1 status and be peppered with targets all game long. Add in a matchup with the Saints who rank as a bottom-ten matchup for receivers as they all only 25.8 fantasy points per game to the position and Kelce is the Chief to play this week and not Worthy.
Start ‘Em
Evan Engram (Jaguars) v IND (3)
Engram hasn’t played since Week 1 due to a hamstring injury and has scored only a single fantasy point this season. Engram looks to be healthy and back in the lineup this week should bounce back in a prime matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are allowing 11.7 fantasy points per game to the position and make for an excellent get-right spot for the returning star. The bar for a TE1 is extremely low right now, but he should clear it easily.
Colby Parkinson (Rams) v GB (8)
Parkinson sits as TE21 on the season but has been streamable as of late. That of course, is because the Rams are without Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. The opportunity to produce is better than ever, the question is does he have the talent to take advantage of it? This week he goes up against the Green bay Packers who allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends with 9.9 per game. Stream Parkinson this week and hope he comes into his own.
Eric All (Bengals) v BAL (2)
All ranks as only TE26 on the season but is slowly developing into a solid-floor streaming option in the tight end wasteland. He has recorded three straight games with four catches and at least eight fantasy points and has some upside if he can start to get in the end zone. In Week 5, he faces the Baltimore Ravens who rank as the second-best matchup for opposing tight ends and are allowing 11.8 fantasy points to the position. This should be the coming out party for Erick All.
Sit ‘Em
Mark Andrews (Ravens) v CIN (26)
Mark Andrews sucks right now. Let’s just get that out of the way. Since he entered the league in 2018, I cannot remember a week in which I’ve benched him for worse players. If you don’t believe my projection to start Erick All, just know that I have benched Andrews for all in at least three leagues this week. Andrews has turned into a blocking tight end, and to make matters worse, he is playing less than 50% of snaps. To cap it off, he faces the Bengals who are allowing only 4.5 fantasy points per game to the position, good for sixth-lowest.
Pat Freiermuth (Steelers) v DAL (25)
Freiermuth has silently found himself as TE6 this season. Sure, that’s due in large part to how bad the position has been, but even still, he has been decent. He has at least four catches and eight fantasy points in every game this season but this week against Dallas he is a risky start. The Cowboys rank as the seventh-worst match for tight ends and are holding them to only 4.6 fantasy points per game. The combination of the stingy Dallas defense and Pittsburgh’s low pass-volume makes Freiermuth a sit if you can, but lower expectations if you can’t.
Hunter Henry (Patriots) v MIA (24)
Henry sits as TE15 on the year and it’s mostly from one big game in Week 2 where he hauled in eight catches for 109 receiving yards. In every other matchup he has racked up only two catches. This week he faces the Miami Dolphins who rank as the tenth-worst matchup for tight ends and are allowing only 5.4 fantasy points to the position. This is not the week to stream Henry.
Well, that’s it for our Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em for Week 5 of the 2024 season. Remember, you can check out rankings for each Week. Reach out on social media, you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or jump into our Discord server.
Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em 2024 Week 2
Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em 2024 Week 2
