Fantasy Football: Week 5
As we get closer to Week 5 of the NFL, we have acquired a solid idea of our teams' capabilities along with the unfortunate liabilities.
With injuries taking down some of the biggest names in the sport, the road to greatness obtained a few potholes, yet materialized some peculiar detours.
Whether you are one replacement away from building the perfect lineup, or have your brain host a WWE bout between your intuition and logic every week, here are some ways to possibly optimize your team, and perhaps guarantee a smile come Monday night.
Love
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints vs. Washington Football Team
With an average of 22 touches per game, Kamara is bound to have multiple formidable weeks after only showing a portion of his potential so far.
Taysom Hill scored two rushing touchdowns in their devastating loss against the New York Giants, but Kamara has a less competitive backfield this season, and is full of fire this week seeking to score his first touchdown against an underperforming Football Team defense.
Hate
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Carolina Panthers
Even after an exceptional performance against arguably the worst pass defense in the NFL - one that averages – 0.25 points per game in fantasy – Smith is an ambitious or forced start this week.
Trade Target
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
As Tom Brady reveals his love for overall “big” targets, so should you.
After slowly falling behind in points to teammate Chris Godwin, Evans is a player who has earned a position in this Super Bowl winning offense as a complete receiver and not just a downfield option.
With an increased target share in the past few weeks, and an average output of points last week, Evans is the perfect player to trade for and implement to your receiving core.
Waiver Wire
Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills
If it was not clear already, Knox is the real deal at the tight end position.
Consistently scoring over eight points per game, averaging 17.8 in the last two and with four touchdowns to his name, he is projected for another eye-catching performance this week against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Did I mention that the Chiefs have arguably the worst pass defense in the game?
Kendrick Bourne, WR, New England Patriots
It might be a long shot, but the fifth-year receiver has become, as expected, a more reliable target than Nelson Agholor and a better fit for Bill Belichick’s offense.
Quite literally rising from the bottom of the barrel, Bourne is rostered in only 3.5% of ESPN leagues, making him a comfortable pick-up if you have the space.
Teammate Jakobi Meyers, who is rostered in 81.4% of ESPN leagues, will stay as the number one receiver in New England and put-up significant numbers week by week, but Bourne’s reliability and end zone presence will soon become a topic of conversation.
Juan Mendez is a second-year student majoring in journalism. To contact him, email @jsm6062@psu.edu.
