Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert? Yeah, two of the biggest names in fantasy football are difficult to trust in Week 5, according to Dave Richard. This isn’t just about bad luck, folks. We’re talking about serious offensive line concerns and brutal matchups that are making even the top-tier quarterbacks look shaky. Four weeks into the season, it is crystal clear that relying on draft position or last Sunday’s stats is a recipe for disaster.
Bench The Stars? It’s About The Matchups, Not The Hype
Listen, we’ve all seen those unexpected explosions and disappointing duds. Injuries are already flipping scripts left and right. But the biggest takeaway for Week 5 is that sometimes you gotta sideline the big guns. Hurts and Herbert, with their protection issues and tough defensive fronts ahead, are prime examples of players you might need to think twice about. This goes against everything your gut tells you when you drafted them high, but that’s the reality of a fantasy season. On the flip side, we’re seeing guys like Ollie Gordon, Woody Marks, and T.J. Hockenson step up. They didn’t have anywhere near the pre-season hype, but they are making strong arguments for starting spots because the matchups, defensive schemes, and offensive tendencies are lining up for them. It is a crazy game, and you simply cannot just go off what happened last week.
Thursday Night Fight: Bucs vs. Cowboys, And Why Scoring Is An Issue
Let’s talk about the Thursday night game: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are favored by 8.5 points, with an over/under of 48.5, which tells you a lot right there. Dallas’ pass rush is, frankly, below average. They are not blitzing much, not generating a ton of pressure, and only have four sacks through four games. Only the Giants have fewer! This should help the Bucs’ quick pass game stay alive. But when it comes to throwing downfield? That is a whole different story. Bucs quarterback Jalon Daniels completed only 3 of 9 throws for six-plus air yards against the Packers last week, totaling just 46 yards. And the Packers, get this, had an *even lower* pressure rate than Dallas, yet they still sacked the Bucs three times. That tells you Daniels is struggling even when he’s not under heavy pressure.
Historically, running backs tend to get an edge in Thursday night games, but the Dallas run defense is stout. They have let up only three explosive runs on 23 running back rush attempts per game and rank as the sixth-best in defensive total rush EPA. So, don’t expect a ground game eruption there. On the flip side, the Dallas offense should be able to do its thing because the only pass defense the Bucs have slowed all season was the Vikings, and that was with Kyler Murray under center and *without* Justin Jefferson. The Bucs’ offense itself has been flat, scoring only 14 points last week and 19 or fewer in each of its past three games. This looks like a long game for Tampa Bay.
So, for this matchup, here is what Dave Richard is looking at:
– **MUST-START:** CeeDee Lamb, Javonte Williams
– **START:** Dak Prescott, George Pickens, Bucky Irving (as a low-end No. 2 RB), Cowboys DST
– **SIT:** Jalon Daniels, Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin, Jake Ferguson, Kenneth Gain
Week 5 is upon us, and these are the kind of tough calls that will define your season. Ignoring them could cost you a W. Get ready to make some bold moves!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply