Start/Sit Hub Week 5
Happy week 5 of the 2025 NFL season! Welcome back to my weekly Start/Sit Hub! Mike here, providing you with information that can help you win your fantasy league week in and week out.
Welcome to week 5! The TNF matchup this week goes to the 3-1San Francisco 49ers and the 3-1 LA Rams. The Rams are at home and are favored by 6.5 with a point total over/under of 46.5. Will Puka dominate another defense or can the banged-up 49ers give LA a run for their money. My prediction is a 27-13 win for LA.
I am here every week during the fantasy football season with start and sit suggestions that can impact your team each week. My decisions as always include obvious and not so obvious picks. I would also like to clarify that my sit suggestions are based on the assumption you have or can add a player that has a better chance at success. Good luck this week and continue to check out my weekly articles.
TNF START/SIT
Start – Davante Adams – Davante Adams has had a great start to his season with the Rams. Everyone is talking about Puka Nacua, and rightly so, but Adams has been great too. Adams has 50+ yards in each game including a 106-yard performance in week 2. He has also scored a receiving TD in each of his last 3 games. He is thriving opposite Nacua, and it is clear. Both WRs could be in for big performances.
Sit – Brian Robinson Jr – Ok so my last 2 sit spots for TNF have both scored TDs so this will be the ultimate test. I am putting the obvious Robinson in this spot simply because the 49ers do not have a lot of healthy options. Christian McCaffrey has been a do it all kind of guy this season but if he is healthy, Robinson is not worth starting.
TNF has concluded and now we move to the weekend. The 8.5-point favorites Rams lost to the 49ers in OT. Just as we were all suspecting. 49ers go to 4-1and get the Buccaneers next while LA falls to 3-2 and takes on the Ravens next. The TNF game in week 4 will be between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants.
BYE WEEK – Falcons, Bears, Packers, Steelers
Remember that the Vikings/Browns game is being played in London so it will be in the morning for most in the States.
Some of the games I am looking forward to most in week 5 are the Broncos/Eagles, Buccaneers/Seahawks, and the Commanders/Chargers. Enjoy your football weekend and good luck!
START OF THE WEEK
Start – Cam Skattebo – Does any rookie make you want to run through a wall like this guy does? He is pure energy and has taken the RB1 job in New York. He has double digit carries in each of his last 3 games and his rushing yards has increased each of those 3 weeks. He also scored a TD in week 3 and 4. Saints defense is average so Can has an opportunity to have a big game on the ground and by ways of passing.
Vikings @ Browns (London)
Start – Quinshon Judkins – Since playing in his first NFL regular season game in week 2, Quinshon has rushed for 61, 94, and 82 rushing yards. He has scored a rushing TD in consecutive games and has 3+ receptions in 2 of his 3 appearances. Browns are starting Dillon Gabriel so leaning on their run game could be a good strategy.
Sit – David Njoku – Going with Njoku here just because he has been struggling this season and has been outperformed by his TE teammate Harold Fannin Jr. Dillon Gabriel will be starting at QB so that can either be great for Njoku or worse. Let us see how it shakes out. Njoku is outside my top 10 TEs this week.
Broncos @ Eagles
Start – AJ Brown – Difficult decision here because AJ will be covered by Pat Surtain all game, but AJ is a beast and is matchup proof. He has been a story in the media lately and I think Jalen Hurts will target him often to prove how mutual TJ interest in AJ as an Eagle is.
Sit – JK Dobbins – Going with my gut here. It is not that he will not be used hat much, but more of the game script and how RJ Harvey is coming off his momentous week 4 performance. Since week 1, the Eagles have defended the run well and only given up big plays to RB through the air, which is more of Harvey’s role, especially if they are playing from behind.
Texans @ Ravens
Start – Woody Marks – Marks made his mark in week 4 carrying the ball 17 times for 69 yards and caught 4 passes for 50 receiving yards. He found the end zone both through the air and on the ground. That should be enough to get an increased workload and against the Ravens whose defense is nonexistent currently.
Sit – Cooper Rush – Rush will be taking over Lamar’s QB1 status until further notice. Yes, Rush has a lot of weapons around him, but he is playing against the best defense when playing an opposing QB in fantasy. He will have to do his best Lamar impersonation and ‘Rush’ his way to fantasy relevance.
Giants @ Saints
Start – Cam Skattebo – SEE START OF THE WEEK TOP OF PAGE
Sit – Juwan Johnson – Johnson was only targeted 3 times last game and caught all 3 for 28 yards. Although that was against a great Bills defense, keep in mind that the Giants have been a top 10 defense defending opposing TEs in fantasy. Giants also held the Chargers to just 18 points.
Cowboys @ Jets
Start – Justin Fields – Fields against the Cowboys sounds like a good game for Justin. We know he will run wild given any slight opportunity, but he has also thrown for 200+ yards twice. In his 3 starts. 3 rushing TDs and 2 passing TDs. All 3 starts he rushed for a minimum of 48 yards. Jets are 0-4 and would enjoy a game against a defense that has been lackadaisical to say the least.
Sit – Either D/ST – Cowboys allow 33 points per game while the Jets allow 30 points per game this season. Appears neither defense is playing well or at least stopping the opponent from scoring. Easy sit for both.
Raiders @ Colts
Start – Michael Pittman Jr – Pittman leads the Colts in targets, receptions, and receiving TDs. Only Warren has more receiving yards. Colts should be able to pass easily on the Raiders when they are not giving Taylor carries. He has scored in 3 separate games and is coming off a 10-target game.
Sit – Geno Smith – Geno has 5 TD passes in his last 2 games. That is all the good news. On the season Geno has more INTs (7) than TD passes (6) this season. Indianapolis defense is not bad so they should not have trouble holding off Geno and his likely turnovers.
Dolphins @ Panthers
Start – Darren Waller – Waller made his season debut in week 4 and caught 2 TD passes for the Dolphins. He finished with just 27 yards and 3 receptions on 4 targets, but he made the most of them. Panther’s defense has not defended opposing TEs well this season, so Waller has a change to keep the momentum going.
Sit – Ollie Gordon – Gordon scored a TD in week 3 but has not made any impact other than that in each of his 4 games played. If Achane is healthy I would sit Ollie currently, especially against a Panthers team that is better stopping the run than you would think.
Buccaneers @ Seahawks
Start – Rachaad White – White is presumably RB1 this Sunday with the news that Bucky Irving is hurt and has not practiced. White is a dual threat like Bucky so I except a lot of targets and double digit carries if the game script allows. Keep eyes on Sean Tucker as well.
Sit – Cooper Kupp – Kupp has not made much impact in any of the Seahawks first 4 games. He reached 90 yards in week 2 against Pittsburgh defense that at the time was subpar. In weeks 1, 3, and 4 he had a total of 11 targets for 69 yards and no scores. Start Njigba, bench Kupp,
Titans @ Cardinals
Start – Kyler Murray – I like Murray this week facing the Titans in Arizona. Murray has taken on a large workload not only as their passer but also has been rushing effectively. He has 32 rushing yards or more in every game, and he has 1 or 2 passing TDs in every game. After facing Seattle and San Francisco this should be more manageable. Top 10 QB in fantasy this week.
Sit – Calvin Ridley – Where has Ridley gone? Oh, he is there, just not doing much. The veteran WR has 30 yards or less in 3 games this season and the only game with more was 57 yards. In each of his last 3 games he has 3 receptions or less. 3 combined receptions in his last 2. I am sure it is not easy being on a deflated team with a rookie QB, but it has been worse than you would imagine for Ridley who has no fantasy relevance at the moment.
Commanders @ Chargers
Start – Justin Herbert – Feels like a bounce back game for Herbert who just lost at the Giants in week 4. He has been lighting up defenses prior to week 4 connecting with his trio of WR threats. Washington is the easiest defense that Herbert has played to this point in the season, and we know Herbert can use his feet when needing yardage.
Sit – Jacory Croskey-Merritt – Bill is back in my sit spot because the volume is concerning, and the Commanders are closer to a committee in the backfield rather than a clear cut RB1. Since week 1 he has not had double digit carries and a total of 15 receiving yards.
Lions @ Bengals
Start – Amon-Ra St. Brown – Pick a Lion, any Lion. The Bengals defense is bottom third of the NFL in defending any offensive position in fantasy. Amon-Ra is just crushing it each week and is Goffs security blanket. Gibbs, Montgomery, St. Brown, LaPorta, Williams, Goff are all in position to light up some box scores.
Sit – Tee Higgins – Going with Tee here even though you could argue all Bengals are borderline unplayable with Jake Browning under center. There is ugly offense and then there is Bengals ugly offense. Who knew Joe Burrow was that instrumental in the Bengals star studded offense starters. Hard to bench either Chase or even Higgins, but tread lightly.
Patriots @ Bills
Start – James Cook – Josh Allen is the play here on SNF in Buffalo, but other than him, Cook is next best Buffalo Start. No matter the game flow Cook should get fed and be involved in the passing game as well. Cook has scored in each game this season and scored in both games against New England last season.
Sit – Hunter Henry – Bills defense has excelled at giving up minimal fantasy points to opposing TEs. Even though Henry has 3 TDs in his last 2 games, the matchup is difficult, and Henry has not been consistent. 2 of his 4 games he has had 3 targets or less including week 4 when he caught 2 passes for 39 yards. Henry is haphazard and I am leaning toward miss this Sunday night.
Chiefs @ Jaguars (MNF)
Start – Xavier Worthy – Worthy returned in week 4 and played well. He led the team in targets and receiving yards going for 5 receptions on 8 targets for 83 receiving yards. He also rushed twice and got 38 rushing yards. Worthy is a big part of Kansas City’s offense and should be heavily used against Jacksonville on MNF.
Sit – Trevor Lawrence – Lawrence at home under the lights for MNF. What could go wrong? Playing the Chiefs defense after they regained momentum is not ideal, and Trevor has not been stellar, but he has not needed to be the last couple of games. This will be the 3rd consecutive good defense Lawrence has had to go up against consecutively.
