After a fairly dominant first two games of the season, the Carolina Panthers have fallen apart the last two weeks, and now sit at 2-2, which is tied for first in what has been an underwhelming NFC South. The Chicago Bears, meanwhile, have bookended their two wins with losses on either side and sit at 2-2 as well, though it would take 3-1 to lead the NFC North.
Fantasy football advice, Week 5: Who to start/sit for Bears vs. Panthers
One team started out hot and fell apart, while the other has has an up-and-down years. Which one gets to 3-2 Sunday?
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The Bears are mostly healthy - or at least their health is no longer a concern. Brandon Marshall is the only fantasy-relevant skill player on the team's injury report, and he's been a full participant in practice. Several members of the already-struggling Bears' defense are banged up, including DE Jared Allen, and that could further weaken the unit. For the Panthers, the injuries seem to be all running-back related. Mike Tolbert is already on the slated-to-return Injured Reserve, with DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Fozzy Whittaker all varying degrees of "hardly participating or less." Whittaker might play, leaving he, Darrin Reaves and new signee Chris Ogbonnaya as likely the team's running backs Sunday.
Carolina hosts the matchup between the two teams at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, and there are plenty of fantasy-relevant players in the matchup:
BEARS
Start in every league: Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Martellus Bennett
Start if you're desperate: Robbie Gould
Bench: Ka'Deem Carey, Defense/special teams
Through four games, Cutler has averaged 18.5 fantasy points a game, tied for fifth best among quarterbacks. As long as he stays healthy and has most of his weapons, he’s a must-start. ... Forte hasn’t been as consistent as his fantasy owners might like through four games - he still doesn’t have a touchdown - but he’s still one of the top running backs in the game and a strong receiving threat as well. ... Each of Marshall and Jeffery have two double-digit fantasy games this season. Now that both appear to be healthy, look out. ... Bennett has a history of hot starts to the season that don’t continue, but as long as he’s producing like this, he’s got to be in lineups.
Even with the Bears’ offense being reasonably effective so far, Gould only has one game with at least 10 fantasy points, and that was exactly 10. He hasn’t been great.
Carey got surprisingly heavy usage last week, though for now he’s only a handcuff option for Forte owners, and now fantasy-useful in his own right. ... The Bears’ defense is no great unit, especially if Allen misses another game.
PANTHERS
Start in every league: Kelvin Benjamin, Greg Olsen
Start if you're desperate: Graham Gano, Defense/special teams
Bench: Cam Newton, Darrin Reaves, Chris Ogbonnaya, Fozzy Whittaker, Jerricho Cotchery
With at least 13 fantasy points in three of four games so far, Benjamin has established himself as a must-start rookie. ... Even with his bad game in Week 4, Olsen is one of the top handful of tight ends in fantasy, and has to be used.
If the running-back situation hurts the Panthers’ offense much, Gano could find himself hurting for kicking opportunities. ... It’s hard to imagine the Panthers’ defense could be as bad as it has been the last couple weeks, but you can’t count on them until they re-prove themselves.
The thing that always drove Newton’s value was his running, which he just hasn’t done this season. Until he shows he will run again, or puts up more in the passing game, he needs to be benched in fantasy. ... Reaves, Ogbonnaya and Whittaker have NFL jobs (again, in some cases), but the idea that any can be used in fantasy in their first week of relevance is crazy. ... Cotchery had a decent Week 4, but he’s nowhere near the top 30 or 40 receivers.
