Fantasy football advice, Week 5: who to start/sit for Philadelphia Eagles vs. Detroit Lions

Fantasy owners have much to factor into their decisions for Week 5, whether it is four teams on bye weeks, or Hurricane Matthew’s winds potentially whipping around in football stadiums along the East Coast. In the meantime, fantasy owners can have some clarity in setting lineups by looking at Week 5’s matchups, one at a time.

Carson Wentz has exceeded expectations to begin his NFL career, and will be rewarded with a Lions defense that has surrendered a league-high 12 passing touchdowns and an average of 272 yards through the air each game. With Zach Ertz also returning to action, Wentz has low-end QB1 appeal and would work in a pinch for fantasy owners with Blake Bortles, Russell Wilson, or Drew Brees on a bye week. Ertz can also be reinserted as a TE1 for this matchup. Jordan Matthews can also be considered a no-brainer option at wide receiver.

Ryan Mathews has been getting valuable goal-line opportunities, but after Wendell Smallwood ran rampant over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he could have competition going forward. Despite dealing with both ankle injuries, Mathews is still considered the lead back for the moment, but his grasp on the job should be considered weaker than it was entering Week 3.

Fantasy owners can still flex him, but should be prepared for a downside. Darren Sproles remains a flex option in PPR leagues with a decent floor, and Smallwood showed he can produce when given opportunities, although whether those chances come is far from a guarantee.

The pass catching ensemble of Nelson Agholor, Dorial Green-Beckham, and Trey Burton can remain out of lineups across the board.

With Ameer Abdullah and Dwayne Washington ailing, Theo Riddick could handle every-down duties despite his shortcomings between the tackles. Zach Zenner played just five snaps in Washington’s relief on Sunday and can’t be considered much of a factor until fantasy owners see otherwise. Riddick is a solid RB2 and has a boost in value in PPR formats.

With not much going in the way of a running game, the Lions offense could become one-dimensional against a revamped Eagles defense that is allowing the third-fewest yards per game on the ground. Matthew Stafford’s volume could give him a decent floor at home, and deserves low-end QB1 status despite the poor matchup and his recent dud against the Bears. Marvin Jones is an every-week WR2 as the focal point of the Lions’ passing game.

With the Eagles defense performing at a high level, complementary pass catchers Golden Tate and Anquan Boldin cannot instill much confidence in fantasy owners for Week 5. They should remain benched.