Week 5 FantasySP Expert Tips: Travis Kelce, Jordan Mason, Najee Harris and More

Close to a quarter of the way through the season, it’s easy to think we know what will happen the rest of the way: The Vikings and Chiefs will meet in the Super Bowl, and Jayden Daniels will be the first rookie to win MVP since 1957. It’s never that easy, though, and plenty will change by the time the calendar turns to 2025.

Right now, we can only go off the information of the first month. To help you prepare your fantasy lineup, Morgan Rode, Ted Chmyz, Mark Morales-Smith and Daniel Hepner convened to answer five questions in advance of Week 5.

Who is your favorite quarterback streamer this week for the owner who has Jalen Hurts on a bye?

Morgan: Geno Smith. He’s been a good fantasy player this season and has a pretty favorable matchup against the Giants. I don’t expect him to throw 50+ times again, but a couple touchdowns should lead to him being an average or better fantasy QB.

Ted: Derek Carr. He’s disappointed in each of the last two weeks after his blistering hot start, but I still have faith in this new Saints offense. In a matchup with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Carr should have to pass early and often. 

Mark: I’m going with Deshaun Watson against the Commanders. Their pass defense is so bad that I can’t pass up on targeting them. With that said, if I have an option to start Sam Darnold, I’m not going to avoid him. The Jets don’t scare me enough. 

Daniel: Watson is my guy also, but I’ll give you Trevor Lawrence for the sake of something different. The Colts are a bottom-five pass defense, and Lawrence has been well below his performance of the last two seasons: I feel like he’s going to bounce back to at least an average level, and this good matchup is a great time to start.

Which flex player will let owners down this week?

Morgan: Jordan Addison. He’s going to be started by a bunch of fantasy owners after a good outing in Week 4, but the matchup against the Jets is a tough one, and I think he’ll underperform.

Ted: Jakobi Meyers. The news that Davante Adams is on his way out is great for Meyers, who saw a massive 41.7% target share with Adams out last week. Meyers will draw the Patrick Surtain matchup this week, which has been a fantasy death blow for WR1s so far this season. Wait another week before putting Meyers into your flex slot.  

Mark: Even while being relegated to flex duty, the Miami WRs will continue to disappoint. Flat out benching Tyreek Hill for the next two games has to be a serious consideration.

Daniel: The Vikings have the best defensive DVOA, and it’s not even close. They have been one of the top teams against the run, and that means a bad outlook for Breece Hall. Braelon Allen is already taking some work, and the bad matchup limits Hall even more.

Give us a guy who is undervalued this week and will outperform expectations.

Morgan: I’ve been hyping up Brian Thomas Jr. for a while now, and think he’s started in far too few leagues right now. His matchup against the Colts is pretty favorable, and I think he’s in store for another good fantasy outing.

Ted: If Najee Harris is ever going to bounce back, it will be this week against the Cowboys with Jaylen Warren banged up. Dallas’ defense has allowed the third-most points to opposing RBs so far this season, and the Steelers did their best to feed Harris last week before falling behind against the Colts. 

Mark: There are two young players who are emerging and are going to breakout soon: Chase Brown and Jordan Whittington. I’m going to go with Whittington this week because I believe last week was a sign of things to come for the Rams rookie wideout. With Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp still out, he could have a monster game that puts him on the fantasy map in a major way.

Daniel: Everyone keeps stealing my answers: Since I’m in on Lawrence, I also like Thomas from the Jags. He was drafted in the first round for a reason; Thomas has been over 45 yards every game, topped 85 yards twice, and has scored two touchdowns.

With bye weeks beginning, what advice do you have for owners on how to prepare and build their lineups?

Morgan: When you need to replace a guy on a bye week, I prefer to start players with somewhat consistent results instead of looking for the best matchups. Give me a guy with a solid floor instead of a player with a bit higher ceiling.

Ted: Don’t overthink it. As much effort as we put into researching and planning, fantasy football is a game of luck, especially in one-week sample sizes. My biggest tip would be to not drop a long-term valuable player (i.e., a handcuff) just for a one-week replacement, even if that replacement projects better. Just plug the handcuff into your lineup and hope for the best — the chances of the difference between them and a streamer off the waiver wire losing you your matchup are slim.

Mark: Try to always look a week ahead when possible. Be one step ahead at all times. Grab a guy with a great matchup in Week 6 now so you aren’t scrambling on the waiver wire Tuesday.

And finally, who will be the fantasy MVP of Week 5?

Morgan: I don’t think he’ll be the top scorer, but I’m high on Travis Kelce this week. With Rashee Rice out, Mahomes will now turn to his trusted pass catcher. The matchup against the Saints is average, but I think Kelce turns into a fantasy star again starting this week.

Ted: Against the Cardinals, I think we’re due for another huge outing from Jordan Mason. He is seeing arguably the best workload in the league, and Arizona has allowed the fifth-most points to opposing running backs. 

Mark: I love Morgan’s Kelce pick, but I’m going against the grain a bit here. I’m going with Justin Jefferson in a matchup in which he’ll make Sauce Gardner look silly, easing the anxiety of his fantasy owners who have tempered expectations.

Daniel: I like Ted’s idea of targeting the Cardinals, but I’m going to focus on quarterback Brock Purdy. Arizona is giving up the second-most passing yards per attempt, and Purdy has been humming all season.