Studs and Duds: Week 5

Mon Oct 11 9:28am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Herbert produces huge in Week 5


Well, that was quite the week for fantasy scoring. It was one of the highest scoring weeks in recent memory. There were some huge fantasy games, making for some big scores. Several fantasy teams had more than 200 fantasy points, which is some accomplishment. The quarterback spot led the way with three players having more than 39 fantasy points. Hopefully, things turned out well for you in Week 5, taking advantage of some of these big games.

Rams 26, Seahawks 17

Fantasy Stud: Robert Woods. It took a little time but Woods finally had a huge game this season. He had 12 receptions for 150 yards. Woods was targeted 14 times in the game. He had season highs in catches, yards and targets. Woods did struggle some his first four games but still has at least 12 fantasy points four of five games. If he can keep getting big target numbers going forward, Woods can have a huge finish to this season and put his somewhat slow start behind him in a hurry.

Fantasy Dud: Alex Collins. Collins got a lot of play this week with Chris Carson out of the lineup. Collins started and had 17 touches in the game but did very little with that work. He ran 15 times for just 47 yards. And he had two receptions for 25 yards. This was a tough matchup for Collins, though, against one of the best run defenses in football. If he starts again, he can improve in a more favorable matchup.

Game Notes: Russell Wilson dislocated his finger on his throwing hand and needed surgery to repair the injury. He is going to miss four to eight weeks of action. Wilson was 11-of-16 for 152 yards and a touchdown with an interception. Geno Smith played pretty well in relief and is going to take over as the starter while Wilson is out. Smith was 10-of-17 for 131 yards and a touchdown with an interception.

Darrell Henderson had a season high in rushing yards. He ran 17 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. He also got a catch for 17 yards, giving him 99 total yards. Henderson has 80-plus rushing yards two straight games.

Falcons 27, Jets 20

Fantasy Stud: Kyle Pitts. Pitts had a breakout game as the top target in the Falcons passing attack. He had nine receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown. With the Falcons top two receivers out, Pitts had a season high 10 targets. Pitts seems to be coming into his own and might be ready for more consistent production for all his fantasy owners. This game showed his huge weekly ceiling.

Fantasy Dud: Zach Wilson. Wilson looked to be making progress last week, playing a very good game in an upset win. But he took a step backwards this week, struggling much of the game despite a favorable matchup. He was 19-of-32 for 192 yards with an interception. He failed to score a touchdown or throw for 200 yards. Wilson is not a player fantasy owners can trust. He needs a lot of work to be a dependable option.

Game Notes: Cordarrelle Patterson continued his strong play. He actually led the Falcons in rushing, running 15 times for 54 yards. He got a lot of work in the passing game once again, catching seven passes for 60 yards, giving him 114 total yards. Patterson has 16-plus fantasy points four straight games.

Michael Carter is emerging as the lead back for the Jets. He had 10 carries compared to four for Ty Johnson. Carter ran 10 times or 38 yards and a touchdown. He also had three receptions for 20 yards, giving him 58 total yards.

Packers 25, Bengals 22

Fantasy Stud: Davante Adams. Adams had his best game of the season. He had 11 receptions for 206 yards and a touchdown. This was his second game with 30-plus fantasy points. Adams has 100-yard games three of his last four. He is well on his way to another monster season.

Fantasy Dud: Tyler Boyd. Boyd saw a dip in production with Tee Higgins back in the lineup. Boyd had four receptions 24 yards. Boyd had 13-plus fantasy points three straight games before this dud. He should be fine doing forward but might be a little hit or miss with a lot of receiver vying for targets in Cincinnati.

Game Notes: Joe Mixon was limited in the game but had double-digit touches. He produced pretty well on his sore ankle. He had 10 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a pass for two yards. Samaje Perine led the Bengals in carries, running 11 times for 59 yards. He caught four passes for 24 yards and a score.

Ja’Marr Chase remains red hot and the favorite target of Joe Burrow. Chase caught six passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. Chase has scores four of five games.

Vikings 19, Lions 17

Fantasy Stud: Alexander Mattison. Mattison got another start because of Dalvin Cook missing the game. Mattison hit the 100-yard mark for the second time in three games. He ran 25 times for 113 yards and caught seven passes for 40 yards and a touchdown. Mattison has 23-plus fantasy points two of three games. Mattison is a solid No. 1 fantasy back in a starting role for the Vikings.

Fantasy Dud: T.J. Hockenson. This looked like a good matchup for Hockenson but he was held in check once again. Hockenson had two receptions for 22 yards. He has fewer than double-digit fantasy points three straight games after having 20-plus fantasy points each of his first two games. Hockenson remains a solid No 1 fantasy tight end but his erratic production is a concern for fantasy owners.

Game Notes: Amon-Ra St. Brown led the way at receiver for the Lions. He caught seven passes for 65 yards on eight targets. St. Brown has 13 receptions his last two games and eight targets each of those games.

D’Andre Swift topped 100 total yards. He had 11 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown. He also had six receptions for 53 yards. Swift has 22-plus fantasy points three of five games.

Steelers 27, Broncos 19

Fantasy Stud: Courtland Sutton. Sutton had seven receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown. He was targeted 11 times in the game. Sutton has been a little hit or miss this year but had more than 120 yards two of four games. He has a very high ceiling but probably a lower floor than fantasy owners would like.

Fantasy Dud: Noah Fant. Fant got little work in the game with the receivers getting out of the looks. Fant had three receptions for 20 yards. Fant had just five fantasy points and has five or fewer points two of three games. He is a little hit or miss right now for fantasy owners.

Game Notes: JuJu Smith-Schuster left the game very early because of a shoulder injury. He was unable to return, finishing without a catch. Smith-Schuster is having a disappointing season and this injury just add insult to injury for his owners. There is speculation he could miss significant time because of the shoulder injury.

Chase Claypool hit the 100-yard mark for the first time this season. He had five receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown on six targets. He has double-digit fantasy points every game he has played this year.

Bucs 45, Dolphins 17

Fantasy Stud: Tom Brady. Brady just continues his assault on the league, showing few signs of slowing down. He had a monster game, going 30-of-41 for 411 yards and five touchdowns without a turnover. Brady has three games with four or more touchdowns. He has 16 total scores to one interception for the year.

Fantasy Dud: Jaylen Waddle. Waddle was one of the only disappointments in this high-scoring fantasy game. He had just two receptions for 31 yards. You expected better in a game the Dolphins threw for nearly 300 yards. Waddle has fewer than double-digit fantasy points two straight games.

Game Notes: Myles Gaskin was a much bigger part of the gameplan this week for the Dolphins. He had a huge game in the passing attack. He ran just five times for 25 yards but had 10 receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns.

Antonio Brown and Mike Evans both hit the 100-yard receiver mark. Brown had seven receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Evans had six receptions for 113 yards and two scores.

Saints 33, Washington 22

Fantasy Stud: Jameis Winston. Winston had a season high in pass attempts, which led to a big fantasy game for Winston. He was 15-of-30 for 279 yards and four touchdowns with an interception. Winston had more than 30 fantasy points after three straight with fewer than 16 points. Winston has been erratic this year but maybe this game will start a streak of consistency for Winston.

Fantasy Dud: Terry McLaurin. McLaurin had a rare down game for his standards. He had four receptions for 46 yards. This was his first game all season with fewer than double-digit fantasy points. He also had at least 62 yards every game before this one. He’ll rebound but this game likely stung a lot of his fantasy owners.

Game Notes: Antonio Gibson was held in check running the ball but found the end zone twice. He ran the ball 20 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 12 yards.

Marquez Callaway had his best game, scoring two touchdowns. He had four receptions for 85 yards and two scores on eight targets. Callaway has touchdowns two of three games.

Eagles 21, Panthers 18

Fantasy Stud: Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard got another start with Christian McCaffrey out and did a good imitation of McCaffrey in this one. He ran 24 times for 101 yard and caught five passes for 33 yards. Hubbard had a season high 18.4 fantasy points. Hubbard hasn’t been huge in a starting role but effective for fantasy teams. He has more than 70 total yards every game.

Fantasy Dud: Sam Darnold. Darnold had his first really poor game for the Panthers. He turned the ball over three times and failed to hit 200-passing yards. Darnold was 21-of-37 for 177 yard and a touchdown with three interceptions. Darnold had at least 22 fantasy points four straight games before this game, finishing with just 10.9 fantasy points.

Game Notes: Jalen Hurts didn’t throw in a touchdown but ran in two. He was 22-of-37 for 198 yard and an interception. He ran the ball nine times for 30 yards and a touchdown, though. Hurts has multiple touchdowns all but one game.

DeVonta Smith had seven receptions for the second straight game. He had seven receptions for 77 yards on eight targets.

Titans 37, Jaguars 19

Fantasy Stud: Derrick Henry. Henry just keeps racking up the points for his fantasy owners. He had 29 carries for 130 yards and three touchdowns. He didn’t catch a pass but that didn’t matter for his fantasy owners. Henry has four straight 100-yard games and touchdowns three of those games. Henry is already at 640-rushing yards after just five games.

Fantasy Dud: A.J. Brown. Brown returned from his hamstring injury but wasn’t much of a factor with the Titans having so much success on the ground. Brown had three receptions for 38 yards. Brown is still yet to have 50 yards in a game. He has been a big disappointment for all his fantasy owners.

Game Notes: James Robinson continues to run well for the Jags, hitting the 100-yard mark. He ran 18 times for 149 yards and a touchdown. Robinson has three straight games with 20-plus fantasy points.

Dan Arnold was the surprise leading target in the Jaguars passing game. He had six receptions for 64 yards. Arnold has multiple catches every game this year but this was just his second with more than 50 yards.

Patriots 25, Texans 22

Fantasy Stud: Davis Mills. Mills had his best game of his young career against a defense that normally gives rookies fits. Mills was 21-of-29 for 312 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. It was an impressive performance for the young player, hitting 27.8 fantasy points. This was his first game with more than 200-passing yards and multiple scores.

Fantasy Dud: Brandin Cooks. With the Texans throwing for more than 300 yards, you figured Cooks would be in on the fun. That was not the case, though. Cooks had just three receptions for 23 yards. This was actually his worst game of the season in a game the Texans threw the ball probably their best. Strange stuff.

Game Notes: Chris Moore was active for the first time this year and made the most of it. He played great, catching five passes for 109 yard and a touchdown. Moore might have played his way into a bigger role going forward.

Hunter Henry had his best game as a Patriot. He found the end zone for the second straight week. Henry had six receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown on a season high eight targets.

Bears 20, Raiders 9

Fantasy Stud: Damien Williams. Williams didn’t lead the team in carries with David Montgomery out but scored a touchdown and had 84 total yards. Williams ran the ball 16 times for 64 yards and a touchdown. He also had two receptions for 20 yards. Williams is going to be  solid play for fantasy teams while Montgomery is out of the lineup.

Fantasy Dud: Derek Carr. Carr failed to score multiple touchdown for the first time this season. He has a really poor game compared to his other this year, finishing 22-of-35 for 206 yards with an interception. Carr has cooled some since having three straight games with 380-plus passing yards to start the year.

Game Notes: Khalil Herbert was a big part of the Bears rushing attack with Montgomery out. He actually led the Bears in rushing, running 18 times for 75 yards.

Justin Fields didn’t even throw for 120 yard but led his team to a win, which is all that matters to the Bears. He was 12-of-20 for 111 yards and a touchdown without a turnover.  Fields is yet to top 11 fantasy points in any game this year.

Chargers 27, Browns 42

Fantasy Stud: Austin Ekeler. There were a lot of great fantasy performances in this one, but Ekeler is the only non-quarterback to score three touchdowns. He had a huge game, rushing 17 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns. He also had five receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown. He had 119 total yards and three touchdowns. Ekeler has at least 22 fantasy points four straight games.

Fantasy Dud: Odell Beckham. There were a ton of fantasy points in this one, but Beckham did not get many. He had just two receptions for 20 yards. Beckham has fewer than 30 yards two straight games. He is a hard fantasy player to use right now because of his inconsistent play. He has been more down than good most of the year.

Game Notes: Mile Williams quickly rebounded from his worst game of the season. He had his best, catching eight passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He has more than 80 yards four of five games.

Nick Chubb hit the 100-yard mark for the second straight game. He had 21 carries for 161 yards and a touchdown. Chubb has at least 83-rushing yards every game.

Cowboys 44, Giants 20

Fantasy Stud: Kadarius Toney. Toney took advantage of injuries at receiver to be the prime target for the Giants passing game. He has a monster game, finishing with 10 receptions for 189 yards. He also ran once for seven yards, giving him 196 total yards. Toney has 16 receptions on 19 targets his last two games. He is quickly gaining fantasy value.

Fantasy Dud: Daniel Jones. Jones wasn’t in there a real long time, leaving with a concussion. But when he was in there he did little. You thought he was setup for a big game against a shaky secondary. Jones was just 5-of-13 for 98 yards without a touchdown. It was a terrible week to take a chance on Jones, who had been producing big in recent weeks.

Game Notes: Daniel Jones, Kenny Golladay and Saquon Barkley all left early because of injuries. This was not a good day to be a Giant. Keep an eye on the player notes for the latest on these guys. This offense is in shambles right now because of injury.

CeeDee Lamb scored a touchdown for the first time since Week 1. He had four receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. Lamb has 17-plus fantasy points three of five games.

Cardinals 17, 49ers 10

Fantasy Stud: DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins had his best game since the first week of the season. He had six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. Hopkins isn’t having his best season but been pretty consistent. He also has been slowed by a rib injury, so maybe he is finally getting healthy and ready to produce some big fantasy games.

Fantasy Dud: Kyler Murray. Murray wasn’t terrible by any means but didn’t have the game fantasy owners hoped. He was 22-of-31 for 239 yards and a touchdown without a turnover. This was his first game of the year, failing to have more than 20 fantasy points. Murray scored a season low 16.1 fantasy points.

Game Notes: Trey Lance played alright in his first NFL start. He was 15-of-29 for 192 yards with an interception. Lance did lead the team in rushing, running 16 times for 89 yards.

Eli Mitchell returned from his shoulder injury this week and led the way at running back for the 49ers. He ran nine times for 43 yards, averaging a solid 4.8 yards per carry. Trey Sermon ran just once for seven yards.

Bills 38, Chiefs 20

Fantasy Stud: Josh Allen. Allen had a huge game, leading the team in passing and rushing. He was 15-of-26 for 315 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. He also ran 11 times for 59 yards and a touchdown, giving him four total scores. Allen is red hot right now, having 11 touchdowns his last three games. He is making big play after big play for the Bills. Allen is showing why he was one of the first quarterbacks selected come draft day.

Fantasy Dud: Stefon Diggs. Despite a lot of fantasy points on both sides of the ball, Diggs had just two receptions. He finished with two catches for 69 yards. This was his first game all season with fewer than double digit fantasy points. He also had a season low five targets in the game. Diggs will be just fine going forward for fantasy teams, but this game was a disappointing performance. 

Game Notes: Clyde Edwards-Helaire suffered a knee injury and left the game. The injury did not look good and could be very serious. Keep an eye on the player notes for the latest. Darrel Williams is the likely starter if Edwards-Helaire had to miss any time. Williams had five carries for 27 yards and three receptions for 18 yards in this game

Dawson Knox found the end zone for the fourth straight game. He also had a big yardage game in this one, catching three passes for 117 yards and a touchdown.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Mazi Smith Mar 26 10:10pm CT
Mazi Smith

Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Mazi Smith (shoulder) carried a four- to six-month timetable after having shoulder surgery shortly after last season, but he is expected to be ready for training camp this summer. As long as Smith doesn't encounter any setbacks as he rehabs his shoulder this offseason, the 22-year-old should be ready for training camp at the end of the July and for the start of the 2024 season. After being taken 26th overall in the first round last year out of Michigan, Smith played in all 17 regular-season games (three starts) and recorded only 13 tackles (nine solo) and one sack in a depth role. He could carve out a bigger role on the interior of Dallas' defensive line in Year 2, but Smith isn't going to be on the fantasy radar in IDP leagues.

From RotoBaller