Fantasy Football, Week 5: These 4 players should be in your starting lineup

Depending on your scoring settings, my Week 4 selections may have done just enough to keep you in the mix for victory. However, I was surprised by the lack of targets for Keenan Allen, and I certainly did not anticipate Buffalo’s dominance of Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins.

Still, there were respectable numbers for those guys, and Kenneth Walker III had a great game against the Giants (he is a must-start for this Seahawks offense).

As we head into Week 5, there are some key players to target on waivers and in Daily Fantasy contests who may have slipped past a large percentage of players for the first quarter of the season.

This brings us to our fantasy football lineup recommendations for Week 5.

QB: CJ Stroud (HOU) vs. ATL

I’ve been starting Stroud as my QB2 in one of my superflex leagues, and he has not disappointed thus far. In fact, he’s been one of the more consistent quarterback plays in Draft Kings Daily Fantasy as well, with six touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards in the last three weeks.

Stroud is only rostered in 48% of ESPN leagues and is a must-start against the Falcons in Week 5. Check your waiver wire right now and put in a claim for Stroud immediately. He is a must-play in superflex leagues and an affordable quarterback with huge upside in daily play.

RB: De’Von Achane (MIA) vs. NYG

I almost selected Achane as my running back pick for Week 4 following his massive game against Denver. But it was…Denver. Then, he still notched two scores against Buffalo and ran for over 100 yards.

Achane is now a must-start in all leagues and is a prime back selection for daily play against a struggling Giants defense. He has established consistent numbers in back-to-back weeks and is finding the endzone multiple times each game. Achane will absolutely be in my DraftKings lineup this weekend.

WR: Christian Kirk (JAC) vs. BUF (‘Under the Radar’ Selection of the Week)

This one’s a bit of a stretch, but pending your league’s scoring settings, Christian Kirk has been a very reliable WR2 for the last few weeks. His stats are top-five wide receiver numbers, he’s averaging 10+ yards per reception, and he has a few chunk gains mixed in. He’ll be in my ESPN lineup for the Jaguars’ London game against Buffalo.

And while the Bills’ defense may be scary, Kirk is still getting a respectable volume of targets from Trevor Lawrence. There is a little bit of risk/reward with this pick, but pending his price in DraftKings, I would also consider him for WR2 in Week 5.

TE: Cole Kmet (CHI) vs. WAS

Yep, we’re back to this pick. On my bench in both leagues (what on Earth is going on with George Kittle and Kyle Pitts?), Cole Kmet had a monster Sunday against the Broncos, finishing with a stat line that included two touchdowns.

While it’s only one game, Kmet flashed signs similar to some of his big plays from the 2022 season. He has a strong connection with Justin Fields (also now a sleeper QB pick who had a big Week 4).

The Commanders’ defense is tough, but in the shakiest of skill positions for fantasy football, Kmet is just as good as anyone else (if not better) whose name isn’t “Mark Andrews” or “Travis Kelce.” He’s a more affordable pickup in DraftKings daily contests and a near must-start in weekly play.

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