NFL Week 5 Fantasy Football Start or Sit Mailbag: Quarterback Conundrums

The Bears and Buccaneers are on byes this week, which should result in roster shuffling for plenty of teams in redraft leagues. So, the question many of us face for our deeper bench players is…

Start or Sit?

Each week we crowdsource start or sit questions on Twitter @ActionNetworkHQ and @ActionNetNFL and by email at mailbag@actionnetwork.com. Remember to include your league settings (standard, PPR, superflex, etc.) in your question.

Thanks to everyone who reached out with Week 5 start or sit questions for this week's mailbag. Let's jump into it.

Question: Russell Wilson or Marcus Mariota this week?

— Zak Steigerwald @ZakSteigerwald

Of the two, Russell Wilson has the higher median projection, but Marcus Mariota has the better ceiling projection given his matchup against the Bills. Wilson has been disappointing to start the season, but he now has his favorite receiver back in Doug Baldwin. The edge goes to Wilson in this one, but neither quarterback is an absolute smash this week. If Andy Dalton or Blake Bortles is available via waivers, consider streaming one of those two instead.

Question: Start Andrew Luck vs. NE or Patrick Mahomes vs. JAX?

— Kyle Jorrie @kylejorrie

Don't be scared off by the Jaguars defense. Mahomes has been the best fantasy quarterback in football, and he still has QB1 potential even against the Jags. Meanwhile, QB Andrew Luck and the Colts are dealing with major injuries on both sides of the ball in their matchup against New England. The Colts are without T.Y. Hilton, two of their starting corners and three of their starting offensive linemen. Luck was already posting horrible yards-per-attempt averages before those injuries. Luck may have limited time to throw with a banged-up offensive line against the Patriots. Start Mahomes with confidence.

Question: Half-PPR: Need two: John Brown, Taywan Taylor, Josh Gordon & Alshon Jeffery.

— Kaua Hudgens @FFscoops

Go with John Brown and Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery returned last week for the Eagles and made an immediate impact, catching eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. Brown has three touchdowns through four games, and he's 14th in the NFL in receiving yards. Jeffery and Brown boast top-30 median and ceiling projections this week.

I understand the allure with both Gordon and Taylor. Gordon's upside is incredible, and Taylor had a huge game last week for the Titans. Still, both of those guys are game flow-dependent. Continue to monitor both of them during the coming weeks, but lean on Brown and Jeffery for this week's matchup.

Question: PPR FLEX: Devin Funchess, Sammy Watkins, Giovani Bernard, or Matt Breida?

— Zak Steigerwald @Zaksteigerwald

This comes down to Devin Funchess or Matt Breida, both of whom have similar median projections this week. Giovani Bernard is nursing a knee injury while resident starter Joe Mixon is scheduled to make his return for the Bengals. Sammy Watkins has been average at best to start the season and must contend with the voracious Jaguars' secondary.

I'll give the edge to Breida due to his receiving upside. He's hauled in three receptions in three straight games and should continue to see increased target volume with check-down master C.J. Beathard under center. Breida has been ruled probable after being pulled from last week's game with a shoulder injury, so he should be good to go this week against the Cardinals.

Fantasy Football Rankings

PPR:Flex | QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | K
Standard:Flex | QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | K
Half-Point PPR:Flex | QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST | K