Fantasy Roundup: Week 5
Graphic by Nuala Mernin
It was a week of upsets. Only one team remains winless as the Titans and Saints both picked up their first victories, leaving the lowly Jets as the last man standing. Even more surprising, no team remains undefeated after the Eagles fell to Bo Nix’s Broncos and the Patriots stunned the Bills. In other news, Geno Smith struggled mightily as the Raiders fell to the Colts, while the Lamar-less Ravens were blown out by the Texans. Finally, in one of the week’s most entertaining matchups, Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers edged out Sam Darnold’s Seahawks by a field goal. For full team rosters, see Week 0’s issue.
First and Lowell (2-2) vs Pfirst Down (3-1): 124.64-145.3
Top performers: Jake Ferguson (23.9) | Jonathan Taylor (31.6)
Underperformers: Tetairoa McMillan (13.3) | Quentin Johnston (6.9)
The Ball Currier (1-3) vs Bring it Dome (3-1): 120.22-152.72
Top performers: Kyren Williams (31.1) | Ja’Marr Chase (29)
Underperformers: George Pickens (13.7) | James Cook (4.9)
Kirkland Cousins (1-3) vs The Inn-Zone (2-2): 147.32-131.08
Top performers: Stefon Diggs (24.6) | Sam LaPorta (20.2)
Underperformers: Vikings D/ST (3.0) | Derrick Henry (9.3)
Standout Games:
Thursday night’s game strengthened Kyle Shanahan’s case for Coach of the Year. The 49ers, with backup quarterback Mac Jones, looked dangerous despite a long list of offensive talent on injured reserve. Christian McCaffrey seemed unstoppable, with the Rams requiring several defenders to successfully tackle him. 49ers receiver Kendrick Bourne had a career game with 142 yards on 10 receptions. As for the Rams, Matthew Stafford was a bright spot, racking up 389 yards and three touchdowns. However, two costly fumbles (including one by Kyren Williams at the goal line) gave the 49ers a late fourth-quarter lead. Even worse, the Rams’ kicker squandered the game, missing a 53-yard field goal and crucial extra point that would have sealed the win. Instead, the California matchup headed to overtime. On 4th and 1 at the San Francisco 11, the Rams chose to run the ball instead of finishing with a tie via field goal; however, Kyren Williams failed to convert the first down and the 49ers walked away with the win.
The Cardinals started strong, scoring early and taking command of the game. Tennessee, meanwhile, found themselves down 21-3 early in the second quarter. Quarterback Cam Ward showed off his arm strength, but accuracy issues continued to plague him—and without a reliable group of receivers, the offense struggled to find rhythm. Defensively, the Titans fared marginally better—a strong defensive line gave Kyler Murray little time in the pocket. Still the pass protection was abysmal, allowing Marvin Harrison to have four receptions for 98 yards. These woes allowed Arizona to take a 23-6 lead at the end of the first half. However, the Cardinals collapsed in the second: a miscommunication caused a shotgun snap to bounce off of Murray’s helmet, fumbling the ball for a Tennessee recovery. To start the fourth quarter, running back Emari Demercado broke free for a 52-yard rushing touchdown but celebrated too soon and dropped the ball just before entering the end zone. Finally, Cam Ward threw an interception deep in Cardinals territory, which was then fumbled and recovered by Tyler Lockett in the end zone for a Tennessee touchdown. The No. 1 overall pick finished the game by driving the Titans into field goal territory to seal their first win.
This game began chaotically, with both teams trading fumbles in the first quarter—Buffalo coughing it up twice and New England once. Someone put points on the board at the end of the first quarter after a 30-yard field goal by New England. Drake Maye played well, completing 22 of 30 total attempted throws for a total of 273 yards; however, his four sacks are a blemish on an otherwise good night. Stefon Diggs, the ex-Bills receiver, had a revenge game; he picked up 146 yards on just 10 receptions in his first return to Orange Park since being traded two seasons ago. Offensively, the Bills were just not clicking. Josh Allen added to his turnover count with an interception at the New England 10-yard line and a fumble off a running back’s leg. Meanwhile, the Patriots’ defense held running back James Cook to only 49 yards on 15 carries. Hopefully, the Bills will regain their momentum against Atlanta.
Looking Ahead:
Next week, only two teams sit out as the Vikings and Texans get a breather. The matchups look exciting, starting with the Seahawks traveling across the country to Jacksonville as Sam Darnold hopes to continue his hot start (SEA -1.5). Later, the Titans will face the Raiders (LV -6.5) in a match up between 1-4 teams. The 49ers will head to Florida to face Baker Mayfield’s Buccaneers (TB -2.5), with both teams coming off narrow wins.
It will be interesting to see how well Christian McCaffrey plays next weekend. The running back has been the main force driving the success of San Francisco’s offense, but Tampa’s defense was very successful in stopping the run game when playing against Saquon Barkley last week. Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson is also projected to have a good game. The running back will play the Bills, who have allowed the fourth-most rushing touchdowns and the fourth-most yards per carry.
As for the few games you’d be excused for missing, the Eagles-Giants game heavily favors Philadelphia (PHI -6.5), as Jaxson Dart is still getting accustomed to the NFL. Meanwhile, the Rams-Ravens (LAR -7.5) showdown leans toward Los Angeles, as the Ravens struggled immensely without Lamar Jackson this past week.
Tyler Dang ’28 (tylerdang@college.harvard.edu) will celebrate the Titans’ first win of the season.