Should I Start D.J. Chark, John Ross, or Terry McLaurin in Week 5?
Heading in to the spooky month of October will bring thrills and frights to fantasy leagues across the board. Full moons are rising, and this week is going to be extremely wild. Fear not, for it’s time to lift your spirits! Eerie times call for some monster numbers for wide receivers. Will these players be your king sized candy bar, or a half opened Tootsie roll at the bottom of your candy sack?
Start or Sit DJ Chark at Carolina Panthers week 5
Add one touchdown to each of the first 3 games, a hint of 321 receiving yards through four, and eye of newt for obvious reasons. Voila! The essence of DJ Chark is strong, but week 4’s numbers proliferates quite a potent potion. Chark is borderline touchdown dependent. In week 3, he only saw 5 targets but managed to turn them into 76 yards and a touchdown. His saw 8 targets in week 4 but only mustered a measly 44 yards on 4 catches. Minshew clearly likes Chark, but a ghastly performance like that makes you wonder how poorly he might do against a Panthers defense allowing an average of 57 yards on the season to top receivers like Fitzgerald, Woods, and Hopkins. His numbers are enticing, but this road game is just too scary. Sit DJ Chark week 5.
Start or Sit Diontae Johnson vs. Baltimore Ravens week 5
I’m staying at an abandoned summer camp, and after spending hours taking down caution tape and cleaning up the cabernet someone spilled all over the floor, I’d say this place is as good as new! The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking as good as new after their dominant win over the Bengals, with Johnson having another good game with 6 receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. His numbers in the first two weeks were ghastly, but it seems Mason Rudolph is finally getting his footing. The Ravens have done a ghoulish job at containing receivers, so Johnson’s floor should be very high for this matchup. A touchdown in each of his last two games should put him on the radar in the endzone. His target share is cause for concern, yes, but his share of looks should go up in the following games. Start Diontae Johnson week 5.
Start or Sit Terry McLaurin vs. New England Patriots week 5
The only thing scarier for fantasy owners than Jason slowly marching towards you is Terry McLaurin hurting his hammy. That’s not what anyone wanted to see from a guy who has 257 receiving yards and 3 scores through the first three weeks. He’ll be back for week 5, but what fantasy owners are truly freaking out about is the Redskins offensive performance in week 4. They simply could not get anything going and managed only 3 points against the Giants. Luckily, Washington comes home for their matchup against the Patriots where McLaurin was targeted 17 times in weeks 2 and 3. The Patriots will definitely allow some points on the board, and though expectations of a Washington win should be tempered, there’s no reason McLaurin won’t resume where he left off. He was a game time decision for week 4 which means he was nearly ready to play. It’s safe to assume this extra week of rest will allow him to get back to 100%. The matchup looks like candy corn but McLaurin will have a very high floor for this one, even if floor candy isn’t your thing. Start Terry McLaurin week 5.
Final Ranks: Terry McLaurin > Diontae Johnson > DJ Chark Jr.
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Photo Credits: https://www.amazon.com/Pinkfong-Baby-Shark-Official-Song/dp/B07JJQFHQ5/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=daddy+shark&qid=1570022669&sr=8-4, https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/cecchi+docg+chianti+cls+tuscany+italy/1990, and https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5009278 under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
