This weekly series looks at two consensus NFL fantasy sleepers outside of the top-24 that I am the highest on and why. Each week, I will break down the case for both players, giving my view as to why they are strong flex spot starts. I will compare where they are ranked, and give my own ranking for comparison. Without further ado, here are our Week 5 sleeper candidates!
Week 5 Sleeper RB
Damien Williams – Consensus Rank: 34 My Rank: 11
Damien Williams is coming off of a knee contusion that kept him out of Week 3 and Week 4 after an early exit in Week 2. While it can be risky to start a RB in their first game back, Williams is set up for a ton of success here in Week 5. The Kansas City offense has looked like the well-oiled machine it was last year. They head into Sunday night’s contest in Indianapolis going against a defense that will be missing their three best players. Jabaal Sheard, Darius Leonard, and Malik Hooker have already been ruled out by the team. The Colts run defense has given up an average of 5.5 yards per carry and has allowed the eighth most yards to RBs.
The Kanasas City offensive line should be able to give Williams a ton of room to work. With his skill set, he will be able to exploit the tasty match-up. In Week 1 he was in on 66-percent of offensive snaps and had 13 carries and six catches. Backfield mate LeSean McCoy has yet to top 50-percent of offensive snaps in any game this year, and I would expect Williams to continue to lead the backfield. These two factors lead to Williams being a great choice this week for fantasy owners.
Week 5 Sleeper WR
Emmanuel Sanders – Consensus Rank: 26 My Rank: 23
Emmanuel Sanders has had one of the quietest WR2 campaigns so far this year. Is it because he’s not new and flashy? Is it because his QB is Joe Flacco? Sanders doesn’t care. Aside from the Week 3 clunker against Green Bay, Sanders has had at least 86 yards or a TD in every game. He’s also had nine targets a game in those other three contests.
Emmanuel Sanders Has The Most Favorable Week 5 Matchup According To Our WR vs CB Matchups Chart
On paper, the match-up this week looks bad. The LA Chargers have a very good secondary and are giving up the 11th fewest yards this year. However, they are giving up the 10th most passing touchdowns. In the divisional match-up on the road, I expect the Broncos to have to throw to stay in the game. Sanders should be able to find the end zone and give fantasy owners a fine week for their lineups.
