Christian Kirk or Gabe Davis: Which WR is a better fantasy football option for Week 5 NFL London game?

Fantasy football managers must always be aware of the NFL International Series Games because they usually start early on Sunday morning. This is the case for Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season when the Buffalo Bills take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. It will be crucial for managers to check and set lineups before it kicks off at 9:30 AM ET.

The Bills and Jaguars feature many players who often appear on several fantasy lineups, as they entered the year with two of the best overall offenses in the league. Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis are two of them, each serving as the WR2 for their team in a prolific passing attack. They each hold significant weekly upside, especially when playing in favorable matchups.

Managers with both Kirk and Davis on their fantasy rosters may be debating which one to plug into their Week 5 lineups. With the help of the Start/Sit Optimizer, the following breakdown could make the decision a bit easier by exploring their recent performance and direct weekly matchup, among many other factors.

Is Christian Kirk a good pick in fantasy football Week 5?

Christian Kirk

When the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Christian Kirk to a massive contract during free agency two offseasons ago, it was one of the most polarizing moves in the NFL. Many doubted his ability to perform as a WR1 in any offense despite the Jaguars essentially paying him to do so. He proved them all wrong by turning in a career year and helping to turn the franchise around.

The Jaguars went from having the worst record in the entire NFL the year before to making an appearance in the NFL Playoffs and advancing to the second round during last season. The incredible progress of Trevor Lawrence as a quarterback is one of the biggest reasons why, which was significantly aided by Kirk’s arrival. His massive contributions helped rebuild their offense while elevating him into a star fantasy football wide receiver.

Christian Kirk exploded for 84 receptions on 133 targets for yards and touchdowns during his breakout 2022 campaign. His massive numbers, as well as his status as the WR1 in the Jaguars’ offense, appeared to make his fantasy football future extremely bright. This changed a bit ahead of the 2023 NFL season when the team acquired Calvin Ridley, a previously established WR1 with the Atlanta Falcons.

Ridley’s arrival essentially bumped Kirk down to the second option in their passing game. However, considering the strength of their offense, he would still have a strong chance to turn in another solid fantasy football season. His season got off to a rough start, including just one reception on three targets for nine yards in Week 1. This caused many managers to panic about his value, but he’s bounced back in a big way since then.

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Over his past three games, Kirk is averaging eight receptions on 11 targets for 83 yards per game. He appears back to his relative level of production and involvement from a season ago that made him such an asset in fantasy football. He clearly has the trust of Lawrence as he’s been the most targeted wide receiver in two of their four games this year, despite Ridley appearing in all of them.

Up next for Kirk is a Week 5 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have featured one of the most underrated defenses in recent years, never getting quite the credit they probably deserve despite consistently finishing toward the top of the NFL in most defensive categories. This year, they are allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers.

Kirk will look to keep his impressive form rolling in this important AFC showdown between two teams who won a postseason game last year. The Bills will present a relatively difficult matchup. However, Kirk’s expected usual volume still makes him an attractive option in fantasy football this week, especially in a potentially high-scoring game between two prolific offenses.

Is Gabe Davis a good pick in fantasy football Week 5?

Gabe Davis

The Buffalo Bills have emerged as one of the most consistently dominant NFL teams in recent years, joining the Kansas City Chiefs as the only teams to win at least one playoff game in each of the past three seasons. Their excellent passing offense behind superstar quarterback Josh Allen is one of the biggest reasons.

Over the past few years, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis have clearly been the top two targets in their passing scheme, with Davis serving as the WR2 and homerun threat. His polarizing results were on full display last season, as demonstrated by his extremely wide range of weekly results. He had weekly WR1 upside in fantasy football but also carried a relatively low floor, making him one of the best examples of a boom-or-bust wide receiver.

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Davis finished among the top 30 wide receivers six times during his strong 2022 campaign, including three top finishes and a massive WR1 season-best finish. This demonstrates his ability to go off for huge numbers in any game, but he also brings bust potential into most matchups. He proved this by finishing outside the top 60 wide receivers in fantasy football in six separate weeks last year.

Through four games of the 2023 NFL season, Gabe Davis’ fantasy performances have pretty much kept with the same general trend as last year. He has recorded two finishes among the top 20 wide receivers but finished outside the top 45 in his other two games. This often creates a dilemma for his fantasy managers. While they don’t want him to be on their bench during one of his boom weeks and miss out on a ton of points, they are also sometimes hesitant to start him due to the fear of his fairly common bust weeks.

Davis’ next opportunity to turn in a big fantasy performance will come in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They present a mediocre direct matchup for him, as they currently allow the 12th fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. The gamble with Davis this week is about the same as any other, as he will carry his usual blend of an extremely high ceiling and a dangerously low floor.

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For managers looking to acquire Christian Kirk or Gabe Davis this week, make sure to reference the fantasy football trade analyzer first.

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Christian Kirk vs. Gabe Davis: Who should I start in Week 5?

Kirk vs Davis in Week 5

According to the Start/Sit Optimizer, Christian Kirk is a better wide receiver option than Gabe Davis in fantasy football for Week 5 in London. Kirk’s reliable volume makes the main difference in their projections this week, as the tool predicts more receptions and yardage for Kirk than Davis in this matchup.

The NFL London games always make for an interesting dynamic due to the unique travel situation surrounding the game. Kirk also has a bit of an advantage here as the Jaguars played a game there last week and have remained in London this week. He should be more adjusted to the time difference than Davis, as the Bills are just arriving there this week.

It will be interesting to see if this factor impacts the outcome of the game, but nevertheless, it could give Kirk a bit more of an edge in fantasy football.