Early Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 5: Isiah Pacheco, Zay Flowers, Cole Kmet in the spotlight

Week 5 of the 2023 fantasy football season has officially arrived after the first month has now been completed. Enough of a sample size now exists for most players to have a better idea about what their offensive roles will be for the remainder of the year. This will help fantasy managers make more informed decisions when setting their weekly lineups.

Week 5 presents plenty of opportunities to capitalize on favorable matchups in fantasy football. It's also the first week of the 2023 NFL season, where teams will be on a bye week. Players from the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Seattle Seahawks will all be unavailable for Week 5 fantasy lineups.

The bye weeks make it more important than ever for managers to carefully analyze each matchup before replacing their unavailable starters. Bye week replacements can be the difference between winning and losing in a particular fantasy week. With the help of Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer, the following list was generated to highlight certain players to target and others to avoid in fantasy football lineups this week.

Fantasy Football Week 5 Start 'Em

Week 5 RBs

QB - Daniel Jones

It has been a disappointing 2023 fantasy football season for Daniel Jones so far after his breakout campaign last year for the New York Giants. After adding a legitimate ground game to his skillset, he finished the year among the top ten fantasy quarterbacks. So far this year, with the exception of his incredible QB1 performance in Week 2, he has finished outside the top 20 quarterbacks in his other three games.

Jones has an excellent chance to get back on track in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, at least from a fantasy perspective. The Dolphins allow the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. They also have one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL, so the likely game script suggests that the Giants will likely need to call plenty of passing plays to keep up on the scoreboard.

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RB - Isiah Pacheco

The Kansas City Chiefs have a deep group of offensive weapons, including three legitimate running backs. That hasn't mattered for Isiah Pacheco, who has clearly emerged as their featured back and one of the focal points of their offensive game plan. This has been great for his fantasy value, as he's increased his output every week and his ranking among running backs.

After a bit of a slow start to the 2023 season, Pacheco has finished among the top 12 running backs in fantasy football in the past two weeks, making him a borderline RB1 on fantasy rosters. His offseason surgery can easily explain his slow start, but now that he's seemingly fully healthy, he's potentially in line to be one of the biggest breakout fantasy stars this year.

WR - Zay Flowers

The Baltimore Ravens have been dealing with a ton of injuries to their offensive players, including their running backs and wide receivers. This has required other offensive weapons to step up their production, with Zay Flowers being the biggest beneficiary.

While he struggled against the Cleveland Browns' elite defense last week, Flower has totaled a solid 24 receptions on 29 targets this year. Even if Odell Beckham Jr. and/or Rashod Bateman return from injuries, a legitimate case can be made that Flowers is the Ravens' new WR1. He also has a strong matchup in Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers.

TE - Zach Ertz

Zach Ertz has quietly emerged as one of the most consistent tight ends during the 2023 fantasy football season, especially by his overall volume. He has recorded at least eight targets and six receptions in three of his four games this year. He has finished among the top 12 tight ends in those three games, making him a TE1 on many fantasy rosters.

Finding reliable options in fantasy football in the Tight end position is often difficult, so it increases Ertz's value even further. He's a solid option when the Arizona Cardinals face off against the Cincinnati Bengals, a bottom-five fantasy defense in guarding tight ends.

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To acquire any of these Week 5 targets, make sure to consult the fantasy football trade analyzer first.

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Fantasy Football Week 5 Sit 'Em

Week 5 WRs

QB - Brock Purdy

The San Francisco 49ers clearly appear to have their franchise quarterback in Brock Purdy. He is still undefeated as a starter in games that he completes without injury, including in the NFL Playoffs. He has also been a good fantasy football quarterback this year, finishing among the top 13 quarterbacks in three of his four games.

While Purdy has been a borderline starting quarterback in most fantasy weeks during the 2023 NFL season, he's better off avoided in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys' elite defense. They rank towards the top of the league in most defensive categories, including allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks.

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RB - Dameon Pierce

While the Houston Texans' passing game has thrived with rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, Dameon Pierce has significantly regressed as a rusher. He failed to eclipse 40 rushing yards in any of his first three games this year, and while he broke out for 81 rushing yards last week, it's important to remember how he got there.

Pierce's high yardage total in Week 4 resulted from the game script as the Texans blew out the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was still inefficient, rushing for just 3.4 yards per carry. Next in Week 5 is a difficult fantasy football matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. They currently allow the third-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing running backs.

WR - Drake London

Drake London has been one of the most disappointing fantasy football wide receivers this season after his breakout rookie campaign with the Atlanta Falcons last year. He has failed to finish inside the top 20 fantasy wide receivers in any week this year while twice finishing outside the top 80 players in the position.

In four games, London totaled just 11 receptions and averaged an alarming 32 yards per game. He can be avoided in fantasy football in most weeks until he proves he can earn a larger role in their offense. This is especially true in Week 5 against the Houston Texans' sneaky good passing defense, allowing the second-fewes fantasy points per game to wide receivers.

TE - Cole Kmet

Cole Kmet exploded for a TE1 finish in fantasy football last week, marking his second top 6 finish of the season. He has demonstrated that he can be an important part of the Chicago Bears' passing game but has also finished outside the top 20 tight ends in his other two games this year.

This means that Kmet should only be plugged into fantasy lineups when he's playing in the right matchups. Week 5 isn't one of the against the Washington Commanders. They are currently allowing less than four fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, the fewest of any NFL team this year.