Zack Moss or Jonathan Taylor: Which RB should you start in Week 5 fantasy football?

Week 5 should see fantasy football managers be able to choose either Zack Moss or Jonathan Taylor. After spending the beginning of the season on the injured list, the 2021 rushing yards leader should be back in the starting lineup.

The Indianapolis Colts host the Tennesse Titans in Week 5 and both their running backs should expect to feature prominently in the offense. The question for fantasy football managers is who might be a better pick among the two and we discuss that here.

Is Zack Moss a good pick in fantasy football Week 5?

Zack Moss has been the go-to guy for the Indianapolis Colts as tensions simmered between the franchise and Jonathan Taylor. In the last three games, he has had a healthy production output.

He has 280 yards for the season in 3 games. His best game was two weeks ago against the Baltimore Ravens, when he had 30 carries for 122 yards. It was his most productive performance but did not yield a rushing touchdown. But he got one receiving touchdown to his name.

In his other two games, he has had 18 carries each. Against the Houston Texans in Week 2, he had 88 yards and last week he carried for 70 yards against the Los Angeles Rams. His sole rushing touchdown came in the game against the Texans.

Overall, he is averaging 4.2 yards per carry and comes in among the top 20 running backs in the league on average.

Is Jonathan Taylor a good pick in fantasy football Week 5?

Jonathan Taylor has yet to play a game this season. This is a product of his contract dispute with the Indianapolis Colts and his ankle injury. It is not known yet if he is fully fit to go against the Tennessee Titans but it is most likely that he will play.

Currently, he is in the top 40 bracket for running backs. But because of his absence this season, it does not tell the full story. Last season, due to injuries, he rushed only 861 yards in 11 games and had four touchdowns. But when he was fully healthy in 2021, he had 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns.

He remains a phenomenal player and will be raring to go after reportedly signing a 3-year $42 million deal with his team. Even in his worst season last year, he had 4.5 yards per carry, which is more than Zack Moss has now.

Zack Moss vs. Jonathan Taylor: Who should I start in Week 5?

Zack Moss v Jonathan Taylor: Week 5 Fantasy Football 2023

Luckily for us, Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer is right on hand to tell us who to start in this big game.

It seems to intuitively recognize that Jonathan Taylor is the star running back for the Indianapolis Colts. He is expected to outshine Zack Moss by more than 20 yards and has a higher chance of getting touchdown. Even in receiving yards, he is expected to do more.

Even though Zack Moss has a higher average ranking right now than Jonathan Taylor, it is clear that the latter is the better player. He is coming back from an injury, which is the only concern. Furthermore, the highest he has ever rushed against the Tennessee Titans is 70 yards.

But even with such concerns, getting the NFL rushing yards leader from 2021 makes more sense. He is coming back with a contract that should make him want to take the field and prove his commitment to the Indianapolis Colts fans. Supporters are looking forward seeing him pair up with Anthony Richardson for the first time.

As they say, big players play the big games and Jonathan Taylor looks to be the right person for both the Colts and fantasy football managers to start.