With four weeks of the 2019 NFL schedule in the books, bye weeks and injuries are becoming major factors. How can you replace touchdown machine Kenny Golladay (19-243-4) with the Lions on bye this week? Can you afford to wait for another game-time decision on Chiefs running back Damien Williams as he works his way back from a knee injury? And where should Williams be in your Week 5 Fantasy football rankings? Raiders receiver Tyrell Williams has scored in every game this season, but hasn't practiced this week with a foot injury. As a result, should quarterback Derek Carr be among your Fantasy football picks for Week 5, or should you look elsewhere? A reliable set of 2019 Fantasy football rankings is the best way to make sure you're getting the most out of your rosters and working the Fantasy football waiver wire effectively. Before you lock in your lineups, consult the Week 5 Fantasy football rankings from the proven model at SportsLine.
When it comes to ranking players, their model beat human experts in Fantasy football last season when there were big differences in ranking. And the model was closest to the hole overall, meaning it best pinpointed where every player would finish each week. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home empty-handed.
Last week, the model advised owners to bench Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, saying he'd finish outside the top 25 at his position. The result: Thielen recorded just two catches for six yards. Anyone who benched him dodged a major bullet.
Now the model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has revealed its Week 5 Fantasy football rankings. One player the model loves this week: Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones.
Bucs fans have been eagerly awaiting Jones' breakout since he was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. After a difficult rookie season, it appears as if the pendulum is swinging in his favor.
Jones out-touched Peyton Barber 20-9 last week as Tampa Bay went to Los Angeles and beat the Rams 55-40. Jones also played a season-high 49 percent of the snaps. He churned out 82 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown and has now received at least 14 touches in three of the four games Tampa Bay has played.
And it's not just about volume with Jones. He has averaged a solid 4.7 yards per carry and has even provided juice in the passing game with catches of 12, 18 and 41 yards. He's running with power (eight broken tackles) and is averaging over 2.2 yards per carry after contact. The model ranks Jones as the No. 28 running back for Week 5, making in a strong flex option even though he's owned in just 65 percent of CBS Sports leagues.
And a massive shocker: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 422 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Eagles, stumbles big-time and doesn't even crack the top 15.
Rodgers had a strong showing in Green Bay's home defeat against the Eagles last week, completing 34-of-53 passes for 422 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He was also able to find success running the ball too, rushing five times for 46 yards.
However, Rodgers and the Packers now travel to Dallas to face a Cowboys defense that hasn't given up a passing touchdown in their last two games. In fact, the Cowboys' defense ranks in the top 10 against the pass, allowing opponents an average of just 221.8 yards through the air. Rodgers is a player to consider putting on the bench in Week 5 and squarely out of the QB1 conversation.
The model is also calling for a surprising quarterback you aren't even thinking about to finish in the top 10 of its 2019 Fantasy football rankings for Week 5. This pick could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing.
So who should you sit and start this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 5 Fantasy football rankings for every position, plus see which QB will come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.