Week 5 Fantasy Football Start ’Em, Sit ’Em: Colston Loveland VS Harold Fannin Jr.
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Colston Loveland and Harold Fannin Jr. are a quarter of the way through their hyped up sophomore season with the Bear tight end struggling to live up to his ADP, while Fannin Jr. is showing flashes of a consistent Fantasy option at tight end.
Both tight ends are coming off of 11.7 PPR points performances, but who should get a starting nod in Fantasy this week, while the other is better off of the bench.
Colston Loveland
Loveland finally had a decent performance in week 4 after three weeks of 7.1 PPR points or less to open up the season. Despite the adequate performance last week, it’s hard to get excited about Loveland’s Fantasy outlook against NFC-North Rivals, Green Bay Packers this week.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is listed as questionable for this contest as he continues to rehab from a hamstring injury, which limits Loveland’s opportunities. With Williams out, the Bears have prioritized the run. The Bears are running the ball at a 53.36% clip this season, second-most in the NFL. With such a high running percentage, Loveland’s opportunities are limited, which makes it hard to put up decent Fantasy numbers weekly.
With Tyson Bagent likely under center for this game, it’s hard to get excited about Loveland’s Fantasy prospects this week. The running game will be at the forefront with Bagent likely starting, which leaves Loveland in to block.
Loveland has quietly had a huge game. Attention has been on Monangai, Burden, Odunze, but we have needed Colston today. pic.twitter.com/IGVYAo9n7l
— Ross Pins (@chisportsross) October 4, 2026
Harold Fannin Jr.
Fannin Jr. has been a consistent option among tight ends in Fantasy early on. Fannin Jr. has three straight weeks of 10-plus PPR points performances, including a 24.1-points outburst in week 3. The sophomore tight end looks to continue this trend in week 5 against the New York Jets.
Fannin Jr. is one of the main options of the Browns passing attack as the tight end ranks second among all pass catchers with 23 targets. The Browns tight end has made good work of the targets early on as Fannin Jr. ranks as TE 7 in PPR leagues early on.
In Fannin Jr. 's week 5 matchup against the Jets, the Browns tight end is slated to continue his streak of 10-plus PPR points games. Fannin Jr. will continue to be one of the main options for the Browns passing game in a close game.
Per @NextGenStats #Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr averages 5.8yds of separation
— Mac🦬 (@tha_buffalo) October 3, 2026
Thats the highest in NFL- leads not just TEs, but ALL receivers as well pic.twitter.com/Pp3mbqA8aL
The Verdict
Fannin Jr. should start this week, while Loveland sits out another week until Williams is back under center. Fannin Jr. offers reliability as he is one of the top receiving options for the Browns.
If Williams does suit up, Loveland could be placed in a starting lineup. It seems unlikely for Williams to play this week as the Bears QB did not practice on Wednesday and Thursday. It’s best for Loveland Fantasy managers to wait until Williams is starting to play Loveland.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Loveland’s Fantasy outlook, it's best to hold out on the Bears tight end until Williams is starting. Fannin Jr. offers a safe play this week as his past weeks prove that the Browns tight end is a solid Fantasy option.
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Jeff Salcedo is a writer for Fantasy Sports on SI with extensive experience covering the NFL, MMA, NBA, and soccer. A dedicated fantasy sports enthusiast, he has competed in fantasy leagues and daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests for more than a decade. Before joining Fantasy Sports on SI, Salcedo worked as a senior sports reporter for BYU's student newspaper, The Daily Universe.
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