Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford, and 2 Other Must-Start Fantasy Football Week 5 Quarterbacks
In Week 4, Drake Maye was a big bounce-back hit for fantasy managers, finishing as QB1. He was also among my must-starts of the week, as was QB7, Jared Goff. The NFL is a volatile league, so no projection is guaranteed to pay off. But data is data, and it can help project good outcomes. Here are four startable quarterbacks in Week 5.
Jared Goff
The Arizona Cardinals are the second-worst defense in EPA per Pass Allowed. They are 5th-worst in fantasy points allowed per game to quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Goff is 2nd in the NFL in passing and 3rd in touchdowns thrown. Seems like a good mix, right?
The Lions' lowest-scoring game through four weeks is 26 points. Goff also gets another indoor game here in Arizona, an environment where he has historically done well.
CJ Stroud
If we remove a Week 3 outlier performance that was minus Nico Collins, Stroud averages about 316 yards per game. He has thrown zero interceptions on 151 passing attempts. Stroud ranks 1st in Average Depth of Target, 3rd in Big-Time Throws, and 6th in Turnover-Worthy Plays. That amounts to 8th in PFF Passing Grade.
The Texans are looking for their first win of the season as they take on the Titans this Sunday. Tennessee is a defense rated 6th-worst in EPA per Pass Allowed. Houston ranks 5th-highest in pass rate. It looks like this pot has some good ingredients, and fantasy managers can be willing to make this plate.
Trevor Lawrence
Over the Jaguars' last 16 games, they've crushed their competition at home. The Jaguars are a whopping 19.34 points better at home than in a neutral-site game. That is about 10 more points than the second-best home-field advantage, Gillette Stadium (Patriots).
In 21 games with Liam Coen as head coach, Lawrence has averaged 12 more passing yards, 0.7 more touchdowns, and 0.46 fewer interceptions per game at home. That is exactly where he hosts the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend.
Matthew Stafford
The Bills are crossing three time zones to face the Rams this Sunday. That is over 2,500 miles on a direct line.
Stafford now has Puka Nacua back in the lineup, and he looked awesome in Week 4. Expect the same this Sunday, as the Bills are 6th-worst in Defensive Pass EPA per Play Allowed and 4th-worst in Fantasy Points Allowed to Quarterbacks.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.