NFL Week 5 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: Geno Smith Vs. Sam Darnold
In this story:
Week 5 of the NFL season could present some decisions at the quarterback position for fantasy football lineups. Some notable quarterbacks around the league are dealing with injuries, bringing about potential start-sit decisions when constructing this week’s lineup. Two of the league’s top passers, Geno Smith and Sam Darnold, are set to take the field for their respective matchups on Sunday.
Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders will go on the road to take on the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC showdown. They’ll look to rebound from a narrow 25-24 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 4, entering Sunday’s game with a 1-3 record on the year. Smith struggled versus Chicago last weekend, throwing three interceptions in the loss.
Darnold and Smith’s former squad, the Seattle Seahawks, will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in front of a friendly crowd, looking to build on a 3-1 start to the season with a fourth consecutive win on Sunday.
Fantasy owners could be considering both Smith and Darnold for this week’s lineup, but who makes the better case to start?
The Case For Geno Smith
Despite considerable turnover numbers entering Week 5, Geno Smith has carved out a pair of notable fantasy performances through four games. Smith emerged with a breakout performance in the season opener, completing 70.6% of his passes for 362 yards and a touchdown with an interception, posting 18.5 points for a QB15 finish, outperforming his ADP. He bounced back after a down Week 2 performance with a three-touchdown, 26.1-point performance in Week 5.
Smith’s best games have come against inconsistent secondaries, giving him a favorable matchup versus the Colts in Week 5. Coming into Sunday’s game, Indianapolis’ pass defense ranks 21st in the NFL, while the run defense has emerged as a top unit in the league.
The Case Against Smith
Admittedly, it’s hard to rely on the two-time Pro Bowler in fantasy. In two games this season, Smith’s fantasy production has plummeted versus above-average defenses. Entering Week 5, he’s leading the NFL in interceptions (7) and has finished outside the top-20 in his position in fantasy twice through four games.
In Week 2, Smith threw three interceptions versus the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing the game with just 6.2 points. He struggled again in Week 4 with another three-interception showing versus the Bears, posting 12.8 points with a QB25 finish.
The Case For Sam Darnold
After a modest start to the season, Darnold has emerged with efficient production during Seattle’s three-game win streak. After a disappointing fantasy performance in the season opener, Darnold has eclipsed 16.0 points in each of his last three games. During that stretch, he has completed 70.1% of his passes for 755 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions.
He projects to continue his efficient play against what’s been an inconsistent Buccaneers defense to start the season. Seattle is entering Week 5 with the sixth-rank scoring offense in the NFL, due in large part to Darnold’s efforts under center.
The Case Against Darnold
Though he’s been quite consistent over the past three games, Darnold has yet to emerge with a true breakout performance in fantasy. He’s been a safe start versus three modest defensive units dating back to Week 2, but hasn’t broken out with a 20.0-plus point performance as Smith displayed in Week 3.
The rushing attack has emerged as a focal point of Seattle’s defense, ranking fourth in the NFL in attempts entering Week 5, compared to a passing attack checking in at No. 31 in attempts.
The Final Verdict
Though Smith is set to face a favorable individual matchup from a fantasy standpoint versus Indianapolis' secondary, the Colts defense has been a solid unit overall to start the season. Keying in on the Raiders’ run game could create an uncomfortable game environment for Smith on Sunday. I’m going to roll with the consistent play of Darnold over Smith for Week 5 lineups.
Seattle is favored by 3.5 points entering a matchup that should see another efficient day from Darnold and the Seahawks' pass game. His safe floor is too significant to pass on in favor of the inconsistent play of Smith.
Read More Fantasy On SI News
Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.