Week 5 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em: Xavier Worthy vs. Jameson Williams
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As we approach Week 5, fantasy owners have crucial start/sit decisions to make. Two wide receivers that the fantasy community has been debating over this week are Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver Xavier Worthy and Detroit Lions' wide receiver Jameson Williams. Both have great matchups with big play upside. If you have to choose between these two wideouts this week, who should you take?
Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
The Case For Xavier Worthy
Worthy returned to action last week, and it was immediately clear that he was the WR1 in Kansas City. He saw eight targets, which he turned into five receptions for 83 yards, and he added two carries for 38 yards, which led the team in rushing. The production was great, and even more importantly, he stayed fully healthy and did not look limited in any way. This week, he has another great matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville has allowed the 11th most fantasy points to wide receivers despite facing the Panthers, Bengals, Texans, and 49ers. They have gone up against a string of banged-up and bad quarterbacks, and still haven't stopped anybody. It's hard to imagine they'll be slowing down a red-hot Patrick Mahomes or his top receiving option this week.
The Case Against Xavier Worthy
There isn't a whole lot not to like here, but just because he escaped last week without re-aggravating his shoulder doesn't mean he's not still a re-injury risk. The Chiefs are also known for targeting a different top receiver from week to week; last week could have just been a Worthy game. We don't think so, but that can't be ruled out as a possibility. There is also the concern that the game could get out of hand, and the Chiefs won't have to throw much in the second half and could rest Worthy, who is still recovering from a separated shoulder.
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
The Case For Jameson Williams
Williams has an elite ability to turn any catch into a touchdown from anywhere on the field. His speed is on a different level. This week, he goes up against a Cincinnati Bengals' defense that could be the worst in football. They have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. He's coming off a week in which he saw a season-high eight targets, and we expect his role in the offense to continue to grow. So far this season, he's only caught 10 of his 20 targets, which leaves a ton of room for him to raise his ceiling. Through four games, he has 214 yards and a touchdown.
The Case Against Jameson Williams
The Chiefs vs Jags game could get out of hand; this game will get out of hand. The Lions are going to destroy the Bengals this week, and there is a chance that they barely throw the ball in the second half. So if Williams doesn't get it done in the first half, you might be in trouble. There is also always the concern that he is the clear WR2 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit, even though both Worthy and Williams each saw eight targets last week. Still, Williams appears to have a lower floor than Worthy.
The Verdict: Xavier Worthy vs. Jameson Williams
Both are strong starts this week, but we have to go with Worthy here. The difference for us is that we are very concerned that the Lions are up big at half, and it's just a heavy dose of David Montgomery in the second half. If the Chiefs build a lead against the Jags, we aren't sure they can just run down the clock even if they want to. Because of that, we're going with Worthy here.
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-0e06b43c57ceb063781f337e307e72d4.png "Mark Morales-Smith")
Mark Morales-Smith is a father of five, a former college football scout and semi-pro football player. Morales-Smith is a long-time competitive fantasy football player with well over a decade of professional writing experience at multiple high-level sites, including Sports Illustrated, FullTime Fantasy, FantasySP, and more.
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