Here’s a look at some of the fantasy players who had the best and worst performances of the weekend. These players are already on fantasy rosters in most leagues, so take this information into potential trade talks as you try to sell high or buy low.
Stock Up
Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals
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Burrow had been awful this season, scoring an average of 7.9 fantasy points in his first four starts. He was so bad, in fact, that I had him as this week’s top sit at the quarterback position. Well, my reverse jinx worked! Burrow and his injured calf looked great, as he threw for 317 yards with three touchdowns and scored 23.4 fantasy points. He’ll try to build on this performance next week versus Seattle.
Breece Hall, RB, Jets
This is the Breece Hall we remember! In his first game since Jets coach Robert Saleh took off his snap count, the second-year running back smoked the Denver defense for 177 rushing yards, one touchdown and 28.4 fantasy points. He had scored just 30.2 points in his first four games combined! With the shackles off and his talent making Dalvin Cook mostly useless, Hall’s stock is on the rise.
DJ Moore, WR, Bears
Fantasy managers couldn’t have gotten much “Moore” from DJ this week, as the veteran wideout posted 230 yards, three touchdowns and 49 fantasy points in a win over the Commanders. Moore is getting alpha wideout targets in recent weeks with a combined 19 in the last two games, as he’s clearly the top option in the passing game for Fields. Moore should be on the high-WR2 radar for Week 6.
Gabe Davis, WR, Bills
Davis has quietly put up some strong numbers in recent weeks, including a one-touchdown, 22-point effort against the Jaguars in London. The veteran has now put up a touchdown in each of his last four games, during which time he has averaged a very solid 17.2 fantasy points. These are the kind of numbers we were projecting for him last season, but right now Davis is a solid flex (or sell high) option.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles
That collective sigh you might have heard this afternoon was all the fantasy managers who have Goedert on their roster. He had been a complete dud in the first four weeks, averaging an awful 5.5 fantasy points. The Eagles made a concerted effort to get him involved this week, though, and it resulted in 117 yards, a touchdown and 25.7 PPR points. Start him with confidence next week against the Jets.
Stock Down
Daniel Jones, QB, Giants
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It’s hard to believe that Jones was a top-10 fantasy quarterback last season, at least based on what we’ve seen after the first five weeks of 2023. He scored a mere 7.2 points in a loss to the Dolphins, and Jones has now scored fewer than nine points in four of his five starts. The offensive line hasn’t helped him, as he’s been sacked 28 times including 16 in the last two weeks, but Jones is droppable right now.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots
Stevenson had a good start to this season, scoring a combined 29.9 fantasy points in his first two games. Since then, he has put up a mere 13.6 points in his last three. That includes a season-low 2.4-point stinker in a loss to the Saints where the Pats were blown out and pushed into a negative game script. New England’s offense is all kinds of awful right now, and Stevenson’s stats have suffered as a result.
Najee Harris, RB, Steelers
Harris continued to flounder in Week 5, rushing the ball 14 times for just 37 yards (2.6 YPC) while catching just one pass for three yards in a win over the Ravens. On the flip side, backfield mate Jaylen Warren had 40 yards on nine carries and caught three passes for 39 yards. Harris has now scored fewer than seven fantasy points in all but one game, and he’s averaging 6.7 points per game overall in 2023.
Miles Sanders, RB, Panthers
Folks, it’s time to admit that Sanders just isn’t that good of a fantasy running back. He put up an absolute stink bomb against the Lions, rushing seven times for 32 yards with a fumble lost and no catches, which totaled 1.2 points. He has now put up fewer than eight fantasy points in three of his last four games, making it tough to trust him even during the bye weeks. I’d be trying to deal him.
DeVonta Smith, WR, Eagles
Smith has hit a bit of a rut, scoring a mere 1.6 fantasy points in a win over the Rams. He has now scored fewer than seven points in two of his last three contests, during which time he has averaged just 7.7 points. He’s far too talented to be held down much longer, however, so now’s the time to go out and make a trade off for the star receiver. Smith will face the Jets, Dolphins and Commanders coming up next.
