Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em: Don't overlook this under-the-radar rookie WR in Week 5

The first month of fantasy football has seen plenty of surprising talents rise to prominence while a number of stars have repeatedly failed to meet expectations. Four games isn't the greatest sample size, but we've gotten enough information to make more sound lineup decisions.

Here's what to do with some players who you might be on the fence about starting for Week 5. 

Quarterbacks

Start: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Giants at Dolphins / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Last week's 48-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills proved that unless wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are productive, Tagovailoa won't be an elite fantasy quarterback, as he posted just 13.98 fantasy points in four-point passing touchdown formats. The Giants defense isn't an ideal opponent for quarterbacks or receivers, but Tagovailoa's weapons should rebound nicely against a unit that features two rookie cornerbacks.

Even though New York’s struggles suggest this will be a blowout, causing Miami to run the ball in the second half frequently, this game actually has an implied point total of 47.5, the third-highest for this week's slate.

Other starts: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers; Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts; Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Sit: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars at Bills (in London) / 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday

Lawrence hasn't made the leap to fantasy superstardom that many anticipated when he was selected as the QB8 in preseason drafts, with the 23-year-old ranking as the 19th-best signal-caller through four games. While his struggles are largely the result of his receiving corps, which has dropped the second-most passes in the NFL (nine), Lawrence has a daunting challenge ahead against Buffalo's stout defense.

Not only do the Bills lead the league in takeaways (11)  and sacks (16), they also allow the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks (7.6). It won't be long before Lawrence has a breakthrough outing, it's just unlikely that we'll see one this week.

Other sits: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers; Jared Goff, Detroit Lions; Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals 

Running backs

Start: Breece Hall, New York Jets

Jets at Broncos / 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday

Hall is heading back to Denver – the site of his rookie season-ending ACL injury – facing the most advantageous matchup for a running back. Denver has allowed the most rushing yards (613), touchdowns (seven) and fantasy points (163.8) to the position. Jets HC Robert Saleh told reporters Wednesday that Hall is officially off a snap count, which should result in similar usage to last year when he was the RB7 in PPR scoring formats on a points-per-game basis. 

Other starts: De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins; David Montgomery, Detroit Lions; Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts 

Sit: Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

Saints at Patriots / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Stevenson, the PPR RB7 overall in 2022, has seen his fantasy value plummet in recent weeks due to New England's shortcomings on offense. In spite of his 18 touches per game, Stevenson isn't getting nearly enough of the pass-catching work that made him such a desirable pick in drafts. Per Fantasy Life's Dwain McFarland, the third-year tailback's 15 percent targets per route run is significantly lower than his 26 percent from last season. 

Without that receiving upside to elevate his floor, Stevenson's outlook looks bleak against the Saints, whose defense allows 3.5 yards per rushing attempt and the fifth-fewest fantasy points to running backs (10.4). 

Other sits: Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers; Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers; Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos

Wide Receivers

Start: Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs at Vikings / 4:25 ET Sunday

A deep sleeper who could still be available on your waiver wire, Rice deserves serious consideration as a starting option this week. As Fantasy Points' Scott Barrett notes, Rice ranks fourth among wide receivers in expected fantasy points per route run (0.61). He's being utilized as a top weapon in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense, so it's only a matter of time before he explodes. And there would be no better opportunity to do so than in what is expected to be a shootout in Minnesota. 

Other starts: Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers; Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers; Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders

Sit: Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens

Ravens at Steelers / 1 p.m. ET Sunday

Although Flowers has arguably been the best first-round rookie wideout, this week's potential game script, along with the returns of Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman, outweigh his talent. The Ravens defense has allowed four touchdowns this season, while the Steelers offense has scored the same number of TDs, making it fair to assume Pittsburgh won't be finding the end zone much. In turn, this should lead to a similar situation to what Baltimore had last week when it tallied 33 rushing attempts compared to 19 passes.

Other sits: Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams; Drake London, Atlanta Falcons; Garrett Wilson, New York Jets

Tight Ends

Start: Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals

Bengals at Cardinals / 4:05 ET Sunday

The Cardinals have been surprisingly solid from a fantasy perspective, with veteran Ertz emerging as the most trusted weapon on offense. Ertz's 30 targets are the second-most among tight ends this season and his 20 receptions rank fourth at the position. Expect Ertz to continue his impressive streak against a Bengals defense allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends (10) and giving up three touchdowns to the position throughout their first four games.

Other starts: Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys; Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams; Darren Waller, New York Giants

Sit: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Cowboys at 49ers / 8:20 ET Sunday

Coming off a game where he caught just one pass for nine yards, it's fair to say Kittle has been largely underwhelming outside of a seven-catch, 90-yard performance in Week 3 against the Giants. Despite being one of the most prominent names at a position that is essentially a dice roll for result predictions, Kittle is facing the top fantasy defense, which allows a mere 4.4 points per game to tight ends. 

Other sits: Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars; Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles; Hunter Henry, New England Patriots