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Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em, and lineup advice for the Cowboys vs. Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 5 (2024). Detailed player breakdowns and matchup analysis.
The 2024 NFL season is heating up! We're looking at Week 5 fantasy football starts and sits! We have an interesting primetime matchup for Sunday Night Football between two of the league's most storied franchises, as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It's been a rocky start to the year in Dallas, as the Cowboys have looked uneven en route to a 2-2 record. They'll look to get above .500 against a scrappy Steelers squad that suffered their first loss of 2024 last week against the Indianapolis Colts. This should be a classic matchup!
We'll be bringing you Sunday Night Football analysis all year long, focusing on who to definitely start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Let's dive into this awesome Sunday Night matchup. You can also read all Week 5 Matchups for the entire slate. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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Dallas Cowboys @ Pittsburgh Steelers - 8:20 pm ET
Point Spread: Steelers -2.5; Total: 43.5
Notable Injuries:
- None
Matchups We Love
It appears that Justin Fields will remain the Steelers quarterback for the time being, which is great news for those fantasy managers who scooped him off waivers. Fields has scored at least 19 fantasy points in back-to-back games and just finished as the overall QB1 in Week 4. Given the Cowboys' struggles on defense and the fact they have allowed the sixth-most rush yards (127) to quarterbacks, Fields is a strong QB1 play this week.
RB Najee Harris
The Cowboys front seven did a nice job against Singletary last week, but expect Najee Harris to have a much better game in Week 5. Dallas has allowed the third-most fantasy points and the second-most rush touchdowns to running backs this season. With Jaylen Warren (knee) and Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) not practicing as of Thursday, Harris is a solid RB2 option against a poor run defense.
WR CeeDee Lamb
It'll be interesting to see if Joey Porter Jr. shadows Lamb in this game. Porter has only lined up in the slot on 4% of snaps this season -- an area where the Cowboys wideout lines up over 55% of the time. Therefore, assuming the Steelers corner doesn't travel with him for most of the game, he will be lined up against undrafted rookie corner Beanie Bishop Jr. That's a fantastic matchup for the All-Pro wideout
Matchups We Hate
QB Dak Prescott
The Steelers have been one of the better defenses at preventing big fantasy days to opposing quarterbacks. That is certainly not great news for Dak Prescott in Week 5. Prescott has scored under 17 fantasy points in three of four games this season, and Pittsburgh is giving up only 11.1 fantasy points per game to the position this year. As a result, the Cowboys quarterback is a low-end QB1 on Sunday.
RB Rico Dowdle
Rico Dowdle appears to be the Cowboys RB1 this season after rushing a season-high 11 times in last Thursday's win. However, it's still too hard to rely on him in fantasy this week, especially against a tough Steelers defense. Opposing running backs are averaging only 3.5 yards per carry against Pittsburgh this season, and Dowdle is only averaging 3.9 yards per carry to start the season.
Other Matchups
There's a strong chance that Trevon Diggs will be on Pickens throughout this contest, but that shouldn't necessarily scare fantasy managers away from starting him this week. The Steelers wideout has scored in double figures in PPR formats in three of four games this season, and Nabers just torched Dallas' secondary last week. So, he'll be a solid WR2 option this week.
Jake Ferguson remains a solid TE1 option this year. He has caught at least six passes in back-to-back games while finishing with over 11.5 PPR fantasy points in both of those contests. As a result, Ferguson is a must-start in Week 5 against the Steelers. Pittsburgh is one of the few teams that has allowed two touchdowns to tight ends this year.
Pat Freiermuth enjoyed his best game of the season in Week 4, reeling in five passes for 57 yards and one touchdown. Freiermuth has been a consistent fantasy option for fantasy managers this season. He has caught at least four passes in all four games this season while also finishing as a top-15 fantasy tight end in every game. So, if you're looking for a tight end with a high fantasy floor, the Steelers playmaker could be a nice start.
Injuries:
- Brandin Cooks (knee)
- Russell Wilson (calf)
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