👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Disaster Recovery Week 5 - Studs Turned Duds

Welcome to Disaster Recovery, where each week I'll examine why your studs played like duds. This isn't a place to find out why you should have benched a player for somebody on your bench. Disaster Recovery is to examine the guys who you didn't think twice about benching, and deciding if you should be panicking at all about their value moving forward.

The players covered in this column will usually have to be in the RotoBaller top-10 at their respective positions, but it may vary depending on the status of the players each week.

Week 5 saw plenty of studs play like studs, but we did see some surprisingly poor performances from some of this season's best fantasy options.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

Week 5 Duds

Todd Gurley (RB, LAR) (#4 RB)

What Happened: Gurley ran 14 times for 43 yards and added two receptions for seven yards in a low-scoring loss to the Seahawks.

How Did It Happen: Gurley came close to scoring a touchdown early in the game, but Earl Thomas swatted the ball out of hands and through the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety. Gurley didn't receive as much volume as he usually does and the Rams offense was finally slowed down after four impressive showings to open the season.

Panic Meter: LowTodd Gurley had 596 total yards and seven total touchdowns in his first four games this season. He was due for a dud at some point. His 16 touches this week was his lowest of the season. Even with Tavon Austin rushing for a touchdown out of the backfield, owners should not be concerned about Gurley's volume moving forward. He's going to get fed. I'm not sure how often he'll be able to replicate what he did over the last two weeks, but numbers closer to the first two weeks of the season are very doable as the season moves along. There's no reason to panic on Todd Gurley.

 

Jordy Nelson (WR, GB) (#2 WR)

What Happened: Nelson caught two of his four targets for 24 yards and a touchdown.

How Did It Happen: Nelson was held out of the final drive due to an injury evaluation, paving the way for Davante Adams to score the game winning touchdown. His four targets are his lowest in almost a year, excluding Week 2 of this season. Even in a bad game, Nelson still managed to save himself from complete disaster by scoring a late game touchdown.

Panic Meter: Low. Similar to Gurley, Nelson was due for a slow game, but the fact that he was held out of the final drive due to an injury gives me a little pause. Nelson missed almost the entirety of the Packers' Week 2 matchup due to a thigh injury and is only two years removed from missing the entire 2015 season. He's a 32 -year-old playing in his 10th NFL season. By no means am I benching a healthy Nelson, but we need to hope that this week's injury is just a minor tweak and nothing that will continue to nag him as the season moves along.

 

Mike Evans (WR, TB) (#1 WR)

What Happened: Evans caught five of his eight targets for 47 yards on Thursday night.

How Did It Happen: Four different Tampa Bay players caught five passes and eight total players had receptions in Week 5. Winston was giving everybody a shot, and Evans found himself sharing the workload with a couple different guys.

Panic Meter: Medium. The good news is that even in a game where DeSean Jackson and Cameron Brate both received nine targets, Evans still managed to get eight passes thrown his way. He's yet to receive less than eight targets in a game this season. He's going to have a nice floor moving forward.

Here's the bad news: Mike Evans is on pace for 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns this season. That's fine for a normal receiver, but not for a guy who was viewed as a consensus first round pick. Evans has failed to eclipse 70 yards in each of his past three games. He hasn't crossed the 100 yard mark or had multiple touchdowns in his last nine games. He's never a bad play due to his high floor and his red zone capabilities, but it doesn't look like he's going to be the dominant WR1 most expected him to be.

 

Carlos Hyde (RB, SF) (#8 RB)

What Happened: Hyde ran eight times for 11 yards and added a reception for seven yards in Week 5.

How Did It Happen: Backup Matt Breida took the bulk of the carries, running 10 times for 49 yards in addition to 22 yards receiving. Hyde was banged up entering the game, but both Hyde and Kyle Shanahan insisted that he was healthy, with Shanahan saying that he chose to ride the hot hand in Week 5.

Panic Meter: Medium. I'm cautiously optimistic on this whole situation. Hyde has ran well for the most part this season. His monster performances in Weeks 2 and 3 show that he can be a RB1 at times. Even as Matt Breida's carries rise, Kyle Shanahan managed his timeshare running backs well in Atlanta, and I find it hard to believe that Hyde wouldn't play the Devonta Freeman role should they split the carries a bit this season. Hyde was the only 49er running back to receive a carry inside the five, and I still believe he'll receive the goal line touches all season long. The only reason the concern here is medium is because games like this have happened to Shanahan's starting running backs in the past. Hyde's upside is still too high for him to be benched in most leagues.

 

More Week 6 Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaxson Hayes

Good to Go Thursday Night
Josh Jung

Pulled as a Precaution With Hamstring Injury
Robert Williams III

Donovan Clingan Out, Robert Williams III and Yang Hansen Cleared
Sean Manaea

Trying to Return to Previous Arm Slot
Patrick Williams

Jalen Smith, Patrick Williams Out At Least One Week
Keldon Johnson

is Active on Thursday
Khris Middleton

Available Thursday Against Sacramento
Cody Ponce

Throws an Inning in Spring Debut
Daniel Gafford

Ruled Out Thursday vs. Kings
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Remains Out on Thursday
Stephon Castle

Cleared to Play Thursday vs. Nets
Davion Mitchell

is Available on Thursday
Joel Embiid

is Cleared for Thursday's Game
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Off the Injury Report for Friday
Norman Powell

Active On Thursday
Zaccharie Risacher

Available Against Washington
Andrew Nembhard

Set to Suit Up Thursday
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Won't Play on Thursday
Zack Wheeler

Targeting Early Return?
Obi Toppin

Cleared to Play Thursday
Pascal Siakam

Unavailable Again on Thursday
Nolan McLean

Dominant in First Spring Outing
Dylan Holloway

Rejoins Blues Lineup Thursday
Jalen Suggs

Returning on Thursday Night
Simon Edvinsson

Back in Red Wings Lineup Thursday
Adam Fox

Ready to Face Flyers
Rui Hachimura

Ruled Out Thursday
Igor Shesterkin

Available Thursday
Kris Letang

Returns to Action Thursday
Tim Stützle

Tim Stutzle a Game-Time Call Thursday
Patrick Williams

Will Not Be Available on Thursday
Nathan MacKinnon

Expected to Play Thursday
Malik Monk

Uncertain for Thursday Against Dallas
Merrill Kelly

Diamondbacks Holding Out Hope Merrill Kelly Can Avoid the Injured List
Samuel Basallo

Dealing With Abdominal Discomfort
Konnor Griffin

"Trending Toward Being" Opening Day Shortstop
Royce Lewis

Scratched With Tightness in his Side
Ashton Jeanty

Not in Line for Workhorse Role in 2026?
Samuel Basallo

Injured in Spring Game on Thursday
Ryan Weathers

Looks Sharp in Spring Debut
Mike Trout

Moving Around the Outfield This Spring
Nick Kurtz

A's Offer Long-Term Extension to Nick Kurtz
Shane McClanahan

to Make Spring Debut on Tuesday
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Give Anthony Richardson Sr. Permission to Seek a Trade
Brenton Doyle

Undergoes Imaging on his Wrist
Yuki Matsui

Ruled Out for World Baseball Classic
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Undergoes Internal-Brace Procedure
Roki Sasaki

Hit Hard in Spring Debut
Yordan Alvarez

to Make Spring Debut Next Week
Josh Hader

Remains Without a Timetable to Return
Giancarlo Stanton

Still Dealing With Elbow Pain, Hopes to Play Full Season
Brock Nelson

Produces 30th Goal of the Campaign
Nikita Kucherov

Extends Point Streak to 11 Games
Tage Thompson

Leads Sabres Past Devils
Wyatt Johnston

Pots Two Goals in Wednesday's Win
Ryan Lindgren

Exits Early Wednesday
Alex Newhook

Expected to Return Thursday
Robert Thomas

Takes Leave of Absence
Kyler Murray

Prefers to be Released
Derek Carr

"Strong Belief" That Derek Carr is "Very Serious" About Unretiring
Mikael Granlund

Leo Carlsson In, Mikael Granlund Out for Ducks Wednesday
Connor McDavid

Ready to Play Wednesday
John Carlson

Out Wednesday
Roope Hintz

Misses Wednesday's Action Due to Illness
Shea Theodore

Unavailable Wednesday
Mark Stone

Mitch Marner Won't Play Wednesday
Logan Cooley

on Track to Return Wednesday
Andy Dalton

Is Andy Dalton Available for a Trade?
Keith Mitchell

Making The Comfortable Return to PGA National
CFB

Chandler Morris Suing NCAA for Seventh Year of Eligibility
Chris Kirk

Searching for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Brooks Koepka

Making Third PGA Tour Start at Cognizant Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Steady Option at Cognizant Classic
Seamus Power

Seeking More Green in Florida
PGA

Haotong Li Back From a Break as Florida Stretch Starts
Stephan Jaeger

Trying to Put Four Rounds Together in Florida
PGA

Nico Echavarria Again Attempting to Make the Weekend
Patrick Fishburn

Looking for a Spark at Cognizant Classic
Blades Brown

Set for Cognizant Classic Debut
Michael Thorbjornsen

Looking to Bounce Back at Cognizant Classic
Maxx Crosby

Raiders Expect Maxx Crosby to Return
Billy Horschel

Looks to Improve Season at Cognizant Classic
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Falcons Place Franchise Tag on Kyle Pitts Sr.
Joe Highsmith

Returns to Defend at Cognizant Classic
Quinshon Judkins

Out of Walking Boot, Will be Ready for Training Camp
Breece Hall

Jets Will Use Franchise Tag on Breece Hall if Extension isn't Reached
Joel Dahmen

Needs Better Consistency Heading Into The Florida Swing
Daniel Berger

Looks to Improve Putting as PGA Tour Begins Its Florida Swing
Kirk Cousins

Falcons Plan to Release Kirk Cousins
Zach Ertz

Plans to Return for 14th Season
Davis Thompson

Struggling to Find Birdies as Florida Looms
Tom Kim

Not Quite Cutting It in 2026
Nicolai Hojgaard

Wants to Build Momentum from Scottsdale
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Returns After Extended Break for Florida Event
CFB

Gunner Rivers Follows His Father, Commits To North Carolina State
Will Zalatoris

Set to Make Tournament Debut at Cognizant Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard

Trending Up at the Cognizant Classic
Anthony Hernandez

Suffers Third-Round TKO Loss
Sean Strickland

Gets Back In The Win Column
Kyle Pitts Sr.

Falcons Planning to Use Franchise Tag on Kyle Pitts Sr.
Geoff Neal

Suffers Back-To-Back Knockout Losses
Uros Medic

Shines At UFC Houston
Dan Ige

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Melquizael Costa

Extends His Win Streak To Six
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Falls Short of Victory at EchoPark Speedway
Carson Hocevar

Rallies to Fourth At EchoPark Speedway After Early Struggles
Ross Chastain

Finishes Third At EchoPark Speedway
Chase Briscoe

Scores First Career Top-Five Finish at EchoPark Speedway
Tyler Reddick

Nabs His Second Win of the Season At EchoPark Speedway
Joey Logano

Will Be Popular DFS Pick at EchoPark Speedway
Tyler Reddick

on Pole After Qualifying Rained Out at EchoPark Speedway
Chase Elliott

Could Chase Elliott Be Worth Rostering At EchoPark Speedway?
Ryan Blaney

Is Ryan Blaney Worth Rostering for DFS at EchoPark Speedway?
William Byron

Is William Byron Worth Rostering for DFS at EchoPark Speedway?
Rondale Moore

Passes Away
Denny Hamlin

Is Worth Consideration for EchoPark Speedway DFS Lineups
Brad Keselowski

Is A Tournament Option for DFS At EchoPark Speedway
NASCAR

Is Bubba Wallace Rosterable In DFS At EchoPark Speedway?
Austin Cindric

Should DFS Managers Roster Austin Cindric at EchoPark Speedway?
Ross Chastain

Is Ross Chastain A Sneaky DFS Option for EchoPark Speedway?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Worth Rostering for DFS at EchoPark Speedway?
Alex Bowman

Will Start Towards the Rear At EchoPark Speedway
Javonte Williams

Cowboys Sign Javonte Williams to Three-Year, $24 Million Extension
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF