Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Picks for Fantasy Football Week 5: Josh Reynolds, Tank Dell, and Raheem Mostert

October 5, 2023

Should I start Josh Reynolds, Tank Dell, and Raheem Mostert for Week 5? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2023 NFL season.

Week 5 is coming. It is the first week in which some teams will have a bye. Fantasy managers must make tough start 'em, sit 'em decisions. Let's consider Josh Reynolds, Tank Dell, and Raheem Mostert.

Reynolds is facing another cat team, the Panthers, but one that has been considerably less successful than the Lions. Carolina has been weak on both sides of the ball. Tank Dell and Raheem Mostert both saw their hot starts cool last week. Can they get back to big-time production this week?

Should you start Josh Reynolds, Tank Dell, or Raheem Mostert in Week 5? Let's dive in.

Should I Start Josh Reynolds for Fantasy Football?

Reynolds, the Lions' primary deep threat, faces the Carolina Panthers the same week that Jameson Williams returns to the lineup. Don't expect Williams to eat into Reynolds' target share too much this week, however. Lions coach Dan Campbell said he doesn't want to "overload" the second-year receiver.

“We just gotta see where he’s at with the football. And this will be his first week back, so we’ll take it every day and see how he does," Campbell said, as quoted by ESPN.

The Panthers rank No. 6 in total passing defense, with 176.8 passing yards allowed per game, but those numbers were brought down by a loss to the run-heavy Falcons in Week 1, in which the Falcons only threw for 91 yards. Deep threat WRs like the Saints' Rashid Shaheed (4 receptions for 63 yards) and the Seahawks' D.K. Metcalf (6 - 112) have had productive games against the Panthers.

Reynolds is the WR46 in our half-PPR consensus staff rankings.

Should I Start Tank Dell for Fantasy Football?

After combining for over 200 yards and two touchdowns in Weeks 2 and 3, Tank Dell only caught one pass for 16 yards against the Steelers in Week 4. Is it the end of Tank Dell szn, or is this just a blip on his way to a big Week 5 and beyond?

The Steelers limited the Texans to short passes last week. Dell excels at making catches deep downfield and then adding yards after the catch. In Week 3, three of his seven targets and two of his four catches came 20 or more yards downfield.

In Week 5, the Texans face the Atlanta Falcons. Last week, Trevor Lawrence beat the Falcons mostly by throwing short and medium-range passes, but the few times he did fire deep, he was successful. He was 2-for-3 for a touchdown on passes of 20 or more air yards. If the Texans decide to push the ball down the sideline, Dell could have another huge game, and his upside is hard to ignore.

Dell is the WR31 in our half-PPR consensus staff rankings.

Should I Start Raheem Mostert for Fantasy Football?

Raheem Mostert only ran for nine yards on seven attempts last week. His receiving contributions only somewhat made up for his failure in the rushing game. He caught three passes for 36 yards. His two fumbles, one of which resulted in a turnover, didn't help.

Worst of all for Mostert, De'Von Achane is taking over his playing time. Achane had 11 more snaps and one more carry than Mostert. If the rookie continues producing as well as he is, you can expect the Dolphins to continue prioritizing Achane. Mostert also missed practice on Wednesday, so you should watch this situation as it develops.

That said, Mostert and the Dolphins' offense has a favorable matchup in Week 5. They face the New York Giants, who are allowing the eighth-most rushing yards per game and the 12th-most per attempt. Overall, the Giants are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing RBs.

Mostert is the RB19 in our half-PPR consensus staff rankings.

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