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

Top 10 Fantasy Football Busts for Week 5

Mark McWhirter lists his top 10 fantasy football lineup busts and NFL players to avoid for Week 5 of the 2020 NFL season, based on bad matchups.

It's Week 5, RotoBallers! We're essentially one-third of the way through the fantasy regular season. With last week featuring the NFL's first COVID-related postponement, fantasy managers can officially expect the unexpected moving forward.

While some managers will lose interest or grow frustrated with the ever-growing injury list combined with unplanned bye weeks, this is the time for RotoBallers to step up and dominate using the tools provided by our excellent RotoBaller team.

Our RotoBaller team is committed to providing the best advice each week to aid you with waiver wire pickups and provide insight on every fantasy football matchup. My role is to help you keep your fantasy squad rolling by avoiding players primed to let you down on game day. Below are my top ten fantasy football busts for RotoBallers to avoid in Week 5. Good luck!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Miles Sanders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Miles Sanders has finished as the RB12, RB22, and RB33 so far and faces a well-rested Steelers Defense in Week 5 due to Pittsburgh coming off an unexpected bye week. The Steelers have allowed the third-fewest points per game to the running back position at 13.9 and have not allowed a running back to finish higher than RB21 despite facing the likes of Saquon Barkley, Melvin Gordon, and David Johnson. Jason Peters is the latest Eagle to hit the IR, further depleting a struggling offensive line. Sanders has scored only one touchdown this season and the Steelers have allowed only one rushing touchdown against.

Fantasy managers will be hard-pressed to find a better option than Sanders and it is nearly impossible to bench a three-down running back of his skill-level, but expectations should be tempered this week.

 

A.J. Green vs. Baltimore Ravens

Excluding their matchup against the Chiefs, the Ravens are top-three against fantasy receivers this season. Of course, with the Chiefs’ matchup built-in, the Ravens rank a much friendlier fifteenth versus wide receivers. A.J. Green has started extremely slowly, checking in as the WR80 after four games. While rust is surely a factor, it has been discouraging to watch as he loses both playing time and targets to younger Bengals’ receivers. Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins have been clearly ahead of Green on the target totem pole in recent weeks and it is going to be difficult to trust Green in any matchup until he shows some sign of life.

The Bengals are not expected to light up the scoreboard in rookie Joe Burrow’s first road visit to divisional opponent Baltimore, meaning GMs should allow Green to sit comfortably on benches in Week 5.

 

Matt Ryan vs. Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have been surprisingly stout against fantasy quarterbacks, ranking fifth against the position thus far in 2020. Tom Brady was held to a QB30 finish against the Panthers in Week 2 and only Kyler Murray has finished above QB19 versus Carolina this season. Matt Ryan demonstrated his reliance on Julio Jones last week, as Ryan finished as the QB25 without his number one receiver. That performance marked back-to-back disappointments, as Ryan was the QB27 in Week 3. With Julio looking unlikely to return for this week’s matchup, fantasy managers should be looking elsewhere for a dependable quarterback.

 

Austin Hooper vs. Indianapolis Colts

Austin Hooper is coming off a TE6 performance but had been dreadful in his prior three games, never topping four fantasy points in any of the three. This week, Hooper faces a Colts’ defense that has been the stingiest to opposing tight ends in terms of fantasy points allowed, at 3.2 per game. The Colts have not faced any top-tier tight ends this season but have finished second, first, fourth, and eleventh against the position. That level of consistency should have GMs wary of using any non-elite tight end against the Colts for the time being.

The Browns and Colts utilize similar offensive strategies and this game is expected to be run-heavy as a result. Hooper is third in the pecking order for targets, behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, and is unlikely to receive much more than the 3.3 targets he was averaging through the first three weeks in this matchup.

 

Myles Gaskin vs. San Francisco 49ers

Gaskin has been a pleasant surprise thus far, ranking as the RB30 after four weeks. While he has not shown much of a ceiling, he has demonstrated a safe floor. Gaskin hasn’t scored fewer than 7.7 fantasy points yet this year, mostly thanks to his 4.5 receptions per contest. Gaskin has to score from long range, as Jordan Howard has received the goal-line carries for the Dolphins.

The 49ers have allowed only 2.97 yards per carry and one rushing touchdown to opposing runners. As the Dolphins are expected to be trailing, this profiles as a low-volume rushing game in which Gaskin will have to score fantasy points through the air. Unfortunately, the 49ers have allowed only 21.25 receiving yards per game to opposing running backs. Some GMs will be forced to start Gaskin due to his volume, but he is a low-ceiling option this week.

 

Terry McLaurin vs. Los Angeles Rams

Terry McLaurin is off to a terrific start and actually leads all wide receivers in yards gained after the catch, according to Pro Football Focus, with 208. In fact, only Alvin Kamara has more yards after the catch than McLaurin. This week, McLaurin will face shadow coverage from Jalen Ramsey on a significant percentage of his snaps. The WR11 through four weeks, it is going to be nearly impossible for fantasy managers to bench the number one option for the Football Team, but he should be viewed as more of a WR2/3 than a WR1/2 in this matchup.

The Rams are sixth against fantasy receivers, even holding the powerful Cowboys’ offense to a modest showing. Stefon Diggs is the only receiver to have scored against the Rams thus far and McLaurin is still in search of his second touchdown. Kyle Allen is expected to take over for Dwayne Haskins at quarterback and fantasy managers will be left guessing about the rapport between quarterback and receiver. Fantasy GMs relying on McLaurin will want to watch closely to see how quickly he can establish chemistry with a new quarterback, as Washington could end up turning to Alex Smith if Allen is unable to provide the boost sought by head coach Ron Rivera.

 

Melvin Gordon III vs. New England Patriots

Melvin Gordon is coming off an RB3 finish and is the RB10 for the season, so it is going to be difficult for managers to find a capable alternative at an injury-riddled running back position. Keep in mind, however, that Gordon finished as the RB43 against the Buccaneers’ sturdy run defense in Week 3 and Phillip Lindsay is expected to return for this matchup. Lindsay’s return is going to punt a dent in Gordon’s workload. Gordon is reliant on heavy volume on the ground, as he has yet to top fourteen receiving yards in a game as a Bronco.

Gordon has produced at a high level for fantasy due to his three rushing touchdowns, but the Patriots have allowed only one rushing touchdown this year. The Patriots have kept the likes of Chris Carson, Josh Jacobs, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire out of the end zone on the ground, although Carson did score through the air. Drew Lock has a chance to return from a multi-week absence and undrafted Brett Rypien will make his second career start if Lock is unable to go. That is worrisome against Bill Belichick's defense, which currently ranks seventh against fantasy running backs. GMs likely do not have the luxury to bench Gordon, but he should be viewed as a low-end RB2 at best this week.

 

Joe Burrow vs. Baltimore Ravens

Joe Burrow travels to Baltimore for his first-ever matchup with the division-rival Ravens. Baltimore is 22nd against fantasy quarterbacks, but most of the damage was done by Patrick Mahomes. Excluding their matchup with the Chiefs, the Ravens would rank third in terms of fantasy points per game allowed to signal-callers. Deshaun Watson managed only a QB21 finish against Baltimore and Burrow is coming off a QB20 finish versus Jacksonville.

While Burrow is the QB11 for the season, he has now finished as the QB20 twice in four games. Burrow has only one QB1 finish in his career to this point and is unlikely to increase that total in this difficult divisional clash, as the Ravens have allowed only two passing scores to quarterbacks not named Patrick Mahomes this year.

 

D'Ernest Johnson vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have been a team you do not want to play offense against this year. That holds true for running backs, as the Colts rate as the fourth-toughest opponent for rushers. The Colts have yet to allow 90 rushing yards to any opposing backfield and have topped it off by allowing only one rushing touchdown and zero receiving touchdowns to the running back position. D’Ernest Johnson was an exciting waiver wire add following the unfortunate injury sustained by Nick Chubb. Johnson stepped in against Dallas and produced 95 rushing yards on thirteen carries, which was actually more volume than that provided to Kareem Hunt. As the Browns are a run-heavy team that has supported fantasy success for two running backs, there is reason to believe that Johnson could find himself plenty fantasy relevant until Chubb’s return.

However, there are red flags about Johnson’s Week 4 performance that bear mentioning. Kareem Hunt was dealing with a groin injury that had him legitimately questionable to suit up against the Cowboys, and the Browns at one point held a sizable 41-14 lead. It stands to reason that Johnson received additional work in an effort to manage Hunt’s reps. Johnson did not receive a target and is unlikely to be used ahead of Hunt in the passing game, and Hunt will still be the clear goal-line back. Johnson is therefore a risky flex option, as his expected utilization does not include valuable goal-line or passing game touches. Against a sturdy defense like the Colts, the floor and ceiling appear uninspiring.

 

Mike Gesicki vs. San Francisco 49ers

Outside of a big-time performance in Week 2, Mike Gesicki has not gotten it done. Gesicki’s last two games have identical receiving lines of one catch on three targets for fifteen yards. Although he bailed himself out with a touchdown in Week 3 and has two scores for the season, the 49ers have yet to allow a tight end to reach the end zone this year. The 49ers rank second against the tight end position, allowing just 4.9 fantasy points per game, and have not allowed more than 44 yards to the position in any game this season. Zach Ertz could manage only nine receiving yards last week after Evan Engram put up only 22 a week prior.

Starting Gesicki means you are banking on him being the first tight end to score against this defense and, if wrong, will be stuck with a disappointing stat line. Avoid where possible.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Start/Sit Advice




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

Quinshon Judkins

to Have "Snaps Closely Monitored" Versus Baltimore
Jauan Jennings

a "Game-Time" Decision for Week 2, Optimism That he'll Play
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Russell Wilson

Giants Have No Urgency to Bench Russell Wilson
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Brock Bowers

Officially Questionable for Monday Night
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Christian Kirk

Ruled Out for Week 2
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Brock Bowers

Expected to Play on Monday Night
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Ryan Preece

Seems Slower on Concrete Than on Asphalt
NASCAR

Legacy Motor Club's Short-Track Speed Will Likely Hold John H. Nemechek Back
Erik Jones

Definitely Faster This Year, but Short Tracks Still a Liability
Daniel Suarez

Despite Poor Qualifying Run, Daniel Suarez Might Not Be a Great Choice
Noah Gragson

Unlikely to Be Fast at Bristol but Still Might Be Worth Considering for DFS
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
Chris Godwin

Officially Ruled Out for Week 2
Xavier Worthy

Officially Ruled Out for Week 2
Austin Ekeler

Suffers Torn Achilles
Quinshon Judkins

Expected to Play Against Ravens
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Kyle Larson

Can Kyle Larson Dominate at Bristol Again?
Denny Hamlin

One of the Best at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

All Eyes on Ryan Blaney at Bristol
Chase Briscoe

Whiffs in Qualifying, Will Start 31st in Bristol Night Race
Ty Gibbs

Could Contend at Bristol
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
Zach Neto

Dealing With Wrist Soreness
Masyn Winn

Shut Down for Rest of Season
Tarik Skubal

to Undergo Imaging on Saturday
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

RapSheet: Jacory Croskey-Merritt Expected to Be Lead Back Moving Forward
Tyler Soderstrom

Scratched on Friday With Groin Tightness
Tarik Skubal

Exits with Side Tightness
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
Ketel Marte

Scratched From Friday's Lineup
Brock Purdy

Officially Ruled Out Against Saints
Jauan Jennings

Given Questionable Tag for Week 2
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Dallas Goedert

Officially Ruled Out for Week 2
Xavier Worthy

Listed as Doubtful to Play in Week 2
Jayden Reed

Hopes to Return in November Following Surgery
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Kyle Tucker

"Unlikely" to Return When Eligible on Tuesday
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Ketel Marte

Expected to Return on Friday
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Quinshon Judkins

Questionable to Make NFL Debut in Week 2
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Alexander Hernandez

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Quang Le

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Card Opener
Santiago Luna

Set For His Debut At Noche UFC 3
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Sees Little Usage in Week 2, Outlook Still Trending Upwards?
Deebo Samuel Sr.

Leads Commanders in Catches, Scores Touchdown Again
Tucker Kraft

Posts Huge Performance on Thursday
Joe Mixon

Lack of Joe Mixon Injury Updates Sparking Concern for Fantasy Managers?
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo Strikes Out 10 in Win
Aaron Judge

Matches Yankees Legend with Two-Homer Game
Anthony Volpe

Playing Through Partially Torn Labrum in his Shoulder
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
Charles Oliveira

Not Eyeing Retirement
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Will Smith

Scratched With Hand Soreness on Wednesday
Ketel Marte

has Foot Contusion, Expected to Play Friday
Shohei Ohtani

Won't Pitch This Weekend
MacKenzie Gore

to Start on Thursday
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Josh Giddey

Re-Signs With Bulls for Four Years
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent
Tyler Seguin

Cleared for Action
Mathew Barzal

Good to Go for Season Opener
Dustin Wolf

Signs Seven-Year Extension
NBA

Mason Jones Takes His Talents to Australia
NBA

Talen Horton-Tucker Joins Reigning EuroLeague Champions
Malcolm Brogdon

on Knicks' Radar
Andrew Wiggins

Attracting Interest From Lakers
Miami Heat

Heat Interested in Reunion With Precious Achiuwa
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP