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Unexpected fantasy football performances and waiver wire sleepers and trade targets for Week 6 (2023). Will these NFL players sustain their Week 5 success?
Week 5 was an interesting one. There were some huge performances from the usual boom players, some big outings from some players that have mostly disappointed so far, and a lot of quarterbacks putting up solid numbers.
In this article, it’d be boring to run through the players we all expect to perform well. So instead, I’ll be diving into some of the more surprising outings in Week 5. Ones that emerged from players who were either written off, or not previously known by the general public.
With that short intro out of the way, let's get into some of the most unexpected boom performances from Week 5.
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Surprise Fantasy Football Performances
Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts
There was plenty of buzz surrounding the Indianapolis Colts prior to the start of Week 5, and for obvious reasons. With star running back Jonathan Taylor returning to the lineup and receiving a three-year deal shortly after, Colts fans couldn’t help but have high expectations.
But instead of Jonathan Taylor running the show, fellow running back Zack Moss saw a heavy workload while deciding to put up the game of his career against the Tennessee Titans' ordinarily stout run defense.
During the Colts’ win over the Titans, Moss rushed 23 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns along with two receptions for 30 yards. His big day led to a massive 32.5 half-PPR fantasy points, the second-highest fantasy output by a running back in Week 5.
While Jonathan Taylor should see a higher workload in the coming weeks, this performance shows that Moss isn’t going to just roll over. There is the possibility that he has a heavier role in this offense while Taylor is around than what was previously thought. It’d be best to hold on to him for the time being.
Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
Outside of the highlights from rookie sensation Bijan Robinson, most of the talk surrounding the Atlanta Falcons offense has been about the mediocre play of second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder. His performance has been one of the main aspects of this offense that many point toward when looking for a reason for its shortcomings.
However, in Week 5, things looked different for Ridder. During Atlanta’s close win over the Houston Texans, Ridder completed 28-of-37 passes for 329 yards and a touchdown along with four carries for 10 yards and a touchdown.
In what may have been the best outing of Ridder’s early career, his strong numbers led to 26.16 fantasy points, making him the fifth-highest-scoring fantasy quarterback in Week 5.
Now, don’t go drawing conclusions on this performance being the start of something special. The Arthur Smith-led Falcons are one of the least predictable teams in the league, and these warm feelings could quickly dissipate.
But for Ridder, this is the step in the right direction he desperately needed. Keep an eye on him if you’re in need of a quarterback.
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
With the evolvement of the Houston Texans offense at the hands of rookie phenom C.J. Stroud, there have been a few weapons that have benefited from his strong performances. After a few disappointing outings to start the season, Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz is finally benefiting from the play of the rookie quarterback.
Against the Atlanta Falcons, Schultz caught seven-of-10 targets for 65 yards and a touchdown. His solid day made him the sixth-highest-scoring tight end during Week 5 with 16 half-PPR fantasy points.
This wasn’t a massive blow-up performance for Schultz, but it is nice to see him put together two straight weeks of solid play despite looking like an afterthought in this offense early in the season. Also, his 10 targets should give fantasy managers some hope for heavier involvement from now on.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans
When you’re the backup running back on an offense with Derrick Henry, there’s usually little room to make a name for yourself on the stat sheet. But in the case of rookie running back Tyjae Spears, he’s seen more work than most would’ve expected to start the season, and his involvement paid off in Week 5.
Against the Indianapolis Colts, Spears had seven carries for 34 yards and a touchdown along with four receptions for 35 yards. His solid day led to 14.9 half-PPR points, making him the RB9 in Week 5.
While the nice fantasy outing was mostly backed by Spears scoring his first career touchdown, this could be something he builds on as the season rolls along. King Henry isn’t getting any younger, so if they want to maximize his usefulness in this Tennessee offense, Spears might need to see more work.
He should be rostered already, but if not, Spears is a player that needs to be stashed.
Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals
This last one is a name that the majority of NFL fans had no idea existed heading into Week 5, and they probably still have no idea.
With injuries mounting up in the Arizona Cardinals’ backfield, it took a little-known name to pick up the slack. Emari Demercado, an undrafted rookie running back out of TCU, had a strong game after James Conner exited with an injury.
Against the Cincinnati Bengals, Demercado had 10 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown along with one catch for 12 yards. His stats led to 12.2 half-PPR fantasy points, making him the RB14 on the week.
While this wasn’t the biggest blow-up outing from the rookie, there were few people who saw this coming. Also, there are some waiver wire implications with this previously unknown running back.
With James Conner’s knee injury being up in the air and fellow backup running back Keaontay Ingram battling a neck injury that kept him out of Week 5, Demercado is a name to monitor heading into Week 6. With bye weeks coming up, he could become a valuable fill-in for a running back-needy roster.
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