SportsLine model reveals Week 5 fantasy rankings — SkimNews
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- SportsLine's model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times and has beaten human experts in past seasons, released its Week 5 fantasy football rankings.
- The Chiefs and Panthers are the only two teams on bye in Week 5, narrowing the pool of available players for fantasy lineups.
- T.J. Hockenson barely cracks the top 20 at tight end per the model despite a Week 4 career-high 13 catches for 119 yards, with Jefferson's likely return and a Saints defense that has held Sam LaPorta, Mark Andrews and Kyle Pitts under 50 yards driving the fade.
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt is projected as a top-15 fantasy RB this week despite ranking RB35 through four games, as the Giants have allowed five RBs to post 92+ scrimmage yards or a touchdown through four contests.
- Lamar Jackson (ankle), Breece Hall (quad) and Saquon Barkley (hamstring) are ruled out for Week 5, while Ja'Marr Chase (concussion), Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Rhamondre Stevenson (knee) are listed as uncertain.
- Ollie Gordon, Keon Coleman and Carnell Tate all posted 100-yard games in Week 4, emerging as fantasy-relevant options during bye season.
Why it matters: With bye weeks starting and Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley sidelined by injury, fantasy managers face tighter start-sit decisions where the model's contrarian fade of T.J. Hockenson and elevation of Jacory Croskey-Merritt could swing weekly matchups and league standings.
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