Welcome in, Nerds! The Dynasty Nerds have helped you throughout the NFL offseason, preparing for the 2023 fantasy football season. Now that your teams are set, it is time to get to work and win some dynasty championships. Every week, our writers will help you with some tough decisions and give you insight that you can’t get anywhere else. I will be giving my quarterback start/sits every week to help you set your starting lineups.
Below is a list of all of our weekly positional articles. Please follow us, tweet us, and DM us. We can’t wait to talk football with all of you nerds!
- Changing the Call (QB): Mike Hicks
- The Cutback (RB): Jake Oliver
- Slant Pattern (WR): Tristan Cook
- 12 Formation (TE): Steven Pintado
- Flex on ‘Em (FLEX): Evan Brown
- IDP Start/Sit (IDP): Jon Glosser
NOTE: Rankings are based on a 12-team PPR league. So, saying WR2 means top 24, or TE1 means top 12, etc., and are pulled from Fantasy Pros consensus expert rankings
LAST WEEK
1-2 (1DNP)
Week 4 was a mixed bag of results in fantasy football overall, and my predictions were also. Unfortunately, one of my starts ended up null and void when Jimmy Garopollo did not play due to a concussion. I was saved by my other selection, Russell Wilson. He was QB9 with 223 yards and three touchdowns. I predicted he would finish as a top-12 QB, but he even outperformed that prediction.
As for my sit predictions, I was completely wrong. Brock Purdy and the 49ers had a closer game than most anticipated against the Cardinals. Purdy leaned on his weapons but also had a game himself. He was QB 11 with 283 yards and two total TDs. My biggest mistake was saying that Lamar Jackson would finish outside QB1 range, and boy, was I wrong. For the first time in his career, he had two passing TDs and two rushing TDs in the same game. He outperformed his ECR and finished as QB4.
WEEK 5 STARTS
Zach Wilson, Jets, QB22
Wilson and the New York Jets have had a disappointing 1-3 start to the season after Aaron Rodgers’s early injury. Currently, Wilson is QB26 through the first four games of the season, and his best performance was QB24. In Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Wilson showed some of the talent that we all hoped to see, finishing as QB14. He will look to build upon his last performance in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos won their first game of the season last week, but they are still not on track as a defense or as a team. The Broncos have allowed the most points to QBs, giving up 25.3 PPG. In the first four weeks, the Broncos have given up three top-12 QB performances. The Broncos are 30th in yards allowed with 1,210 yards. They have also given up 13 passing touchdowns, which is the most in the NFL. With an over/under 43.5, the Broncos will need to stop Wilson and the Jets offense.
Wilson finished with a completion percentage of 71.8% last week, which was 12th in the NFL. He will look to continue that success against the hapless Broncos defense. The Jets have the offensive weapons to succeed against the Broncos when everything is going right. To get the road victory, Wilson will need to have another performance like he did last week. Wilson will outperform his ECR of QB22 and finish as a high-end QB2 for Superflex leagues.
Josh Dobbs, Cardinals, QB19
The Arizona Cardinals were written off before the season even began, but Josh Dobbs had different plans. So far in 2023, Dobbs is QB16 while keeping the Cardinals in all of their games so far. He has two top-10 performances, and with a current ECR of QB19 will look to have another great performance. They go against a struggling opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals defense has had an up-and-down season so far. They aren’t a great defense, but they are 20th in fantasy points allowed to QBs. The Bengals’ pass defense is 16th in passing yards allowed. However, they have given up the fifth most rushing yards to QBs in 2023. The Bengals offense has struggled, which keeps opponents in games this year, which will force the Bengals defense to have a good game if they want to try and turn around their early season woes.
Dobbs has been a bright spot on a team that didn’t have very hopes in 2023. He is 20th in the league, passing for 814 yards. But one surprise so far: Dobbs is fourth in rushing yards by a QB with 141 yards. With a game script that I believe will be a close game until the end, he will need to be a factor if the Cardinals want to get the victory. Dobbs will outperform his ECR of QB19 and be a top-15 QB. He is a must-start in SF leagues and a great streaming option in 1QB leagues.
WEEK 5 SITS
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars, QB20
Lawrence came into the season with the hopes of having a top-5 QB performance. Unfortunately, so far, the 2023 season has been an up-and-down one at that. He has two top-12 performances but also finished Week 3 as QB32. Lawrence has passed for 943 yards. For a team that was expected to have a high-powered offense, it is surprising that Lawrence has only thrown four TDs so far. Can he get his season back on track when he plays in London for the second straight week in week 5?
In Week 5, Lawrence is going against a formidable opponent in the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have been known as a strong defensive team ever since Sean McDermott was hired as head coach, and 2023 is no different. The Bills are second in fantasy points allowed to QBs, giving up 11.6 PPG. The passing defense is a staunch fourth-best in yards allowed, only allowing 777 yards. They also have eight interceptions and 16 sacks. To stay undefeated, the Bills must limit Lawrence and the Jaguars offense. With a spread currently at -5.5, the Bills will look for their offense to get ahead and hope the defense can do its part in handling the Jaguars offense.
Lawrence is comfortable playing games in London now, and he needs to be if he wants to come out with a victory. The question is, will Lawrence be able to improve his current season ranking of QB20? Yes, he will do better than he has. However, he will not be able to live up to his Week 5 ECR of QB10. Yes, he is a start in SF leagues, but sit Lawrence in 1QB leagues, where I believe he will finish around QB15.
Jared Goff, Lions, QB9
The Detroit Lions have gotten off to a good 3-1 start to the season. Goff has also had a decent start to the season and is currently QB134. Goff had one top-12 performance when he finished as QB6 in Week 2. He has seven total TDs, with six of those being through the air. He can be a game manager when needed, but can also air it out when needed. Which Goff will be needed in Week 5 is the question.
The Lions opponent is the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are tied for first in points allowed to QBs with 11.6 PPG. They are also an outstanding sixth in the NFL, with 786 yards allowed. To win in Week 5, the Panthers will have to keep up their great start on stopping the opposing QB. On the other hand, the Panthers have given up the third most rushing yards to running backs so far this season. With a struggling offense, the Panthers’ defense will be leaned on.
Goff is known to be a better player in home games compared to road games, but will this week be the same? As I mentioned before, Goff has had one top-ten finish this season. That performance was in a game that was a high-scoring affair against the Seahawks, where the Lions ended up losing the game. His low-scoring games have all been in wins, where they need him to be more of a game manager. And against the Panthers, I don’t expect this game to be very close in the second half, which will allow the Lions to attack the already weak Panthers run defense. Goff will not perform up to his ECR of QB9 and will finish as a fringe QB1. The game script is what is forcing him to even possibly finish outside the top 12.
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