The war of attrition has set in for a lot of NFL teams and Week 5 is when you see teams separate themselves a bit more as divisional matchups come into play. This week we took a look at three different divisional games where recent team matchup history yielded some interesting details. Below are a few position group mismatches this week that could help you get a little more out of your starting lineups.
Bengals WR/TE vs. Ravens secondary
The Ravens played their best game of the season against the Buffalo Bills last week, controlling the clock and turning Josh Allen over a couple of times. This week they’ll face off against a Joe Burrow-led Bengals team who put up 41 points in each of their 2021 matchups. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are your easy starts, but with the lack of quality cornerback depth on the Ravens, you can even consider Tyler Boyd a flex option this week. Even Hayden Hurst could be a nice dart throw at the TE position if you’re in need of a last minute add. There projects to be plenty of points to go around regardless if the Bengals win or lose.
Buccaneers Weapons vs Falcons Secondary
If there was ever a “get-right game” for Tom Brady, it was last week against the Chiefs. The Bucs lost, but Brady piled up 385 yards and three touchdowns, completing five or more passes and 50+ yards to four different players. This week is a must-win divisional game against a mediocre Falcons secondary and the Buccaneers running backs and wide receivers are healthier than they’ve been all season. Leonard Fournette, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are auto-starts for most, keep a close eye on Rachaad White’s usage as he’s seeing more work each week and could be a useful RB for fantasy purposes later in the season.
Jaguars RBs vs. Texans Defense
This one is a little tougher to call because the Jaguars like to spread the ball around, but the simple truth is they’re facing the 31st ranked run defense in the NFL. James Robinson and Travis Etienne will face a Houston defense that lacks a true run stuffer on their defensive line and a linebacking unit that is extremely banged up and underwhelming even when healthy. Not only could each achieve top-12 RB finishes this week on the ground, but Houston surrendered a 9/65/1TD receiving line to Chargers running backs last week. Christian Kirk has looked like a legit WR1 option as well and you can expect a favorable running game to open up some easier targets for the likes of him and Zay Jones.
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