PlayerProfiler is home to the award winning redraft rankings and tools. Our Player Rankings are second to none, and the World Famous Draft Kit contains detailed player write ups and cheat sheets to help You dominate fantasy drafts! Check it out. Below, Bradley Stalder breaks down premium fantasy football flex players for Week 5.
In this weekly fantasy football flex plays article, I identify three players outside the top 50 projected FLEX starters who will “win” the FLEX. How do I define “winning” the FLEX position? If a player earns at least 12.5 points in half-point PPR scoring, that’s a “win.” Anything less than that is a loss. I also identify one player outside the top-100 in projected points for the week as a long-shot, double-or-nothing score. Throughout the season, I’ll offer players I think will “win” the FLEX each week and update how I did last week as accountability.
Week 5 Record: 1-2
Running Records 6-9 , 40-percent
Trey Sermon| RB, Indianapolis Colts
Trey Sermon is rostered on four-percent of teams, and only projected to start on one-percent. He projects as the 196th-highest FLEX player in Week 6. Jonathon Taylor is dealing with the ankle sprain that kept him out of the lineup in Week 5. Sermon handled 16 touches in relief, and will look to handle the workload again for the Colts. Jacksonville mostly bottled up Sermon in Week 5, limiting him to 3.8 yards per carry. However, in Week 6, it’s unlikely Taylor plays, teeing up Sermon for a volume RB2 week.
The Colts travel to division rival Tennessee. who is coming off the bye week. A projected 43 point game total isn’t inspiring; however, with a close game expected, this will lead to a more balanced game from Sermon. Sermon may have handled more rush attempts in Week 5, had it not been for multiple downfield bombs from Joe Flacco to Alec Pierce. Much of the Colts’ offensive output depends on whether Richardson (questionable) or Flacco is the starting quarterback. Either way, project Sermon as a solid FLEX option.
Jalen Tolbert | WR, Dallas Cowboys
Jalen Tolbert is rostered on eight-percent of teams, but only projected to start on one-percent. He projects as the 119th-highest FLEX player for Week 6. Weirdly, the Sleeper projections have Tolbert low, despite Brandin Cooks being officially placed on the Injured Reserve list due to a knee infection. Over the last three weeks, Tolbert has only six fewer targets than tight end Jake Ferguson and only four fewer targets than star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Tolbert, the former third-round pick out of South Alabama ranks No. 5 among wide receivers in fantasy points per target versus man coverage on the season. He’s clearly taken on the “deep-threat” role for the ‘Boys, playing 89-percent of snaps and a 13.2 average depth of target.
The Cowboys host the Detroit Lions, who are coming off their bye, and have the highest projected game total of the week at 52.5. While the Lions have held opposing No. 2 outside wide receivers to 8.4 fantasy points per game, the game environment should lend itself to touchdown upside for Tolbert.
Jameson Williams | WR, Detroit Lions
Jameson Williams is rostered on 77-percent of teams, and projected to start on 13-percent of them. Williams projects as the 56th-highest FLEX player for Week 6. Williams has finished as a Top-24 Wide Receiver in three of four contests so far this season, and has shown big play ability. The third year wideout ranks No. 4 among wide receivers in yards after catch, No. 2 in yards per reception, and No. 10 in red zone targets. Detroit have trusted Williams with higher leverage play calls in addition to manufactured touches he had in previous seasons. While his 20.2-percent Target Share ranks No. 43 at the position, it’s still respectable enough to solidify Williams as a boom play.
As mentioned during the Tolbert blurb, there should be plenty of scoring to go around for both the Lions and Cowboys in Week 6. Expect OC Ben Johnson and HC Dan Campbell to continue to find ways to get Williams the ball downfield, in space, or near the red zone coming out of the bye week.
Deep Cut: Tyrone Tracy, Jr. | RB, NY Giants
Tyrone Tracy Jr. is rostered on 17-percent of teams and projected to start on one-percent. Tracy projects as the 122nd-highest FLEX player for Week 6. This is an interesting situation to monitor. Devin Singletary has a tentative projection to return to the lineup for the Giants. However, Tracy’s first NFL start was hard to ignore. His 18-129 rushing line, along with a few runs of over twenty yards, highlighted Tracy’s speed and agility. Tracy led all Week 5 rushers with four rushes of 10 or more yards. Even before the Singletary injury, Tracy’s touches were starting to heat up. His Week 3-4 total was triple that of his Week 1-2 total.
There are two ways to handle Tracy’s situation. It’s clear that his touches have increased and that he’s earned a role in the offense. If Singletary returns, Tracy is a touchdown-dependent FLEX option. However, if Singletary is out of the lineup for a second straight week, Tracy is an auto-start RB2 with volume and efficiency.
View all Bradley Stalder’s Playerprofiler articles here.
