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Fantasy Football: 4 Sleepers for Week 5

Annie Nader
Annie Nader@ANader33

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Fantasy Football: 4 Sleepers for Week 5

The word "sleeper" gets thrown around a lot in the world of fantasy football, to the point where an actual definition may vary from person to person. In general, in my eyes, sleepers are players who may be flying relatively under the radar in a particular field.

In any case, we all need to find a sleeper from time to time. Whether you're a season-long fantasy football manager looking to roster a potential breakout player before your league-mates, someone playing NFL DFS on FanDuel who needs a spike week from a low-salaried player, or even just a manager in a pinch due to byes or injuries, we have you covered.

Here are some fantasy sleepers who could have a big week this week.

We'll reference our NFL projections. All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Fantasy Football Sleepers: Week 5

Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers

FanDuel Salary: $5,700

With Jordan Love back in the fold, the Green Bay Packers' pass-catchers are firmly back on our fantasy radar.

Love threw for a head-turning 389 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions in last week's rowdy loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks were the main benefactors of Love's return. Reed caught seven of his eight targets for 139 yards and one score. Wicks saw a whopping 13 targets for 78 yards and two scores. But Romeo Doubs plays a notable role in this offense, too, and his modest DFS salary and under-the-radar vibe make him an intriguing sleeper target in this weekend's game versus the Los Angeles Rams.

In two games alongside Love, Doubs has earned an 18.1% target share. He caught 8 of his 15 targets for 89 yards in this two-game span. He also caught all three of his targets in Week 2 for 62 yards. On the season, he's danced with a 91.8% route participation rate and 15.8% red zone target share but has yet to reach the end zone despite 20 targets.

Across the league, 62 wideouts have earned at least 18 targets this season and 80.6% of those players have scored at least one touchdown.

The touchdowns could come as soon as this week for Doubs, who will draw a matchup against a 30th-ranked Rams pass defense. The Rams have allowed eight passing touchdowns (third-most in the NFL) through four games, and the Pack have a gaudy 26.5 implied total against them this Sunday.

Our Brandon Gdula considers Doubs one of the top breakout candidates for Week 5, noting that the third-year receiver has been tackled inside the five twice and logged two empty end zone targets this season. Keep an eye on the injury report as Doubs was absent from Thursday's practice due to personal reasons.

Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears

FanDuel Salary: $5,600

RotoWire projects Rome Odunze to have just a 6.4% roster rate on FanDuel's Week 5 DFS main slate, which makes him an intriguing under-the-radar option in his matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

Odunze has handled a 17.3% target share, 21.1% red zone target share, 31.6% air yards share, and 92.2% route participation rate in his rookie season with the Chicago Bears.

He had a massive Week 3, catching 6 of his 11 targets for 112 yards and one touchdown. He was a total non-factor in Week 4, grabbing one of his three targets for just 10 yards.

But the fourth week of the season was a weird one for Chicago's offense. D'Andre Swift handled 16 carries and seven targets for 165 yards. Chicago's wideouts were limited to just 12 total targets. Despite a spike week, Swift hasn't been all that efficient for the Bears, and Caleb Williams should find success against a 28th-ranked Carolina pass D.

The Panthers have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to WRs, including the 4th-most touchdowns.

Chicago holds a 23.5 implied team total in this one, and while D.J. Moore has carved out the most substantial role, Odunze is a high-ceiling option who isn't drawing the masses after a tough Week 4 showing.

Trey Sermon, RB, Indianapolis Colts

FanDuel Salary: $5,900

It goes without saying that Trey Sermon is only a viable option if Jonathan Taylor (ankle) doesn't play this week, but that seems to be the direction we're heading.

Taylor has not practiced as of Thursday, and it seems unlikely that he'll go this week considering it's an ankle injury, something he has dealt with before.

As the only other running back to log a carry this season for the Indianapolis Colts, Sermon figures to take on an exciting workload. Sermon logged five carries alongside Taylor last week while earning a red zone attempt that resulted in the end zone in Week 3. If the Colts hadn't been using him at all, I'd be a bit more hesitant here.

Indy will visit the 0-4 Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend. Jacksonville's rush D ranks 20th and have let up the 6th-most rush scores this season.

Our NFL projections forecast Sermon to log 15.9 carries and 2.1 targets this weekend. That potential volume against a team like the Jaguars is super exciting at a $5,900 salary, so Sermon is definitely worth a nod if you're looking to save some salary at running back this weekend.

Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens

FanDuel Salary: $5,900

In theory, it wouldn't be easy to advocate for a running back entrenched in Derrick Henry's offense, but Justice Hill's work in the passing game makes him one of the more intriguing plays on a Baltimore Ravens team that has a 25.5 implied team total this weekend.

Hill had a breakout performance in last week's Sunday Night Football match against the Buffalo Bills. Though afforded just four carries in that one, Hill made his presence known in the passing game, catching all six of his targets for 78 yards and one touchdown.

Entering Week 5, Hill sports a 17.5% target share, the second-highest on the team behind only Zay Flowers. He's been limited to just 14 carries, though, and one of those was a red zone carry in non-garbage time play.

Justice Hill - Receiving Yds

Justice Hill Over
Oct 6 5:00pm UTCMore odds in Sportsbook

Henry has his workhorse title for a reason, and I'm not expecting Hill to necessarily eat into his volume; it is of note that the former rushing champ has handled a massive 49 carries across his last two games. It wouldn't be shocking to see Baltimore reel in Henry to some degree.

The Ravens will take on the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday. The Bengals have the seventh-worst adjusted defense and have ceded 104 points (fifth-most) through four games. The Ravens are favored by just 2.5 points for a game that features a 48.5 over/under, the second-highest on the slate. I don't think it's a bad deal to get in on one of Baltimore's top pass-catchers in a contest that sets up to be a shootout.


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Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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