Welcome back, readers! I am happy to return for a second year as The Sporting Tribune's fantasy football analyst. If you are new here, my mission is to help fantasy managers with any dilemmas or questions they may have through the course of the season to ultimately win their leagues. For the next 17 weeks, I will produce weekly fantasy content that will go over the waiver wire, rankings, and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em columns.
Being a fantasy manager often means having to make difficult roster decisions, but I aim to take some of the guesswork out of it with my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column for every position. It goes without saying that I won't include obvious calls like "start Trey McBride" or "sit Tommy DeVito." Instead, I search for players that could be perceived as fringe that could propel your lineups for weekly wins.
As always, if you have any questions or don't see your players here, feel free to follow me on Twitter (X) – @JamesNewell96 and send me a message, where I typically respond in a timely manner.
Start 'Em
Matthew Stafford vs. BUF (Projected FPTS – 20.2): Stafford has been slightly inconsistent in fantasy through the first four weeks of the season. He's averaged 344.7 passing yards over his last three games, with a pair of 20-plus fantasy point finishes and two finishes of 11 points or fewer, including last week in the Rams' comeback win over the Eagles. However, I like the matchup this week against the Bills, who've allowed the fourth-most points and the sixth-most points per dropback to opposing quarterbacks.
Drake Maye vs. LV (Projected FPTS – 18.4): Maye finally made me eat my own words last week, dropping 26.2 fantasy points in the Patriots' win over the Bills. Despite the quality performance, I don't believe he's done enough to retain weekly must-start status, but he's worth using when he has favorable matchups, which he does this week against the Raiders. Over their last two games, the Raiders' defense allowed Tyler Shough and Patrick Mahomes to combine for 40.8 fantasy points. Expect Maye to build on his last outing.
Jacoby Brissett vs. DET (Projected FPTS – 18.7): At this point, you can start any quarterback playing against the Lions' defense. Through their first four games, they've allowed every opposing quarterback to score 21 or more fantasy points, averaging 27.88 fantasy points per game. Detroit's defense has allowed the most passing yards and passing touchdowns and has given up one of the highest opposing passer ratings in the league. While Brissett has only had one finish with 20-plus fantasy points, the matchup is too good to ignore. Expect a shootout between these two teams.
Honorable Mentions: Jared Goff @ ARI; Dak Prescott vs. TB; Joe Burrow @ MIA; Jameis Winston @ WSH; Aaron Rodgers vs. IND; Jayden Daniels vs. NYG.
Sit 'Em
Jalen Hurts @ JAX (Projected FPTS – 16.8): I'm extremely worried about Hurts and his fantasy value. He's currently ranked as the QB18 in fantasy and has dropped to a fringe QB1 in 2026. While he's known for not having the greatest arm, he made up for it with his legs, adding an average of 9.5 fantasy points per game from 2021 through 2024. That number has dropped drastically to 5.3 per game. He's now entered my sit discussion for Week Five against the Jaguars, who've allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season and have recorded a league-high six interceptions. With the number of injuries the Eagles have, along with the bad QB play, I would avoid Hurts outright.
Justin Herbert vs. DEN (Projected FPTS – 14.6): Brutal is the only way to describe Herbert's play this season. Not only is he part of a bad offense, but he's been a significant reason why, completing just 59.7 percent of his passes with a 48.7 percent on-target rate. This week, Herbert takes on the Broncos, who will likely be without Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss in the secondary. Even if they don't suit up, I still wouldn't trust Herbert. The Chargers' offense has averaged the fewest points scored and has given the ball away at the highest rate.
Jordan Love vs. CHI (Projected FPTS – 17.7): You don't know what you're going to get out of Love. He's had some highs, like scoring a pair of touchdowns in every game this season, but those are paired with the lowest completion rate over expected in the league. He's the QB16 in fantasy points per game and has scored fewer than 14 points in two of his past three games. He has a divisional matchup this week against the Bears, who've been underrated defensively against the position. Chicago has held all but one quarterback to fewer than 13 fantasy points this season. Find a replacement for Love in Week Five.
Lowlights: Kirk Cousins @ NE; Deshaun Watson @ NYJ; Sam Darnold vs. SF; Bo Nix @ LAC; Malik Willis vs. CIN; Geno Smith vs. CLE.