Welcome Fantasy friends and foes to the 2022 Fantasy Football Week 5 Stock Up/Stock Down.
Fantasy Football seems reasonably easy. Acquire and organize your roster to score the most points every week on your way to the championship. Simple, huh? Not when you get the outliers that wreck your fantasy life. Alvin Kamara does not play in London, causing major hysteria in fantasy circles. Who would have thought the most productive combo in Week 4 would be Jared Goff and T.J. Hockenson?
One of the abovementioned players sees their fantasy stock rise after Week 4. Find out what other players see their Fantasy stock rise and fall in the 2002 Fantasy Football Week 5 Stock Up/Stock Down.
2022 Fantasy Football Week 5 Stock Up/Stock Down
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Stock Up
Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith has resurrected his career in Seattle. After being ridiculed throughout his career, Smith enjoys the last laugh. Smith is the QB10 through four weeks and fits well in the Seahawks offense. He has outperformed his predecessor Russell Wilson and will look to continue to enjoy his resurgence with two excellent wide receivers, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and an effective running game. In addition, the Seahawks have a bottom-five defense which provides the negative game script that can allow Smith to succeed for fantasy managers.
Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Everyone tries to write off Rashaad Penny, but he continues to thrive in adversity. Penny has dealt with numerous injury issues throughout his career. While on the field, Penny can lead the Seahawks' offense on the ground and pushed many fantasy managers across the finish line last season with his late-season surge.
Even the Seahawks do not put too much faith in Penny. They drafted running back Ken Walker in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft to take over the Seahawks backfield, presumably. However, someone forgot to tell Penny. Penny won many Week 4 fantasy matchups with his 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Detroit Lions. At least Seattle has proven they have not given up on Penny. Either should fantasy managers.
Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Miles Sanders has been on plenty of my bust lists the past few seasons. His lackluster production in the past has quieted the fantasy crowd to make Sanders a fallback option at running back. However, his play this season has proven me wrong.
On the season, Sanders is averaging five yards per carry. After not scoring a touchdown last season, Sanders has produced three touchdowns in four games. He was electric in the Eagles' come-from-behind win against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4, rushing for 134 yards and two scores. Sanders has been one of the pleasant surprises of the young season, and with the quarterback, Jalen Hurts, and that imposing defense, the Eagles are the only remaining undefeated NFL team.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb has become the go-to weapon in the Dallas Cowboys offense. Lamb was projected to be the primary weapon, but he has not always fit or produced in that role. Well, until now. Lamb has scored touchdowns in consecutive weeks and has caught 14 of his 20 targets for 184 yards. And Lamb is producing these types of numbers with Cooper Rush. So what happens when Dak Prescott returns? It is a fantastic time to have Lamb on your fantasy roster.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Detroit Lions
Holy Cow! TJ Hockenson had the game of his football life in Week 4. Hockenson set a group of records in Week 4 with eight receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Of course, it helped that the Detroit Lions were missing multiple offensive weapons. Regardless, hats off to Hockenson for a fantastic game.
Stock Down
Mitch Trubisky, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Mitch Trubisky experiment is over in Pittsburgh. The Steelers were hoping that Trubisky could be a serviceable quarterback to bridge over to his eventual successor, Kenny Pickett, the 20th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, Trubisky struggled to lead the Steelers' offense, and Mike Tomlin pulled the plug and benched Trubisky at halftime of their Week 4 loss to the New York Jets. As a result, Trubisky will be relegated to backup duty for the remainder of the season (career?).
Michael Carter, RB, New York Jets
Hey, it was fun while it lasted. Michael Carter was leading the New York Jets backfield, but it has ended with the rookie Breece Hall now the lead back for the Jets. Carter has totaled 50 or fewer yards in the last three games, while Hall saw double-digit carries for the first time this season in Week 4. Hall has outplayed Carter the past two weeks and has displayed why he was drafted in the first round by the Jets. Hall culminated his Week 4 coronation with the game-winning touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. A sign of things to come in New York.
Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Chase Claypool exploded onto the fantasy scene in his 2020 rookie season with nine touchdowns. The issue is that Claypool peaked that season and has gone downhill. In his 2021 season, his touchdown production plummeted to two scores, and he was outside looking in at the Pittsburgh Steelers' pecking order for targets.
Claypool has been a complete bust through four games, including his latest effort. He was shut out on two targets in Week 4. Now the Steelers have turned to rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett to lead the offense, which doesn't bode well for Claypool to revisit fantasy value.
Gabriel Davis, WR, Buffalo Bills
Fantasy managers must be highly frustrated with the Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabriel Davis. After the preseason hype that surrounded Davis after his explosion in last season's playoffs, Davis has been quite a disappointment. Plenty of the anguish should be attributed to an ankle injury suffered in practice heading into Week 2. The lingering effects of that injury have resulted in eight catches on 14 targets for 138 yards and one touchdown in three contests while also sitting out Week 2.
The preseason hype catapulted his draft capital, and now he has bust written all over him after four weeks of the season. However, there is still a long season ahead, so don't give up just yet.
Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
The TE position continues to be a wasteland, and Darren Waller is currently the TE12 predominantly based upon one score through four weeks should validate that. Waller is averaging four catches and 44 yards per game this season which is a far cry from what we expected from Waller coming into this season.
Waller is producing a 16.6 percent target share, ironically ranking 12th among TE. However, all fantasy managers know that Derek Carr has a bromance with Devante Adams, as evidenced by ranking second among wide receivers in targets with 47. The Raiders rank in the top ten with a 63 percent pass ratio, but Head Coach Josh McDaniels and Carr still can't find Waller some more targets, limiting his fantasy production and value.
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