Week 5 RB and TE starting picks: Rachaad White vs. Bucky Irving and others

Let's take a look at the current starting decisions involving Week 5 players on Thursday night.

As the NFL game comes to a close on Thursday night, let's take a look at some of the current start/sit decisions fantasy football owners are making that involve players from the game.

Be sure to check out my latest story about the starting QB decision.

Are you looking for a starting/sitting aid? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

RB starting decision

Tampa Bay's and are part of the trending choices with , , , , , and , so let's compare them with each other.

White and Irving will face a Buccaneers defense that allows opposing running backs 25 fantasy points per week. It's a favorable matchup, but with White and Irving splitting the workload over the last few weeks, the starting options for both aren't very attractive.

White is still preferred over Irving (nearly 35% to 19%) when fantasy owners have both players. I still prefer White, but I would rather not have either player start in a standard league. The deeper the league, the better I feel when I get back into the starting lineup.

Dowdle has a brutal matchup against the Steelers, who are only allowing 16 fantasy points to opposing defensemen. Dowdle appears to have the clear lead in Dallas, but if he doesn't score a touchdown, I can't see Dowdle making a big fantasy appearance. His workload could be similar to White/Irving, even if he is the No. 1 option.

Brown faces a tough test against the Ravens, who are also only allowing opposing defenses 16 fantasy points per game. Brown had his best game in Week 4, but it was by far the best game he's had this season, making him a risky starting option next week. That and the tough duel don't make Brown particularly attractive.

Hunt will face the Saints in Week 5. New Orleans allows 20 fantasy points per game, making it a slightly below average matchup for Hunt. He's the best in Kansas City, but it also wouldn't surprise anyone to see him and (if he's activated) consider him – that would limit Hunt's fantasy prospects.

Etienne's matchup against the Colts is average as Indy allows 21 fantasy points per week. Etienne has not been the workhorse in the past and that has forced him into these starting decision stories. He's also dealing with a shoulder injury, which doesn't help matters.

Williams has a really favorable matchup against the Raiders in Week 5. Las Vegas allows opposing defensemen 26 fantasy points per week. This is a great start for Williams' fantasy prospect, but since he's not the featured back every week, it makes it a risky play. However, he has a good chance.

Stevenson also has a very favorable matchup coming up – he faces the Dolphins, who are allowing 28 fantasy points per week. He started well but has struggled over the last two weeks, and fumble issues could force a move that would put Stevenson in more of a backup role, obviously hurting his fantasy stock.

Ford has a good matchup against the Commanders, who are allowing 24 fantasy points per week. Ford has taken the lead in recent weeks, and with Ford's return likely still a few weeks away, I think Ford is a great option for the coming week.

Singletary has an average matchup against the Seahawks this week – Seattle is allowing 21 fantasy points per game. He was the clear front-runner in New York, but a groin injury is definitely a concern and could sideline him entirely.

Looking at these 10 backs, there are factors working against most of them, so it makes perfect sense to see fantasy owners indecisive when it comes to deciding who to start.

All in all, I think Ford is the frontrunner in this group. He is the clear leader, has a good game and is not struggling with an injury. Start him confidently unless Chubb is surprisingly active.

Next I would choose Etienne. His injury and his play so far scare me, but the match is good enough to continue with Etienne for another week. This could be the week that finally gets him going.

I'd take a chance on Hunt here. The matchup isn't great, but I think he'll get enough touches to score a decent amount of fantasy points, and his touchdown upside is enough to put him above everyone else in this conversation.

I would take another risk and choose Williams here. This matchup is simply too good to pass up any longer – Denver could rely on the rushing attack that gives Williams good opportunities even as he divides the work.

Give me Stevenson next. The report of him losing his starting position is a major concern, but I think the change would have been made as early as this week, so I'll use Stevenson and take advantage of his favorable matchup.

If Singletary fits, I would put him here. There's a danger in putting him ahead of White or Irving (since they can't be swapped if Singletary could be ruled out). So use your best judgment if you find yourself in this predicament.

White and Irving are the next two defenders on my list. They were both solid fantasy assets in Week 4 and could definitely be again this week. However, that's hard to believe, and their lower ceilings are the reason they're ranked so low in this article.

Give me Brown instead of Dowdle for last place. Brown is more on a committee, but I like the Bengals' offense more than the Cowboys', which increases Brown's chances of scoring. I'm trying to avoid the Steelers' defense at all costs this season.

TE starting decision

and both play on Thursday and are part of the trending decisions with , , , and .

Pitts' struggles against the Bucs' defense are pretty average as Tampa Bay allows eight fantasy points per game. Pitts is part of this decision because he hasn't consistently contributed this season – or his entire career.

Otton's matchup with the Falcons is similar as Atlanta allows eight points per game. Tampa Bay has two receivers out, so there's a chance Otton could be a solid contributor.

Kraft's battle with the Rams is favorable as LA allows 12 points per game to the TEs. Green Bay will likely be without, but has several other pass catchers and playmakers to turn to. Kraft hasn't contributed consistently this season either.

The Packers also struggle with tight ends, allowing 12 points per game. That makes Parkinson a good starting option, but he also hasn't contributed every week.

Kmet's matchup with the Panthers is another good game as Carolina is allowing 12 points per week to the position. Kmet had a big fantasy week and three bad/bad weeks, so there's risk involved with him too.

Freiermuth's duel with the Cowboys is tough, as Dallas only allows five points to opposing tight ends. Freiermuth has had at least four catches and 27 yards in every game – that's not great production, but at least it's a good fantasy floor.

The Browns are allowing eight points per game, and this is Ertz's matchup this week. He had at least three catches and 22 yards in every game – again, not great, but better than nothing.

McBride starts this week against the 49ers. San Fran allows opposing TEs to score six points per game. McBride is still recovering from a concussion, so you'll need to monitor his condition closely.

In this end-start decision with eight tight ends, the players are either inconsistent or underwhelming. It makes sense why fantasy owners can't choose between them all.

If I were to select McBride early, I would give him another chance to start (if he fits). The matchup is tough and his injury scares me, but I just couldn't justify choosing the other TEs over him.

I truly believe that you should value a little production over nothing at all, and that makes Freiermuth the second option in my book. His matchup is tough, but I'd rather take a few PPR points than none, so I'd take him over everyone else.

Next I like Otton. He should play a larger role in Thursday's game, and the matchup is solid enough to overtake the rest of the tight ends here.

Give me Ertz next. Here, too, he has a decent down-to-earth attitude, and even if he's not flashy, give me a few points over no one.

I would take strength here. He's coming off a big game, could play a bigger role and is having a good game. That gives him more of an edge than the other guys.

I would then take Parkinson's. There's room to excel in the Rams' offense and the matchup is good, and that's enough for me.

Give me Kmet instead of Pitts for last place. Kmet has a good enough matchup to expect to score a few points even in a crowded offense. I know I mentioned early on that I drafted McBride, and that's why I picked him first – Pitts was also the better choice, but has one game with no catches (McBride has caught more in one less game) and I just don't trust Pitts enough to play him.

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