10 Fantasy Football sleepers from NFL Week 5

It was a fun fantasy football week 5. Especially for owners of these 10 fantasy football sleepers came up with big weeks despite low expectations.

Oct 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) catches a pass against Houston Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson (30) in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings win 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Week 5 in the NFL was a week full of down-to-the-wire finishes and surprising performances. The top fantasy scorer of the week was one of the biggest surprises–Marcus Mariota. Mariota isn’t on this list of fantasy football sleepers, though, since he was included in my fantasy football scoring leaders earlier today. What you will find on the following slides are some of the biggest fantasy football sleepers that emerged from Week 5 that need to be on your radar going forward.

Each week at FanSided, I run down the top fantasy football sleepers who emerged the previous week. They typically are players that were off the radar coming into the week but put up noteworthy performances. Every Monday of the season features our top 15 fantasy scoring leaders, our top 10 fantasy football busts, and our top 10 fantasy football sleepers.

In this post focused on the all-important fantasy football sleepers, I highlight the players that had little or no expectations coming into the week but stepped up and delivered good numbers. Whether due to bigger opportunities or better matchups, these players came through for their owners who were bold enough to play them. You definitely want to be aware of these players going forward and many will make our Tuesday list of waiver wire pickups to target.

You won’t find a ton of well-known names on this list unless they came back out of nowhere this week. Instead, these are names you may not know yet, but names you’ll want to at least be aware of going forward.

Make sure to check back tomorrow for my top waiver wire pickups so that you can improve your fantasy football team going into Week 6. To catch all our fantasy football coverage, make sure to drop a bookmark on our fantasy football hub and follow us on Twitter @FansidedFantasy. You can also check out our new start/sit tool and be sure to let us know how we can help your team be set up for success in the coming weeks.

Let’s get rolling with our Week 5 fantasy football sleepers starting with a defense that stepped up.

Oct 9, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) sacked Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Titans won 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Titans D/ST

Don’t look now, but the Titans are 2-3 and just one game out of first place in the AF South. They actually have the best point differential of the four teams in that division at -9. They got a nice road win in Miami this week and their defense emerged as one of the fantasy football sleepers to check out moving forward.

The Titans harassed the Dolphins into two interceptions and sacked Ryan Tannehill six times. Jason McCourty had one of the two picks with the other going to Daimion Stafford. The half-dozen sacks were split up two-a-piece going to Brian Orakpo, Derrick Morgan, and Jurrell Casey. As a team, Tennessee allowed just 17 points and held Miami without a 100-yard receiver, a 100-yard rusher, or a 200-yard passer.

The Titans finished with 13 fantasy points in standard scoring which was the fourth-highest total of the week. They’re definitely an option to stream this coming week as they take on the Browns who may end up starting LeBron James at quarterback. (Don’t worry Cavs’ fans this is NOT an actual plan).

Oct 9, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; New York Giants running back Bobby Rainey (43) tries to break a tackle by Green Bay Packers linebacker Joe Thomas (48) in the third quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Rainey-RB-New York Giants

The Giants’ backfield has turned into a mess of injuries with Rashad Jennings and Shane Vereen missing significant time and Orleans Darkwa going nowhere fast. There isn’t a ton of value in the New York offense right now, but one player who has stepped into a bigger role and performed is former-Bucs back Bobby Rainey.

Rainey led the Giants is snaps in the backfield on Sunday Night Football playing 21 downs while Darkwa was second with 14. Rainey ended up with 22 yards on his five carries, but he again proved to be an able receiver out of the backfield posting 52 more yards on his six catches. In the last two weeks, Rainey has 95 receiving yards, and I think he’ll continue to serve as the team’s receiving-down back even when Jennings is ready to return.

If you are in a PPR league, Rainey is worth a roster stash as we go through the bye-week season, but it’s tricky to say what his role will be in the long-term. New York is home this week for the Ravens before heading to London to face the Rams before their bye week.

Oct 9, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Cincinnati Bengals receiver Brandon LaFell (11) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr (39) at AT&T Stadium. Cowboys beat the Bengals 28-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon LaFell-WR-Cincinnati Bengals

Brandon LaFell had his best game of the season last week against the Cowboys picking up some garbage time production and emerging as one of the fantasy football sleepers to watch in Week 6. He should be especially juiced for his matchup next week since he’ll be playing his former team in New England.

To prep for his possible revenge game, LaFell totaled a season-high eight catches on a season-high 11 targets finishing with 68 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He still hasn’t been great overall this season, but he is getting regular playing time across he field from A.J. Green.

In the coming weeks, LaFell could be a interesting play since after his revenge week the Bengals come home for the Brows and Washington before their by week 9. He isn’t quite a “must-add” option at this point, but he took a big step forward with his big Week 5.

Oct 9, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith (81) runs with the ball after making a catch against Indianapolis Colts cornerback Patrick Robinson (25) at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Cameron Meredith-WR-Chicago Bears

While some of my WR Sleepers struggled, I had a few that ended up with good games including Cameron Meredith of the Bears. Meredith was thrust into a starting role across from Alshon Jeffery who was playing through injury on Sunday, and the converted QB turned in a career-best performance.

Meredith caught nine of the 12 passes thrown his way and finished with 130 yards and a touchdown. He had a brutal fumble late as the Bears were trying to get in position for a potential game-winning score, but he showed enough upside to overlook that for fantasy purposes.

With Kevin White done for the season and Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal banged up, Meredith is a great waiver wire pickup this week. He’s one of the best fantasy football sleepers to grab, and he clearly has a great connection with Brian Hoyer who looks locked-in as the Bears’ QB. Meredith has tons of upside and should be near the top of your waiver targets this week.

Sep 25, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Matt Asiata (44) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Asiata-RB-Minnesota Vikings

The undefeated Vikings are headed into their bye week with plenty of good vibes after rolling over the Texans this week. They thoroughly dismantled Houston’s offense and played from ahead most of the game.

The fact that the Vikings are the last undefeated team in the NFL is made even more amazing but the fact that they are doing this without their starting QB Teddy Bridgewater, star RB Adrian Peterson, and this week without their top receiver Stefon Diggs. Filling in for Peterson has been a two-back job, but so far the fantasy back to own has been Matt Asiata.

Asiata has been more valuable than Jerick McKinnon mainly because he gets most of the goal line work. He has found his way into the end zone each of the last two weeks, and he looked good as a clock-killer at the end of the game on Sunday. He finished with 55 yards on his 14 carries and added 46 more yards on three catches. He usually doesn’t get quite that many yards or touches, but he can definitely be used as a touchdown-reliant flex play.

He won’t help your team this coming week since he’s on a bye week, but when Minnesota returns to action against the Eagles, Bears, Lions, and Washington, he is one of the fantasy football sleepers who can help you through the tricky bye week mess week 7-11.

Sep 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Cardinals 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Hogan-WR-New England Patriots

Tom Brady returned to the Patriots offense and gave everyone in New England’s attack an instant fantasy football upgrade. He started off the day throwing to Gronk and Edelman, but as the day went on he eventually started working out his new weapons Chris Hogan and Martellus Bennett.

While Bennett ended up with there touchdowns, Hogan was another of my WR Sleepers who came up large on Sunday. Hogan was only targeted five times, but he pulled in four catches for 114 yards. He ended up with a couple big gainers and flashed a lot of upside as the Patriots regular second WR.

The reason that Hogan is one of the fantasy football sleepers to watch is that he is part of such a potent offense, but the multitude of other weapons also makes him a risky week-to-week play. Some weeks, he’ll go off like this week, while other weeks the Patriots may attack other matchups and throw to him very little. That being said, I think he’s under-rated and a nice depth grab at WR in most formats. He’s one of the fantasy football sleepers who can help you get through bye weeks the next few weeks as long as you don’t need him week 9 (bye) or week 10 (vs Seattle).

Oct 9, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers tight end Hunter Henry (86) reacts after catching a touchdown pass against the Oakland Raiders in the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Hunter Henry-TE-San Diego Chargers

If you’re looking for a tight end from the fantasy football sleepers, check out the Chargers rookie Hunter Henry who came up big on Sunday even though Antonio Gates returned to action. Gates was back from his hamstring injury and put together a strong hame himself, but Phillip Rivers kept Henry involved as well.

Henry’s three catches for 74 yards and a touchdown were enough to make him the second-highest scoring TE of the week behind only Martellus Bennett’s big Brady bash. Henry got almost all his yards on a 59-yard busted coverage, and he also grabbed a one-yard touchdown pass later in the contest.

This week, Henry and the Chargers host the Broncos in a tough matchup on Thursday Night Football, but Denver has been beatable when their LB line up in coverage. Tevin Coleman beat them badly on Sunday, and they have allowed over 60 yards receiving to opposing TE in three of their games this season. While it’s still a rough matchup, Henry can be used as a deep-league TE1 or a solid TE2 since the Chargers will look to develop the rookie as a replacement for Gates down the road.

Oct 9, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) calls a play at the line of scrimmage against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Brian Hoyer-QB-Chicago Bears

The Bears seem to have found the QB, and it doesn’t look like Jay Cutler will be getting his job back any time soon. Brian Hoyer has bounced around the league from New England to Arizona to Cleveland to Houston, but he looks like he has finally found a home in Chicago playing for coach John Fox.

Fox said he won’t commit to Hoyer as his long-term starter, but the eight-year vet out of Michigan State has definitely made a strong case for himself throwing for over 300 yards in each of the last three games.

In Week 5, Hoyer threw for 397 yards and a pair of touchdowns while avoiding an interception for the third straight week. He ended up 33-of-43, and he effectively used Cameron Meredith, Zach Miller, Jordan Howard, and his other banged-up receivers to pile up fantasy points against the Colts.

Hoyer gets another good matchup this Sunday, so if you need a spot start he’s one of the fantasy football sleepers to look at. He and the Bears will host the Jaguars at Soldier Field before heading on the road to face Green Bay on a short week.

Oct 9, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) catches a touchdown pass during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Adam Thielen-WR-Minneosta Vikings

The Vikings didn’t have Stefon Diggs on Sunday against the Texans, and many fantasy experts loved Kyle Rudolph as a result. However, the Texans did a good job covering Sam Bradford’s target over the middle and forced him to attack on the outside.

Good thing for the Vikings Sam Bradford developed a good connection with receiver Adam Thielen just in time. Thielen stepped up with the best game of his career hauling in seven catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. He has worked as the team’s second receiver all season, and his big game on Sunday could earn him a growing role moving forward.

Thielen originally joined the Vikings as an un-drafted free agenda out of Minnesota State-Mankato where he played for the Mavericks. Thielen is one of the interesting fantasy football sleepers to target on the waiver wire this week although Stefon Diggs is expected to return after the team’s bye in Week 6. Thielen will be inconsistent since the Vikings want to run the ball and play defense, but he definitely looked good on Sunday against Houston.

Oct 9, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Sammie Coates (14) catches a pass for a seventy-two yard touchdown against the New York Jets during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Sammie Coates-WR-Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers got a huge boost in their win over the Jets from third-receiver Sammie Coates. I really liked Coates as one of my fantasy football sleepers to watch back at the beginning of training camp (wrote about it here and here). However, I had cooled on Coates since he had been so boom-or-bust before this week. Now, I’m back in, and I think he’s one of the best fantasy football pickups to make if he’s still available in your league.

Coates had a bad preaseason and a rough start to the year, but he has put together back-to-back weeks with six catches and went off for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns this week agains the Jets. He has at least 50 yards receiving every week this season and is averaging 84 yards per game.

The Steelers will always throw the ball a lot under offensive coordinator Todd Haley, and Coates is in a great place to produce since teams have to roll their coverages toward Antonio Brown. The rest of the season, I think Coates will be a Martavis Bryant-like complement to Brown and get plenty of production as long as he and Big Ben are healthy. This week, the Steelers head to Miami before a Week 7 showdown with the Patriots.