7 sleepers to play in fantasy football for Week 5

With the first quarter of the fantasy football season now behind us, managers are looking for any kind of edge as the playoff races begin to heat up. That’s where the sleepers come in.

We will be using The Huddle’s weekly PPR projections and rankings as a reference. In order to qualify as a sleeper, we are taking a look at quarterbacks ranked outside the top 12, running backs and wide receivers ranked outside the top 24, and tight ends ranked outside the top 10.

Here are seven sleepers to play in fantasy football for Week 5:

TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints

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The Huddle Rank: N/A

It’s no surprise that Johnson doesn’t have a projection for the upcoming week, and it’s incredibly difficult to find sleepers for Week 5. Either they don’t qualify because they are ranked too highly or the matchups are poor. Johnson has a chance to be a deep—and I mean deep—sleeper against the Seattle Seahawks. He has three games with at least a 14% target share and leads the Saints tight ends in routes run. The Seahawks are allowing the most PPR points per game to tight ends (20.3) and have allowed a top-10 finish in three of four weeks.

WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

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The Huddle Rank: WR41

Though he’s being out-snapped by Parris Campbell, the rookie is quickly becoming the No. 2 option in the passing game. Pierce is coming off of the last two games in which he recorded 61 and 80 receiving yards. He also was tied for a team-high 17% target share in Week 4. The Broncos defense is solid, and Patrick Surtain II will likely shadow Michael Pittman Jr. for the majority of Thursday night’s game. But with Jonathan Taylor out, the Colts may need to take to the air more, and with the way Pierce is trending, a breakout game could take place.

RB Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns

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The Huddle Rank: RB37

Since his big game to open the season in Week 1, Hunt has failed to finish a week as an RB2. That may change in Week 5, though, when the Browns take on the Los Angeles Chargers. They are allowing the third-most PPR points per game (30.0) to running backs while also having allowed the fourth-most receptions (28) and the most receiving touchdowns (three) to the position. Hunt has been shaky within the Browns offense, but a bounce-back game could be in store.

WR Corey Davis, New York Jets

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The Huddle Rank: WR64

This spot was going to Garrett Wilson, but he’s ranked inside the top 24 this week and doesn’t qualify. It has been a pretty boom/bust season for Davis, but he’s finished as a WR3 or better in three of his four games. His usage has been a little all over the place, but the matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 5 is primed for an explosion. The Dolphins have been consistently torched by wide receivers, allowing the sixth-most PPR points per game (43.0) to the position over the last three weeks. Davis is coming off of a season-high 21% target share, and if that usage carries over into Week 5, a big game will be in store.

RB A.J. Dillon, Green Bay Packers

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The Huddle Rank: RB25

Several managers are likely starting Dillon anyway, so consider this a vote of confidence for a bounce-back performance. Since he finished Week 1 as an RB1 in PPR formats, Dillon has failed to finish better than RB30 in the next three weeks. While the New York Giants haven’t been terrible against the run, their defense shouldn’t keep us from the potential Dillon has in this matchup. The Packers are massive favorites in this game, which means they could be running at a higher rate. Dillon has at least two red-zone carries in every game this season but only has one rushing touchdown. There will be plenty of chances for him to regress toward the mean in that department overseas.

WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys

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The Huddle Rank: WR57

We saw the return of Gallup in Week 4, and while the Cowboys certainly eased him back into action, he still found his way into the end zone. The matchup against the Los Angeles Rams may seem scary, but their passing defense has been greatly exploited by wide receivers. They are currently allowing the second-most PPR points per game (47.5) to wide receivers. They’ve also allowed most receptions (69), second-most receiving yards (847) and second-most touchdowns (six) to the position. Cooper Rush has proven more than capable of leading the offense, and Gallup could be heavily involved moving forward.

QB Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders

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The Huddle Rank: QB15

As someone whose day job is to cover the Indianapolis Colts, trust me when I say I understand the hesitation of jumping on the Wentz roller coaster. After leading the NFL in passing touchdowns through the first two weeks of the season, Wentz has thrown just one touchdown pass over the last two games and has failed to hit double-digit fantasy points in that span. That may change for the better in Week 5 when the Commanders host the Tennessee Titans. The AFC South competitors have QB1 finishes in each of the last three weeks, including two finishes inside the top six. Anything goes whenever Wentz steps on the field, and after two poor performances, he could bounce back in a favorable matchup in Week 5.

Story originally appeared on The Huddle