We’re on to Week 5 of the fantasy season!As we look for every advantage this season, the X-factor position is the FLEX. To break it all down, analyst Joel Smyth goes through eight players in the consensus rankings flex zone for your flexes, double flexes or even third WR slots.
Set & Forget
Quinshon Judkins vs. NYJ
RB is thin after four weeks of football, and to make it worse, bye weeks start for Chuba Hubbard and Kenneth Walker. After last week, I would confidently start Judkins in this matchup. The Jets are a top-five matchup for opponent RBs, struggling to stop the ground game, unlike teams like Jacksonville that Judkins busted against. Another positive is the addition of Judkins in the passing game, with a game of five and six receptions, and at minimum two, in every game this season. The volume and matchup combo makes it an easy plug-and-play.
Stefon Diggs vs. NYG
New team, same Diggs. Through four games, the Commanders slot receiver is a top-24 WR to begin the year despite injuries at quarterback. With Jayden Daniels back and Terry McLaurin potentially sidelined once more, Diggs should have an easy path to volume.
I love to take a peek at third-down target shares to gauge who the QB trusts when it matters most, and no surprise, Diggs has 38% of the targets in the early going.
Flex Starts
Emanuel Wilson vs. 49ers
With the Joe Mixon signing falling through, Emanuel Wilson is set up for another 20-touch day. In Week 4 without Jadarian Price, George Holani didn’t fill in as a 1B, but purely as a backup coming on third downs. It was Wilson who had 75% of the carries and even out-targeted Holani 4-1. He didn’t let the volume go to waste either, only building trust to carry the load again with all the RB injuries. Maybe even a goal-line TD will go his way this time, as he’s begun the year with no touchdowns on his six attempts inside the five-yard line.
Mike Gesicki vs. MIA
It’s a revenge game in Miami. Since leaving the Dolphins before the 2024 season, Mike Gesicki has been a successful fill-in at multiple points due to WR injuries in Cincinnati. Although he’s listed at TE, Gesicki is more of a slot WR who was paid to be a trusted pass catcher in the middle of the field. When Tee Higgins missed time in 2024, the Cincinnati TE’s role grew immensely, as he scored nearly 14 PPG in Higgins’ absence. If one of these WRs is out in Week 5, Gesicki can be played as the team’s No. 2 option. And if both are out, he’d move to my set-and-forget section.
Double Flex Starts
Rome Odunze vs. Packers
After dropping a touchdown in Week 3 with Case Keenum, Odunze showed out in Week 4 with Tyson Bagent. Caleb Williams is incredible, but the backup quarterbacks can work within the system and get the receivers enough targets for a nice floor. Bagent completed a pass on two-thirds of his dropbacks in Week 4, which would be higher than any QB except Michael Penix Jr., as he got the ball out quickly and accurately. Odunze, who lines up on the outside most snaps, will face a Packers secondary next, which ranks 31st against receivers lined up out wide.
Romeo Doubs vs. LV
It took a little time, but Romeo Doubs reemerged as a viable option after nine targets in the Patriots’ big win versus Buffalo. A.J. Brown is still on IR, Mack Hollins is banged up and Doubs looked like the Patriots’ WR1, especially in the red zone. New England hadn’t had many trips to the red area in the first few weeks, but when it started clicking, Doubs was rewarded with three red-zone targets, two going for scores. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a safe play, but a touchdown-hunting flex in big leagues.
Booby Traps
David Montgomery vs. TEN
In his last three games, David Montgomery’s expected fantasy PPG, or fantasy RB volume, ranks 50th. Three straight games with six or fewer fantasy points as he’s stuck in a backfield split and one of the league’s worst offensive lines, ranking 32nd in yards before contact. Tennessee is a good matchup for the Texans, yet still not a great matchup for Montgomery. With Jeffery Simmons manning the middle, the Titans have held RBs to 3.6 yards per attempt — especially impressive given their opponents.
Tony Pollard vs. HOU
On the other side of Monty’s matchup, it’s not much better. Houston’s defense has been even more stout against the run, holding Buffalo, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Dallas all under 100 rushing yards. Three of the top-10 fantasy RBs drafted could barely reach double-digit fantasy points if they even got there, with Williams only getting there behind three goal-line touchdowns, something I’m not confident Pollard will replicate without switching teams. The volume has been better the last couple of games with Spears banged up, but I’d rather look elsewhere.
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