7 QBs to start or sit

The 2024 NFL season is now heading into its fifth week, but fantasy football managers are still dealing with tough starting 'em, sit decisions at quarterback.

Plenty of unexpected contributors — like Sam Darnold — have emerged as fantasy stars to start the season. This makes the position deeper than ever, especially with some significant injuries at the position.

Because of that depth, many fantasy football owners either have two top quarterbacks on their roster or have access to a deep pool of options on the waiver wire. As is often the case, the glut of options has created some tough, existential questions for fantasy football players.

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Can you really sit Patrick Mahomes and risk him coming out of his first season slump? Is Darnold a matchup-proof quarterback? Can you really trust the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback in a favorable situation? As always, the answers depend on the composition of your list and your appetite for risk.

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Here's a breakdown of who you should start and who you should sit at quarterback through Week 5 of the fantasy football season.

Fantasy Football Start 'Em: Week 5 QBs

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Love was supposed to have a tough matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. He was coming off an MCL sprain and faced a top NFL defense that bent but didn't break often through the first three weeks of the season.

Love came out of the gate slowly, but he was on fire in the second half. He had 389 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions as the Packers attempted an improbable comeback and reminded many why he was viewed as a potential MVP candidate in just his second full season as a starter.

The Packers may not need to throw as much to beat the Los Angeles Rams, but Sean McVay's squad is one of five teams to allow at least eight passing touchdowns to a quarterback this year. That would allow Love to have an efficient outing, especially with Green Bay needing a win to keep pace with the Vikings and Detroit Lions in the stacked NFC North.

Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

Smith is one of the more consistent fantasy quarterbacks to start the 2024 NFL season, and for good reason. New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has brought a pass-heavy approach to Seattle's offense as he leads the league in pass attempts (159) and passing yards (1,182).

The Seahawks play the New York Giants in Week 5. It might not be the most interesting matchup, as the Giants ranked 17th in fantasy points for quarterbacks this season, but Smith still has a high floor because of his size. That makes him a safe bye week fill-in available this week.

Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers

Fields didn't do much as a passer in his first season with the Steelers, but his rushing ability was on display frequently throughout his first four starts. The fourth-year quarterback is averaging 36.3 rushing yards per game and has run for three touchdowns in his last two outings. That would give him a very high floor, especially in a favorable matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas has allowed the sixth-most rushing yards to a quarterback this season (127) and is one of five teams to allow multiple rushing touchdowns to a quarterback this season. Granted, the bulk of the production (87 yards and a touchdown) came from Lamar Jackson, but Fields' scrambling ability is on par with his AFC North counterpart. They are two of three quarterbacks to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.

The Cowboys may be without top edge rushers DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, so they'll have a tougher time than usual on the edge.

Joe Flacco or Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

It's still unclear whether Flacco or Richardson will start for the Colts after Richardson exited the team's Week 4 game with a hip pointer, but either side can be trusted with a favorable matchup.

The Colts are battling the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season. They also rank second in the league in passing yards allowed per game, so both Flacco and Richardson will profile as potential downfield playmakers against hapless, 0-4 defenses.

If Richardson plays, his rushing potential won't be as high as usual due to his injury. Even so, he can be a top-10 fantasy quarterback as a passer alone, so don't be afraid to trust him as a top-tier streamer.

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Fantasy Football Sit 'Em: Week 5 QBs

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Benching Mahomes may seem absurd on the surface, but it's just not a good place to trust him. The Chiefs will be without two of their most proven wide receivers after Rushie Rice suffered a knee injury in Week 4, while Hollywood Brown will be out for most of the regular season with a sternoclavicular injury.

Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy will allow Mahomes to move the ball enough to be effective, but the veteran quarterback's ceiling is low against a New Orleans Saints defense that has allowed just two touchdowns to the quarterback this season.

Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings

Darnold's first season with the Vikings has been great so far. He was a perfect fit in Kevin O'Connell's offensive system and threw for at least 181 yards and two touchdowns in each of his four starts. That might make Darnold seem like a consistent starter who should be in the lineup every week.

But Darnold faces a tough matchup against the New York Jets in Week 5. Of course, this is a “revenge game” for Darnold against the team that drafted him, but the Jets are allowing the second-fewest passing yards per game in the league (128). They've allowed just two touchdowns to the quarterback through four weeks, so that stat could be a run-heavy matchup for the Vikings, who could lean on Aaron Jones against New York's run-less defense.

Add to that the fact that the Jets and Vikings are playing across the pond in London, and there's too much uncertainty to see Darnold as a guaranteed starter.

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Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Prescott has posted multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games, but it won't be easy for him to repeat that feat against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers are allowing just 13.3 points per game to opponents and the sixth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks.

One positive for Prescott is that Dallas doesn't have much of a running game, so he ranks second in the league in pass attempts (149) through four weeks. But like Mahomes, Prescott has a much lower ceiling than average in this tough matchup, so trusting a streamer with a better matchup wouldn't be the worst idea.