Matchups to target for Week 5 in fantasy football

It is never too early to look ahead in fantasy football. Week 4 of the NFL season is just about in the books, but because we are all addicted to this silly game, looking at the Week 5 matchups seems perfectly normal on a Monday afternoon/

Here are three of the top matchups ahead of Week 5.

Kyler Murray vs. the San Francisco 49ers

You are obviously starting Kyler Murray in every single season-long league in the universe, so this is more of a DFS take. Murray is coming off another strong outing Sunday, throwing for 268 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a season-high 39 rushing yards. James Conner has scored four short-yardage touchdowns over the last two weeks, which has kept Murray from having overall QB1 ceiling weeks during that span, but I am absolutely looking to pay up for Murray in Week 5 against the 49ers. San Francisco just allowed 26 yards and a rushing score to Russell Wilson Sunday and are now surrendering the fifth-most rushing yards per game to opposing signal callers on the season (32.0), as well as the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the position. Kyler has had consecutive floor games but back home in Week 5, I expect a ceiling game from the NFL’s MVP frontrunner. 

Cleveland Browns RBs vs. the Los Angeles Chargers

Both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt have been top-12 running backs in PPR formats this season, as the Browns offense continues to run through both running backs. Chubb is averaging 18.25 touches per game, while Hunt is averaging just under 14 touches per contest. Both should be able to smash in this game, facing a Chargers defense that has been torched via the run. They still have to play Monday night as I write this, but at the moment, 45.7% of the yardage against Los Angeles has come on the ground, the highest rate in the NFL. They are also allowing a league-leading 170 rushing yards per game and while Hunt has taken some touchdowns and plenty of receptions away from him, Chubb has still rushed for at least 80 yards in all four contests this season, while scoring three rushing touchdowns. Chubb and Hunt should be viewed as easy top-15 running backs ahead of a smash spot against the Chargers in Week 5.

Jacksonville WRs vs. Tennessee Titans

The Jaguars will be without D.J. Chark, who suffered a fractured ankle last Thursday night. As a result, Laviska Shenault finally got it going, hauling in six of seven targets for 99 yards, while adding an 11-yard rush. Marvin Jones, meanwhile, didn’t really do anything, but he was still on the field for over 90% of the snaps and ran a route on 26 of Trevor Lawrence’s 28 dropbacks. This passing game is now much more concentrated, and Jones should dominate the deep targets with Chark on the sideline. Jones and Shenault face an awful Tennessee secondary that just allowed Corey Davis and Jamison Crowder to combine for 11 catches for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns in Week 4. The Titans are coughing up the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts this season and if the Tennessee offense gets healthy and they play with a lead in this game, Trevor Lawrence should return to dropping back to pass 40-plus times.