Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 10th at 4:05 PM ET
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas Nevada
Betting Odds: LV -4.5, 45.5 total via Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Justin Fields (Sit) Andy Dalton (Sit)
The Bears quarterback position has seemed to be in flux since they selected Justin Fields in the draft. Andy Dalton started the season and played average in his two games. He has a touchdown and interception on the season. He does have a high completion percentage of 71.05 and 81.82 in his two starts. Fields was named the starter moving forward on Wednesday but he hasn’t been much better. In his two starts, he has no passing touchdowns and one interception. The hat hanging for Justin Fields believers coming into the season was his rushing ability. So far we haven’t seen it. He did have a rushing touchdown in Week 1. In his two starts, he only has 6 rushes for 21 yards. He just doesn’t appear to be comfortable or confident enough to run and escape the endless pressure he is facing. It would wrong to say all of it is the quarterback’s fault. A lot has to do with the horrible pass blocking of the O-line and bad play-calling by Matt Nagy. The Raiders have a good secondary and aren’t surrendering a ton of points to opposing defenses. I would be Fields until something changes in Chicago.
Running Backs
Damien Williams (Start, Flex), Khalil Herbert (Sit)
David Montgomery injured his knee in Week 4 and will miss the game. Damien Williams will be first in line to receive the bulk of carries in this offense. Williams has been efficient on his runs so far this season. In Week 4 he had eight carries for 55 yards and a touchdown and that was in relief of Montgomery. He averaged 6.88 yards per carry. It was against an average Lions defense, that did hold Montgomery to 4.61 yards per carry. The Raiders have a middle-of-the-road run defense and with neither quarterback a threat in the passing game I expect them to load the box against the Bears. I still think you can flex Williams who was good for the Cheifs in 2019 and was brought in for this type of work in Chicago.
Khalil Herbert hasn’t done much and didn’t really see the field in Week 4 after Montgomery went down, he only received three carries. He is also not worked into the passing game at all which limits how many opportunities he will get. At best he is a change of pace player for Williams while they wait for Montgomery to return. Herbert is worth throwing on your bench in deep leagues as Williams did come out of Week 4 with a bone bruise. Reports are he is fine but that’s an injury that could lead to missed snaps.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Allen Robinson (Start, Flex), Darnell Mooney (Start, WR2), Marquise Goodwin (Sit), Cole Kmet (Sit, Flex)
With Fields being named the starter, I’m throwing Darnell Mooney into my WR2. He benefited from Field’s long ball ability and rack up 125 yards on 5 catches. All the Mooney owners are hoping that Week 4 was the coming-out party for Mooney and that he has finally taken over the WR1 for the Bears. If it’s Dalton I still think Mooney is a solid flex play. Week 2 Mooney saw eight targets from a combination of Dalton and Fields. Allen Robinson is hard to bench but he just hasn’t been as involved under the Justin Fields offense. He only had three targets in Week 4. He did catch all three which should build some confidence with Fields. Even with Dalton he only had just four targets in Week 2. He can be flexed if needed and it’s hard to bench someone with his talent even with bad quarterback play. The game script should have the Bears behind most of the game so there should be passing opportunities. You can’t start Marquise Goodwin unless he starts getting more involved in the offense. Cole Kmet could be a sneaky start with the passing game looking to be a large part of the Bear’s offense this week. He has as many targets in Weeks 3 and 4 combined as he did in Week 1.
Las Vegas Raiders
Quarterback
Derek Carr (Start, QB2)
Fantasy owners have been waiting for the other shoe to drop on Derek Carr all season. It just hasn’t happened yet and shows no sign of it anytime soon. Carr has eight touchdowns and three interceptions on the season. He has been able to lead the Raiders to a 3-1 record. He does face a middle-of-the-road Bears defense who have given up two touchdowns to the likes of Jared Goff and Joe Burrows. Carr is a high-end QB2 in Week 5. He will be hindered by a game script that looks to have the Raiders up early and relying on the run game more than the pass. He is completing 64% of his passes this season and with only two interceptions has solid for fantasy.
Running backs
Josh Jacobs (Start, RB2), Kenyan Drake (Sit), Peyton Barber (Sit)
Josh Jacobs came back from an injury in Week 4 and regained the lead-back role. He got 13 of the 15 carries the Raiders had on Monday night. He put up only 40 yards but it was a tough night for the whole team. What’s even more hopeful for Josh Jacob’s owners is his five receptions on five targets. I expect the Raiders to work both Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber more in order to keep Jacobs healthy for the whole season and hopefully a playoff run. The Bears have a similarly ranked run defense to the Chargers who held Jacobs to 40 yards but the Bear’s offense won’t be able to score like the Chargers did and put the Raiders in a pass-first mentality. Jacobs is a solid RB2 in Week 5 against the Bears. With Jacobs back, I don’t think you can play Kenyan Drake or Peyton Barber. Drake is pretty droppable at this point as he didn’t even get much work when Jacobs was down.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
Henry Ruggs (Start, WR2), Bryan Edwards (Sit, WR4), Hunter Renfrow (Start, WR2), Darren Waller (Start)
The Raiders have been the worst 3-1 team in the NFL. They always seem to be playing from behind. Even worse than that they seem to wait till the second half of the game to get their wide receivers involved. Hunter Renfrow is the high ceiling wide receiver you want from this team. He is averaging almost eight targets a game and is catching almost six of them a game. He is on a two-game scoring streak and he seems to be the go-to in the pass offense. He is second on the team with five red-zone targets. He only trails tightened Darren Waller who has 7. You are always starting Waller. If you are looking for another wide receiver to have on the Raiders it’s Henry Ruggs. Everyone was higher on Bryan Edwards in the draft season but Ruggs has outplayed him so far this season. Ruggs is getting two to three deep targets each game which does make him a little boom/bust but when he hits and he has been hitting it can secure his fantasy week. Ruggs is averaging six targets a week where Edwards is at four. Edwards has yet to score this year and Ruggs has one. Ruggs is a great WR2 this week against a defense that is horrible in terms of fantasy points given to wide receivers. Edwards is a desperate low-end flex play where you are hoping the deep ball goes to him and not Ruggs and that he somehow finds the endzone.
– Dustin Ludke (Dunit13dl on Reddit)