What We Saw: Week 5

Recapping all of the action from the Week 5 slate!

Brett Ford
What We Saw 11 Hours Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
49ers @ Rams
Vikings @ Browns
Giants @ Saints
Raiders @ Colts
Cowboys @ Jets
Broncos @ Eagles
Dolphins @ Panthers
Texans @ Ravens
Titans @ Cardinals
Buccaneers @ Seahawks
Lions @ Bengals
Commanders @ Chargers
Patriots @ Bills

Texans @ Ravens

Final Score: Texans 44, Ravens 10

Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan on Twitter)

 

Two teams who entered the season with playoff expectations, the Texans and Ravens entered Sunday off to slow starts to their respective seasons with identical 1-3 records. The injury-riddled Ravens had to turn the offense over to backup quarterback Cooper Rush to face down the tough and tested Texans front seven while C.J. Stroud had the opportunity to pick apart the Baltimore defense without stars Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Nnamdi Madubuike.

From start to finish, the Texans dominated the game as the Ravens struggled to move the ball, struggled to stop the ball and looked like a team missing most (if not all) of its star players – which they were. The Texans did just about whatever they wanted to on offense with very little resistance as each of their first eight drives of the day ended with points. Meanwhile, the Ravens’ offense was ineffective as the dynamism of Lamar Jackson was clearly missing, allowing the defense to key in on the running game. It was a one-sided affair throughout. Let’s dig in.

Three Up

  • Nick Chubb — Chubb ran hard, had space to work with, and found the end zone against a bad Ravens defense.
  • C.J. Stroud — Clean pockets led to good passes which led to solid production.
  • Derrick Henry — Perhaps the only silver lining in this game for Baltimore is that Henry was more involved, including a score.

Three Down

  • Mark Andrews — Andrews saw his snap share reduced to less than 60% and caught just two passes in a rough day for the entire Ravens offense.
  • Ravens’ defense — This unit was without stars at every level, but it hasn’t mattered all season. The Ravens have allowed a league-worst 177 points (35.4) through five games.

 

Houston Texans

 

Quarterback

 

C.J. Stroud: 23/27, 244 Yards, 4 TDs | 1 Rush, 30 Yards

C.J. Stroud was sacked just twice as the Ravens failed to generate a pass rush, and had time to deliver the ball to his desired targets on nearly every play. Stroud was accurate, on time and made excellent decisions as he was able to pick apart the Baltimore defense for scoring drives every time he touched the football. Stroud made quarterbacking look easy — probably the first time he’s done that since his rookie season — and fantasy managers who started him reaped the benefits with a four-touchdown game, his first since his rookie campaign.

 

Running Back

 

Nick Chubb:  11 Carries, 61 Yards, TD | 1 Target

Nick Chubb is still the Texans’ starting running back, and he ran like he wasn’t about to just concede the top spot in the backfield to a rookie. It was a near-even split for Woody Marks and Chubb as both took 50% of the goal-line snaps and short-yardage situations, but Chubb clocked eight first-half touches to Marks’ four. Chubb broke free for a 27-yard rushing score, cutting outside and gaining the edge to find the pylon before the defender could cut him off.

 

Woody Marks:  7 Carries, 24 Yards | 1 Target

Woody Marks was actually on the field more often than Chubb despite not being the starter, but he earned fewer touches and didn’t find the end zone. For those who spent for Marks in FAAB, the investment may still be worth it, but the transition in this backfield will be slower than anticipated.

 

Dameon Pierce:  7 Carries, 21 Yards  

Garbage time touches exclusively for Dameon Pierce. He’s not fantasy-relevant.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Nico Collins: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 52 Yards, TD 

Nico Collins caught a touchdown early on and then was phased out as the Texans didn’t really need a superstar to beat the Ravens. Stroud spread the ball around, finding eight pass catchers across the course of the game. The lack of concentrated usage made it a down week for Collins, but the game script worked against him from the jump. There’s no cause for concern here. He’s still a top wideout in all formats.

 

Christian Kirk:  4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 64 Yards

For the first time in a long time, Christian Kirk made an impact on offense and for fantasy managers, leading the Texans in receiving yardage. He finished with four catches in a run-heavy game script, but most of it came on a 47-yard gain where he was pulled down just before reaching the end zone. His role isn’t the same as it was in Jacksonville when he caught all those targets out of the slot, so he’ll need to be efficient with his chances to remain fantasy relevant.

 

Dalton Schultz:  6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 60 Yards 

The most-targeted player on the team, Dalton Schultz pulled in five of six targets for 60 yards. He’s a perfectly viable streaming option at tight end, but not much more than that.

 

Jaylen Noel:  3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 13 Yards, TD

Jayden Higgins:  4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 32 Yards

Xavier Hutchinson:  3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 18 Yards, 2 TDs

Xavier Hutchinson was on the field for the most snaps of any Texans skill-position player. He was targeted just three times, but two of those were caught in the end zone for scores. It’s clear he still holds a tight grasp on the Texans’ WR2 position, but his usage still isn’t what fantasy managers want to see on a weekly basis. Jaylen Noel and Jayden Higgins were effective when their numbers were called, but didn’t see the high-leverage targets that Hutchinson and Collins earned in the red zone. The rookie wide receivers will continue to develop, but it has yet to be seen whether they can climb the depth chart.

 

Baltimore Ravens

 

Quarterback

 

Lamar Jackson: DNP

Cooper Rush: 14/20, 179 Yards, 3 INTs

The Baltimore Ravens’ offense lacked the explosiveness that it made a huge part of its identity the past several years as Lamar Jackson sat this one out with a hamstring injury. Instead, Cooper Rush earned the start and was under duress on several dropbacks as the Texans’ front four wreaked havoc against the Baltimore offensive line. Rush made some poor decisions and some poor throws, but was slightly better than the box score. His second interception of the game was bobbled 17 times by Mark Andrews before it was pulled in by a Texans defender. The third pick of the day wasn’t entirely his fault, either, as he took a shot downfield and Bateman jogged out his route instead of continuing it downfield. Of course, by then the game was well out of reach anyway.

 

Running Back

 

Derrick Henry: 15 Carries, 33 Yards, TD

Derrick Henry had his most carries in a game since Week 1, toting it 15 times. He found the end zone from the 1-yard line — the first time all season that the Ravens have converted a 1-yard rushing score despite several attempts. The increased usage is encouraging, but the odds of the Ravens being in run-positive game scripts with this defense is much lower than last season. It may be time to move King Henry and see what managers can get in return.

 

Justice Hill: 1 Carry, 3 yards | 1 target

Only two opportunities and saw his usage eaten into by Keaton Mitchell. Even with the Ravens projected to be trailing games with this egregiously bad defense, Justice Hill isn’t used enough to matter for fantasy.

 

Keaton Mitchell: 3 Carries, 8 Yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards

A Keaton Mitchell sighting! He was on the field for just four offensive snaps, but he also touched the ball four times. The Ravens clearly like his explosiveness and speed. Keep an eye on his usage in coming weeks.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Zay Flowers: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 72 yards

Targeted a team-high five times, Zay Flowers gained most of his yardage on a 56-yard catch in the third quarter to set up the Ravens’ touchdown drive. Baltimore used Flowers in short areas to give Rush easy completions to try and settle in — screens, flats, etc. He’s the only Ravens pass catcher I dare start with Rush under center — and even then it’s a significant downgrade from when Lamar plays.

 

DeAndre Hopkins: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 46 yards

Used exclusively on downfield routes, DeAndre Hopkins still has some of the truest hands in the game. Now if only the Ravens had someone to throw to him.

 

Mark Andrews: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 22 yards 

Isaiah Likely: 1 target, 1 reception, 12 yards

Charlie Kolar: 1 target, 1 receptions, 10 yards

If these guys were one player and got to combine their statistics in one fantasy roster spot, they’d still barely have been a streaming option this week. Each played between 20-25 snaps, while Mark Andrews led the way with 14 routes run, Isaiah Likely with 11 and Charlie Kolar with five. When Lamar comes back, obviously it’s an upgrade, but I still prefer Likely to Andrews based on his deeper route tree and target usage. Andrews also coughed up an incredibly ugly interception. His butterfingers haven’t been all the way cured from last season.

 

Rashod Bateman: 3 targets

Series Navigation
Introduction
49ers @ Rams
Vikings @ Browns
Giants @ Saints
Raiders @ Colts
Cowboys @ Jets
Broncos @ Eagles
Dolphins @ Panthers
Texans @ Ravens
Titans @ Cardinals
Buccaneers @ Seahawks
Lions @ Bengals
Commanders @ Chargers
Patriots @ Bills