Sizzle or Fizzle – NFL Week 5
5 October 2023 • by Bryan Oldham
Welcome to a new article on Rival Fantasy: Sizzle or Fizzle. Every week, we’ll look at some fantasy trends and decide if they’ll continue (sizzle) or taper off and change direction (fizzle).
Keep in mind, we aren’t going to inundate you with stats, nor are we going to do deep dives into these topics. We’re keeping things bite-sized on purpose, so you can get the quick hits and make decisions accordingly. Let’s dive in.
Sizzle: Tank Dell and Nico Collins Trading Productive Weeks
I’m not happy about this, but I think this will be one of the biggest products of the rookie growing pains in Houston. C.J. Stroud is good enough to know when a defense is honing in on one of Collins or Dell, and he’s going to find the open man. Recently, that has meant these WRs are trading off productive weeks.
To be clear, it’s not a bad thing to finally have some production from the Houston offense. However, it’s important to temper expectations moving forward. You can’t expect Dell and Collins to both have 30+ point fantasy performances each week, but they are both likely every week starts that will even out as the season progresses.
This is in no way saying either WR should be benched, assuming you don’t have 2-3 better options each week. Temper expectations while enjoying the air show in HTX
Sizzle: Cam Akers will Takeover the Vikings Backfield
This is part wishful thinking, part reaction to the lack of production from Vikings RBs so far. We’ve seen what Cam Akers can do when he’s given the opportunity; remember the last few games of 2022 with the Rams?
The Vikings have to win games now that they’re in a 1-3 hole, and they can’t only throw to T.J. Hockensen and Justin Jefferson. Kevin O’Connell needs to unleash the weapon his organization went out and traded for, obviously because they don’t have faith in Mattison. If they do, the Vikings will be a balanced offense that can start winning and try to keep up with Detroit in the NFC North.
Akers is also 2 years removed from his Achilles injury, and we saw his burst before that injury took him down. He’s 1 year younger that Mattison and more proven with his touches. Trust the process, and keep the faith that Akers runs the Vikings RB room by the second half of the season.
Fizzle: Courtland Sutton’s Torrid TD Pace
I am a Courtland Sutton apologist, and that hasn’t changed. However, the Broncos don’t look good, even though Sutton has scored in 3 of 4 games so far in 2023.
Touchdowns are a volatile statistic as it is. Sutton certainly has a nose for the end zone and a frame that can win contested catches, but we know Jerry Jeudy is across from him, and the Broncos are still trying to find an identity and offensive spark under Sean Payton.
Sutton is the primary piece of this offense, whether people like it or not. Just know that he’s not going to find the end zone every week. If he does, he’ll be a historic fantasy WR that we’ll all regret not drafting (yeah, right).
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