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The Week 5 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams features two teams coming off of big victories looking to continue that trend. We've got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills walked into Gillette Stadium in Week 4 and dominated a shorthanded New England Patriots squad. Surprisingly enough, doing the same thing to the Rams in Week 5 will be a tall order. The Rams have won three games in a row and lead the NFC West. For Buffalo to compete, running back LeSean McCoy needs to play big. He touched the ball 25 times for 108 total yards and a touchdown against New England.
Teammate Sammy Watkins is on injured reserve with a foot problem, so McCoy should continue to see plenty of action moving forward. David Johnson averaged nearly 4.9 yards per carry against the Rams in Week 4. McCoy should have no trouble averaging similar numbers, even on the road.
When Tyrod Taylor decides to go further down the field, wide receiver Robert Woods will be the target early and often. Woods was targeted a season-high 10 times in Week 4, catching seven passes for 89 yards. He won’t score a lot of touchdowns this season, nor will he finish with a lot of yards. He does, however, have considerable value in PPR formats as the team’s default No. 1 receiver. Woods will be busy in Los Angeles in Week 5.
Los Angeles Rams
Don’t look now fantasy owners, here comes quarterback Case Keenum. Keenum couldn’t find the end zone via the passing game until Week 3, but he’s now got four touchdown passes compared to one interception in the last two games. He’s looked much better lately. Defeating the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers back to back is nothing to sneeze at.
Starting Keenum as a fill-in for a bye week quarterback in Week 5 defies all logic, but fantasy owners feeling crazy might get lucky. Keenum seems to have forged a connection with big-play receiver Brian Quick. Quick still isn’t seeing a high volume, but Keenum just might find him in the end zone for the third week in a row.
If Keenum has a third straight solid game, he just might be picked up on waiver wires across the country by the time Week 6 rolls around. Of course, the top fantasy option in Los Angeles is still running back Todd Gurley. Gurley struggled to find running room against the Cardinals in Week 4. He ran for just 33 yards on 19 carries, his lowest total of the season.
Though he has yet to break 100 yards rushing, Gurley did save his fantasy owners by adding five catches for 49 yards in Arizona. His struggles aren’t all his fault. Gurley’s talent, volume, and pass catching ability make him a must-start option every week. Don’t be surprised if he finally breaks through for a 100-yard rushing game against Buffalo.