NFL Week 5 Fantasy Football Recap: Cleveland Browns vs. Los Angeles Chargers

• Austin Ekeler: 16 carries, 173 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 receptions, 26 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown

• Nick Chubb: 17 carries, 134 yards, 2 touchdowns

PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2022.

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Positive News for Austin Ekeler: Ekeler is up to five touchdowns over the past two weeks, and his usage took a step in the right direction this week, too.

• • He played a majority of snaps on third-and-3 or longer for the first time all season.
  • Sony Michel was largely phased out of the offense, receiving only two offensive snaps — both in short-yardage situations.
  • Ekeler’s percentage of offensive snaps still hasn’t reached his typical games of 2021, but it is taking baby steps in the right direction.
  • He could still be considered a sell-high candidate because he’s unlikely to have five touchdowns over two games again, but it’s becoming more likely he can live up to his first-round fantasy status despite the relatively meager playing time.

The return of Donald Parham: The Chargers tight end took the field again after last playing in Week 15 of 2021.

• • Parham cut into the playing time of both Gerald Everett and Tre’ McKitty.
  • Los Angeles used more two-tight end sets, running a season-high 20 snaps in 12 personnel compared to a season-low 39 snaps from 11 personnel.
  • He was eased into action, as he didn’t get his normal amount of playing time. This could further cut into Everett’s and McKitty’s snaps.
  • The three tight ends combined for one catch on five targets.
  • Everett can be cut in leagues with lighter benches, assuming there is a better tight end option on your fantasy roster.

Add Donovan Peoples-Jones in deeper leagues: The Browns receiver caught four passes for 50 yards on seven targets.

• • He’s been an unquestioned starter for Cleveland since the middle of last season.
  • This was his third game of the year with seven or more targets and 50 or more receiving yards.
  • He’s unlikely to be a fantasy starter over the next month, outside of deep leagues, when bye weeks hit.
  • He could see a significant increase in his fantasy value when Deshaun Watson becomes the starter, having the potential to take the role Will Fuller V played in Houston.

Table Notes

• Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
• Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
• Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.