Week 5 of the 2020 NFL season brought yet another heartbreaking, season-ending injury and some pandemic-induced schedule changes that forced just the third Tuesday game in NFL history.
Most of the focus was on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, whose 2020 was cut short by a fractured and dislocated ankle sustained on a tackle. Andy Dalton is the new signal-caller in Dallas.
Prescott's situation drew some attention away from the Tennessee Titans, who finally were able to play against the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday after delays due to positive coronavirus tests for the first time since winning at Minnesota in Week 3.
Our panel of experts is here to look forward to Week 6's biggest potential upsets, fantasy football flops and potential sleepers, as well as talk about which players have -- and haven't -- met expectations this season.
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What's your top upset pick for Week 6?
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: Bears (+2.5) over the Panthers. Look for the Bears to establish a passing rhythm early with QB Nick Foles versus the Panthers' zone-heavy defense. Play-action, RPO, quick game here. The goal is to establish more offensive tempo in this matchup, while using interior pressures/stunts on defense to disrupt the pocket against Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Jason Reid, The Undefeated senior NFL writer: Cowboys (+2.5) over Cardinals. The Cowboys have been a complete mess on defense. And, obviously, the impact of losing Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott for the season can't be overstated. That established, the Cowboys know they can win the awful NFC East. I just see them rallying and getting it done. They will take a step toward that goal against the Cardinals, who are still trying to get it figured out as well.
Kevin Seifert, national NFL writer: Cowboys (+2.5) over Cardinals. I'm still trying to figure out the Cardinals, who might be an ascending team or (more likely) are a year away from playoff contention. Pass-rusher Chandler Jones' biceps injury is a major loss. The Cowboys will have to move past the Prescott injury, but I like them to do it at home.
Seth Walder, sports analytics writer: Browns (+3.5) over Steelers. Last season the Vikings were the second-most efficient team when running screen plays with Kevin Stefanski as their offensive coordinator. Surprisingly, Cleveland has run just seven screens all season, tied for the lowest in the NFL. I'm thinking this is the game Stefanski breaks them out and is successful in using them to counteract the Steelers' blitz-heavy approach.
Field Yates, NFL analyst: Washington (+3) over the Giants. This may be taking the easy way out by selecting an upset over a team that is 0-5, but Washington is in position to make Daniel Jones uncomfortable through its pass rush. Jones has been too turnover-heavy in his career, as he had made just one start without committing at least one turnover.
Who is your pick for non-QB MVP of the league so far?
Bowen: Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills. Diggs has caught 36 passes for 509 yards and two scores through his first five games in Buffalo. And you can make a case that Diggs has elevated the play of QB Josh Allen. With Diggs, the Bills have used more three- and four-wide-receiver sets in an offense that now has much more explosive-play ability.
Reid: Myles Garrett, DE, Browns. Garrett has been even more sensational than usual for the 4-1 Browns, who are off to a great start in the strong AFC North. The third-year star is tied for first in forced fumbles and is second in sacks. On either side of the ball, few are in Garrett's class in making a major impact each game.
Seifert: Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints. Kamara leads the NFL with 676 all-purpose yards, 22% more than any other player. As quarterback Drew Brees' downfield effectiveness wanes, and in the absence of injured/disciplined receiver Michael Thomas, Kamara has carried the Saints' offense on the ground and through the air.
Walder: Stefon Diggs, WR, Bills. I'm writing this before the Bills' Week 5 game, so this is a bit of a risky selection, but even entering that game Diggs leads the league in completed air yards over expectation this season. He's a huge part of Josh Allen's breakout this season. Allen's completion percentage over expectation on passes to Diggs is plus-13%, per NFL Next Gen Stats, while on passes to all other receivers, it's just plus-1%. Diggs added 10 catches for 106 yards on Tuesday night.
Yates: Aaron Donald, DT, Rams. Normally I'd rely on a generic sentiment regarding how hard it is to quantify the impact of an interior defensive lineman -- which is true -- but Donald's league-high 7.5 sacks help paint the picture of his dominance. Beyond that, he has dozens of other play-wrecking moments (an unofficial stat in the NFL's book, but an important one in mine) already this season. He's absurd.
Pick a fringe fantasy player who should be started in Week 6.
Bowen: Preston Williams, WR, Dolphins. Williams caught 4 of 5 targets for 104 yards and a score in Miami's Week 5 win over San Francisco. And with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB, Williams will have more vertical opportunities this week against the Jets' defense. Given the target volume here, Williams fits as a WR3 in deeper, non-PPR formats.
Reid: Devin Singletary, RB, Bills. At this point, the Chiefs are not getting it done against the run. This is a no-brainer.
Seifert: Devin Singletary, RB, Bills. I know the Bills have transformed into more of a passing team in 2020, and they'll have to do plenty of it to keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. But the Chiefs are allowing 157.6 rushing yards per game this season, and the Bills will look to exploit it.
Walder: Preston Williams, WR, Dolphins. I'm following Bowen here. This is too beautiful of a matchup to pass up. Pierre Desir ranks second among all cornerbacks in most completed air yards over expectation allowed -- using NFL Next Gen Stats' expected completion percentage model -- this season. No. 1 on that list? Jets corner Lamar Jackson. So if he has to start in place of Blessuan Austin again, Williams is an even better play.
Yates: Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Dolphins. Those looking to replace Dak Prescott or Russell Wilson (on a bye) in their fantasy lineup can turn to Fitzy, who has at least 20 fantasy points in four straight games. Next up? A tasty matchup against the Jets that should lead to another worthwhile effort for the bearded wonder.
Who's your pick to be the biggest fantasy flop this weekend?
Bowen: Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals. I'm still a believer in Burrow as a matchup-dependent QB1/2 in fantasy, but I'm going to sit the rookie in the Week 6 game versus the Colts. This Indianapolis defense plays fast and will scheme pressure to create turnover opportunities. Burrow will be back in the mix in Week 7 against the Browns.
Reid: Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles. The Ravens give up only 15.2 points per game -- tops in the league. Don't count on big things from Wentz in this one.
Seifert: Kareem Hunt, RB, Browns. It's obvious the Browns want to run, but Hunt is going to have trouble getting much going against the Steelers' defense. It's allowing 64 rushing yards per game, second best in the NFL.
Walder: George Kittle, TE, 49ers. Over the past two weeks the Rams have actually kicked Jalen Ramsey inside and played him in the slot a whole bunch. I doubt it will be all the time, but even some Ramsey-Kittle matchups would be a fair bit more than we'd have expected just a couple of weeks ago. And that's not great for the Niners tight end.
Yates: Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons. While the matchup would appear favorable against a Minnesota defense that has endured secondary growing pains this season, Ryan has been out of sorts for nearly three games. His last touchdown accounted for was early in the first quarter of Week 3, and Atlanta's offense has been far from the dynamic group we expected it could be this season.
Which player has been the most disappointing so far this season?
Bowen: Sam Darnold, QB, Jets. The second-reaction ability and arm talent still jumps with Darnold. And we know he is playing on a team with a bottom-tier roster. However, Darnold's 46.0 QBR ranks 28th in the NFL. Based on the tape, Darnold looks rushed as a pocket thrower, and he's not trusting his eyes in anticipating windows. Plus, the decision-making has to improve. The Jets simply aren't talented enough to turn the ball over.
Reid: Sam Darnold, QB, Jets. I don't have enough time to explain everything that ails the Jets from the front office to the field. And I'll leave it to others to do a deep dive into Darnold's awful stats. Here's my thing: Even with the Jets clearly in need of another major makeover, Darnold has too much arm talent and is too smart to be this bad.
Seifert: Carson Wentz, QB, Eagles. There was every reason to be excited about Wentz's 2020 season. He had finished the 2019 season strong, leading the Eagles to the NFC East title, and seemed ready to retake his spot in the MVP race. Instead, he leads the NFL in interceptions, ranks No. 30 in completion percentage (60.0) and has ceded some playing time to rookie Jalen Hurts.
Walder: Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans. Wentz has certainly been worse, but I had top-five quarterback expectations for Watson. The circumstances aren't ideal -- below-average pass protection, no DeAndre Hopkins -- but with Watson's talent I thought he'd be able to overcome it. Instead, he ranks just 19th in QBR and has generated the 29th-most expected points added on the ground (designed runs and scrambles) among QBs, after generating the second most last season.
Yates: A.J. Green, WR, Bengals. Be it rust, age or both, Green's 2020 is off to a crawling pace to start. He's now dealing with a hamstring issue to boot, but before the injury he had shown a lack of ability to generate separation and win with his nifty route running. Tee Higgins has looked like Cincy's best perimeter wide receiver.
Get out your crystal ball: Where will Dak Prescott be playing in 2021?
Bowen: Dallas. With the expectation that Prescott recovers fully from the injury, we should see him with the Cowboys in 2021. Prescott was playing at an extremely high level this season in a vertical passing system that was built around his throwing traits.
Reid: Dallas. Of course, I'm assuming he makes a full recovery. Providing he does, I see Prescott reclaiming his position as the Cowboys' leader and playing at a high level next season. After that, well, who knows?
Seifert: Dallas. I don't sense any permanent hard feelings from either side after they failed to agree to a long-term contract. That doesn't mean Prescott won't eventually leave, perhaps after a second franchise tag is applied. But at this point, assuming there are no complications from his injury, the best guess is that he'll be with the Cowboys at least through 2021.
Walder: Dallas. It's much harder to find a good quarterback than a healthy one. Even with the risks around his recovery and the chance that he won't fully regain his abilities, Prescott remains the Cowboys' best bet to have a top-10 quarterback in 2021. It just makes sense for the Cowboys to keep him, one way or another.
Yates: Dallas. I don't expect a negotiation that moves swiftly or excludes some twists and turns along the way, but I do expect a conclusion that results in Dak staying with the Cowboys long term. There was absolutely nothing good about his ankle injury on Sunday, but there was something incredibly powerful seeing how much respect he carries in that locker room and around the league. It may start with a tag, but I believe a long-term deal is in the offing.