Sunday’s Week 5 NFL slate is filled with top fantasy football matchups. An AFC matchup that is expected to be a blowout is the Buffalo Bills against the young Pittsburgh Steelers. So let’s dive into whether you should start Bills running back Devin Singletary against the Steelers.
Should You Start Devin Singletary vs. the Steelers?
Consistency can be a great thing for many fantasy managers, but it’s also frustrating to have a player who is consistently only getting decent opportunities and workloads. While Singletary did well to emerge from a backfield that could’ve swallowed his touches in a contract season, the Bills haven’t maximized his touches either. He’s stuck in being a questionable starter each week.
With only one week with more than nine carries and four receptions, Singletary isn’t a slam dunk to start against the Steelers for all fantasy managers. The Steelers have one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL with T.J. Watt out, ranking 25th in EPA and fantasy points allowed to running backs. Most notable is their inability to stop pass-catching backs, who are averaging five catches and 0.75 total touchdowns a game.
The Bills rushing attack continues to be only fairly effective despite fine-tuning their offensive line. Josh Allen steals a ton of valuable opportunities but also creates scoring chances. Singletary has averaged above 3.17 yards per carry only twice on the season. His biggest value has been receiving, as he’s totaled 125 yards over the last two weeks compared to 16 in the first two weeks.
Entering Week 5, Singletary is ranked at RB20 and No. 72 overall in our expert PPR fantasy football rankings. His best value comes as a receiver, especially with tight end Dawson Knox out this week. The Bills could turn to their tailback for those red-zone targets instead.
Our friends at Underdog Fantasy have solid projections for Singletary. He has a rushing projection of 51.5 and 18.5 receiving yards. His total over the last two weeks has been well above the 75.5 projection provided to us, and fantasy managers would love to see almost 100 total yards and a touchdown.
There are some risks with this matchup. The Steelers have allowed volume over efficiency on the ground, with a solid 4.0 average given up on the season. Will the Bills give up early on the ground game when they can produce so easily through the air?
That’s been the downfall of all Bills running backs in fantasy throughout the last two years. Singletary is also not a heavy-workload player in the red zone, earning only five carries but five targets. It’s funny the Bills tried to sign J.D. McKissic and then drafted James Cook, only to use Singletary in the same role both players would’ve theoretically filled.
Alas, fantasy managers will rejoice at every target Singletary sees as it helps boost his fantasy value. He’d otherwise be a bench player and a relative afterthought since he gets so few opportunities on the ground.
Singletary is a good starting option against a weak Steelers defense but also someone who doesn’t have the high ceiling you may need in your matchup. Take that into consideration based on who your opponent is this week and the needs of your roster.