Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season is here, and kicking off Thursday Night Football this week will be the visiting Chicago Bears taking on the Washington Commanders for a special edition of start em, sit em. Here's who to start and who to sit in fantasy football ahead of the Week 5 Thursday Night Football matchup between the Commanders and Bears.

Bears-Commanders Start ‘Em

Justin Fields, CHI, QB: You might want to get off Mr. Fields' Wild Ride, but after last week's excellent fantasy performance, you have to fire him back up once again. The Bears have been letting Fields use his legs more, which is really the path to him finishing in the top-12 each week. The Commanders give up the 10th most points to fantasy football quarterbacks this season, and Fields should be playing from behind. Buckle up and ride.

Sam Howell, WAS, QB: Howell isn't someone we usually look to start, but the matchup against Chicago's dreadful defense is too delicious to decline. The Bears are second only to the Denver Broncos in fantasy points allowed to the QB position, and with Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel both active, there aren't any good reasons to bench Howell. He's a top-12 play this week, and a good “start 'em” over most streaming options and “sit 'em” choices on benches.

Brian Robinson, WAS, RB: Robinson should be the most popular MVP pick on FanDuel, and for good reason. The Bears allow 30.3 points on average to the running back position, and Robinson has clearly established himself as the lead back with Antonio Gibson struggling. The Commanders are a big home favorite, making Robinson a good bet to score a touchdown and rack up plenty of carries and yards in this one.

DJ Moore, CHI, WR: The Commanders are just 27th against fantasy receivers this year, and Moore is coming off the best game of his season with 8 catches and 131 yards. He's the number one option in this passing game, and with the Commanders being the league's best defense against tight ends, he should be the clear focus in the passing game for the underdogs. It might not be pretty, but Moore has a WR1 ceiling with a WR2 floor in this one.

Terry McLaurin, WAS, WR: McLaurin hasn't been the home run fantasy football pick many had hoped for, but he's coming off the best game of his season and has 19 catches over the last three weeks. The Bears have a banged-up secondary you should pick on, making McLaurin a solid WR2 for this one.

Darnell Mooney, CHI, WR: Mooney isn't someone we throw in our lineup often, but with Chase Claypool out and Cole Kmet likely bottled up, it will be up to DJ Moore and Mooney to move the chains when Fields drops back to pass. Mooney is coming off a 4-51 game against the Broncos, and should be in position to put up similar numbers in this one. He's a desperation flex play, but a solid DFS punt target to save money.

Jahan Dotson, WAS, WR: Dotson has been a major fantasy disappointment, clearing 40 yards just once so far this season. Being the second or third option for a run-heavy team can produce results like that, and there's a fear Washington will get up early and lean on the run. Still, Dotson is a WR3/Flex option against a terrible defense with byes likely impacting a few rosters.

Commanders D, WAS, DEF: Justin Fields loves himself a turnover, and the Bears allow the second most fantasy points to opposing defenses in the NFL. The Commanders are a strong top-10 option defensively this week, and a sneaky MVP pick in DFS.

Logan Thomas, WAS, TE: The tight end position is ugly, and Thomas was on the field for every Sam Howell pass attempt last week except one. That should lead to some fantasy production, and Chicago is middle of the pack (13th) against tight ends this year. He's a touchdown prayer, but so are most plays at this position.

Joey Slye, K, WAS and Cairo Santos, K, CHI: The Commanders let up the most points to fantasy kickers through four weeks, and the Bears aren't far behind at 8th. This kind of feels like an ugly Thursday Night Football game with lots of field goals, and while there are more attractive offenses to get a piece of, both can be played relatively comfortably.

 

Bears-Commanders Sit ‘Em

Khalil Herbert, CHI, RB: You might want to play Herbert after his 22-point PPR week, but recognize that came against the Denver Broncos, who are getting shredded by running backs. Herbert had single-digit carries in the previous three weeks before the Denver game, and while it looks like he's holding off Roschon Johnson, the Commanders are solid (18th) against running backs and the Bears could get down early. He's a Flex play, but nothing more.

Curtis Samuel, WAS, WR: It's a good sign that Samuel is active, but he may not be at full health with a quad injury. While the matchup is right and Samuel is coming off his biggest game, the Commanders should lean more on the run and not be in furious comeback mode in this one, leaving Samuel as a desperation flex offering.

Antonio Gibson, WAS, RB: Gibson is struggling, and not a part of Washington's gameplan. He's droppable in most fantasy leagues, but leave him on the bench if he's still on your roster.

Cole Kmet, CHI, TE: Kmet was a monster last week, going for 7-85-2 on the Broncos. Unfortunately, this is a brutal matchup, as Washington allows the league's fewest points to opposing tight ends. Kmet is likely to crash back down to earth in this spot.

Roschon Johnson, RB, CHI: There's DFS appeal in a game scenario where the Commanders get up huge and Johnson takes over as the primary passing down back, but he's not seeing enough carries in this offense to start in any season-long fantasy football formats.

Bears D, CHI, DEF: Nope. Don't do it. The Bears D shouldn't be rostered, and no matter what your feelings on Sam Howell, shouldn't be started until they show some sign of life.

That's it for start em sit em Thursday Night Football in Week 5 for the Bears-Commanders matchup– check back for more Week 5 fantasy football rankings soon.