11 NFL players who are off to surprisingly hot starts

We’re five weeks in the 2018 NFL regular season and some up-and-coming players are off to pretty impressive starts.

Let’s break ’em down, starting with a wide receiver who is absolutely tearing it up.

1. Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings

Thielen is coming off a 1,200-yard season, so it was expected that he’d probably put up strong numbers again this year. But did anyone think he’d have a record-breaking start to the season? Because that’s what Thielen, who went undrafted in 2013, did last week when he became the first WR in NFL history to have over 100 yards receiving in each of his team’s first five games to start the season. He leads the league in catches with 47 and his second in yards with 589.

2. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Jets

Raise your hand if you left Crowell on your fantasy bench last week. Yeah, us too. It was a big mistake as he rushed for 219 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Broncos. He’s now rushed for over 100 yards twice this season. and has five TDs, which is three more than he had all of last year with the Browns.

3. T.J. Watt, LB, Steelers 

J.J.’s little brother is off and running in his second season as he already has six sacks through five games. He had seven sacks last year as a rookie and it looks like he’ll cruise right past that number this year.

4. Sony Michel, RB, Patriots

Some were ready write the rookie out of Georgia off as a draft bust after the first few games of the season. But he’s since found a home in the New England lineup, rushing for 112 and 98 yards in the last two games and has found the end zone twice.

5. James Conner, RB, Steelers 

The second-year back has done more than just a solid job filling in for Le’Veon Bell as he rushed for 342 yards and five touchdowns and has also caught 22 passes for 239 yards. He’s coming off his second 100-yard game of the season, as he went for 110 yards and two TDs in a win over the Falcons.

6. Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens

Something has gotten into the veteran QB as he’s averaging 310 yards passing a game, which is a lot better than the 190 he averaged last year. He’s thrown for 1,550 yards and eight TDs in leading the Ravens to a 3-2 start.

7. Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks 

The second-year back out of Oklahoma State is coming off back-to-back 100-yard games and has already rushed for more yards this year (293) than he had all of last year (208). He gave the Rams all sorts of fits last week as he finished with 116 yards on 19 carries.

8. Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons 

The Falcons have been dreadful this year but their rookie WR hasn’t been a reason why. The first-round pick out of Alabama already has six TDs on the year, including three against the Saints in Week 3 when he finished with a career-high 146 yards receiving.

9. Eric Ebron, TE, Colts 

Ebron, who was dumped by the Lions in the offseason, has found a nice home in Indianapolis as he has already tied his career high in TDs with five. He’s quickly becoming one of Andrew Luck’s favorite targets and is coming off a monster game against the Patriots in which he had nine catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

10. Devon Kennard, LB, Lions

The fifth-year LB, who is in his first year with the Lions, has already set a career-high with five sacks through the first five games of the season.

11. Darius Leonard, LB, Colts 

The rookie linebacker out of South Carolina State has been a force already for the Colts with 54 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble. He missed the Week 5 loss to the Patriots due to an ankle injury – which makes his stats even more impressive – but is expected to return to action in Week 6.