About 5th Down Fantasy
5th Down Fantasy offers real fantasy advice, by and for real fantasy players, plus expert fantasy football rankings and the latest NFL player news to keep you on top of your league.
Founded by former New York Times sports journalist Justin Sablich in 2016, 5th Down Fantasy has grown into a favorite destination for fantasy football fanatics looking for smart and free fantasy football analysis. We’re also the leading writing platform for fantasy enthusiasts who want to establish themselves in the fantasy sports journalism space, as well as long-time fantasy players itching to share their wisdom with the masses.
Justin teamed up with his brother, Jason, from 2010 — 2017 to provide fantasy football analysis and player rankings for The New York Times, where the “Sablich Brothers” established themselves as leading authorities in fantasy sports analysis.
About the Sablich Brothers
The Sablich brothers were enjoying a beer (or three) during the Christmas holiday of 2009 when it dawned on them: “Hey, we’re pretty good at playing fantasy football, what if we pitched to The New York Times that we start writing about it?”
“If you need to choose one source, make it the Sablich brothers, who have the best overall success.”
Men’s Health – September 2014
Between 2011 and 2015, their preseason player rankings and weekly player rankings were BOTH rated as the second most accurate among all fantasy football experts in the United States by FantasyPros. They were the first experts to have ranked in the top five in FantasyPros’ weekly rankings accuracy in four-straight years.
Justin Sablich — Founder and Managing Editor
Justin has been a cross-platform journalist since graduating from Syracuse University in 2006. He spent over 13 years at The New York Times, where he somehow convinced the sports editors to let him and his brother, Jason, write about fantasy football for several years. Justin spent eight years as an NYT sports journalist, attending five Super Bowls, and two Olympics, and covering everything from live baseball at Yankee Stadium to U.S. Open tennis. He went on to lead NYT’s digital travel coverage before working for several other publications and organizations as a writer, content strategist, and audience developer.
Currently, when Justin is not running 5thDownFantasy.com, he is an editor and content strategist for Devex, the leading media platform covering global development. He lives in London with his wife, young son, and middle-aged dog.
Jason Sablich — Editor at Large
Jason was the driving force behind our top-rated player rankings when representing The Times, which have become recognized as among the most accurate in the industry. The Sablich Brothers were the first experts graded by FantasyPros to be among the top 5 most accurate in four consecutive seasons. He’s currently a digital marketing pro and continues to advise on 5th Down’s operational strategy, and is one of New York state’s finest bass guitarists.
Media Inquiries
Justin and 5th Down Fantasy have been featured in:
Justin is available for interviews, podcast appearances, guest writing spots, industry mock drafts, and select other media appearances. Contact us if you’re looking for something in particular.
Contributing Writers/Experts
ANDREW BREITBARTH – (No, not that one, this one’s a dynasty league guru)
AIDAN GURVITCH – (A proud fantasy nerd who we’re proud to have on the squad)
MATT NEW (If you like Matt Berry’s Love/Hate columns, you’ll love his start/sit articles)
RYAN PICKARD – (Pickard is his name, DFS picks are his game)
HOLLY SABLICH – (Resident fantasy NASCAR expert with a great last name)
JUSTIN SABLICH – (When he’s not editing the others, he’s doing the rankings)
JOHN YOUNG – (Don’t be fooled by his last name, even though he is a young dude, he’s smarter than you)
Famous Alumni
We’re very proud of the fact that we give aspiring fantasy sports writers a platform to show what they can do, and those who want to pursue a career in the industry can use their experience with us to help them progress down this path. Here are a few writers we’ve been honored to work with in the past who went on to greener pastures:
SALEH AWWAD (2023) – He is now a writer for RotoBaller. Twitter: @SalehAwwad_
JACK CAMENZIND (2021) – He is now a writer for RotoBaller and FantasyData. Twitter: @FFBJack
PAUL PATTERSON (2018) – He is now a staff writer with Dynasty Football Factory and the host of the Factory Tour podcast. Twitter: @paul_dff
SAMANTHA PREVITE (2018) – She went on to be a fantasy analyst with The Action Network and contributed fantasy coverage to the New York Post. Twitter: @SamanthaNFL
ROB SEARLES (2019) – He is now a staff writer with Zone Coverage and a former writer for FantasyPros and Daily Thunder. Twitter: @RobBob17
GARETT THOMAS (2018 – 2021) – He is now a writer with FantasyPros and DFSArmy. Twitter: @GarettThomas