What You Need to Know from Week 5

TB @ ATL

• Bucky Irving had a costly fumble in this game, and Rachaad White played through an injury. For the first time this season, White was also the better runner of the two. This backfield will probably be one of the closest to a 50/50 committee in the league, but it remains fluid and needs to be monitored.
• After a quiet start, Cade Otton has leveled off as at least rosterable in typical leagues during a brutal year for fantasy tight ends.
• Kirk Cousins finally realized the vision fantasy drafters had for this offense when he was signed. Consider Cousins a high-floor QB1 going forward, especially at Carolina in Week 6.
• Bijan Robinson remains mired in a 2 to 1 backfield split with Tyler Allgeier, but with the offense getting closer to its ideal, consider trying to buy low on the lead back heading into a matchup that yielded three running back scores last week.
• Drake London and Darnell Mooney’s favorite spiked in Week 5. London is an every-week WR1 as long as this keeps up, and Mooney is an every-week WR2.
• Kyle Pitts got off to a hot start and was buoyed by the pass-heavy game script to his best game all season. He is startable against the Panthers, and there are finally reasons for hope in his fantasy outlook.

NYJ vs MIN - London

• Breece Hall continues to look like the second-best back in the Jets backfield. It’s not time to start him yet, but it’s time to give up on getting anything close to the investment it took to take him in redraft leagues. Allen could tighten the snap and touch split going forward.
• Aaron Rodgers got banged up in this game and suffered an ankle injury. He was still able to drive the team within sight of a game-winning score late. The offense is on his shoulders, which could be good for the passing game pieces in fantasy - if Rodgers can stay healthy enough to be effective. Robert Saleh was fired on Tuesday, which indicates that the offense will become even more Rodgers-centric.
• Garrett Wilson finally got the target load we hoped for when the Jets traded for Rodgers. He’s back on track in PPR leagues, but his outlook is still disappointing in .5 and nonPPR leagues.
• Allen Lazard scored again. He is maintaining bye/injury/emergency WR3/Flex value and is well ahead of Mike Williams as the #2 target-earning wide receiver.
• Tyler Conklin had his second good game in the last three, and the one dud was played in poor conditions. He’s a viable TE1 against the Bills and shouldn’t be on the waiver wire in PPR leagues.
• Sam Darnold and this offense finally met their match in the Jets defense. We’ll respect the Jets defense when setting lineups (Week 6 could be rough for Josh Allen and company, but expect the Vikings offense to be fine after a well-timed bye. Darnold left briefly with a rib injury but should be ok with the extra rest.
• Aaron Jones left with a hip injury. His Week 7 status is unknown, but the bye week timing should help. Ty Chandler was ineffective in Jones' absence, but he should still be picked up across formats because of Jones' injury history and the quality of this offense.

CAR @ CHI

• Andy Dalton and the Panthers offense turned back into a pumpkin against a good defense. Atlanta’s defense might not be as good as the Bears, but they are better than the Raiders and Bengals. Dalton is a shaky 2QB/Superflex start, and Diontae Johnson isn’t an automatic play going forward. Bryce Young replaced Dalton late, but saving him from punishment was cited, so don’t expect a quarterback change anytime soon.
• Xavier Legette left with a shoulder injury and can be dropped after a promising false positive in Week 4. UDFA Jalen Coker replaced him and should be added in deep dynasty leagues.
• Chuba Hubbard was the only bright spot in the offense. The team didn’t open the practice window for Jonathon Brooks last week, so Hubbard will again be an upside RB2 play against Atlanta.
• Caleb Williams had his best game as a passer so far in his young career and is back on the fantasy radar - at least in good matchups. Facing Jacksonville in London in Week 6 is probably another good matchup.
• D'Andre Swift was a fantasy RB1 for the second straight week and should be in lineups going forward. Roschon Johnson also scored twice in short yardage and should be rostered as a combination matchup flex and Swift injury upside stash.
• DJ Moore scored twice and looked like a fantasy WR1 for the first time this year. He won’t be sulking on the bench anymore at this rate. The rest of the considerable passing game production was spread around in a bad sign for Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen’s value predictability going forward.

CLE @ WAS

• Deshaun Watson was terrible yet again. You can’t play anyone in this offense (at least until Nick Chubb returns) outside of maybe Amari Cooper as a WR3/Flex. Watson will start again in Week 6, but the calls for Jameis Winston are getting louder.
• David Njoku played a limited number of snaps and hurt his knee. It is reasonable to drop him if you held him through his ankle injury absence.
• Nick Chubb, you can’t come back soon enough.
• The Jayden Daniels show is must see TV. He had a strong fantasy day even though he was inaccurate as a passer at times, and his running backs scored three times on the ground. He could go nuclear in a matchup with Lamar Jackson this week.
• Brian Robinson Jr. scored twice but wasn’t effective otherwise and didn’t play in the second half. Monitor practice reports to see how his knee is doing.
• Austin Ekeler is a strong start if Robinson misses time and still a flex start even if Robinson plays. He still looks like an explosive, dangerous back and he’s in a good offense.
• Jeremy McNichols scored in garbage time, and he’s rosterable if bench size allows, with both of the backs ahead of him already suffering injuries. McNichols has looked surprisingly full of burst in his return to the league after not touching the ball in a regular season since 2021.
• Terry McLaurin was tackled inside the 5 and didn’t score on a pass he got both hands on. He hasn’t realized his full value yet, but it could be coming against the Ravens' suspect pass defense.

MIA @ NE

• De'Von Achane left with a concussion. He wasn’t holding back the running game, but it got on track after he left. Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright both looked good, and Wright’s speed finally made a difference in this game. Both are worth carrying through the bye if bench size allows with Tua Tagovailoa due back in Week 8.
• Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle did enough to be safe WR3/Flex starts with Tyler Huntley in Week 7.
• Jonnu Smith had his second good game this year and should be on the waiver wire bye/injury/emergency tight end list.
• Jacoby Brissett almost completed the comeback win but fell short when Ja’Lynn Polk couldn’t get his toe and heel down in the back of the end zone. The team will turn to Drake Maye in Week 6. He’s worth an add in 2QB/Superflex leagues.
• Antonio Gibson took the first carry, and he and Rhamondre Stevenson split the snaps 50-50. Stevenson still got more than twice as many touches as Gibson, broke a 33-yard touchdown, and showed that he’s still worth a flex spot as long as the Patriots are competitive. We’ll see if they are vs. Houston this week.
• Demario Douglas was the leading receiver again and put up a WR3/Flex level game in PPR leagues. He’s bye/injury/emergency waiver wire material in PPR leagues.

IND @ JAX

• Joe Flacco meshed well with the Shane Steichen passing game and supported the value of three good to great wide receiver games. Any time he starts, Michael Pittman Jr and Josh Downs should be in lineups, and maybe Alec Pierce too. Flacco will also be a potential spot start in 1QB leagues and is a good QB2/Superflex play when he gets the call. He could start in Week 6 against the Titans.
• Pierce put up a great fantasy week on three targets. He was this close to two scores on his three catches. He should be added if he was dropped and should be able to hold off Adonai Mitchell for the #2 outside receiver job. Pierce could retain good value even when Anthony Richardson returns due to the vertical passing inclination in this offense.
• Trey Sermon got 59% of the running back snaps and Tyler Goodson 41% with Jonathan Taylor sitting. Taylor could miss at least one more week, if not more. Sermon caught six passes and scored from the one. He should be considered RB2/Flex material against the Titans if Taylor sits. Goodson is just a desperation play, but he showed enough to have fantasy relevance if injuries push him into a starting spot.
• Trevor Lawrence was outstanding on his 25th birthday. The Jaguars showed off their vertical passing game to match the Colts' late air show. Lawrence has a tough matchup in England against the Bears, but he has matchup QB1 value in the wake of this performance.
• Tank Bigsby had two long touchdown runs and should permanently turn this into a committee. Bigsby got more snaps than Travis Etienne Jr. because of Etienne’s shoulder injury, but Bigsby has earned a conversion of this backfield to an RBBC. Etienne and Bigsby are flex plays against the Bears until(if?) this breaks clearly in favor of one of the backs.
• Brian Thomas Jr. had an 85-yard touchdown, and it looked easy. He’s an every-week start, well on his way to becoming a #1 receiver, and the big three wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft should have been a big four.

BUF @ HOU

• Josh Allen was terrible without Khalil Shakir and probably played through a concussion in this game. He isn’t a must-start against a tough Jets defense in Week 6 if Shakir isn’t back.
• Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, and Curtis Samuel all came up small with Shakir out. Coleman did have a long catch and score but otherwise did little to help out the offense. Only James Cook is a clear start while Shakir is sitting. Kincaid is a what-the-heck tight end play who could still be decent in Week 6 after tying for the team lead in targets in Week 5.
• The Texans seemed to trust Dare Ogunbowale over Cam Akers when they had the lead in the second half. Ogunbowale is a better play than Akers if Joe Mixon sits in Week 6 at New England as an RB2/Flex option, while Akers would be a what-the-heck flex.
• Nico Collins scored from 67 yards but left after the play with a hamstring injury and will probably miss multiple weeks. Stefon Diggs becomes a solid WR2 with Collins out, Tank Dell a WR3/Flex, and Dalton Schultz a what-the-heck tight end play. Xavier Hutchinson is a deep dynasty add and redraft waiver wire watch player as the primary replacement for Collins.

BAL @ CIN

• Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow had an epic shootout in this one where both made mistakes that could have cost their team the game, but a rookie punter's poor hold on a field for Cincinnati ended up deciding it. Jackson is the #1 fantasy quarterback and looks to be on track to hold that title as long as he stays healthy.
• Derrick Henry scored early and then was quiet for most of the game as the Bengals led until the final seconds. Henry then had a 51-yard run after the Evan McPherson miss in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal. He is on track for maybe his best season as a pro.
• Zay Flowers had a big game with the Ravens going pass-heavy. Rashod Bateman was a solid flex play. The tight ends accounted for three scores and well over 100 receiving yards. Isaiah Likely caught two, including another Jackson Houdini act play after a bobbled snap. Mark Andrews could have had one, but Jackson was off on a throw to him inside the five. Don’t give up on Andrews with another possible shootout brewing in the matchup with Washington this week. Charlie Kolar caught the other score and had a big game. Put him on your tight end premium dynasty waiver wire watch list.
• Joe Burrow revived the glory days of the Bengals passing game, throwing multiple scores to both Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase. We’ll continue to pick on both the Ravens and Bengals defenses when setting lineups, and both of those units add upside to their quarterback’s fantasy outlooks. Burrow is back to being a high-floor QB1 after a slow start.
• Zack Moss left with an ankle injury. He briefly returned. The injury isn’t considered serious, but Moss is uncertain for Week 6. If he’s out, Chase Brown is a must-start against the Giants.

LV @ DEN

• Gardner Minshew II was pulled mid-game again. The starter for Week 6 is unknown, but you have to think once Minshew is benched, he won’t start again. At least Minshew hit Brock Bower for a long score on an aspirational pass before he went out. Minshew isn’t good, but Aidan O'Connell starting won’t be any better for fantasy.
• Alexander Mattison was the lead back, but Ameer Abdullah got the garbage time score. Other than Bowers, there’s no reliable play in the Raiders offense.
• We should continue to expect the Broncos defense to be a limiting factor for fantasy. They have the Chargers next.
• Bo Nix started slow but got going as the game went on and accounted for three scores. He’s a 1QB spot start consideration and QB2/Superflex play in good matchups, but the Chargers aren’t one in Week 6.
• Javonte Williams is back to being the lead back and also led the team in receptions and receiving yards. He’s an RB2/Flex play going forward, although he had to lose his job and see his replacement get hurt to get there.

ARI @ SF

• Kyler Murray outran the defense on a 50-yard touchdown run, and his value is up as this should get more designed runs called. The passing production was mediocre against a good 49ers defense, but Murray can make up for that imbalance if his speed is harnessed.
• James Conner was strong and led the comeback in the second half as the Cardinals smartly did not abandon the run. Conner has only had one letdown game against a good Lions run defense.
• Michael Wilson picked up the slack as Marvin Harrison Jr. was contained by the 49ers secondary. Wilson has arrived as bye/injury/emergency depth in PPR leagues after Greg Dortch had all of the #2 receiver hype coming out of camp.
• Brock Purdy was able to feed George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk for big games, but Deebo Samuel Sr. was overlooked. This pattern matches the typical fantasy outlook for the offense when everyone is healthy, and we haven’t mentioned Jauan Jennings, who was also quiet. Jennings is droppable in short bench leagues, but keep him on waiver wire speed dial if Samuel or Aiyuk go down.

NYG @ SEA

• Eric Gray fumbled at the goal line, and it was returned by Rayshawn Jenkins for a score. Otherwise, it was one of the best Giants offensive performances of the year and without Malik Nabers or Devin Singletary. Daniel Jones' value is up, and he might be worth a spot start against the Bengals. He’s definitely worth a QB2/Superflex spot in Week 6.
• Tyrone Tracy Jr. was outstanding and should be added in all leagues. The team could be more patient with Devin Singletary’s recovery from a groin injury, and it’s not clear that Singletary will be more than the lead in a committee after watching Tracy go over 100 yards in this game.
• Darius Slayton looked like the future star he appeared to be as a rookie way back when. He and Daniel Jones were on the same page in the downfield passing game. There’s hope that Slayton can retain value in good matchups once Malik Nabers returns and defenses focus on him. Slayton should be added as long as bench size allows.
• Theo Johnson was very good for a rookie, helping to pick up the slack left by Nabers’ absence. If the offense continues to click, Johnson could have value going forward, and he should be added in tight end premium leagues or by anyone desperate for another option at tight end.
• The Giants pass rush gave the Seahawks passing game trouble, and Deonte Banks was very good in his matchup with DK Metcalf. No Seahawk was a good play in the passing game despite a pass-heavy game script. Metcalf should stay in lineups because of his explosiveness, but the Seahawks passing game has a tough matchup against the 49ers on Thursday.
• Ken Walker III was barely used as the Seahawks trailed in the second half, but he gobbled up short receptions in the comeback attempt and still salvaged a solid PPR game in a good development for the projection of his weekly floor.

GB @ LAR

• Jordan Love wasn’t as good against a defense that wasn’t nursing a huge lead, and most of his production was because of Tucker Kraft after the catch and Jayden Reed at the catch point. He’s still a QB1 consideration against the Cardinals, but it’s hard to get a good read on his value right now.
• Josh Jacobs scored and had his highest snap share of the season. He’s a strong RB2 going forward, but Emanuel Wilson is still a hold because of the quality of the offense.
• Dontayvion Wicks was inconsistent but led the team in targets and almost had a 50+ yard touchdown. He’s a hold if bench size allows with Christian Watson probably not back for Week 6.
• Kraft scored twice with run-after-catch prowess and has cemented his redraft and dynasty value.
• Matthew Stafford’s competitiveness made Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington good flex plays. Cooper Kupp could be back after the bye to end their run as viable plays, but we’ll file this away in case Kupp goes down again (and while we wait for Puka Nacua to return).

DAL @ PIT

• Rico Dowdle was still only in on half of the snaps, but he touched the ball most of the time he was in and had his best day and biggest workload as a runner. He also scored as a receiver again. He’s a flex play against a stout Lions run defense.
• Jalen Tolbert caught the game-winning score and had his best day as a pro. He’s a pickup even in short bench leagues and could be an every-week WR3/Flex play if he continues to play like this.
• Justin Fields was underwhelming and got little help from George Pickens. If this doesn't change, we could see Russell Wilson soon. The relationship between Pickens and the team could be breaking down after his snaps were cut back significantly, and he was seen displaying poor effort on more than one play.
• Najee Harris was the clear lead back, but it still didn’t amount to much for fantasy. He’s still a matchup RB2 against the Raiders with Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson likely out again.
• The Steelers offense has been mostly anemic, save for a comeback attempt against a soft Colts pass defense. The Arthur Smith hire hasn’t been a panacea for the offensive woes, and having a mediocre game against a Cowboys defense that has either been soft against the run or the pass when they aren’t facing the Browns is a bad sign.

NO @ KC

• Derek Carr left with an oblique injury; his Week 6 status is unknown. As disappointing as the Saints offense has been the last three weeks, it will be significantly worse with Jake Haener at quarterback.
• Alvin Kamara was bottled up as the running game appeared to be stale and predictable. Kamara is still a high-floor RB2 who will get a lot of short passes, but the air is coming out of the balloon.
• Chris Olave had a big play called back by penalty but was not emphasized in the game plan otherwise. It’s hard to want to start him if Haener is the quarterback against the Bucs.
• Rashid Shaheed did have another long score, and he’s a more consistent and higher ceiling play than Olave while Carr is playing. If Haener plays, Shaheed is a what-the-heck flex.
• For their next trick, the Chiefs will make their offense work with players the rest of the league didn’t want. JuJu Smith-Schuster did a great Rashee Rice impression and appears to have gotten back some of the athleticism that was missing from his game after he left the Chiefs. He’s worth a priority pickup despite being on bye with Rice out for the season confirmed.
• Kareem Hunt looked like a lead back and should be considered a strong RB2 going forward.
• Travis Kelce was also helping keep the offense on schedule with short catches, and he’s back to being a top 3-5 fantasy tight end.
• Patrick Mahomes II still isn’t a fantasy QB1, even with Smith-Schuster posting a big game because the passing game is stalling out in the red zone. Xavier Worthy also looks like a rookie with limited application and is only a WR3/Flex at best, although he did score again as a runner.