Fantasy Football Week 5 Rankings: Guide for Top Players and Sleepers
The first month of the 2022 NFL season is complete, and we've learned a lot about the fantasy landscape in this wild campaign. Perhaps the biggest thing we've learned is that some of the top fantasy players just aren't as reliable as they have been in past years.
This has been particularly true at running back, where New York Giants standout Saquon Barkley leads the pack.
"Saquon Barkley's 86 fantasy points is the lowest for an overall RB1 through the first four weeks of a season since 1997," Ryan McDowell of DynastyLeagueFootnall.com tweeted.
The need to play the right matchups and identify value plays is as important as it's ever been, and we're here to dive into some of the best plays of Week 5.
Below, you'll find a look at the latest points-per-reception (PPR) rankings, some top plays and some sleeper picks for each key offensive position.
Quarterback
1 of 4
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
6. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
7. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
8. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
9. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
11. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
12. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
Matchup to Love: Joe Burrow at Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow hasn't been particularly consistent this season, but he's started to find a rhythm over the past couple of weeks. He's also gotten better protection from the team's new-look offensive line (one sack versus the Miami Dolphins).
"I had all the time I needed in the pocket to find the guys I needed," Burrow said after the Miami game, per Mitch Stacy of the Associated Press.
Coming off of a Thursday night game, the 25-year-old will also have extended prep time for a Baltimore Ravens defense that has struggled to limit opposing passers. Only the Detroit Lions have allowed more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.
Burrow could be in line for his best game of the season to date.
Sleeper: Zach Wilson, New York Jets
While it's hard to really trust New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, he did show some flashes in his 2022 debut last week.
The BYU product threw for 252 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and also had 15 rushing yards.
What's easier to like is Wilson's collection of pass-catchers, headlined by Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore. It's also easy to like his matchup with the Dolphins.
Miami has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.
The Jets are at home, and they've shown some resiliency this season. If you're desperate for a Week 5 fill-in, Wilson is a solid waiver-wire target. He's rostered in only 10 percent of Yahoo leagues and nine percent of ESPN leagues.
Running Back
2 of 4
1. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
2. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
3. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
4. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
5. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
6. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
8. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
9. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
10. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
11. Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions
12. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
13. Clyde Edwards-Helarie, Kansas City Chiefs
14. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
15. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
16. Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
17. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
18. J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens
19. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
20. Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers
Matchup to Love: James Robinson vs. Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has generally done a better job of utilizing his top talents than predecessor Urban Meyer. However, it was strange to see running back James Robinson log only eight carries last week against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Expect a return to form—and a much bigger workload—for the 24-year-old this week against the Houston Texans. He had at least 17 carries in each of the previous two games and scored four touchdowns over the first three weeks.
The Texans are a spicy matchup, too, as no team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2022.
Sleeper: Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
It's time to buy low on Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier. The rookie is coming off of a 10-carry, 104 scrimmage-yard game and could see a notable workload moving forward.
The Falcons recently placed starting RB Cordarrelle Patterson on injured reserve with a knee injury. He is expected back this season, but he'll be out for at least the next four games.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might not represent the best matchup for Allgeier, but it's worth noting they surrendered 189 rushing yards to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. The 22-year-old is highly unlikely to blank this week.
Allgeier is rostered in only 19 percent of Yahoo leagues and 17 percent of ESPN leagues.
Wide Receiver
3 of 4
1. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
2. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
3. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
4. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
6. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
7. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
8, CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
9. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
10. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts
12. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
13. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
14. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
15. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
16. Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
17. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
18. Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
19. Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
20. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Matchup to Love: Ja'Marr Chase at Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have struggled against the pass, which is obviously noteworthy for fantasy receivers. While No. 1 Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase hasn't had a dominant outing since Week 1 (10 catches, 129 yards and a TD), he should shine in this game.
No team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing wide receivers than Baltimore.
Chase did have four catches for 81 yards against the Dolphins in Week 4, and managers should expect him to top those numbers against the Ravens. This is also a good week to start fellow Bengals, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins.
We're likely to see a shootout in Baltimore, which is good news for every pass-catcher involved.
Sleeper: Corey Davis, New York Jets
While Wilson and Moore are the leaders of the Jets' receiving corps, Corey Davis seems to have a solid rapport with Zach Wilson. The two hooked up five times for 74 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers.
The Dolphins have fared a bit better against receivers than quarterbacks, but they have still allowed the eight-most fantasy points to the position this season. This is a solid matchup if you trust Wilson to continue looking in Davis' direction.
That's the caveat here. The Jets have multiple quality receiving targets, which does make the 27-year-old a bit of a risk-reward play. If you're in a bind, though, he's a great wire target for the week.
Davis is rostered in 25 percent of Yahoo leagues and seven percent of ESPN leagues.
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Tight End
4 of 4
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
3. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders
4. Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals
5. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams
6. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions
7. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
8. Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
9. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
11. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
12. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
Matchup to Love: Dallas Goedert at Arizona Cardinals
The Eagles have positioned themselves as the best team in football through four weeks, and they've gotten stellar play from quarterback Jalen Hurts. That should continue against an Arizona Cardinals team that ranks 23rd in passing yards allowed.
This means good things are likely in store for tight end Dallas Goedert, who is coming off a five-catch, 72-yard performance against Jacksonville. He will share targets with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, of course, but this matchup is tough to ignore.
The Cardinals have surrendered the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.
Sleeper: Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints haven't relied heavily on tight ends this season, and Juwan Johnson leads the position group with only nine receptions and 118 yards. But he has been targeted at least four times in three of his four games.
Last week against the Minnesota Vikings, the 26-year-old caught three of four targets for 33 yards.
While there isn't a ton of upside with Johnson, lingering injury issues for Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara make him a potential sleeper worth tracking throughout the week. If the Saints are again short on pass-catchers, he could shine.
No team has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing tight ends than the Seattle Seahawks. Johnson is rostered in only one percent of Yahoo leagues and two percent of ESPN leagues.
There's likely no reason to put in a waiver claim before Thursday. Simply keep Johnson in mind if you find yourself needing a tight end by Sunday.
*Fantasy scoring and roster information via FantasyPros.
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