Fantasy Football Week 5: Preview and Predictions

Week 5 of the fantasy football season is just days away, so it’s time to put Week 4 in the rearview mirror and preview the upcoming week’s slate of action with rankings and predictions.

Bye weeks are now in full swing, so some trustworthy fantasy players such as Cam Newton won’t be available in Week 5. Find out why Eli Manning is a more than suitable replacement.

Devonta Freeman continues to light it up, and he now finds himself ranking among the elite from a fantasy perspective. There should be no questions as to whether Freeman should be in your starting lineup this week. The answer is always yes.

Additionally, we will go over why you shouldn't trust the latest darling at the tight end position—Gary Barnidge. His Week 5 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens should be avoided at all costs.

This is just a taste of the previews of all the positions. This slideshow will check in on every position entering Week 5 and will also provide several bold predictions.

QBs: Palmer, E. Manning, Rivers All Make Top 10

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Carson Palmer

Aaron Rodgers tops the Week 5 quarterback rankings with a home game against the St. Louis Rams, and Tom Brady–fresh off a bye week—checks in at the No. 2 spot.

Peyton Manning seems back to his old ways and assumes the No. 3 spot, and the same rings true for Drew Brees (No. 4).

P. Manning's brother—Eli Manning—is primed for a big game when his New York Giants square off against the San Francisco 49ers, and Carson Palmer also finds himself in the top 10 with a matchup against the Detroit Lions.

Week 5’s Top 10 QBs: 

1. Aaron Rodgers (vs. STL)
2. Tom Brady (at DAL)
3. Peyton Manning (at OAK)
4. Drew Brees (at PHI)
5. Andrew Luck (at HOU)
6. Matt Ryan (vs. WAS)
7. Carson Palmer (at DET)
8. Russell Wilson (at CIN)
9. Eli Manning (vs. SF)
10. Philip Rivers (vs. PIT)

Breakout QB of the Week: Eli Manning, New York Giants 

The 49ers have given up the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks so far this season, per ESPN.com, and that includes allowing just one touchdown to Rodgers in Week 4 and no touchdowns to Teddy Bridgewater in Week 1. With Eli Manning playing at a top-10 level right now—having tossed seven touchdowns over the past three games—Week 5 could be his breakout week.

Manning, who is notorious for throwing interceptions, has thrown just one pick so far this season. At least in the turnover department, Weeks 1-4 of the 2015 season have been one of the better four-game stretches of Manning’s career. He’s a QB1 option in Week 5.

QB Bust of the Week: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Joe Flacco's Ravens face the Cleveland Browns in Week 5, a team that has given up the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks so far this season, according to ESPN.com, but that could lure fantasy owners into a false sense of security.

Flacco has been an inefficient fantasy player in 2015. He has thrown for a fair amount of yards through three weeks—1,052, to be exact—but he’s tossed as many touchdowns as he has interceptions (five). A total of 25 other quarterbacks have more fantasy points than Flacco’s 48, with Josh McCown—who has played in only two full games so far—just six points behind him.

RBs: Devonta Freeman Moves Up to No. 5

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Devonta Freeman

Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman moves up to the No. 5 spot for the Week 5 running back rankings after putting up back-to-back games with three touchdowns.

He’s still behind elite options such as Jamaal Charles, Le'Veon Bell, Eddie Lacy and Matt Forte, but he has moved ahead of (at least for Week 5) other top names such as Marshawn Lynch—who has underperformed so far this season and is dealing with an injury—and Arian Foster.

Week 5’s Top 10 RBs:

1. Jamaal Charles (vs. CHI)
2. Le'Veon Bell (at SD)
3. Eddie Lacy (vs. STL)
4. Matt Forte (at KC)
5. Devonta Freeman (vs. WAS)
6. Marshawn Lynch (at CIN)
7. Justin Forsett (vs. CLE)
8. Karlos Williams (at TEN)
9. Arian Foster (vs. IND)
10. Mark Ingram (at PHI)

Breakout RB of the Week: T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars 

In Week 5, T.J. Yeldon and the Jacksonville Jaguars will play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that has given up the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs so far this season, according to ESPN.com.

Running backs have carried the ball a combined 116 times against the Buccaneers for 493 yards. Only one other team has seen opposing running backs carry the ball more times and for more yards against it—the Miami Dolphins, who just fired their head coach. This is in part due to the fact that Tampa Bay is often trailing late, which means opposing teams are turning to the run game to ice it, but it's also because the Buccaneers don't have a strong run defense.

The Jaguars may not blow out the Buccaneers, but they are expected to win. If they are able to take advantage of some inevitable Jameis Winston turnovers, they could turn to Yeldon to put the game away. Fresh off the first 100-yard game of his career, Yeldon could be primed for an even bigger breakout in Week 5.

RB Bust of the Week: DeMarco Murray, Philadelphia Eagles

DeMarco Murray may be calling for the ball, but don’t expect it to happen in Week 5.

The Philadelphia Eagles play against the New Orleans Saints, a top-10 team when it comes to slowing down opposing running backs in fantasy, per ESPN.com. The Saints have given up a fair amount of yardage to opposing running backs so far this season—with three of the teams they played totaling over 100 rushing yards from the backfield—but the Eagles should be turning to the air in this contest, meaning Murray may not be on the field enough to see the touches he and fantasy owners want.

That’s because the Saints have given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks so far this season, per ESPN.com, and that includes two games against subpar quarterbacks in Winston in Week 2 and Brandon Weeden in Week 4.

Murray will eventually put it together, but Week 5 doesn't seem like when it will happen.

WRs: Hopkins, Allen Slip into Top 10

John Bazemore/Associated Press

DeAndre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen have both been top-10 scorers at the wide receiver position so far this season, according to ESPN.com, so it’s time to finally recognize them as such.

Their stat lines through four weeks are eerily similar. They are close in receptions (Hopkins: 33, Allen: 31) and yards (Hopkins: 409, Allen: 387), and both have grabbed three touchdowns.

Additionally, Eagles wideout Jordan Matthews is primed for a big game in Week 5, as Philadelphia should be passing the ball plenty against New Orleans.

Week 5’s Top 10 WRs:

1. Julio Jones (vs. WAS)
2. Demaryius Thomas (at OAK)
3. Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. SF)
4. Antonio Brown (at SD)
5. Randall Cobb (vs. STL)
6. Emmanuel Sanders (at OAK)
7. Julian Edelman (at DAL)
8. Calvin Johnson (vs. ARI)
9. DeAndre Hopkins (vs. IND)
10. Keenan Allen (vs. PIT)

Breakout WR of the Week: Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford was hit or miss in Week 4. Matthews got open deep for an easy touchdown, but Bradford overthrew him. However, minutes later, Bradford hit Riley Cooper in stride on a deep ball. Later in the game, he threw a beautiful deep-ball touchdown to Miles Austin.

Bradford to Cooper followed by Bradford to Austin must have had Matthews owners throwing fits. But no worries—if Bradford is able to hook up with much less talented wideouts such as Cooper and Austin, then a Matthews breakout game is right around the corner.

And what better time than in Week 5, when the Eagles play the Saints? As noted in the running back slide, the Saints have given up the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks so far this season, according to ESPN.com. The Eagles figure to be airing it out, which bodes well for Matthews' Week 5 output.

WR Bust of the Week: A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

In Week 5, A.J. Green will play against the Seattle Seahawks, who remain one of the better teams at defending the pass.

So far this season, the Seahawks have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, per ESPN.com. Additionally, they have given up only one touchdown to opposing wideouts so far this season.

Green is still a must-start, but fantasy owners should be happy with WR2 production from the superstar in Week 5, not the usual WR1 numbers.

TEs: Trust Antonio Gates in His First Game Back

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Antonio Gates

Antonio Gates returns to action in Week 5 when he plays on Monday Night Football, and fantasy owners should have no problem trusting the veteran tight end. More on him below.

The usual suspects top this week’s tight end rankings, but some new names—Charles Clay, Delanie Walker and Owen Daniels—slip into the top 10 toward the bottom.

Week 5’s Top 10 TEs:

1. Rob Gronkowski (at DAL)
2. Travis Kelce (vs. CHI)
3. Martellus Bennett (at KC)
4. Jimmy Graham (at CIN)
5. Jason Witten (vs. NE)
6. Antonio Gates (vs. PIT)
7. Tyler Eifert (vs. SEA)
8. Charles Clay (at TEN)
9. Delanie Walker (vs. BUF)
10. Owen Daniels (at OAK)

Breakout TE of the Week: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Week 5 will mark Gates' first game back in action, and it comes in the spotlight on Monday Night Football.

Ladarius Green has succeeded in Gates’ stead—putting up top-12 (TE1) numbers over the first four weeks of the season—and that includes a game in which he didn’t record a catch. There’s little doubt Gates will be able to put up starter-worthy numbers from the start. 

With the Pittsburgh Steelers on tap—a team that has given up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends so far this season, per ESPN.com—Gates could have a monster debut.

TE Bust of the Week: Gary Barnidge, Celeveland Browns

Browns tight end Gary Barnidge is trying his hardest to become a thing in fantasy football.

Look for that chatter to die down after Week 5.

The Browns will travel to face the Ravens, who have been by far the stingiest team against opposing tight ends so far this season. Tight ends have averaged only 0.25 fantasy points per game against the Ravens. In other words, all of the tight ends who have played against the Ravens so far this season have scored a combined one fantasy point. And that includes players such as Tyler Eifert and Heath Miller.

At least wait until this tough matchup is out of the way before plugging Barnidge into your lineup (which you really shouldn’t be doing anyway).

Kickers: Mason Crosby Set for Big Game

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Mason Crosby

Week 4 was a disaster for kickers, and there’s a good chance fantasy owners are now scrambling to find kickers they can trust. In Week 5, these are the 10 kickers you can lean on.

Week 5’s Top 10 Ks:

1. Stephen Gostkowski (at DAL)
2. Justin Tucker (vs. CLE)
3. Matt Bryant (vs. WAS)
4. Brandon McManus (at OAK)
5. Steven Hauschka (at CIN)
6. Mason Crosby (vs. STL)
7. Robbie Gould (at KC)
8. Josh Brown (vs. SF)
9. Adam Vinatieri (at HOU)
10. Josh Lambo (vs. PIT)

Breakout K of the Week: Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers

The Rams defense—Mason Crosby’s Week 5 opponent—is better than people give it credit for; it has the third-highest grade as a unit, according to Pro Football Focus. Perhaps in part because of this, the Rams have given up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing kickers so far this season, per ESPN.com.

Nothing will be able to completely stop Rodgers and the Green Bay offense, but if an extra drive or two stall near the red zone, Crosby could be asked to do a bit more than usual.

K Bust of the Week: Dan Bailey, Dallas Cowboys

Dan Bailey is one of the better kickers in the league, but things could get away from the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 when they host the New England Patriots, especially with Brandon Weeden at quarterback. This means Bailey might not be asked to do much in the later stages of the game. Bailey is not guaranteed to bust this week, but the risk is higher than usual.

Defense and Special Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars a Streaming Option

R Brent Smith/Associated Press

The Jacksonville Jaguars are the sneaky stream option of Week 5, as they play the Buccaneers. More on them below.

The Patriots are also in the top 10 this week with their matchup against the Weeden-led Cowboys.

Week 5’s Top 10 D/STs:

1. Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions
2. Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
3. Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns
4. Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals
5. Atlanta Falcons vs. Washington Redskins
6. Green Bay Packers vs. St. Louis Rams
7. New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys
8. Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans
9. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears
10. Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Breakout D/ST of the Week: Jacksonville Jaguars 

The Jaguars will travel to Tampa Bay to take on rookie Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers. You’d be taking a gamble by playing the Jaguars—who have been the fourth-worst D/ST unit from a fantasy perspective so far this season, according to ESPN.com—but on the flip side, the Buccaneers have given up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing D/ST units. Which side will give way?

The Jaguars have an extremely high ceiling this week, which is why they are able to crack the top 10. They are all but guaranteed a handful of interceptions and sacks, and the potential for a D/ST touchdown is there, as the Buccaneers have allowed two D/ST touchdowns against them so far this season.

D/ST Bust of the Week: St. Louis Rams

If you own the Rams defense, odds are you aren’t streaming on a week-to-week basis. However, you might need to look another way in Week 5.

The Rams are traveling to Green Bay to take on Rodgers and the Packers. Given that the game is in Green Bay, the odds of St. Louis notching an interception are extremely low (right next to nonexistent). Opposing D/ST units have scored a combined zero points per game when playing against the Packers and have scored minus-two points when playing against the Packers in Green Bay.

Bold Predictions: Matt Ryan Goes for over 400

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Matt Ryan

Below are five bold predictions for Week 5 of the fantasy football season.

• Matt Ryan throws for over 400 yards. Three touchdowns isn't out of the question, but with Devonta Freeman running the way he is, maybe he’ll steal most of the touchdowns. But Ryan will be able to rack up the yards against the Washington Redskins, a team that gave up several big plays to Sam Bradford and the Eagles in Week 4. If "Bradford to Riley Cooper" or "Bradford to Austin Miles" can exist in Week 4, then "Ryan to Julio Jones" will be a routine saying in Week 5.

• Jay Cutler scores in the top 12 this week, earning the distinction of "QB1" in Week 5. Cutler was a top-12 option in Week 4 as well, so if he does it again in Week 5, it’ll be back-to-back weeks of Cutler as a fantasy starter. How's that for a bold prediction? It's actually not as crazy as it sounds, as the Chicago Bears quarterback will square off against the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that has given up an abundance of points to opposing quarterbacks. Quarterbacks are averaging over 300 yards and nearly three touchdowns per game against the Chiefs this year.

• Jeremy Hill doesn’t put up RB1 or RB2 numbers. His Week 5 matchup against the Seahawks is a scary one. The Seahawks are a top-five team against running backs in terms of fantasy football. Add the fact that Hill has been out-snapped by teammate Giovani Bernard—and has fewer carries than Bernard—and things aren’t looking up for Hill in Week 5. He should still be in your fantasy lineups given the fact that he’ll likely be in on goal-line packages, but if he doesn’t score a touchdown, Hill will be a sore spot in fantasy lineups this week.

• Amari Cooper finishes outside the top 30. Cooper has been one of the most explosive players in fantasy this season. He’s averaging about 85 yards per game so far and has two scores to his name. But he’ll find playing against the Denver Broncos—one of the stingiest teams against wide receivers this season—to be a more difficult task.

• Travis Kelce tops 125 yards and scores twice. The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Chicago Bears in Week 5, and while the Bears have been an all-around solid team against tight ends this season—giving up 141 yards and one touchdown total—the only "elite" tight end they have played this season had a big game. That was Jimmy Graham, who caught seven passes for 83 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. Look for Kelce to have a similarly big game, but give him two scores and over 100 yards to make this prediction "bold."