Week 5 Fantasy Football Projections: Top 100 Players and PPR Predictions

With bye weeks ramping up and injuries always prevalent, fantasy football only gets tougher from here on out.

Four teams have a bye this week, including the New Orleans Saints. This not only takes away a number of useful players on the Saints offense, but it also takes easy fantasy points off the table for anyone who was hoping to benefit from the dreadful New Orleans defense.

Still, there are always players to fill in wherever you need help. Here are the latest rankings at each position heading into Week 5.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Tom Brady	Patriots	at CLE	21
2	Cam Newton	Panthers	TB	21
3	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	NYG	20
4	Ben Roethlisberger	Steelers	NYJ	19
5	Andrew Luck	Colts	CHI	19
6	Philip Rivers	Chargers	at OAK	19
7	Derek Carr	Raiders	SD	18
8	Matt Ryan	Falcons	at DEN	18
9	Carson Wentz	Eagles	at DET	17
10	Eli Manning	Giants	at GB	17

Welcome back, Tom Brady. Can I interest you in a juicy matchup against an 0-4 Cleveland Browns team with a defense allowing 28.8 points per game this season?

The New England Patriots quarterback served his four-game suspension and will return to the field in Week 5 ready to show what he can do. Browns head coach Hue Jackson isn't looking forward to the matchup, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal:

Brady has the talent, motivation and matchup to throw a lot of touchdown passes in Week 5. If you kept him on your bench until now, put him in your lineup now.

It's a bit harder to fill out the top 10, as a few top options have a bye week. Matt Ryan has a tough matchup, but he has been good enough this year to justify his spot. Ben Roethlisberger also moves up the list, thanks to his performance on Sunday night.

While Carson Wentz represents a bit of a risk going into his fourth career game, he continues to play well and is coming off a bye. If he can keep up his level of play, the rookie will be a valuable fantasy commodity going forward.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	David Johnson	Cardinals	at SF	17
2	Le'Veon Bell	Steelers	NYJ	17
3	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	CIN	16
4	C.J. Anderson	Broncos	ATL	13
5	DeMarco Murray	Titans	at MIA	13
6	LeSean McCoy	Bills	at LA	13
7	Melvin Gordon	Chargers	at OAK	12
8	Lamar Miller	Texans	at MIN	12
9	Todd Gurley	Rams	BUF	12
10	LeGarrette Blount	Patriots	at CLE	12
11	Matt Forte	Jets	at PIT	11
12	Frank Gore	Colts	CHI	11
13	Jordan Howard	Bears	at IND	11
14	Eddie Lacy	Packers	NYG	10
15	Carlos Hyde	49ers	ARI	10
16	Jerick McKinnon	Vikings	HOU	10
17	Terrance West	Ravens	WAS	10
18	Devonta Freeman	Falcons	at DEN	10
19	Jonathan Stewart	Panthers	TB	10
20	Isaiah Crowell	Browns	NE	10
21	Matt Jones	Redskins	at BAL	10
22	Jeremy Hill	Bengals	at DAL	9
23	Charles Sims	Buccaneers	at CAR	9
24	Latavius Murray	Raiders	SD	9
25	Theo Riddick	Lions	PHI	9
26	Ryan Mathews	Eagles	at DET	9
27	Giovani Bernard	Bengals	at DAL	8
28	Wendell Smallwood	Eagles	at DET	8
29	Rashad Jennings	Giants	at GB	8
30	Tevin Coleman	Falcons	at DEN	8

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

There seems to be a separation forming at the top of this group, especially with Le'Veon Bell showing he is clearly at full strength. Ezekiel Elliott is living up to expectations as well, proving his worth as a first-round pick in the real world and in fantasy leagues.

On the other hand, there are major question marks around a few other top picks, like Lamar Miller and Todd Gurley.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN shared a concerning stat of Miller's:

The other way to look at this is the running back is getting an insane number of touches to begin with, averaging 26.5 per game. This has led to high yardage totals, and it seems like only a matter of time until he finally gets into the end zone.

Meanwhile, Gurley has a different problem altogether, as described by Jason Cole of Bleacher Report:

Gurley's production issues could persist with a below-average offensive line in front of him.

Still, the most important thing for a running back in this league is getting the football. Miller and Gurley get it more than most, which makes them top-10 options regardless of matchup.

From players like Frank Gore to Jordan Howard, this theme dictates a lot of the rankings for Week 5.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Antonio Brown	Steelers	NYJ	16
2	Julio Jones	Falcons	at DEN	16
3	A.J. Green	Bengals	at DAL	15
4	Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	at GB	15
5	Jordy Nelson	Packers	NYG	14
6	Mike Evans	Buccaneers	at CAR	14
7	T.Y. Hilton	Colts	CHI	14
8	Alshon Jeffery	Bears	at IND	13
9	DeAndre Hopkins	Texans	at MIN	14
10	Kelvin Benjamin	Panthers	TB	13
11	Amari Cooper	Raiders	SD	13
12	Marvin Jones	Lions	PHI	12
13	Michael Crabtree	Raiders	SD	12
14	Dez Bryant	Cowboys	CIN	11
15	Larry Fitzgerald	Cardinals	at SF	11
16	Brandon Marshall	Jets	at PIT	11
17	Julian Edelman	Patriots	at CLE	11
18	Emmanuel Sanders	Broncos	ATL	11
19	Jordan Matthews	Eagles	at DET	11
20	Demaryius Thomas	Broncos	ATL	10
21	Stefon Diggs	Vikings	HOU	10
22	Jarvis Landry	Dolphins	TEN	10
23	Travis Benjamin	Chargers	at OAK	10
24	Terrelle Pryor	Browns	NE	9
25	Will Fuller	Texans	at MIN	9
26	Steve Smith	Ravens	WAS	9
27	Sterling Shepard	Giants	at GB	9
28	Quincy Enunwa	Jets	at PIT	9
29	DeSean Jackson	Redskins	at BAL	9
30	Robert Woods	Bills	at LA	9

Julio Jones has a difficult matchup against the Denver Broncos, but you certainly aren't benching a player who just had 300 receiving yards in a game. The best receivers in the league are going to stay at the top of the list thanks to their upside alone, regardless of matchup.

Even after a quiet game like DeAndre Hopkins just had, you need to have faith that they will bounce back with a solid performance.

Meanwhile, some players move up the list after strong performances in Week 4, including Michael Crabtree. The veteran had three touchdown catches one week after totaling 102 yards on eight receptions.

Although Amari Cooper still has more upside in terms of consistency, Crabtree is clearly a top option in a high-powered passing attack. With San Diego Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett likely to spend a lot of time on Cooper, Crabtree could have even more openings. 

Terrelle Pryor didn't put up huge numbers Sunday, finishing with just 46 receiving yards. However, the converted quarterback ended with a team-high nine targets and added his first receiving touchdown of the year.

Even if you don't want to trust the Browns offense, Pryor has game-changing talent and will likely improve as the season progresses.

Finally, Will Fuller might be moving into must-start territory after his two-touchdown performance in Week 4. The Minnesota Vikings have a strong offense, but Fuller has too much upside to ignore.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Jordan Reed	Redskins	at BAL	13
2	Greg Olsen	Panthers	TB	12
3	Rob Gronkowski	Patriots	at CLE	9
4	Delanie Walker	Titans	at MIA	8
5	Jason Witten	Cowboys	CIN	8
6	Martellus Bennett	Patriots	at CLE	7
7	Zach Ertz	Eagles	at DET	7
8	Hunter Henry	Chargers	at OAK	7
9	Zach Miller	Bears	at IND	6
10	Kyle Rudolph	Vikings	HOU	6

Rob Gronkowski isn't one of the best two options because he has only one catch on the season. On the other hand, he is still ranked No. 3 this week because he is still Gronk.

Skip Bayless of Fox Sports predicts a turnaround with a change at quarterback:

The tight end has also been limited by a hamstring issue that has forced the Patriots to remain cautious. He is difficult to trust, but he is still the best tight end in the NFL when things are going well.

Meanwhile, the options behind him aren't great. The rest of the position has been filled with inconsistency and injury, providing few trustworthy starters.

Zach Ertz is a player to watch going forward after sitting out since Week 1 with a rib injury. Hunter Henry will also be a starting option in most leagues for as long as Antonio Gates remains on the sidelines.

Beyond Jordan Reed and Greg Olsen, however, you are mostly just hoping for a touchdown or two.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Arizona Cardinals	at SF	9
2	Carolina Panthers	TB	8
3	Buffalo Bills	at LA	8
4	Pittsburgh Steelers	NYJ	8
5	New England Patriots	at CLE	8
6	Denver Broncos	ATL	7
7	Minnesota Vikings	HOU	7
8	Philadelphia Eagles	at DET	7
9	Houston Texans	at MIN	7
10	Baltimore Ravens	WAS	6

A team defense is only as good as the opponent.

While the Denver Broncos have arguably the best defense in the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons offense has been on fire and made few mistakes all season. This drops the Broncos down the list a bit, although the group's playmaking ability keeps it in the top 10.

On the other hand, a few quality defenses have to be excited to face some weaker quarterbacks in Week 5. The Arizona Cardinals (vs. Blaine Gabbert), New England Patriots (vs. Cody Kessler), Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick) and others could be in for big weeks.

The Buffalo Bills, coming off a shutout of the Patriots with 13 sacks on the year, are also a team to watch against the Los Angeles Rams.

Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Stephen Gostkowski	Patriots	at CLE	9
2	Adam Vinatieri	Colts	CHI	9
3	Mike Nugent	Bengals	at DAL	9
4	Matt Bryant	Falcons	at DEN	8
5	Justin Tucker	Ravens	WAS	8
6	Mason Crosby	Packers	NYG	8
7	Josh Lambo	Chargers	at OAK	8
8	Matt Prater	Lions	PHI	7
9	Chandler Catanzaro	Cardinals	at SF	7
10	Dan Bailey	Cowboys	CIN	7

The best hope you can have for kickers is consistency. Obviously, that didn't happen with Stephen Gostkowski, who missed his only field-goal attempt Sunday, but he is still a top player at the position.

As is the case with just about everyone else on the Patriots, everything changes when Brady returns in Week 5.

The rest of the players are usually kickers you can trust on quality offenses. You don't want to necessarily chase a fluky stat like field goals, but find someone who can get points on a regular basis.

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