Week 5 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Each Position's Top 10 Players and Stat Predictions

Fantasy football owners didn't have to wait long for Week 5 to be a disappointment, as many Rob Gronkowski fans were understandably shocked to see New England's star tight end as a last-minute scratch from Thursday night's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

For many owners, it was too late to find a replacement. For some, they made it just in the nick of time.

When it comes to setting a lineup, it's important to take time and effort into researching the perfect matchup for a specific player. We all love sleepers, but there's nothing that fantasy owners crave more than consistent, high-level production each week.

Below, we'll take a quick glance at Week 5's top 10 players for each offensive position this week, with our stat predictions based on a few factors, including matchups, current play, overall season production and health. 

The rankings below are based off standard Yahoo fantasy leagues, not PPR. 

Note: For running backs, receiving yards are not accounted for below, just rushing stats. For quarterbacks, rushing stats are not accounted for, either. 

Week 5 Quarterback Projections

1. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) vs. Dallas Cowboys: 285 passing yards, 3 TD. (Start)

2. Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Los Angeles Rams: 250 passing yards, 2 TD. (Start) 

3. Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Green Bay Packers: 227 passing yards, 2 TD. (Start) 

4. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 320 passing yards, 3 TD, 2 INT. (Start) 

5. Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles) vs. Arizona Cardinals: 320 passing yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

6. Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) vs. Detroit Lions: 216 passing yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

7. Alex Smith (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Houston Texans: 210 passing yards, 2 TD. (Start) 

8. Carson Palmer (Arizona Cardinals) vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 254, 2 TD, 1 INT. (Start) 

9. Marcus Mariota (Tennessee Titans) vs. Miami Dolphins: 210 passing yards, 1 TD. (Start)  

10. Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) vs. Carolina Panthers: 234 passing yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. (Start) 

-- Tyrod Taylor (Buffalo Bills) vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 214 passing yards, 0 TD. (Sit) 

-- Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Buffalo Bills: 189 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. (Sit) 

Analysis

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

It's hard not to get excited about Aaron Rodgers' matchup against the Dallas Cowboys this week, as Rodgers has been looking sharp lately even with some of his top targets out injured.

Going up against Dallas' secondary that has allowed the likes of Trevor Siemian and Jared Goff to have field days, scoring 42 and 35 points, respectively, Rodgers will be licking his chops about throwing downfield. He's projected to have the best week out of any quarterback in fantasy.

On the other end of the spectrum, avoid playing Tyrod Taylor this week. His matchup against the Bengals isn't ideal, and he hasn't been playing that great even though the Bills have strung together a couple of wins so far this season.

While he's only thrown one interception this season through four games, Taylor has only found the end zone five times, throwing for 744 yards.

While he does add value with his rushing ability, he hasn't really showcased it much this season, scoring 19.75 fantasy points or fewer each week this season. Keep Taylor on the bench. 

Week 5 Running Back Projections

1. Le'Veon Bell (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 134 rushing yards, 2 TD. (Start) 

2. Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Houston Texans: 123 rushing yards, 2 TD. (Start) 

3. Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Green Bay Packers: 92 rushing yards, 2 TD. (Start) 

4. Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams) vs. Seattle Seahawks: 74 rushing yards, 2 TD. (Start) 

5. Leonard Fournette (Jacksonville Jaguars) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 89 rushing yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

6. Carlos Hyde (San Francisco 49ers) vs. Indianapolis Colts: 70 rushing yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

7. LeSean McCoy (Buffalo Bills) vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 64 rushing yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

8. Melvin Gordon (Los Angeles Chargers) vs. New York Giants: 87 rushing yards. (Start) 

9. Jordan Howard (Chicago Bears) vs. Minnesota Vikings: 72 rushing yards. (Start) 

10. Jay Ajayi (Miami Dolphins) vs. Tennessee Titans: 66 rushing yards. (Start) 

-- DeMarco Murray (Tennessee Titans) vs. Miami Dolphins: 53 rushing yards. (Sit) 

-- Bilal Powell (New York Jets) vs. Cleveland Browns: 47 rushing yards. (Sit) 

Analysis

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Running backs in fantasy can often be a mixed bag. Whether that's because of running back by committees, injuries or a team's willingness to pass the ball rather to run it, it's difficult to get a good read on how a tailback projects to perform. But when it comes to a guy like Le'Veon Bell, fantasy owners don't have to worry about a thing.

He'll get points no matter what.

Not even factoring in his pass-catching ability out of the backfield and lining up in the slot, Bell can also be the bell-cow (no pun intended) for the Steelers, as he showcased last week.

Carrying the rock an astonishing 35 times for 144 yards, Bell is clearly back to his normal self after his holdout kept him out of some preseason training. But that's all in the past now, as he's fantasy's surefire each week. 

A player who doesn't seem to guarantee production anymore, however, would be Titans running back DeMarco Murray.

Don't get me wrong, Murray is still running hard and putting up solid points, but the looming threat of Derrick Henry, who is younger and more talented than Murray, is real. After the Titans game last weekend got out of hand against the Texans, Murray barely saw the ball come his way, totaling seven carries for 31 yards.

That's a red flag in fantasy, and it would be wise to bench him this week. 

Week 5 Wide Receiver Projections

1. Odell Beckham Jr. (New York Giants) vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 135 receiving yards, 2 TD. (Start) 

2. Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 154 receiving yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

3. DeAndre Hopkins (Houston Texans) vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 121 receiving yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

4. Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers) vs. New York Giants: 140 receiving yards. (Start) 

5. Jordy Nelson (Green Bay Packers) vs. Dallas Cowboys: 74 receiving yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

6. Tyreek Hill (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Houston Texans: 98 receiving yards. (Start) 

7. Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Green Bay Packers: 91 receiving yards. (Start) 

8. Stefon Diggs (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Chicago Bears: 87 receiving yards. (Start) 

9. A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Buffalo Bills: 84 receiving yards. (Start) 

10. Doug Baldwin (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Los Angeles Rams: 67 receiving yards. (Start) 

-- Golden Tate (Detroit Lions) vs. Carolina Panthers: 65 receiving yards. (Sit) 

-- T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis Colts) vs. San Francisco 49ers: 42 receiving yards. (Sit) 

Analysis

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Odell Beckham Jr. is as talented as they come at the wide receiver position. And even if he is only playing with one good hand after suffering an injury to his right hand in Week 4, a one-handed Beckham is still more dangerous than 75 percent of wideouts in the NFL. 

Going up against the Chargers and their vulnerable secondary, it's possible Beckham could go off and post monster numbers, even with a bad right hand. I have him projected to haul in 135 receiving yards and a score, due to his ability to get downfield and make plays.

Look for the Giants to start airing it out more to get their season going. More often than not, Beckham will be on the receiving end of those passes. 

Who won't be seeing the ball come his way often, however, is T.Y. Hilton.

It's fascinating to see the NFL's leading receiver in terms of yardage a season ago reduced to picking up scraps from backup quarterbacks in Indianapolis this season. Until Andrew Luck is back on the field -- the actual game field, not the practice field—Hilton is near unplayable outside of a flex position. It's just too risky. 

Week 5 Tight End Projections

1. Zach Ertz (Philadelphia Eagles) vs. Arizona Cardinals: 69 receiving yards, 2 TD. (Start) 

2. Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Houston Texans: 110 receiving yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

3. Kyle Rudolph (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Chicago Bears: 70 receiving yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

4. Delanie Walker (Tennessee Titans) vs. Miami Dolphins: 64 receiving yards, 1 TD. (Start)  

5. Martellus Bennett (Green Bay Packers) vs. Dallas Cowboys: 55 receiving yards, 1 TD. (Start) 

6. Jimmy Graham (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Los Angeles Rams: 87 receiving yards. (Start) 

7. Evan Engram (New York Giants) vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 74 receiving yards. (Start) 

8. Charles Clay (Buffalo Bills) vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 64 receiving yards. (Start) 

9. Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Green Bay Packers: 53 receiving yards. (Start) 

10. Jack Doyle (Indianapolis Colts) vs. San Francisco 49ers: 48 receiving yards. (Start) 

-- Eric Ebron (Detroit Lions) vs. Carolina Panthers: 27 receiving yards. (Sit) 

-- David Njoku (Cleveland Browns) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 25 receiving yards. (Sit) 

Analysis

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

With Rob Gronkowski out injured, it's time for a new No. 1 fantasy tight end for Week 5. And his name is Zach Ertz.

Ertz is off to a great start this season, much like rest of the Philadelphia Eagles. With 326 receiving yards on 26 catches through four games, it's clear that Ertz has become quarterback Carson Wentz's go-to option in the passing game, looking his way downfield any chance he gets.

While Ertz has only found the end zone once through four games, expect that to change this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals in what looks to be a shootout between two dynamic offenses. He might not rack up that many yards, but he'll be a threat every time the Eagles move into the red zone.

While Ertz celebrates in the end zone on Sunday, you'll be celebrating the fact that you didn't start Eric Ebron this week. For all the talent that Ebron showed in college, he's had a tough transition to the NFL, and this season is no different.

With just 11 receptions for 87 yards and a score through four games, Ebron's owners can't justify playing him this week against a tough Carolina Panthers defense with exceptional coverage linebackers.

Ebron should be off the radar this week. Perhaps even for the rest of the season. 

All stats courtesy of Yahoo Sports.