Fantasy Football Week 5: Matt Camp's Fantasy Big Board
With the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a bye in Week 5, it takes one of the best NFL's defenses and the worst one out of the mix for fantasy football owners.
Not having the Bears at your disposal means we don't get an immediate follow-up to their offensive explosion in Week 4. The Buccaneers have been a great defense to target for huge passing-game numbers, so we'll have to wait until the Atlanta Falcons host them in Week 6.
Speaking of the Falcons, they should be involved in another fantasy feast Sunday when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. Through four weeks, the Steelers have allowed the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks and second-most fantasy points to wide receivers. The Falcons aren't much better with the fourth-most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks and seventh-most fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.
The patient fantasy owners who drafted Julian Edelman and Mark Ingram get them back this week. Edelman's return is a welcomed one for an underwhelming Patriots receiving corps, so he should step right into a big role. Even though Alvin Kamara is the top fantasy back this season, Ingram will still boost New Orleans' backfield and will help share the massive workload Kamara has handled over the first four weeks.
Here’s the first look at points-per-reception (PPR) rankings for Week 5. These will change throughout the week and up to Sunday's action as we get more information about injuries and limitations, so make sure to bookmark this page for my full rankings for all scoring formats.
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Top 100
1 of 7
I present my top 100 players (minus quarterbacks) for the week as a way to help determine your flex spots. You may favor a certain position or player over another based on his role and/or your scoring rules.
As an additional tiebreaker, here are the teams I like as a whole this week based on their matchups:
- Atlanta Falcons (at Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Atlanta Falcons)
- Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Oakland Raiders)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (at Kansas City Chiefs)
- Tennessee Titans (at Buffalo Bills)
Week 5 Top 100 PPR Rankings
Quarterbacks
2 of 7
Better Than Usual
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (vs. ATL)
Roethlisberger had a less-than-ideal matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, which resulted in a season-low 274 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 27-of-47 passing. He finished as the No. 20 quarterback for the week with 14.9 fantasy points. Even though Big Ben has three games with at least 335 yards, he's only the No. 9 fantasy quarterback for the season with an average of 21.7 fantasy points per game.
Expect Roethlisberger to bounce back in Week 5 with a much easier matchup against the visiting Atlanta Falcons. Through four weeks, only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and Steelers have given up more fantasy points to quarterbacks. Atlanta already lost starting safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal for the season, and linebacker Deion Lewis is on injured reserve. Defensive lineman Grady Jarrett is also likely to miss this game after injuring his ankle in Week 4. With the Steelers defense likewise struggling to stop the pass, this could be a battle of the aerial attacks. Play Roethlisberger with confidence.
Concern
Patrick Mahomes, KC (vs. JAC)
Mahomes may never be ranked this low for the rest of the season, but tough matchups go both ways and he'll have his most difficult test of the year against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It should come as no surprise that no team has been tougher on fantasy quarterbacks than Jacksonville.
In four games, the Jaguars have surrendered only 733 yards and three touchdowns to quarterbacks, which means they're giving up a meager 11.1 fantasy points per game. However, Jacksonville has done this against Eli Manning, Tom Brady, Marcus Mariota and Sam Darnold. With Mahomes currently leading all quarterbacks at 28.8 fantasy points per game, he'll also be the Jaguars' toughest test of the season. You don't have to bench Mahomes, but you might want to lower your expectations.
Sleepers
Blake Bortles, JAC (at KC)
On the other side of that matchup, we have Bortles taking on a vulnerable Kansas City Chiefs defense. In their first four games, quarterbacks lit them up for 1,372 yards and eight touchdowns, so they've been a bottom-five fantasy defense at 24.5 fantasy points allowed per game. They faced stiff competition from Phillip Rivers and Roethlisberger in addition to battling Jimmy Garoppolo and Case Keenum.
Bortles enters this week as the No. 12 fantasy quarterback with 79 fantasy points. He's had great games against the New England Patriots (376 yards, four touchdowns, one interception) in Week 2 and the New York Jets (388 yards, two touchdowns, one interception) in Week 4. He also had forgettable performances in Week 1 against the New York Giants (176 yards, one touchdown, one interception) and Week 3 in a loss to the Tennessee Titans (155 yards, no touchdowns).
Streaming Bortles can be a dangerous game, yet the likely absence of Leonard Fournette (hamstring) puts more on him to carry the offense. To his credit, he's been able to boost his fantasy production with 132 yards on 18 carries, so even if he isn't great with his arm, he can make up for any lost production with his legs. Give Bortles a shot this week.
Marcus Mariota, TEN (at BUF)
An elbow injury limited Mariota to only 203 yards and two interceptions without a touchdown on 21-of-34 passing in two games over the first three weeks of the season. When the Titans named him the starter early last week, there was a hint of optimism for Mariota's chances to rebound in Week 4 with the Philadelphia Eagles traveling to Nashville.
In his best performance of 2018 and one of the best games he's played dating back to 2016, Mariota went 30-of-43 for 344 yards, two touchdown and an interception along with 10 carries for 46 yards and a rushing touchdown in a win. He wound up as the No. 7 quarterback in Week 4 with 30.4 fantasy points.
That optimism should only build heading into an even better matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Even though the Bills allow the 12th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, they've been lucky enough to not get the best of Kirk Cousins, Phillip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers. That's been more about leaving points and production on the field than Buffalo's defense slowing down three of the best in fantasy football. Mariota should be able to take advantage of this beatable matchup.
Week 5 Quarterback Rankings
| 1 | Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) |
| 2 | Cam Newton (CAR) |
| 3 | Tom Brady (NE) |
| 4 | Drew Brees (NO) |
| 5 | Matt Ryan (ATL) |
| 6 | Deshaun Watson (HOU) |
| 7 | Philip Rivers (LAC) |
| 8 | Jared Goff (LAR) |
| 9 | Patrick Mahomes (KC) |
| 10 | Aaron Rodgers (GB) |
| 11 | Kirk Cousins (MIN) |
| 12 | Andy Dalton (CIN) |
| 13 | Matthew Stafford (DET) |
| 14 | Blake Bortles (JAC) |
| 15 | Marcus Mariota (TEN) |
| 16 | Andrew Luck (IND) |
| 17 | Alex Smith (WAS) |
| 18 | Carson Wentz (PHI) |
| 19 | Joe Flacco (BAL) |
| 20 | Derek Carr (OAK) |
| 21 | Russell Wilson (SEA) |
| 22 | Baker Mayfield (CLE) |
| 23 | Ryan Tannehill (MIA) |
| 24 | Dak Prescott (DAL) |
| 25 | Case Keenum (DEN) |
| 26 | C.J. Beathard (SF) |
| 27 | Eli Manning (NYG) |
| 28 | Josh Rosen (ARI) |
| 29 | Josh Allen (BUF) |
| 30 | Sam Darnold (NYJ) |
Running Backs
3 of 7
Better Than Usual
Aaron Jones, GB (at DET)
This week's B.S. Meter detailed why Jones is already the top fantasy back in Green Bay just two games after he returned from his suspension. He already has 107 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, which should have him in line for an even bigger role with a prime matchup in Detroit this weekend.
While the Lions had their hands full with Ezekiel Elliott in Week 4, it was just another example of how badly they struggle to stop the run. After Zeke gashed them for 152 yards on 25 carries, the Lions have now allowed a league-high 624 yards and three touchdowns on 102 carries to opposing running backs.
Jones won't have as heavy of a workload as Elliott did last week, but he shouldn't need it to have a chance at a top-20 finish with top-15 potential.
T.J. Yeldon, JAC (at KC)
The indefinite absence of Leonard Fournette puts Yeldon right back into fantasy lineups for Week 5. With Fournette limited to less than a half of action in Week 4, Yeldon managed 52 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and three receptions for 48 yards and another touchdown through the air to finish at the No. 10 fantasy back with 23 fantasy points. He's ninth at the running back position for the season with 63 fantasy points (15.8 fantasy PPG).
With Fournette out of the picture, you should be confidently using Yeldon for this week's game against the Chiefs. Only the Arizona Cardinals have allowed more fantasy points to running backs this season, so Yeldon should be able to exploit this weakness. In four games, Kansas City has surrendered 421 yards on 76 carries to running backs (5.5 yards per attempt). Even if the Jaguars mix in Corey Grant, Yeldon will lead the way in touches. Get him in your lineup.
Concern
Dalvin Cook, MIN (at PHI)
After missing Week 3 with a hamstring injury, Cook returned to action with a limited snap count against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4 as planned. On only 18 snaps, he carried 10 times for 20 yards and didn't have a target in the passing game. Gameflow didn't help, as the Vikings trailed throughout, but the hamstring problem might be a bigger issue.
According to Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune, Cook admitted he's not "100 percent" and that it will take time to get there. After seeing Fournette come back too soon from his hamstring injury, it's easy to assume the worst for Cook.
Having extra time between games helps, but it's hard to consider Cook a strong play as long as he's hurt. It doesn't help that running backs are averaging fewer than 10 points per game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Monitor Cook's situation before making a decision on him.
Sleeper
Nyheim Hines, IND (at NE)
Over the first month of the season, the Indianapolis Colts rank 29th in rushing with only 288 yards (72 yards per game). That number looks even worse when you take away Andrew Luck's 53 rushing yards. In a traditional sense, the Colts don't have a rushing attack to rely on right now, but they do have Hines contributing in a different way.
He leads the team with 22 receptions for 119 yards and two scores on 26 targets. Much like how Theo Riddick provided the Detroit Lions with a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield to make up for a lack of running game over the past two seasons, Hines is playing a similar role for the Colts this year. That gives him the most fantasy value of any Colts running back.
With a short week, the Colts could be without T.Y. Hilton (hamstring) and Jack Doyle (hip), so Hines may end up being the busiest receiver out of necessity when they face the Patriots in New England. From a volume standpoint alone, Hines could have top-20 potential in PPR formats.
Week 5 Running Back PPR Rankings
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Wide Receivers
4 of 7
Better Than Usual
Calvin Ridley, ATL (at PIT)
Ridley's efficient season continued in Week 4 with four receptions on six targets for 54 yards and two more touchdowns. That makes six trips to the end zone on just 15 receptions (21 targets) and 264 yards. In a bit of a surprise, Ridley played a season-low 54.3 percent of snaps, per Pro Football Reference, after his huge performance in Week 3 on 61.8 percent of snaps. Between his reliance on touchdowns and a less-than-ideal snap share, it's dangerous to bank on Ridley to keep up such efficiency.
However, he has yet another excellent matchup this week when the Falcons hit the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Through four weeks, the Steelers allowed wide receivers to rack up 54 receptions, 883 yards, seven touchdowns and 32.6 fantasy points per game. Only the New Orleans Saints give up more yards and fantasy points to wide receivers. If there's a matchup for Ridley to continue his hot streak, this is it.
Keelan Cole, JAC (at KC)
Dede Westbrook might be the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver grabbing the most attention, but Cole shouldn't be forgotten heading into this week's showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Last week, Westbrook racked up nine receptions for 130 yards on 13 targets while playing a season-high 74.0 percent of snaps, per Pro Football Reference. He had snap shares of 49.2, 71.8 and 68.4 percent before Week 3. Cole had just two receptions for 15 yards on three targets on 77.9 percent of snaps in a game that the Jaguars had well in hand against the New York Jets. His snap percentages leading into Week 4 were 74.6, 83.1 and 93.0, so he has a clear lead over Westbrook.
Until Westbrook's big Week 4 performance, Cole was leading the team in targets, receptions and yards, so one game shouldn't shift focus from Cole. He's still the most talented wide receiver on the roster, and he should get a boost against the Chiefs.
Kansas City struggled in Weeks 1-2 with the Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers before improving in easier matchups with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. It still has a vulnerable secondary, though, and Cole can take advantage of that unit. Don't be so quick to yank him from your lineup. You will regret it.
Concern
Tyreek Hill, KC (vs. JAC)
Following a soaring start to open the season with 12 receptions for 259 yards and three touchdowns on 14 targets, Hill has 11 receptions for 105 yards on 18 targets in the last two weeks. He still leads the team in receiving yards (364) and is tied for the lead with Travis Kelce with 23 receptions, but others have contributed, like Sammy Watkins and Kareem Hunt.
Watkins' status for Week 5 is up in the air because of a hamstring injury, which could mean the Jacksonville Jaguars try to stop Hill. The Jaguars have an outstanding cornerback duo in Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, which is a big reason why wide receivers are averaging a league-low 14.1 fantasy points against Jacksonville this season. You'd never bench Hill, but you should bump him down to WR2 status in Week 5.
Sleeper
Jamison Crowder, WAS (at NO)
Crowder took a quiet start into the bye week. In the first three weeks, he had just nine receptions for 79 yards and a score on 12 targets. Chris Thompson and Jordan Reed have been the best two targets for Alex Smith, so much like the beginning of 2017, Crowder finds himself in a disappointing wide receiver group.
He'll have as good a chance as any to break out of the funk in Week 5 with a visit to New Orleans. No team allowed more fantasy points, receptions, yards or touchdown to wide receivers over the first four weeks. The Saints lost slot corner Patrick Robinson to injury in Week 3, so it wasn't a shock to see Sterling Shepard get them for 10 receptions, 77 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. Much like Shepard, Crowder does the majority of his work out of the slot. He could be a point of emphasis in the Washington Redskins' game plan this weekend.
Week 5 Wide Receiver PPR Rankings
Tight Ends
5 of 7
Better Than Usual
Vance McDonald, PIT (vs. ATL)
With McDonald's foot injury behind him, he's becoming productive for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Week 3, he turned five targets into four receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. He followed that up with five receptions for 62 yards on five targets.
After he missed Week 1, McDonald's snap percentages have risen from 45.1 in Week 2 to 48.5 to 62.9, per Pro Football Reference. Meanwhile, tight end Jesse James' snaps have dropped from 54.9 percent in Week 2 to 50.0 to 43.5. McDonald is clearly the top tight end in Pittsburgh.
In just three games, he's the No. 13 fantasy tight end with 36 points, but his 12 points per game ranks seventh. McDonald may not be a household name, so these numbers should convince you he's the real deal at a position that is begging for consistent producers. This week, he gets a crack at an Atlanta Falcons defense that lost both of its starting safeties in the first month of the season. Fire up McDonald with top-10 expectations.
Austin Hooper, ATL (at PIT)
Even though Hooper's been unable to put together back-to-back 10-point performances this year, he's still the No, 16 fantasy tight end with 32.5 points, which is more of an indictment of the position. Because of that, you need to keep an open mind when it comes to picking a tight end, and matchups are important.
Hooper draws a favorable one this weekend in Pittsburgh. In the first four games, the Steelers yielded 30 receptions, 339 yards and three touchdowns to tight ends, which makes them the second-worst defense against the position. Neither the Falcons nor the Steelers have a good defense, so this battle should produce a lot of points. Playing Hooper could give you a piece of that production.
Concern
Rob Gronkowski, NE (vs. IND)
Gronkowski came into Week 3 with an ankle injury and had to leave early after aggravating it. He wound up with just four receptions for 44 yards. After posting seven receptions for 123 yards and a score in Week 1, Gronkowski hasn't had more than four receptions or 51 yards and hasn't been back to the end zone, either.
Complicating matters is a Week 5 matchup Thursday night against the Indianapolis Colts. According to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, Gronkowski wasn't at Tuesday's walkthrough, so his status remains in question. With the position in such disarray, you pretty much have to play Gronkowski if he's active, though be prepared with other plans if he's unable to suit up.
Sleeper
Ricky Seals-Jones, ARI (at SF)
Once again, you have to play the matchups at tight end a lot more this season with such limited options. Seals-Jones has just 10 receptions for 123 yards and a score on 19 targets this season, so he's been less than impressive. Yet he is still worth a look with the San Francisco 49ers on the schedule.
The 49ers allowed a tight end to score in each game this season and have given up the fifth-most points to the position. The Cardinals aren't exactly flush with talent, so they'd be wise to exploit this weakness with Seals-Jones. He's far from a lock, but that's the case for most tight ends this season. Take a shot if you're desperate.
Week 5 Tight End PPR Rankings
| 1 | Travis Kelce (KC) |
| 2 | Zach Ertz (PHI) |
| 3 | Jared Cook (OAK) |
| 4 | Rob Gronkowski (NE) |
| 5 | George Kittle (SF) |
| 6 | Jordan Reed (WAS) |
| 7 | Jimmy Graham (GB) |
| 8 | Eric Ebron (IND) |
| 9 | Vance McDonald (PIT) |
| 10 | Kyle Rudolph (MIN) |
| 11 | Benjamin Watson (NO) |
| 12 | Austin Hooper (ATL) |
| 13 | Ricky Seals-Jones (ARI) |
| 14 | David Njoku (CLE) |
| 15 | Antonio Gates (LAC) |
| 16 | Austin Seferian-Jenkins (JAC) |
| 17 | Tyler Kroft (CIN) |
| 18 | Dallas Goedert (PHI) |
| 19 | C.J. Uzomah (CIN) |
| 20 | Nick Vannett (SEA) |
| 21 | Charles Clay (BUF) |
| 22 | Rhett Ellison (NYG) |
| 23 | Ian Thomas (CAR) |
| 24 | Hayden Hurst (BAL) |
| 25 | Mike Gesicki (MIA) |
| 26 | Geoff Swaim (DAL) |
| 27 | Jonnu Smith (TEN) |
| 28 | Jesse James (PIT) |
| 29 | Ryan Griffin (HOU) |
| 30 | Nick Boyle (BAL) |
| 31 | Luke Willson (DET) |
| 32 | Mark Andrews (BAL) |
Defenses
6 of 7
Best Streaming Option
Tennessee Titans (at BUF)
It's always nice when a defense with the best possible matchup is widely available. The Titans fit that bill for Week 5, as they travel to Orchard Park, New York, to take on the Buffalo Bills. No team has given up more fantasy points to defenses than the Bills mostly thanks to a league-high 21 sacks, six interceptions and just 50 points scored in four games. The Titans come into Week 5 as the No. 10 fantasy defense, which means it's already a solid unit that will get a boost against a weak opponent.
Ownership percentage: ESPN, 39.5; Yahoo, 21.0
Other streaming options: New England Patriots (vs. IND), San Francisco 49ers (vs. ARI)
Week 5 Defense Rankings
| 1 | Los Angeles Rams (at SEA) |
| 2 | Tennessee Titans (at BUF) |
| 3 | Carolina Panthers (vs. NYG) |
| 4 | Denver Broncos (at NYJ) |
| 5 | Baltimore Ravens (at CLE) |
| 6 | New England Patriots (vs. IND) |
| 7 | San Francisco 49ers (vs. ARI) |
| 8 | Green Bay Packers (at DET) |
| 9 | New York Jets (vs. DEN) |
| 10 | Cleveland Browns (vs. BAL) |
| 11 | Jacksonville Jaguars (at KC) |
| 12 | Houston Texans (vs. DAL) |
| 13 | Cincinnati Bengals (vs. MIA) |
| 14 | Los Angeles Chargers (vs. OAK) |
| 15 | Philadelphia Eagles (vs. MIN) |
| 16 | Dallas Cowboys (at HOU) |
| 17 | Arizona Cardinals (at SF) |
| 18 | Minnesota Vikings (at PHI) |
| 19 | Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. ATL) |
| 20 | Washington Redskins (at NO) |
Kickers
7 of 7
Best Streaming Option
Ryan Succop, TEN (at BUF)
The Tennessee Titans didn't get their offense going until last week's win over the Philadelphia Eagles, but Succop has been pretty busy over the first month. He connected on nine of 10 field-goal attempts with at least two field goals in each game. The Titans' lack of touchdowns provided him with just six extra point attempts, but he made all of them. Assuming the Titans can build on last week's strong performance in a positive matchup in Buffalo, Succop should be able to keep up his 9.5.
Ownership percentages: ESPN, 19.0; Yahoo, 20.0
Week 5 Kicker Rankings
| 1 | Justin Tucker (BAL) |
| 2 | Wil Lutz (NO) |
| 3 | Matt Bryant (ATL) |
| 4 | Mason Crosby (GB) |
| 5 | Ryan Succop (TEN) |
| 6 | Matt Prater (DET) |
| 7 | Stephen Gostkowski (NE) |
| 8 | Robbie Gould (SF) |
| 9 | Randy Bullock (CIN) |
| 10 | Ka'imi Fairbairn (HOU) |
| 11 | Brandon McManus (DEN) |
| 12 | Harrison Butker (KC) |
| 13 | Josh Lambo (JAC) |
| 14 | Matt McCrane (OAK) |
| 15 | Adam Vinatieri (IND) |
| 16 | Caleb Sturgis (LAC) |
| 17 | Chris Boswell (PIT) |
| 18 | Jake Elliott (PHI) |
| 19 | Graham Gano (CAR) |
| 20 | Dustin Hopkins (WAS) |
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