Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings: Lineup Advice for Every Position

In Week 4, the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers surprised fantasy managers and the NFL by needing to take early bye weeks after positive COVID-19 tests among Titans players and staff. Alongside the very real potential health issues, the schedule change threw a wrench in fantasy plans, and things aren't likely to get any more predictable as the season progresses.

In Week 5, the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers will both be taking their scheduled bye weeks. But no one knows if the Titans will need to take further time off or if other teams might suddenly become unavailable.

For now, though, we must presume all is well besides the seemingly abnormal variety of injury considerations experienced this season. We're looking at rankings for starters at each of the skill positions in standard (non-points per reception) leagues and giving some advice for each role.

QB Rankings

1. Russell Wilson, SEA (vs. MIN)

2. Dak Prescott, DAL (vs. NYG) 

3. Patrick Mahomes, KC (vs. LV)

4. Kyler Murray, ARI (at NYJ)

5. Deshaun Watson, HOU (vs. JAX)

6. Matt Ryan, ATL (vs. CAR)

7. Lamar Jackson, BAL (vs. CIN)

8. Josh Allen, BUF (at TEN)

9. Teddy Bridgewater, CAR (at ATL)

10. Gardner Minshew, JAX (at HOU)

11. Kirk Cousins, MIN (at SEA)

12. Drew Brees, NO (vs. LAC)

There are few competitive matchups for fantasy's top quarterbacks, eliciting some concern that those stars may not need to throw the ball as much as managers might hope.

Against the Washington Football Team in Week 4, Lamar Jackson's big day was capped by him only needing to throw 21 passes, and that same issue could emerge for him and others in Week 5. Still, you start your big names no matter what.

Toward the bottom, the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers both have mediocre defenses and pass-happy offenses, making for a matchup with juicy fantasy potential. As such, both Matt Ryan and Teddy Bridgewater are primed to put up numbers. 

Most interestingly, Drew Brees has been about average without Michael Thomas, but his chemistry appears to be developing with Emmanuel Sanders and, to some extent, Tre'Quan Smith. Managers will be curious to see if, without much of a deep ball, he can produce against a Los Angeles Chargers secondary that just gave up five touchdowns to Tom Brady.

RB Rankings

1. Ezekiel Elliott, DAL (vs. NYG)

2. Alvin Kamara, NO (vs. LAC)

3. Dalvin Cook, MIN (at SEA)

4. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC (vs. LV)

5. Kareem Hunt, CLE (vs. IND)

6. Chris Carson, SEA (vs. MIN)

7. Joe Mixon, CIN (at BAL) 

8. Antonio Gibson, WAS (vs. LAR)

9. Derrick Henry, TEN (vs. BUF)

10. Josh Jacobs, LV (at KC)

11. James Robinson, JAX (at HOU)

12. Jonathan Taylor, IND (at CLE)

13. Kenyan Drake, ARI (at NYJ)

14. Mike Davis, CAR (at ATL)

15. David Johnson, HOU (vs. JAX)

16. Miles Sanders, PHI (at PIT)

17. Todd Gurley, ATL (vs. CAR)

18. David Montgomery, CHI (vs. TB)

19. Melvin Gordon, DEN (at NE)

20. James Conner, PIT (vs. PHI)

21. Jerick McKinnon, SF (vs. MIA)

22. Joshua Kelley, LAC (at NO)

23. Devin Singletary, BUF (at TEN)

24. Ronald Jones, TB (at CHI)

With Nick Chubb headed to the injured reserve list with an MCL problem, Kareem Hunt is poised to feast. He was already a big fantasy contributor while splitting carries with Chubb and, despite losing some of that lower workload's freshness, he should be one of fantasy's best with more volume.

Lower in the rankings, Kenyan Drake gets his last shot at a return on his RB1 draft-day price tag. Like Joe Mixon's redemption arc in Week 4, the Arizona Cardinals face a middling defense and can pave a big day for Drake by getting him involved in the passing game (something they've surprisingly moved away from after its success in 2019). 

In a major injury situation to monitor, if Raheem Mostert returns to health, he should be a good play against the Miami Dolphins. Even if he's back, he could be eased in, making Jerick McKinnon a good play regardless who could be a great one should Mostert miss another contest.

WR Rankings

1. DeAndre Hopkins, ARI (at NYJ)

2. Calvin Ridley, ATL (vs. CAR)

3. Adam Thielen, MIN (at SEA)

4. Amari Cooper, DAL (vs. NYG)

5. DJ Chark, JAX (at HOU)

6. Allen Robinson, CHI (vs. TB)

7. Will Fuller, HOU (vs. JAX)

8. Tyreek Hill, KC (vs. LV)

9. Odell Beckham Jr., CLE (vs. IND)

10. Robby Anderson, CAR (at ATL)

11. Tyler Lockett, SEA (vs. MIN)

12. Darius Slayton, NYG (at DAL)

13. Mike Evans, TB (at CHI)

14. Keenan Allen, LAC (at NO)

15. Jamison Crowder, NYJ (vs. ARI)

16. DeVante Parker, MIA (at SF)

17. Justin Jefferson, MIN (at SEA)

18. Stefon Diggs, BUF (at TEN)

19. DK Metcalf, SEA (vs. MIN)

20. Terry McLaurin, WAS (vs. LAR)

21. Cooper Kupp, LAR (at WAS)

22. Marquise Brown, BAL (vs. CIN)

23. JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT (vs. PHI)

24. DJ Moore, CAR (at ATL)

Arizona's problems don't start and end with Drake, as the team gashed its own high expectations with losses to the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers over the past two weeks.

If the Cardinals want to prove they can be a force in the league's toughest division, they'll need to exploit an easy matchup with the New York Jets and make a statement. That makes Deandre Hopkins an excellent candidate to dominate.

Similarly, Calvin Ridley saw five targets but caught nothing against the Green Bay Packers. But, in Week 5, he and Matt Ryan should return to form against a normally mediocre Panthers secondary.

Elsewhere, Will Fuller's inconsistency trended toward success once again with a big line of seven targets, six receptions, 108 yards and a touchdown for the Houston Texans in Week 4. The wide receiver and Deshaun Watson should excel against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

TE Rankings

1. George Kittle, SF (vs. MIA)

2. Mark Andrews, BAL (vs. CIN)

3. Travis Kelce, KC (vs. LV)

4. Dalton Schultz, DAL (vs. NYG)

5. Hunter Henry, LAC (at NO)

6. Darren Waller, LV (at KC)

7. Hayden Hurst, ATL (vs. CAR)

8. Evan Engram, NYG (at DAL)

9. Noah Fant, DEN (at NE)

10. Jonnu Smith, TEN (vs. BUF)

11. Zach Ertz, PHI (at PIT)

12. Tyler Higbee, LAR (at WAS)

Against the Philadelphia Eagles, George Kittle caught all 15 of his targets (aside from a two-point conversion, which somehow doesn't get counted in the box score) for 183 yards and a touchdown.

Kittle is the San Francisco 49ers' best receiver, and it's hard to rank him lower than No. 1, especially against the Dolphins.

Interestingly, Dalton Schultz gets his time in the rankings after yet another big performance. It turns out that, if not for injury, Blake Jarwin would have been a great pick this year.

Instead, Schultz inherited the role and has amassed 24 targets, 208 yards and two touchdowns in three weeks. That volume is tantalizing on the most productive passing attack in the NFL.