Fantasy Football Week 5 Rankings: Projections to Love and Matchups to Exploit

We've officially reached the bye-week portion of the 2020 NFL season. While the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans were off in Week 4, it was an unscheduled bye for both. This week, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions are both on official ones.

This means quality fantasy players such as Aaron Jones, Aaron Rodgers and Kenny Golladay will be unavailable. With other stars like Nick Chubb, Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley injured, many managers have already been forced to seek alternatives for their top draft options.

Of course, this doesn't mean there aren't some terrific fantasy plays still available. There are, and we're going to project our 10 favorites at each key skill position and examine the top matchup to exploit for each, with our rankings based on point-per-reception scoring.

Quarterback

1. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks

2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

4. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

5. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

6. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

7. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

8. Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers

9. Kirk Cousins, Seattle Seahawks

10. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts

Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is the early front-runner for NFL MVP. He has passed for 1,285 yards with 16 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He's a must-start in fantasy, and he has another beautiful matchup in Week 5.

The Minnesota Vikings have played better in recent weeks, but they still possess the league's fourth-worst pass defense in terms of yardage. They rank 30th in net yards per pass attempt allowed, and they're not likely to offer much resistance to the 31-year-old.

Seattle, meanwhile, has an atrocious pass defense—more on that shortly—that should keep this game in a bit of a shootout mode. That should lead to plenty of pass attempts for Wilson and plenty of fantasy points for his managers.

Projection: 350 passing yards, 3 TDs, 25 rushing yards

Running Back

1. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

2. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

3. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

4. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs

5. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

6. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars

7. Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns

8. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks

9. David Johnson, Houston Texans

10. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

James Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

While the Jacksonville Jaguars haven't been one of the league's surprise teams this season, rookie running back James Robinson has been an unexpected fantasy force. The undrafted rookie out of Illinois State has already racked up 14 receptions, 446 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns.

The 22-year-old should have a prime opportunity to jack up his statistical totals this week against the Houston Texans.

The Texans may get a bit of a morale boost from the firing of head coach/general manager Bill O'Brien, but they aren't likely to make many schematic changes right away. This means Robinson will be going up against a defense that ranks dead-last against the run and 25th in yards per carry allowed.

Expect Robinson to be the offensive centerpiece as the Jaguars look to slow the game down and grind it out on the ground. While the Texans offense has been much maligned this season, it still has explosive players like Deshaun Watson, Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller V.

A run-oriented approach gives Jacksonville its best chance to win, which should mean plenty of opportunities for Robinson.

Projection: 128 rushing yards, 1 TD, 4 receptions, 45 receiving yards

Wide Receiver

1. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals

2. Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

4. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

5. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons

6. Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings

7. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys

8. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

9. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

10. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Based on the matchup, Vikings wide receivers Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson are quality plays this week. The Seahawks have the league's worst pass defense and enough offensive firepower to keep Minnesota in pass-heavy mode all game.

Jefferson has come on in the last couple of weeks as an explosive home-run hitter.

"He's just an instant star," Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of the 21-year-old, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

We'll give Jefferson the slight edge over Thielen because of his catch rate (80 percent versus 64.5) and his big-play ability, but both wideouts are must-starts in PPR formats.

Projection: 6 receptions, 130 receiving yards, 1 TD

Tight End

1. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

5. Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys

6. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

7. Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

8. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles

9. Evan Engram, New York Giants

10. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

It's hard not to love the situation for San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle this week. Not only does he have an enticing matchup against the Miami Dolphins, but he should also be the centerpiece of  San Francisco's passing attack.

Last week, the 27-year-old caught 15 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. He could have similar numbers this week—perhaps not quite the yardage total—against Miami and its 28th-ranked pass defense. This should hold true regardless of who is under center for San Francisco.

Jimmy Garoppolo has practiced on a limited basis this week, and there's a chance he'll return to the starting lineup against Miami. However, the 49ers relied on the duo of Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard last week, and Kittle's fantasy value was just fine.

With San Francisco's backfield banged-up, the offense may remain a bit heavier on the pass than usual. Expect Kittle to have another huge outing.

Projection: 10 receptions, 135 receiving yards, 1 TD

Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference