Fantasy Football Rankings Week 5: Aaron Rodgers and the Other Top 4 QBs

NFL quarterbacks are having an incredible year, with a record number of games with high-yardage performances. This means that now more than ever, having a solid starting fantasy quarterback makes all the difference between a win or a loss on your week.

Heading into Week 5, four quarterbacks are likely to provide your team with major numbers: Aaron Rodgers, Michael Vick, Tom Brady and Matt Ryan.

The Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers was the first quarterback drafted in most leagues and for good reason. Through four games, he's thrown for 1,325 yards and 12 touchdowns, completing an astounding 73 percent of his passes. In his team's Week 4 win over the Denver Broncos, he also rushed for two touchdowns on top of his four passing, and had 408 yards in the air.

This week, he faces the Atlanta Falcons (a team that also boasts a must-start Week 5 quarterback). While Atlanta struggled against the pass in their Week 4 win over the Seattle Seahawks, regardless of the quality of defense, it's a given that Rodgers will take to the air for major yards.

The same can be said for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady had what can only be called a down week for him in the Patriots' Week 4 win over the Oakland Raiders, throwing two touchdowns for 226 yards. Those are obviously impressive numbers and in Week 5 against the New York Jets, he should have an even better day.

While the Jets boast quite the secondary, with cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie shutting down receivers at will, the Patriots have too many offensive weapons to cover them effectively, making Brady a lock for a large amount of fantasy points this coming Sunday.

Another first-round quarterback is the Philadelphia Eagles' Michael Vick. The risk paid off in Week 4, with the injury-threatened Vick putting up the kinds of numbers that made him a highly-coveted fantasy add. He had 491 all-purpose yards—416 passing and 75 rushing—with two touchdown throws.

Yes, the Eagles are suffering from inconsistent play, especially on defense, which has cost them three games so far this season, but that doesn't harm Vick's fantasy value. In Week 5, the team travels to Buffalo to take on the Bills, a team not opposed to engaging in high-yardage shootouts. Vick is primed to have a big outing for the Eagles and for your fantasy team as well.

One way opposing teams can threaten the defending Super Bowl champion Packers is to throw the ball against them, and the Atlanta Falcons will likely do just that when the two teams meet. This means that quarterback Matt Ryan will continue on the path he's forged thus far this season.

Ryan is averaging just under 284 yards per game, throwing for 291 and one touchdown in his team's win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4. While he has issues with protection, which could factor in against the Packers this week, he will surely find ways to complete passes to receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones as well as incorporate tight end Tony Gonzalez into the passing game.

While the Packers-Falcons matchup will likely feature a good deal of rushing yardage, a shootout is always inevitable when facing the nearly flawless Green Bay offense, meaning that a 300-plus yard, multiple-touchdown performance from Ryan isn't beyond reach.