Fantasy football owners got a surprise set of byes last week when the Steelers-Titans game was postponed, but this week the official byes kick in. Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford are omitted from our from our Week 5 fanntasy QB rankings as a result, but we wouldn't exactly say we're "missing" them. The usual top tier of stud quarterbacks seemingly all face weak opponents, and there's a solid middle tier of high-quality sleepers who also have favorable matchups.
This tell us two things: There are a lot of bad defenses this year, and there's no excuse for starting a shaky QB this week. Carson Wentz (@ Steelers) and Tom Brady (@ 49ers) are about the only "starting" QBs with bad matchups on paper, and while very few Wentz owners will need to be talked out of sitting him, Brady owners likely will want to ride with the GOAT after his five-TD game. Far be it from us to talk you out of that, but there are other worthwhile options if you're leery of Brady on the road on short rest.
WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Our top 10 is probably as good as it's going to be all year. You know these guys are must-starts, and you're only problem is if you have two of them (or none of them). The toughest omission here is Drew Brees (vs. Chargers), who is usually better at home and could get Michael Thomas (ankle) back, but the matchups for Teddy Bridgewater (@ Falcons) and Kirk Cousins (@ Seahawks) are both better. If you have Brees and want to just stick with him, there's nothing wrong with that. After all, the Chargers did just get lit up by Tom Brady and the Bucs passing attack to the tune of five passing touchdowns, but Brees has been even more up and down than Brady this year.
WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
If you're digging deeper for sleepers, Daniel Jones (@ Cowboys), Gardner Minshew (@ Texans), Philip Rivers (@ Browns), Justin Herbert (@ Saints), and Jimmy Garoppolo (vs. Dolphins) all look like legit options. Rivers has the lowest ceiling given his mediocre play since Week 1, but we know he can sling it in any given week. Jones presents his own set of risks, but Dallas's defense has stopped anyone all year and Jones feels overdue for a breakout.
WEEK 5 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Obviously, there's no guarantee that all of these quarterbacks will come through -- just look at how Jared Goff unexpectedly struggled against the Giants -- but on paper, this shapes up to be another big quarterback week. Cross your fingers that you don't have the surprise bust, and enjoy the production.
WEEK 5 DFS CASH LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Note: Check back throughout the week, as we'll continue to update our QB rankings and provide analysis up until kickoff based on the latest news and injury updates.
MORE WEEK 5 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 5 Fantasy QB Rankings
These rankings are for four-point passing TD leagues.
WEEK 5 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Lamar Jackson, BAL vs. CIN |
| 2 | Russell Wilson, SEA vs. MIN |
| 3 | Patrick Mahomes, KC vs. LV |
| 4 | Dak Prescott, DAL vs. NYG |
| 5 | Kyler Murray, ARZ @ NYJ |
| 6 | Josh Allen, BUF @ TEN |
| 7 | Deshaun Watson, HOU vs. JAX |
| 8 | Matt Ryan, ATL vs. CAR |
| 9 | Teddy Bridgewater, CAR @ ATL. Bridgewater had his first multi-TD game with the Panthers last week, throwing for a pair of scores and rushing for one. He is averaging a relatively healthy 35.3 attempts per game, and with Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore both providing steady presences, he has options over the top and across the middle. Mike Davis (13 catches, 72 yards) has been a solid receiving option out of the backfield the past two weeks, too, so Bridgewater has decent weapoins. The Falcons sport the second-worst pass defense in the league, so it's fair to expect the good times to keep rolling for Teddy B. |
| 10 | Kirk Cousins, MIN @ SEA. Cousins has disappointed this year despite having two solid wideouts, a pair of good tight ends, and a dynamic running back. He's likely not on many fantasy rosters anymore, but this might be the week to stream him. Seattle still sports the league's worst pass defense and has allowed at least 315 passing yards in every game this year. You know the Seahawks are going to score and Minnesota will be forced to keep up, so Cousins will take his shots. Unless he turns it over three or more times or Dalvin Cook steals all the short touchdowns (both possible), Cousins will find his way to a good amount of fantasy points. |
| 11 | Drew Brees, NO vs. LAC. Brees opened things up a little more in Week 4, averaging a season high 9.8 yards per attempt. He still finished with a relatively modest 246 yards and two scores against a poor Lions defense, which further drives home that he misses Michael Thomas (ankle) and Jared Cook (groin). He might get some combination of the two back this week, but the Chargers have mostly been solid against QBs outside of a bad fourth quarter against Patrick Mahomes and second half against Tom Brady. Those were three really bad quarters, though (four TDs), so we can't say this is a favorable or unfavorable matchup. Brees has enough upside to merit a start, but there are similar options who could easily outperform him, especially if Thomas and Cook are out again. |
| 12 | Ben Roethlisberger, PIT vs. PHI. Roethlisberger has been solid, if unspectacular, this year, producing multiple touchdowns in all three games. But for all the talk about Brees's dinking and dunking, Roethlisberger has done it even more, averaging just 7.1 yards per attempt. If it wasn't for an 84-yard TD to Chase Claypool in Week 2, Roethlisberger's yardage numbers would look even worse. The Eagles have posted a league-high 17 sacks, and the immobile Roethlisberger could have trouble with the pressure. He still has solid receivers who can rack up yards after the catch, so the upside is there for a performance similar to what Jared Goff (267 yards, three TDs), Joe Burrow (312 yards, two TDs) and Nick Mullens/C.J. Beathard (338 yards, TD) produced against the Eagles the past three games. |
| 13 | Jared Goff, LAR @ WAS. Goff looked to be back on track after posting 588 yards and six total TDs in Weeks 2 and 3. Then a favorable matchup against the Giants came in Week 4, and Goff managed just 200 yards and one score. Fantasy owners are justifiably frustrated, and this week's matchup against Washington figures to add to the frustration. Washington has allowed multiple QB touchdowns every game, but it has limited Carson Wentz, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, and Lamar Jackson to an average of 226.3 passing yards. Goff could just as easily post another three-TD performance as he could a clunker like Week 4. Because he's inconsistent and has solid weapons, we're betting more on a bounce-back performance, but tread carefully. |
| 14 | Tom Brady, TB @ CHI. Brady has three or more touchdowns in three of four games...so, why are we still leery of him? We probably shouldn't be, but with four INTs already, it seems clear Brady isn't quite as sharp as he used to be. Mike Evans is bailing him out in the red zone, but fortunately he'll continue to have that luxury. A quick-turnaround game in Chicago is the main reason we're worried, as the Bears have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game (FPPG) to QBs this season. No QB has thrown for multiple TDs against Chicago, and only Matthew Stafford has posted more than 241 yards in a game. Brady is a risky start despite his success so far this year. |
| 15 | Daniel Jones, NYG @ DAL. Jones has been a major disappointment this year, failing to produce a touchdown in each of the past three weeks. He is running well, averaging 34.3 yards per game, and he's averaging a fair amount of pass attempts (37.3 per game), so a breakout could be in the offing as Jones' matchups improve. His first four games were against the Steelers, Bears, 49ers, and Rams, but a matchup against the Cowboys, who have allowed 11 QB passing touchdowns the past three games, could be what he needs to get him going. It's tough to justify starting him ahead of guys like Brady, Goff, Roethlisberger, and Brees, but he certainly has the potential to outproduce them. If the rest of your lineup is lacking, you can take a shot at a boom-or-bust option like Jones. |
| 16 | Justin Herbert, LAC @ NO. Herbert has thrown for at least 290 yards in all three of his starts, and he connected on several deep balls for three touchdowns in Week 4. We're mildly worried about him without receiving back extraordinaire Austin Ekeler (hamstring), but he still has enough weapons in Keenan Allen, Hunter Henry, and several deep threats to produce against a Saints defense that's allowed three passing touchdowns in each of the past games. He also hasn't had a big rushing game yet, so Herbert has a decent floor here. |
| 17 | Gardner Minshew, JAX @ HOU. For all of Houston's defensive issues, it's limited QBs reasonably well despite facing Patrick Mahomes (211 yards, three TDs), Lamar Jackson (204 passing yards, 54 rushing yards, one TD), Ben Roethlisberger (237 yards, two TDs), and Kirk Cousins (260 yards, TD). Minshew has thrown at least 40 passes in each of the past three games, and he's accounted for multiple touchdowns in three of four contests this year. Minshew always has passing upside and a sneaky-good rushing floor, but this matchup isn't quite good enough to vault him above the more stable veterans. |
| 18 | Philip Rivers, IND @ CLE. Rivers looked like his old gunslinger self in Week 1 (367 yards), but since then, he's been every bit the game manager, topping out at 217 yards and failing to throw for multiple touchdowns. Other quarterbacks have higher ceilings, but this could still be a breakout spot for Rivers, as the Browns have allowed 12 passing touchdowns this year and are coming off a game in which Dak Prescott shredded them for 502 yards. Even if we discount Dak's day because of garbage time, it's clear you can throw on this Cleveland defense. Indianapolis doesn't have the same weapons Dallas does, but Rivers has some dependable wideouts, three worthwhile tight ends, and a pair of good receiving backs, so he doesn't have to do a lot of the heavy lifting to wind up with good numbers. |
| 19 | Jimmy Garoppolo, SF vs. MIA |
| 20 | Baker Mayfield, CLE vs. IND |
| 21 | Derek Carr, LV @ KC |
| 22 | Joe Burrow, CIN @ BAL. If you take out Patrick Mahomes' five-TD performance in Week 3, Baltimore has actually been solid against quarterbacks, limiting Baker Mayfield, Deshaun Watson, and Dwayne Haskins to one touchdown apiece. Burrow has throw for at least 300 yards in each of the past three games and always has upside with his legs, so he's not a terrible play this week, but there are obviously several much better options. |
| 23 | Ryan Tannehill, TEN vs. BUF |
| 24 | Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA @ SF |
| 25 | Carson Wentz, PHI @ PIT |
| 26 | Joe Flacco, NYJ vs. ARZ |
| 27 | Nick Foles, CHI vs. TB |
| 28 | Kyle Allen, WAS vs. LAR. Dwayne Haskins, a 2019 first-round pick, has been benched in favored of Allen, a former undrafted free agent. Trusting Allen given the lack of weapons surrounding him is not recommended. |
| 29 | Drew Lock, DEN @ NE |
| 30 | Jarrett Stidham, NE vs. DEN |
