Soppe’s Week 6 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game

This game of ours is one of very little separation, and that makes every decision critical. As much as I’d love to help each of you with your specific fantasy football questions (I’ll try — @KyleSoppePFN), that’s a big ask.

What I can give you, every single week, are my takes. My statistical-backed rankings are available, but you, the devoted fantasy manager, need more than simply a number next to a name. You need to know why I stand where I do, and that’s my goal with this novel.

If you have a question, hit me up on X, but my hope is that this extended piece will give you the insight you’re looking for without relying on me landing on your specific question before lineups lock.

You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready — this piece is me staying ready to help you win the week!

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers | PIT (vs CLE)

Aaron Rodgers has some juice left, and that makes Pittsburgh frisky, but it doesn’t mean he is of any interest to us.

“Game manager” gets a bad rap, but I don’t know what else you want to call it. Rodgers is throwing just 27 passes per game and offers no rushing equity at this point. The last time we saw him was Week 4 in Ireland, a game in which he hit DK Metcalf on a slant for an 80-yard touchdown, the type of play that usually elevates a QB into the top 10 without much trouble.

He was QB21 in Week 4 because that was his only score, and he threw just 21 other passes.

For the season, 85.1% of Rodgers’ pass attempts have traveled under 10 yards downfield. He’s doing it well right now, but he’s a game manager, and our fantasy matchups need access to upside that he simply doesn’t have access to in this system.

Baker Mayfield | TB (vs SF)

We give Matthew Stafford the title of “WR King Maker,” and he’s earned it. He’s got the Calvin Johnson seasons in his back pocket, along with the Cooper Kupp historic campaign, and is now leading the Puka Nacua march to top those marks.

But I’m not sure that Baker Mayfield is that far behind. With him averaging 28.8 rushing yards per game in addition to elevating the talent around him, what’s not to like?

Tampa Bay’s lightning rod has yet to finish worse than QB13 this season and is anything but scared to exploit his advantages.

The primary advantage these days is, of course, rookie Emeka Egbuka. Mayfield is keenly aware that opponents are terrified of him down the field, and until they prove they have an answer, I fully expect him to continue to pick at that scab.

RELATED: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Sam Darnold Propels Up Rankings, Justin Herbert Continues to Slide

For the season, 44.7% of his throws to Egbuka have traveled 15+ yards in the air, a massive spike from his rate to the rest of his teammates (21.1%), and I’d say it’s working.

He faces a 49ers defense this season that has allowed 21+ fantasy points to a QB in each of their past two road games (big bad Spencer Rattler back in Week 2 and the aforementioned Stafford last Thursday night) and ranks 23rd in pressure rate.

I doubt he’s as efficient as he was in Sunday’s last-second win over the Seahawks (29-of-33, 11.5 yards per pass), but 65% complete with multiple touchdowns and 25-35 rushing yards? That’s what he gives us weekly, and I’m confident he gives us low-end QB1 numbers in a very interesting matchup that only gets more favorable if San Francisco gets some of their offensive firepower back.

Bo Nix | DEN (at NYJ)

Bo Nix is a frustrating player to manage.

We have proof that he possesses a versatile skill set; we just don’t usually get to see him pull all the levers in the same game.

Twice this season has he completed over 69% of his passes with multiple scores, but in the other three, he’s been held under 63% complete with a total of three scores on 104 attempts.

Twice this season has he challenged defenses vertically with an aDOT over eight yards, but in the other three, he’s been under 7.0.

Even within Sunday’s win, he threw a touchdown when out of the pocket, but completed just two of his other seven attempts when on the move.

His best game this season came in Week 4 against the Bengals, a perfect spot. He had an extra day to prepare for a home game against one of the worst defenses in the sport. If you want to wedge him into your top 12 in Week 7 (vs. Giants) and Week 8 (vs. Cowboys), I’ll allow it.

But I don’t have him ranked as such this week, as I’ll still give the Jets defense more respect than that in addition to being okay with fading a volatile QB like this in a goofy travel week to England.

Brock Purdy | SF (at TB)

It’s been far from a level start to the season for Brock Purdy, and that might be undershooting it.

Not only has a toe injury resulted in three DNPs during the first five weeks of the season, but he was the only QB to have two games with multiple touchdown passes and multiple interceptions in September, despite missing half of San Francisco’s games over that stretch.

That means he has three straight multi-INT games in a row and has thrown the ball to the wrong team in each of his past five outings. I’m not a doctor, but a toe injury would seem to further limit his abilities as a runner, and with the sporadic recent passing results, I’m not sure what you’re hanging your hat on if you go this direction.

The 49ers are walking a very thin line when it comes to the health of their playmakers, and that makes Purdy’s value even more unstable. I’m not against you keeping tabs on this passing game (three favorable matchups during the fantasy playoffs after the Week 14 bye), but in their current state, you shouldn’t be counting on much.

Bryce Young | CAR (vs DAL)

The touchdown pass thrown on a frozen rope with elite anticipation to Xavier Legette last week against the Dolphins was a work of art, but there simply aren’t enough plays like that. Bryce Young has failed to reach 200 passing yards in four of five contests this season and continues to struggle with consistency (5.5 yards per attempt).

I love that he’s weighing Tetairoa McMillan down with volume, and the surprisingly effective run game was great to see, but for fantasy purposes, what needs to happen, even in this perfect matchup, for Young to be worth a look?

He’d have to be close to perfect. The odds are good that the QB you’ve been using weekly will be active this week, and that makes exploiting this matchup (24+ fantasy points allowed to every quarterback they’ve faced this season) difficult.

Young ran for 40 yards in Week 1 against the Jaguars, and if you told me that was projectable, I’d listen. That would make him a slightly lesser version of Justin Fields, where the points have the potential to pile up via WR1 targets and cheap plays on the ground.

But that’s not the case. Over the past month, he has 14 rushing yards total, and if the big plays aren’t going to happen through the air for this offense (held without a 30-yard completion in three straight and four of five), I simply can’t get there.

I’ve juiced the numbers as much as I can with Dallas coming to town, and Young is my QB16 for Week 6.

Caleb Williams | CHI (at WAS)

Caleb Williams has had his moments this season, and I’m buying it to some degree.

His athleticism is being weaponized (5+ attempts in all four games), and he’s checking some boxes of improvement as a passer from his rookie season. So far in 2025, his completion percentage when throwing past the sticks is up to 56.8% from 43.5%, a sign that he is seeing the game at a higher level.

You love to see it.

I am, however, going to pump the brakes a little bit. His per-game production falls by 14% this season if you remove the Cowboys game, as he’s failed to throw for even 215 yards in any of those contests.

This matchup doesn’t scare me, and with the extra week of prep, I’m locking in Williams where I have him. If we continue to see growth, we could be looking at a top-five scorer at the position entering the middle of November.

Cameron Ward | TEN (at LV)

Cam Ward makes a few plays every single week, and that should allow Titan fans to sleep soundly at night, but he’s been held without a top 20 fantasy finish this season, so even the best game of his rookie season to date might not be worth your time.

With just two touchdown passes on 164 attempts and 7.2 rushing yards per game, there is no single part of this profile that is up to our standards, even if the highlight plays seem to pop up weekly.

Dak Prescott | DAL (at CAR)

Dak Prescott has had a deep TD pass in both games since the CeeDee Lamb injury after failing to throw one prior.

Make it make sense.

His average depth of throw is up 15.7% over the past two weeks, and while that introduces more variance, that’s exactly what a more pocket-locked QB needs to do.

Do I think he’s going to account for four touchdowns every week? Of course not. He’s run hot in terms of playmaking in consecutive games, and if you want to sell high, I think it’d be pretty easy with Lamb coming back sooner than later and their record back to .500.

This is obviously a good matchup, but I encourage you to see the forest through the trees.

Your playoffs likely take place in Weeks 15-17. Not only does he have a tough go of it in the beginning of that stretch (Vikings, Chargers, and Commanders in a short-rest road game), but he gets the Eagles, Chiefs, and Lions in the preceding three weeks.

Prescott very well could be the reason you’re on a two-game winning streak. But I promise you that your leaguemates are seeing plenty of propaganda trending his way, and that’ll continue leading into this favorable spot.

If you’re willing to lose the battle of Week 6 to win the war of the season, considering a move is very much on the table.

Daniel Jones | IND (vs ARI)

It may sound crazy given the success of the team, but Sunday was Daniel Jones’ first multi-TD pass effort of the season as his Colts steamrolled the Raiders.

Decisive Danny has completed over 67% of his passes in all five games this season, a level of efficiency that, in the past, would have been a bonus.

Currently, however, it’s helping supplement a lack of production on the ground. This team isn’t built for Jones to throw the ball all over the field, thus making the recent rushing limitations a major issue for his fantasy outlook (one total rushing yard over the past two weeks).

Given the resume, I’m more encouraged by the passing success than worried about the rushing numbers that have traditionally always been there. He slides just inside my top 10 at the position this week and is someone I’ll be comfortable starting for at least four of the five games ahead of Indianapolis’ Week 11 bye.

Dillon Gabriel | CLE (at PIT)

I thought we largely got what we expected from Dillon Gabriel in his first NFL start. His totals all ended up around what the betting markets projected, though there was some “given” yardage on the final drive as Minnesota looked to simply keep the clock running.

He did join Marcus Mariota and Joey Harrington as the only Oregon QBs to throw multiple TD passes in their debut this millennium, finding both of his tight ends in the end zone on Sunday.

The coaching staff was exploring what he was comfortable with. We got a few RPO looks, and we saw some composure under duress. From a real-life perspective, I was moderately impressed, but there isn’t really a clear path to mattering in our game, at least not in 2025.

Gabriel only completed three passes downfield and always profiled as more of a game manager than a box score savant. He might show the Dawg Pound what they want to see, but he’ll remain a bottom-10 QB until his usage changes significantly, which I don’t expect to occur until this time next year.

Drake Maye | NE (at NO)

I’ve played fantasy for as long as I can remember, and I don’t remember being so entertained/impressed with a zero-touchdown effort as I was with Drake Maye in Buffalo on Sunday night.

Despite failing to account for a score for the first time this season and not clearing 30 pass attempts for the third time in four weeks, I walked away believing that he is, in fact, the closest thing this new crop of QBs has to Josh Allen.

Maye completed seven passes outside of the pocket in the victory, topping his previous season high of three. While these plays didn’t result in a ton of fantasy points (87 yards), they are the type of drive-extending plays that open up potential scoring opportunities.

I know I know, “potential” opportunities don’t pay the bills and they didn’t on Sunday, but the ability to succeed in those spots is rare.

He completed over 74% of his in-pocket passes for the fourth consecutive game, and the rushing ability is certainly there. We are in the process of seeing the pieces of this beautiful fantasy puzzle be put together, and you don’t want to jump ship just because his streak of three straight top-eight finishes at the position was snapped.

I can assure you: there aren’t eight QBs you’d rather have the rest of the way, especially when you remind yourself of the cupcake schedule that all AFC East teams have access to.

Geno Smith | LV (vs TEN)

For the third time in four games, Geno Smith threw multiple interceptions, and he’s simply not threatening defenses down the field. Over the past two weeks, he’s misfired on seven of nine deep targets.

I like that he funneled more looks in the direction of Ashton Jeanty last week, but there’s no reason to look this direction in standard leagues. He completed as many passes to the Colts as the Raiders inside the red zone last week (seven attempts), further proof that his decision-making isn’t close to the level that we need from a QB who needs to pick up the vast majority of his points with his arm.

Jake Browning | CIN (at GB)

If Maye was the author of the most impressive performance I’ve seen this season from a QB to finish outside of the top 20 at the position, Jake Browning’s Week 5 was the worst from a top 15 signal caller.

In the fourth quarter of a game that was well in hand, Browning turned 13 dropbacks into 18.6 fantasy points, saving a game where he turned 32 dropbacks into 0.5 fantasy points.

I’m an optimist at heart, and even I struggle to bring myself to believe he can unlock the talent around him because of what he did against Detroit’s janitorial staff late last week.

At best, Browning can sustain one receiver, but he’s not a player you can count on, even in two-QB formats.

Should Joe Flacco replace him this week, that’s a slightly different story.

Jalen Hurts | PHI (at NYG)

That’s now three straight multi-TD pass games for Jalen Hurts, a nice spike in production with his right arm after not throwing a single touchdown pass through the first two weeks of the season, but the rushing production disappeared into thin air on Sunday.

Two carries. Three yards.

This season, 44.3% of his rushing fantasy points have come when the Eagles are inside the opponents’ five-yard line, and while those snaps are valuable, it’s no lock that you’re getting a ton of those snaps in any given game.

As a fantasy option, I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Yes, when the rushing dries up, it’s scary, but the fact that 27 of his 37 targets (73%) against the Broncos went to one of his top three pass catchers suggests we have enough paths to points to be comfortable with Hurts maintaining his Tier 1 title.

In his lone game against these G-Men last season, he completed 10-of-14 passes for 114 yards and a score while also rushing in a pair of touchdowns. He’s my QB2 this week, and I think you’re starting your Week 6 with a big number on Thursday.

Jared Goff | DET (at KC)

How crazy is it that Jared Goff has more games this season with a completion percentage over 79% than games in which he doesn’t?

The matchup with the Chiefs (under 12 fantasy points allowed to the opposing starting QB in three of their past four games) is obviously a different beast than the Bengals he laid to rest last week, and that is what I’ve got Goff on the outside looking in at my top 12, even if he shares a tier with those just inside the cut.

My concern is the league-high 45.9% pressure rate from the defending AFC champs. Detroit could look to beat that with the running game and probably should. If they don’t, we could be talking about betting on Goff while on the move, something that hasn’t exactly played into our favor recently (four out-of-pocket TD passes over his past 29 regular-season games).

Maybe quick passes to the running backs and Amon-Ra St. Brown are enough to get Goff over 300 yards and put him in the starting mix, but I’d rather take my chances on either QB in the Colts/Cardinals game or Patrick Mahomes on the other side of the ball in this one.

Jaxson Dart | NYG (vs PHI)

Jaxson Dart has moxie, and that’s great, but we aren’t yet at the point where I’m willing to translate it to fantasy points.

The rushing is great, but the passing is limited. Dart has thrown 60 passes this season and, despite the freedom of movement rules, he doesn’t have a 20-yard completion.

In many situations, I’d write that off as a weird variance, but with Malik Nabers out for the season and limited big-play threats filling that void, I fear it’s set to be a trend, not a weird blip.

I think we are laying the groundwork for a huge 2026 season. Games like Sunday, where the rookie funnels 6-7 targets to four different players, are good stepping stones. They encourage us about his willingness to take what is given to him and move the chains.

I’m ultra-impressed by this profile but I don’t like how his floor/ceiling projections line up for the second half of this season and certainly not in this matchup.

Jayden Daniels | WAS (vs CHI)

I saw everything I needed and then some from Jayden Daniels in his return from the knee injury that cost him two games.

In the win over the Chargers last week, he ran eight times for 39 yards and closed the deal with something of a fadeaway pass, out of the pocket, right on the money to Deebo Samuel in the end zone.

Chicago owns a vulnerable defense and an offense with some upside. I expect this to be a fun end to the week, and I have both QBs ranked as top-eight options for that reason.

Joe Flacco | CLE (at PIT)

Well, this is exciting, right?

Joe Flacco is a major upgrade in Cincinnati, but don’t take that to mean he’ll walk into fantasy lineups. We are talking about a QB in his final years who offers nothing with his legs and has no practice time with his new team.

Could he potentially have some weeks where his statistical output mirrors that of a Matthew Stafford type? Certainly, but he’ll need to be close to perfect, and the upcoming schedule (Packers, Steelers, and Jets) doesn’t really allow for that.

READ MORE: Bengals HC Reveals Real Reason Behind Shocking Joe Flacco Trade

It’s worth noting that the schedule softens, defensive matchup-wise at least, as we approach December, but then we start flirting with the Joe Burrow timeline if Cincy is close to competitive.

I’d let someone else do the Flacco thing. I don’t see him being a top 15 QB over the next month, which means you either already have a better option or will have the ability to stream your way to at least that level of production.

Jordan Love | GB (vs CIN)

Entering the season, I was hopeful that the stability of Jordan Love would help elevate at least one of his receivers to the weekly fantasy conversation.

Instead, he’s been infected with their inconsistencies, something that I was unaware was contagious.

Love has finished with under 190 passing yards twice this season while clearing 290 in the other two. Efficiency hasn’t been the issue (with an over 72% completion rate in three of four) as much as the volume risk.

• Week 1 vs. Lions: 22 pass attempts

• Week 2 vs. Commanders: 31 pass attempts

• Week 3 at Browns: 25 pass attempts

• Week 4 at Cowboys: 43 pass attempts

I’m confident in Love this week because I’m confident in anyone who is on an NFL roster facing the Bengals, but I’ll admit that I worry about these peaks and valleys as the season progresses.

If you asked me to take a positive or negative stance on Love for the remainder of 2022, I’d lean toward the former because I trust him in scoring position. Over his past 27 games, Love has completed 66.4% of his red zone passes with 41 scores against just two interceptions.

Neither the Bears nor the Ravens scares me defensively right now, and those two make up three of Green Bay’s last four games this fantasy season.

Josh Allen | BUF (at ATL)

The Patriots beat the Bills, but the fantasy storylines at the QB position were flipped.

Maye didn’t account for a touchdown despite playing maybe the best game of his career, while Allen made a big error, yet finished with over 300 yards of offense on his ledger and a pair of scores.

Allen is elite, and there is no two-way about that. His willingness to find Dalton Kincaid in slivers of space, rather than always trying to make the hero play, is a nod to his maturation process. It’s decisions like that, as well as others, that contribute to why he owns the highest floor in the sport.

He’s completed over 70% of his passes in four of five games and has a 19+ yard scamper in four straight. New England may have won in Buffalo last week, but they didn’t provide anything close to a blueprint for how to slow No. 17.

Allen is the closest thing we have to inevitable in today’s game, and with his Bills now being challenged in the division, I think it’s safe to say that we will get at least 17 weeks of watching him put on a masterclass in statistical dominance.

I’m not sure where he’ll be drafted in 2026, but I promise you that the “wait on QB” narrative will have at least one exception.

Justin Fields | NYJ (vs DEN)

Similar to Daniel Jones, Justin Fields was more of a passer than a rusher on Sunday, and I liked what I saw.

No, 46 pass attempts isn’t going to be the new norm, and you shouldn’t want it to be, but he took advantage of a favorable matchup. Fields completed eight of 10 third-down passes, showing that he at least needs to be planned for as a passer in those drive-extending spots.

There was some garbage-time boosting of numbers, but that’s part of the deal when you roster a QB on a below-average team.

I find it unlikely that we see an efficient day through the air in this much more difficult matchup, and we just saw these Broncos bottle up the most run-oriented offense in the league. There are a handful of quarterbacks this week in tough spots (Goff and Patrick Mahomes facing one another, Nix against the Jets, and Dart squaring off with the Eagles), and they all occupy a tier just outside of my top 10.

For the record, I have Fields atop that tier, but I do think there’s a real chance this is his worst full game of the season to date (Week 2 in Buffalo doesn’t count).

Justin Herbert | LAC (at MIA)

I don’t think this is a hot take, but Week 6 could easily be Justin Herbert’s week, and I have him ranked as high as I ever will (QB3).

The offensive line is crumbling around him, and he’s now on his third running back. Jim Harbaugh had designed this offense to operate as the top PROE unit in the league from the start of the season, and now his hand is seemingly being forced to lean even further into that plan.

Through five weeks, the Dolphins rank no higher than 26th in:

• Opponent passer rating

• Opponent completion percentage

• Opponent yards per pass

• Opponent YAC per reception

• Opponent pass TD%

• INT%

• Opponent first downs per pass attempt

So, you’re telling me that we get access to a high-pedigree QB with three viable WRs at his disposal and a 34-38 pass projection against that defense?

It’ll be a chalky DFS build, but that doesn’t make it wrong. The offensive line struggles have me thinking that the quick pass may be prioritized, which has me leaning toward Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen in those lineups over Quentin Johnston, but I’m not sure there is a wrong way to do this.

Bryce Young managed just 12 fantasy points in this matchup last week: he’s the first QB that Miami has held under 23.

Kyler Murray | ARI (at IND)

We are five weeks into this season, and I’m not the least bit confident that we know what we are going to get in this spot.

On one hand, the Colts have crippled poor opposing quarterbacks (Tua Tagovailoa, Cam Newton, and Geno Smith are of no real interest to us, and they averaged 7.7 fantasy points against Indy). Still, on the other hand, we’ve seen Nix (20.2) and Matthew Stafford (27.4) have success.

Which bucket does Kyler Murray get placed into?

Your instinct wants to say the latter, and the numbers suggest the latter.

Arizona has already played New Orleans, Carolina, and Tennessee, all of whom figure to be in the mix for the top overall pick this spring.

Murray’s next finish for a week better than QB12 will be his first.

“Outlook not so clear”.

He’s reached 25 rushing yards in every game this season and has a 30+ yard completion in four of five. That potential is something we are aware of, and that’s why he’s in the QB1 mix. But I can’t just erase what we’ve seen thus far, which is why he’s my QB2 in this game and also checks in behind a pocket-locked Matthew Stafford (at BAL).

Mac Jones | SF (at TB)

Is Mac Jones a rich man’s version of early-season Joe Flacco?

Kyle Shanahan has leaned on his backup QB for 43 passes per game in his three starts, and that speaks to his confidence in Jones, given the moving pieces in terms of the health of his pass catchers.

Against the Rams on Thursday night, a road game on a short week and without the top four pass catchers from the preseason (George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings), Jones completed 33 passes for 342 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

He dominated the scripted first drive (five-for-five for 77 yards and a TD) and never let up. I’m not sure if we should give him or Shanahan the majority of the credit, but they clearly identified Kendrick Bourne as a mismatch.

Yes, that Kendrick Bourne.

Out of nowhere, he became the third player this season with a 10-catch, 140-receiving-yard game, joining Puka Nacua and Ja’Marr Chase.

Piling up numbers is as much about taking advantage of spots as it is raw talent, and the former feels safer with the 49ers’ infrastructure than any other team. The hope is that Brock Purdy can return from this toe injury, but if that’s not the case, Jones has forced himself into the streaming conversation, even without adding upside with his legs.

Marcus Mariota | WAS (vs CHI)

Marcus Mariota filled in admirably for Jayden Daniels (knee), and that makes him worthy of consideration should the franchise QB be forced into another missed game at some point this season, and a favorable matchup presents itself.

The former second overall pick threw three touchdown passes on 48 attempts and had a 20+ yard rush in both of his starts. The upside isn’t remarkably high (363 passing yards across those two games, both in reasonably favorable spots), but the ability to pick up those cheap points on the ground is still there for the soon-to-be 32-year-old.

For those keeping track at home, the Commanders get the Giants in Week 15 and the Cowboys on Christmas Day (Week 17).

Matthew Stafford | LAR (at BAL)

Another masterclass in the art of piling up numbers by Matthew Stafford took place on Thursday night as he became the first player since Joe Burrow (2021) to post consecutive games with 375+ passing yards and zero interceptions.

How much of it is real?

It’s really not all that complicated.

Stafford has excelled at featuring his most trusted options for 1.5 decades at this point, and that’s what we saw last week (71.7% of his throws were directed at Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, or Kyren Williams). In the right matchups where those players can consistently uncover, his floor is exceptionally high.

That is expected to be the case this week, given the team’s long rest and the fact that it will be facing a banged-up Ravens defense. I’ve got Stafford ranked as a low-end QB1 in this spot, the highest I’ve had him this season, but the lack of rushing production can’t be blindly overlooked.

Greatest Throwers of the Football Ever

🐬 1. Dan Marino
🟢 2. Prime Aaron Rodgers
🐏 3. Matthew Stafford

Ever.
pic.twitter.com/tvgNovydFI

— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) October 8, 2025

More so than those routinely ranking in this range, Stafford relies on his teammates. Without any production to chase on the ground, the ceiling/floor combination simply doesn’t math in the same way.

I’m on board with playing Stafford this week, but I’m not yet ready to label him a weekly option. The schedule isn’t daunting moving forward, and that’s encouraging. That said, if you can pawn him off as a weekly starter, I’d do it.

Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (vs BUF)

I was hopeful that we’d see Michael Penix build on his finish to last season, but we aren’t getting any of it.

In his four games this season, he’s totaled just three touchdown passes while misfiring on 19-of-26 deep passes (zero touchdowns and one interception). The rushing has disappeared (21 yards in Week 1 against the Buccaneers, 10 yards since), and while he’s funneling looks to Drake London, that’s all he’s doing that matters in our game.

The Falcons have games against the Dolphins and Panthers before Thanksgiving: the best-case scenario is that we see some signs of life in this game that give us some confidence in using him as a streamer in those spots.

Patrick Mahomes | KC (vs DET)

I don’t get it when people look at a banana taped to a piece of paper and call it art. Still, I’m guessing those same people don’t understand why Patrick Mahomes is trending toward a player who has the potential to absolutely break fantasy during the second half of this season.

Through five weeks, 32.1% of his fantasy points have been scored on the ground. That speaks not only to his athleticism being on full display some three months ahead of schedule, but also the limitations that have come with the rotating door at receiver up to this point.

But that’s changing.

Xavier Worthy is back to being used as a full-time player, Travis Kelce showed some juice with a score last week, and Rashee Rice’s season debut is coming.

Mahomes has put up some crazy postseason stat lines in the past, when he’s pushed the envelope across the board, when the season was on the line. Why wouldn’t we expect something similar during the second half of this season?

• 2023 Super Bowl: 46 passes, 9 rushes, 399 combined yards

• 2024 AFC Title Game: 8 different players catch a pass, 11 rushes, 2 rushing touchdowns

Right now, he’s ripping off chunk gains with his legs, and those running lanes are only going to open wider as he continues to get more support.

I’m not itching to play Mahomes this week in a tough spot against an offense that can control the clock. If he struggles, though, you can bet that I’ll be offering trades left and right to get access to him for the second half of the fantasy season.

Sam Darnold | SEA (at JAX)

We were all worried about Sam Darnold leaving the insulation provided by Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota, but he’s basically a carbon copy of the 2024 version of himself through five weeks.

2024 Darnold

• 8.5 air yards per pass

• 2.2% interception rate

• 23.3% deep pass rate

2025 Darnold

• 8.4 air yards per pass

• 2.2% interception rate

• 21.6% deep pass rate

He’s sending 8.6 targets per game to his alpha receiver and currently holds a deep passer rating that is 31.4 points higher than what it was last season. With the Jags being a turnover-based defense that thrives on big plays, how uncomfortable will they be able to make Darnold?

My guess?

Not very.

Not only is Jacksonville on a short week, but for an aggressive unit, they blitz at a below-average rate. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have the eighth-best offensive line when it comes to limiting pressure in non-blitz situations.

Darnold has one rush attempt over the past month and is averaging just 26.8 pass attempts per game. I like him more than the rest of the industry seems to this week, and he’s a potential DFS stack option with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but I can’t swallow the volume limitations in standard league.

Spencer Rattler | NO (vs NE)

Props to Spencer Rattler for getting in the win column on Sunday afternoon against the Giants. He’s been battling, and it’s always good to see work like that finally pay off, but he’s nowhere near the fantasy radar, and that’s very unlikely to change.

He deserves credit for hitting Rashid Shaheed on the 87-yard touchdown, but without that, we are looking at 30 passing attempts for 138 yards and zero scores.

This team simply doesn’t move the ball consistently enough to elevate a player like this. Rattler has completed just four of 17 end zone throws, and while there is some mobility in the 25-year-old’s profile, it’s not enough to single-handedly make him viable.

Trevor Lawrence | JAX (vs SEA)

This is why we love this game.

It’s also why you should check out this section weekly: information changes faster than the weather, and it’s important to stay on top of things.

Last week, I was complaining about a lack of shot plays and the vanishing nature of Trevor Lawrence’s rushing production, and now I’m here to praise both.

In the Chiefs’ upset on Monday night, Lawrence connected with both of his standouts on 30+-yard passes and scored 15.4 points with his legs (23.5 points were on the table, had a goal-line stretch resulted in a score instead of a lost fumble).

I’m still skeptical, especially in a matchup against a defense that hasn’t allowed 17 QB fantasy points on a Sunday yet this season. Still, there is now some renewed faith in Lawrence as a streaming option as we get into the middle of bye-week season.

This matchup isn’t great, but before the end of November, we’ve got the Raiders, Cardinals, and Titans all on the schedule. Flacco is going to be a popular add now that he is a Bengal, but I’d take Lawrence over him, and I’m not sure it’s all that close.

Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (vs LAC)

In his first game post-Tyreek Hill injury, Tua Tagovailoa was … well, Tua Tagovailoa.

He completed three-quarters of his passes and connected on three touchdown passes, his first game with that many scores in more than 10 months. It was his fourth straight game with multiple TD tosses, but more interesting to me was the season-high average depth of throw.

We know that the rushing numbers aren’t ever going to be there for Tagovailoa, and that makes the downfield passing attack more critical for him than for most.

While I’m encouraged by the idea, I’m concerned about just how sticky it is when Darren Waller is your secondary deep threat. Sam Darnold (at JAX) and Bryce Young (vs. DAL) are two pocket-oriented passers that I’d much rather roll the dice on this week.

Running Backs

Alvin Kamara | NO (vs NE)

I was out on Alvin Kamara this offseason (and last offseason if we are being honest), and the pushback I got was always the same.

“Yeah, it’s not pretty, but he’s the best player on this team and offers a floor thanks to his versatility that it’ll be tough for him to outright fail.”

That’s a perfectly reasonable argument, but this Saints offense is bringing it into question.

Kamara has more fumbles lost since Week 1 than touchdowns, doesn’t have a game with 30 receiving yards this season, and doesn’t have a 25-yard rush since September … of 2021.

What makes him drastically different from Chase Edmonds?

I’m not labeling either as a must-start, and if you have a receiver with a 6-8 target projection, I wouldn’t hesitate to make that decision in flex spots (I’d rather take my chances on players like DeVonta Smith, Ladd McConkey, or DJ Moore).

Ashton Jeanty | LV (vs TEN)

The Raiders continue to look like a mess, but at least they are shaping up to be a fantasy-friendly mess.

“Friendly” might be an exaggeration, but Ashton Jeanty saw just 6.5% of the targets in September, a number that spiked to a team-high 19.4% against the Colts.

Yes, Brock Bowers was inactive, and Jakobi Meyers was held in check. I get it. We saw Jeanty thrive two years ago as a pass catcher in college, and it was good to finally get proof of concept at the professional level.

MORE: Free Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer

It’ll be interesting to see if the rookie RB is as featured as he was on Sunday (seven touches on the opening drive) when Bowers returns. I think it’s more fact than fiction on that front, but if you’re not as sold and cash in this chip after two impressive performances, I wouldn’t blame you.

J.K. Dobbins has scored in four of five weeks and could be overvalued by some managers in your league after their big win; there might be a package worth entertaining.

Bhayshul Tuten | JAX (vs SEA)

There were some preseason whispers about the potential of Bhayshul Tuten, and then he scored in consecutive weeks, and the internet lost its collective mind about who was the first to stake a claim to the breakout. Who could make the boldest claim?

Those were fun times.

Tuten still hasn’t reached a 26% snap share in a single game this season, and the red zone usage has evaporated. The rookie certainly has some juice, but the 4-1 Jags haven’t given him more than six touches in all but one game this season, and I can’t imagine they start tweaking things now.

Bijan Robinson | ATL (vs BUF)

Michael Penix hasn’t done a ton to demand respect from opposing defenses, and it just doesn’t matter.

Through four games, Bijan Robinson has as many 10+ yard runs as attempts that have failed to gain yardage, something that is difficult to comprehend with the attention that is paid to him by opponents.

Last season, Atlanta did a great job of featuring their stars post bye (Robinson: 90+ rush yards and multiple targets in every game following the off week in 2024). With a few favorable matchups left, there’s a real chance that Atlanta is home to the overall RB1 this year and entering 2026.

Blake Corum | LAR (at BAL)

It was the Kyren Williams show early on Thursday night, but once Blake Corum got into the game, he immediately ripped off a 13-yard gain up the middle.

Entering the game, the second-year back had seen his touch count increase with each passing game, and the first carry suggested that trend had the potential to sustain.

Motion. Misdirection pitch. Fumble.

And just like that, Corum’s night was effectively over. He ends up playing just six total offensive snaps, and with Williams thriving out of the backfield as a pass catcher (eight catches on 10 targets), the Rams didn’t feel the need to take him off the field.

The Williams giveth, the Williams taketh away.

Down the stretch, Williams had a goal-line carry punched out of his hands, and the game ended in overtime on his only carry of the extra session: a fourth-and-one carry that came up short.

For me, Corum remains a high-end handcuff that has the potential to get 8-10 touches in any game but isn’t likely ever to hold standalone value when Williams is active.

He’s Tyler Allgeier, but a recent fumble has given the coaching staff a reason to proceed with caution.

Braelon Allen | NYJ (vs DEN)

A “pretty serious” knee injury landed Braelon Allen on IR ahead of Week 5, and it’s generally believed that we are looking at an absence that extends well beyond the required four weeks.

RELATED: Fantasy Football Cut List Week 6: Joe Mixon, Braelon Allen, Darius Slayton, and Others

Isaiah Davis is the new Breece Hall handcuff to make sure he’s rostered, though his path to value hinges fully on the health of RB1. That said, if Hall were to go down, the Jets have December dates with the Dolphins and Saints, matchups that will require us to start whoever is at the top of this depth chart then.

Breece Hall | NYJ (vs DEN)

Breece Hall hasn’t reached 15 rush attempts in over a month, but he has managed to total over 110 yards in consecutive games, reminding us of the talent at hand.

This Denver run defense has looked much better in consecutive wins over the Bengals and Eagles (98 total rushing yards allowed on 26 carries), and I fully anticipate them to crowd the line of scrimmage in this spot.

You’re playing Hall. Allen is on injured reserve, and outside of Garrett Wilson, the Jets don’t really have many other options. That said, I wouldn’t bet on 100 scrimmage yards or a touchdown.

As long as your expectations are kept in check, Hall is a fine PPR play.

Bucky Irving | TB (vs SF)

News broke in the middle of last week that Bucky Irving’s foot sprain would cost him a game, maybe two at most.

Over the weekend, however, we heard about a shoulder injury that wasn’t initially reported and is considered to be the more serious of the ailments, carrying with it a multi-week recovery.

We are talking about one of the more promising young players in the game, and that, along with the limited expectations competition-wise in the NFC South, could result in a cautious approach.

Tampa Bay hosts San Francisco next week before consecutive road games (Lions and Saints) ahead of their Week 9 bye. Could we be looking at zero snaps in October?

Regardless of when he returns, Irving is a lineup lock across the board. He was a top 15 producer in each of the first weeks, a nice accomplishment when you consider that he’s yet to hit a home run in the ground game (longest carry: 16 yards).

Unless reports indicate otherwise, I will assume that Irving will return to his bellcow role when cleared medically (Weeks 1-4: 73.8% of RB touches) and be ready to carry your team when it matters most.

• Week 16 at Panthers

• Week 17 at Dolphins

• Week 18 vs. Panthers

Cam Skattebo | NYG (vs PHI)

It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Cam Skattebo runs as hard as anyone, has holes open up thanks to a versatile QB, and has soft hands (18 catches on 22 targets this season).

I understand that this offensive environment isn’t as friendly as most, but it’s a concentrated unit that prioritizes giving its young pieces valuable reps.

Cam Skattebo would like to have a word pic.twitter.com/eRG5vBdDIW https://t.co/O5B5rDHzdB

— DartMuse (@Dart_Musee) October 8, 2025

This is a difficult matchup, and while efficiency could be an issue, I’m not worried about the bottom line. Skattebo is a script-proof back, and that’s going to land him safely inside of my top 20 every single week moving forward.

Chase Brown | CIN (at GB)

Chase Brown can’t win, even when the Bengals are down so bad that all other fantasy options get home.

In a Week 5 dismantling at the hands of the Lions that saw Chase finish as the WR2 for the week and Tee Higgins get into the end zone with a meaningless score, Brown was still unable to post his first top-20 finish of the season.

Man, this has been brutal. He’s averaging 2.5 yards and only has two red zone touches over the past three weeks. His fluidity in the pass game is the lone saving grace, but that means putting your weekly fate in the hands of this QB situation, and that’s just not comfortable.

I’d love to sell you hope. I was high on Brown entering the season, and skill set-wise, I stand by it, but he’s nothing more than a risky flex these days. In four of five games, the lack of support has resulted in him coming up more than 20% shy of fantasy expectations based on his touch type, a trend that I have a hard time thinking the course corrects.

And now he gets a talented Packers defense off a bye?

I’d rather my week rely on the bizarre usage of the New England running backs or speculate on Hassan Haskins getting the bulk of the work in the first week of Omarion Hampton’s stay on IR.

With the Bengals moving to Flacco, the offensive integrity rises, even without proof of concept. Brown slides into the back-end of my RB2 tier.

Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (vs CHI)

I always think it’s interesting when a player rips off a big gain seemingly out of nowhere.

If the coaching staff had a positive impression of the player pregame, the splash play reinforces prior thoughts, and they are programmed to explore just how much juice can be squeezed.

If not, well, nothing changes.

Chris Rodriguez had the 48-yard run against the Falcons in Week 4, and the Commanders found it so encouraging that they gave him two fewer touches last week in Los Angeles.

This is the Jacory Croskey-Merritt show, and there is no two ways about that. The rookie back was our top-ranked runner, per our RBi grading metric, prior to his big Week 5 performance, and the strong showing only confirms that this is a straightforward situation.

It’s Croskey-Merritt or bust. I believe Rodriguez is the next man up, but I don’t think it matters. This isn’t a backfield you need to handcuff.

Christian McCaffrey | SF (at TB)

Great players make the great performances feel ordinary, and we entered that point with Christian McCaffrey a while ago.

Through five weeks, he’s pacing for 310 carries, 133 catches, and 2,275 yards from scrimmage.

Let me contextualize that for you. Only three players had that many carries in 2021, and only six players in NFL history have ever had that many catches in a season (PPR floor this season: 22.7 points).

Those stats are remarkable by themselves, but he hasn’t even gotten things going on the ground. He doesn’t yet have a run gaining more than 15 yards or a game with 70 rushing yards (3.1 yards per carry). What happens if he trends toward his career rates in that regard?

He has a touchdown reception in three of the past four weeks, Thursday night’s edition coming with him lined up as a slot receiver and making light work of the poor linebacker asked to square up with him.

I don’t care who is or isn’t healthy for the 49ers. I don’t care who they are facing. To be honest, I don’t care if CMC is down a hamstring or up to three fingers.

If he’s on the field, I’m expecting elite production, and that’s the end of the discussion.

Chuba Hubbard | CAR (vs DAL)

Chuba Hubbard (calf) missed just his fifth career game last week, and the hope is that he’s good to assume his lead role in a matchup that is as good as it gets.

Thus far, Hubbard is roughly two PPR points per game behind where he finished last season, but that’s more of a Panthers stat than one for their RB1. This season, he has actually produced 1.2% more than expectations, given his usage, up from his 2.6% below mark in 2021.

I don’t think we are looking at a game-changer as much as a high-floor player, but there certainly is value in that, and that’s why he remains in my top 20 for the rest of the season.

This week? RB1 numbers are very much in the conversation.

D’Andre Swift | CHI (at WAS)

D’Andre Swift is coming off a week in which no one thought about him (bye) and is averaging 3.3 yards per carry (46.8 rush yards per game) this season.

And yet, I think the arrow is pointing up.

For now.

Swift has at least three catches and a 10-yard rush in all four games, usage that encourages me as Ben Johnson sinks his teeth. There is an awfully thin needle to thread here, but if you go in with a plan, it may be worth a shot.

Swift’s expected PPR points per game are up 13.8% from a season ago, and if that sticks, he’s going to gain value in the short term. Over the next month, the Bears get the Commanders, Saints, Ravens, Bengals, and Giants.

You could argue specific parts of some of those matchups, but in large part, that’s a great stretch. Could you deal for Swift now, potentially at somewhat of a discount?

It’s possible.

Could you then flip him for a profit?

It’s dangerous to rely on strength-of-schedule metrics, so you’re playing with fire to some extent with this plan. But from Weeks 11-16, Chicago faces the Vikings, Steelers, Eagles, Browns, and Packers twice.

Swift may be a fringe RB1 over the next month and an average flex after that. With enough thought ahead, you can leverage his future outlook; you’ll just need to commit to the plan for it to work fully.

David Montgomery | DET (at KC)

David Montgomery was the feel-good story of Week 5 with a multi-TD effort and his sister in attendance. He’s rushed for four scores in the past four weeks, but the concerns I had going into the preseason remain: he’s pretty clearly the RB2 in Detroit.

Jahmyr Gibbs has nearly doubled him up in touches this season when the score is within a single possession, and the lack of a versatile role puts the veteran RB at risk (exactly one target in four straight games).

I view Montgomery as a bet on the Lions more than anything. His 10-14 touch role without many routes up for grabs comes with plenty of risk, but if there’s a touchdown-reliant player I want stock of, it’s him.

I’m playing Montgomery this week over Jaylen Warren (vs. CLE) and Chase Edmonds (at GB), given the matchups, but prefer the upside that Kenneth Walker (at JAX) provides with a similar touch expectation.

De’Von Achane | MIA (vs LAC)

The Dolphins had a 17-0 lead over one of the league’s worst teams.

What more could we possibly ask for?

De’Von Achane is the clear RB1 in this offense, and a game script like that should have us dancing in the streets, but even a nice run out only saw him carry the rock 10 times for 16 yards.

Now, he got home by catching six of seven targets for 30 yards and a touchdown, but the limited rushing ceiling is concerning. We can’t complain with 6+ catches in each of Miami’s past three losses and three scores in the passing game, but with just one game over 62 rushing yards, he needs to almost be a full-time receiver to post top 10 numbers at the position.

Maybe he can be 80% of Christian McCaffrey, especially after the Hill loss, but that worries me. If you have Achane, you’re playing him every single week, and you should be. I’m just more uneasy about his ability to sustain RB1 production than some of the other backs in this range of the rankings.

Derrick Henry | BAL (vs LAR)

Oh boy, what are we supposed to do here?

Derrick Henry has been more Pawn than King over the past month, failing to clear 50 rushing yards in four straight games and turning 46 carries into just 148 yards, after opening the season with an effort against the Bills that saw him pick up 169 yards on 18 attempts.

He has failed to gain a single yard before contact in two games this season, and that’s going to make life difficult for any player, I don’t care how big and scary you are.

As far as the matchup is concerned, this is a tough spot. Jonathan Taylor and McCaffrey both needed heavy involvement to pay off, something that obviously isn’t in the cards for Henry. In terms of traditional RB production, the Rams are far from a get-right opponent, especially with a long week of preparation.

You risk leaving a huge day on your bench if you elect to sit Henry, and all you have to do is ask Chase managers how that feels. I’m not overly optimistic that we get a vintage performance, but there is touchdown equity to chase and single-play upside to consider.

I don’t have any rosters where I have enough depth to realistically bench Henry, and I’m guessing that’s likely the case for you as well, unless you struck gold with Javonte Williams late and/or Bill Crosby-Merritt.

We are in this together. Let’s create some holes and get some downhill running as Baltimore looks to save their season ahead of the bye.

Dylan Sampson | CLE (at PIT)

The cute 20-touch opener is now more than a month ago and it’s clear that Dylan Sampson was the second RB selected by the Browns this past April for a reason.

The versatility is interesting, but until we get any sort of news to the contrary, Quinshon Judkins is set to handle top 10 usage in the league and that means we can live without Sampson.

I don’t want to speak for you, but I’m personally not in the business of rostering more Cleveland players than is absolutely necessary and therefore I have no interest in trying to back up my Judkins share in any way, let alone a player in Sampson that the Browns are not the least bit interested in letting touch the ball (two total yards from scrimmage over the past three weeks).

If you’re looking to poach volume from a bad team, Harold Fannin is the obvious answer, and I’d actually rather stash Isaiah Bond given how often Dillon Gabriel was looking that direction last week than to settle with Sampson, who needs an injury to be even a little interesting.

Hassan Haskins | LAC (at MIA)

Well, this is less than ideal.

The Chargers are down their top two offensive linemen and now, their top two running backs after placing Omarion Hampton on injured reserve (ankle) on Monday afternoon.

This isn’t exactly the optimal spot for a player in Hassan Haskins, a 2022 fourth-round pick with 79 career touches to his name.

A full workload isn’t a completely foreign concept to the former Wolverine, as he touched the ball 288 times (1,458 yards and 20 touchdowns) during his final season at Ann Arbor. That sort of role isn’t likely to be his, but I do expect him to lead this backfield in touches over the weekend with 2024 sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal picking up the remaining 40% or so.

RELATED: How Long Will Omarion Hampton Be Out? Chargers RB Gets Bad News After Week 5 Injury

Both backup backs are clearly worth a roster spot in light of the Hampton news, but the lack of clarity in role has both outside of my top 25 for Week 6, even in a picture-perfect matchup (I have Haskins over Vidal by a handful of spots if you’re choosing between the two).

Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs DET)

He looks good. Maybe better than good.

Last season, Isiah Pacheco averaged 2.39 yards per carry after contact. This season, he’s averaged 3.00 in four of five games and is coming off a season-high in snap share (61.9%).

As a proud owner of a Pacheco Poncho and a card-holding member of his fan club, I should be filled with optimism with that data in hand, but I’m not.

The Chiefs don’t appear comfortable with him holding their fate in their hands.

Kareem Hunt is the featured back in scoring position, and it’s not close. Despite the success of this offense, Pacheco hasn’t played more than three red zone snaps in a single game this year, and we saw Andy Reid get rookie Breshad Smith a touch inside the 10-yard line last week against the Jags.

If you want to bet on Pacheco’s rushing numbers, I’ll green-light it, but his fantasy stock won’t be able to get off the ground until he gets at least a split of the scoring area snaps. Without it, he’s nothing more than a desperation flex, a spot I’d rather use on either Patriots running back this weekend in New Orleans.

J.K. Dobbins | DEN (at NYJ)

I reserve the right to worry about any long-term investment in J.K. Dobbins due to the resume he’s laid out, but there is no denying that he’s been great through five weeks and is deserving to be locked into lineups.

This season, his gain rate is up from 77.4% to an elite 85.7% (eighth best among qualified RBs), and 18.2% of his carries have picked up at least 10 yards, a rate that tops Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor.

His value obviously isn’t at the level of those two, but he’s running as hard as anyone, and the Broncos are rewarding him. Even after a week where RJ Harvey showed well for himself, Sean Payton decided to give Dobbins five carries for every one he let the rookie have, and it helped fuel a 21-17 win over the reigning Super Bowl champions.

If he can make it to the Week 12 bye in one piece, I see no reason why he can’t finish the season and prove himself to be one of the better values this draft season.

Even if you’re skeptical about his ability to stay on the field, he’s got the Giants and Cowboys to round out October after this week. Selling high on Dobbins is a fine idea; I’d just wait another two weeks to pull the trigger and make your competition pay even more of a premium.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS (vs CHI)

Jacory Croskey-Merritt has a 4.7% Boom vs. Bust rate this season, and among players with at least 40 carries, that’s the top mark by a decent amount.

“Boom vs. Bust” is simply the difference in percentage of carries that “boom” (gain 10+ yards) against the percentage of carries that “bust” (fail to gain yardage). His carry count is smaller, so drastic swings can happen, but through five weeks, his rate is more than double that of Jonathan Taylor, the running back drawing LaDainian Tomlinson comparisons.

The advanced metrics, like the one they call “Bill” before his big Week 5 performance against the Chargers, aren’t backing down. His usage is likely to tick up after the breakout game, and with 72.1% of his carries resulting in more yards after contact than the positional average, I see no reason to pump the brakes.

He’s my favorite running back in this game, and I could see a scenario where you have to decide between him and Derrick Henry this week … I have Croskey-Merritt ranked one spot higher.

What a world.

Jahmyr Gibbs | DET (at KC)

The explosive plays for Jahmyr Gibbs haven’t been there at the rate we expected so far, and yet, he’s still pacing for 1,486 yards and 17 touchdowns.

That’s what separates the good from the great. The good players in our game have the talent to break off big plays, but they need those chunk gains to make a big impact. Right now, Ashton Jeanty fits that mold: all the talent in the world, but without chunk gains, the production profile doesn’t stand out.

Players like Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and Gibbs have had their struggles with efficiency at points this season, and it simply doesn’t matter. They are elite options with the chance to level up to week winners via one play, and that’s the type of player deserving of Round 1 draft capital.

Remember to come back next August, and we will outline the handful of players that stand out in that regard. For the time being, you can rest assured that you have one in Gibbs, and I’m very confident that his best days this season are yet to come.

James Cook | BUF (at ATL)

No one is perfect.

James Cook scored in each of his first four games this season, clearing 100 yards from scrimmage in all of them and generally looking like a perfect fit next to Josh Allen.

That’s still the case, even after he laid an egg on Sunday night (49 scrimmage yards without a catch or a touchdown). If there is a skittish manager in your league, I’d suggest pouncing, but the sharp play might be to wait.

The Falcons haven’t allowed a running back to clear 14.5 PPR points in a game this season and are well rested after their bye. I’m not suggesting that Cook struggles for a second straight week (he’s a clear RB1 for me), but it’s within the realm of possibilities. If the manager rostering him loses consecutive weeks because of it, there’s a chance for you to seize the opportunity.

I’ll help you make the case. Simply copy and paste the text below, send the message, and see where the conversation goes.

“Cook has struggled in consecutive weeks and now goes on a bye. Holding onto him could mean you drop three straight matchups, and for what? The Bills draw the Browns and Eagles in Weeks 16-17, the most important weeks of our season if winning is the ultimate goal.

I’ve had a good first half of the season and am willing to take on some risk. I’ll send you a life raft that is guaranteed to help you more than Cook in Week 7 and could out-produce him in the final weeks of our season.”

Javonte Williams | DAL (at CAR)

The irony of Javonte Williams totaling 139 yards and two scores the same week in which the man he replaced this offseason runs for over 200 yards was not lost on anyone.

The Week 5 scoring was off the charts for both him and Rico Dowdle, but I can’t imagine Dallas is at all regretting their decision at all. Williams has scored six times this season and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, gaining yardage on an astronomical 92.4% of his carries (2022: 79.9%).

With 15+ carries in four of five games and 15+ receiving yards in four of five, we are looking at a running back tethered to a team that needs to score 25+ points weekly to keep up. Williams gets the rare projected benefit of a game script this week, and that has him flirting with top-10 status for me this week.

If you roster Williams, this is the type of player who reminds you why you love the game.

If you don’t, studies say you’re 17% more likely to hate on the industry and dismiss the work we put in during the preseason in trying to identify breakout candidates.

Jaylen Warren | PIT (vs CLE)

A nagging knee injury made Jaylen Warren a surprise scratch in Week 4, but all signs are pointing to him being back in his lead role after the bye.

This is a conservative offense with a savvy quarterback who is being asked to get rid of the ball quickly. That plays right into the hands of a versatile threat like Warren, landing him in my RB2 tier this week despite the lingering injury and tough matchup.

READ MORE: Jaylen Warren Injury Update: Will Fantasy Managers Get the Steelers RB Back This Week?

A Steeler RB has graced the top 20 at the position in all four of their games (Warren for the first three and Kenneth Gainwell against the Vikings in Week 4), and while I question the ceiling of all attached to this offense, the floor seems to be high enough to bank on.

Gainwell remains the handcuff to hold over rookie Kaleb Johnson, but I don’t envision this beginning a committee situation, provided that the knee issues are behind Warren.

Jeremy McNichols | WAS (vs CHI)

Personally, I think Croskey-Merritt removed any committee discussions last week in Washington, and with three players involved, that’s not a backfield I’m looking to handcuff.

Jeremy McNichols brings a veteran presence to the room, but with just 13 touches on his ledger for 2025, he’s the least appealing healthy back on the Commanders’ depth chart, and it’s not close.

Instead of rostering a running back stuck with next to no role and little path to substantial change, I’d happily roster a Christian Watson or Brandon Aiyuk type. I’m not bullish on either of those receivers, but should they find their way onto a field, I know they have the potential to produce impactful numbers.

Jonathan Taylor | IND (vs ARI)

For the children out there, or just those new to the fantasy football world, there was a player named LaDainian Tomlinson, and if you rostered him, you essentially won leagues. The Hall of Famer scored 31 touchdowns on his way to one of the better fantasy seasons on file in 2006.

Through 5 Games

• LaDainian Tomlinson (2006): 581 scrimmage yards on 136 touches, 7 TDs

• Jonathan Taylor (2025): 613 scrimmage yards on 110 touches, 7 TDs

When I start invoking the name of LT, things are serious. Taylor’s usage floor this season has been 17 carries and two receptions, which is much more representative of a ceiling for most players.

Taylor sits atop my rest-of-season rankings as he could well rip apart the “you can’t win leagues in the early rounds, you can only lose them” narrative this year, should he cash in on two home games, on the fast track, during the time where fantasy trophies are handed out (Weeks 16-17).

Josh Jacobs | GB (vs CIN)

Josh Jacobs has one finish this season better than RB18, and that’s disappointing based on the price you paid, but I’m not close to panicking, and the “vs. CIN” part of things can never be overlooked as this game carries series game script potential for a rested Packers team at home.

Green Bay has given its lead back at least 20 touches in every game this season, a level of work that ranks him among the elite. Last season, Jacobs produced 10.1% over expectations, and so far this season, he’s 4.8% under.

That sort of thing can even out with time, and I have no problem labeling him as an RB1 for the rest of the season with top 5 positional potential for this week specifically.

Kaleb Johnson | PIT (vs CLE)

Kaleb Johnson got a little run in Week 4 with Jaylen Warren (knee) inactive, but the 22 yards he picked up on six carries are not likely enough to earn him anything close to a viable role when this backfield is at full strength.

Had Kenneth Gainwell fallen on his face in Ireland, maybe you could have talked me into stashing the rookie and hoping for contingent value in an offense that plays in a very conservative manner, thus elevating the potential of their RBs.

That didn’t happen.

Johnson’s name might be one to keep in mind in dynasty formats, but in redraft leagues, his early-season struggles relegate him to waiver-wire fodder.

Kareem Hunt | KC (vs DET)

I think we’ve done it. This Kansas City backfield is officially as bad as it gets for fantasy managers. Think about the current profile:

• Week 5: Isiah Pacheco out-snaps Kareem Hunt 39-21

• Week 5: Pacheco runs 20 more routes than Hunt

• Season: Hunt has out-snapped Pacheco 29-13 in the red zone (10-4 in touches)

The “he’s our guy until we get close” mold of a backfield is as annoying as it gets, but what if I told you that the franchise quarterback is tracking for a career year in scramble count? Or that an intriguing rookie RB has a red zone touch in consecutive weeks?

I have Pacheco ranked a touch higher than Hunt for the remainder of the season, but you can’t possibly play either with any level of confidence right now. Hunt is getting his fair share of valuable looks, but we are 10 months removed from his last 15-touch regular season game, making him a touchdown-reliant player and nothing else.

Kenneth Gainwell | PIT (vs CLE)

Kenneth Gainwell started in Ireland before Pittsburgh went on bye last week and looked good in doing so (134 yards and two touchdowns on 25 touches in a 24-21 win over the Vikings). Kaleb Johnson was, theoretically, drafted to be the lead man in this backfield looking forward, but there are no real signs of that being in the cards for 2023.

The Steelers brought Gainwell this offseason as a complementary piece. While I still assume that to be his role when Jaylen Warren (knee) is healthy enough to play, there’s no denying that the former Eagles back showed well for himself with an extended run in Week 4.

This isn’t a full-blown committee, and the replication of skill sets between Warren and Gainwell further muddies the waters. Still, I do think he’s worth rostering (he’s widely available due to limited work through three weeks (23 touches, 3.7 yards per touch and the Week 5 bye).

This offense is far from perfect, but it is predictable: low-octane, rewarding those whom Rodgers trusts. Gainwell shouldn’t be considered a flex option when Warren is active, but he’s a valuable handcuff and could move atop this depth chart should efficiency in the run game continue to be an option.

Kenneth Walker III | SEA (at JAX)

Death, taxes, and this Seattle situation.

Zach Charbonnet is going to out-snap Kenneth Walker III and cash in on short carries, regardless of what the ladder shows.

They’ve shared a field for three games over the past month, and in those contests, Walker has 42 carries for 272 yards (6.5 yards per carry). The new version of this offense isn’t capitalizing on the versatility of their most explosive back (who has exactly one reception in four straight games, a stretch that includes the game Charbonnet missed), and that’s a problem.

If we could count on 15-20 carries, I’d be willing to overlook the limitations in the pass game, but we can’t. In a game where the Seahawks scored 35 points, Walker touched the ball 11 times despite running hard.

I have Walker ranked ahead of Charbonnet because that’s how I approach things like this: give me the upside case, even if the touch projection lags slightly behind. He enters Week 6 as my RB22, just ahead of Alvin Kamara, but behind rookies like Cam Akers and Quinshon Judkins, who have their arrow pointing up.

Kimani Vidal | LAC (at MIA)

Kimani Vidal is a 24-year-old with 53 NFL touches on his resume, but he’s a name you need to know now with Omarion Hampton set to miss at least a month after being placed on IR with an ankle injury.

He and Haskins will split the vacated role. Vidal is more suited to pick up the work in the passing game (92 catches during his collegiate career). That’s not to say he can’t mix it up between the tackles (he’s only 13 pounds lighter than Haskins, despite a six-inch height difference), but a committee approach, playing to each RB’s strength, is the most likely outcome.

It wouldn’t shock me if Vidal is the more valuable of these two replacement options over the next month, but it would surprise me a little if that were the case on Sunday, with a game script more favorable to the run being my expectation.

Both Bolts are priority adds and strong DFS punt options, but neither is a must-start in redraft leagues where there are only two teams on a bye.

Kyren Williams | LAR (at BAL)

There are a few things that feel better than jumping out to a big lead in your matchup in the first game of the week.

Kyren Williams was the focal point of everything for the Rams on Thursday night in the upset loss at the hands of the 49ers, racking up 131 yards of offense and scoring twice. His eight catches give him as many in October as in September, and while the rushing was a slog for much of the night, a late 20-yarder helped save the day in that regard.

And it could have been even better.

Williams lost a fumble for the second straight game, this one coming on a last-second punch-out with a touchdown in sight. As if the potential game-losing play wasn’t bad enough, he was stuffed on a fourth-and-one to officially end the game, a drive that had the potential to end in a third touchdown for Williams.

Those missed opportunities leave the door open for the Blake Corum experience, one that seemed to be on thin ice after he mishandled a pitch on his second opportunity of the contest. On Thursday night, Williams played 90.6% of the offensive snaps, a specific spike from his 73% rate through four weeks.

The latter snap share seems more predictive than the first, but you’re splitting hairs. Personally, I’m not a big Williams fan. I don’t trust the target volume that we saw this week, and the lack of efficiency on the ground is a real problem. That said, he’s a starter in all formats as the trusted RB in an above-average offense.

But if you can cash in this chip for a fringe RB1 the rest of the way, I do it and I don’t think twice.

Michael Carter | ARI (at IND)

How many running backs project for a more inclusive Week 6 workload than Michael Carter?

Seriously, think about it.

Last week, the first since the Trey Benson injury, Michael Carter handled 72% of Arizona’s rushing attempts while also leading the team in receptions with five.

If that were the end of the story, I’d be on board with the role, but there’s obviously more to consider.

Against the Titans in the embarrassing loss, Bam Knight’s four carries netted 11 yards, and Emari Demarcado thought it was sharp to let go of the ball before crossing the goal line for a touchdown on his third carry.

Carter wasn’t anything special (51 yards on 18 carries and 22 yards on his five receptions), but he was one of the top 10 usage running backs for the week and is more likely to see an uptick than anything in this spot against the overachieving Colts.

Efficiency could be an issue (IND: seventh fewest rush yards allowed to RBs after first contact), but projectable volume at this level is hard to find outside of the first-round talents. With the versatility (roughly one catch for every three carries across his career) and bulletproof role, Carter is an RB2 for me, and that’s without me expecting anything special on a per-touch basis.

Miles Sanders | DAL (at CAR)

Miles Sanders missed the second half of Week 4’s tie against the Packers, and the ankle injury cost him last week.

That allowed Jaydon Blue to work his way into the mix, and he responded by gaining seven yards on four carries.

If you want to bet against Javonte Williams, I still think Sanders is the way to do it (multiple receptions in three straight games), but I don’t think that’s necessary at this point. He hasn’t averaged four yards per carry for a season since his time with the Eagles, and an injury like this, along with a rookie waiting in the wings, isn’t exactly the profile I want for my handcuff.

There are five to ten players on your waiver wire that have a clearer path to your lineup than Sanders, and I may be undershooting it.

Ollie Gordon II | MIA (vs LAC)

If you were still holding out hope that Ollie Gordon would work into a role with standalone value, last week should have killed those hopes.

The rookie played just 26.4% of the snaps in a game where the ‘Fins jumped out to a lead against a team struggling at similar levels. Through five weeks, Gordon has run 21 times for 58 yards and has shown very little promise.

He’s thought of as a bruiser (zero or fewer receiving yards in four of five games), and for that skill set to be interesting in our game, he has to be heavily featured. At this point, I’m not positive that Gordon would be a top 20 RB even if Achane were out of the mix, and that puts him squarely on the chopping block should you run into depth concerns.

Omarion Hampton | LAC (at MIA)

We got the news we feared would come down after seeing Omarion Hampton in a walking boot following the 27-10 loss to the Commanders in Week 5, and that was that the rookie will miss at least the next four games due to the ankle injury he suffered in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers have six games between this news and their bye, making a return to performance timetable of eight weeks potentially more likely. This is obviously a huge injury, as Hampton was gaining his footing as the bellcow in this backfield and flashing upside on a routine basis.

All is not lost. Los Angeles is likely to remain competitive during his absence, and even if we have to wait until Week 13 to feel good about plugging Hampton back into lineups, there’s a matchup against the Raiders just waiting for us.

Not to mention a date with the Cowboys in Week 16. There’s still a world in which Hampton can be a key cog in your run to a title; he’s just not going to be nearly as involved in getting you there as previously hoped.

Quinshon Judkins | CLE (at PIT)

That’s 18+ carries in three straight games and 60+ rushing yards in all four of his career games. In fact, with at least one reception in each game, Judkins joined some pretty elite company when it comes to opening a career with four straight such games:

• LaDainian Tomlinson

• Adrian Peterson

• Chris Johnson

• Dalvin Cook

• Kareem Hunt

I don’t think his fantasy stock is going to touch what those five did, but the floor is remarkably high for a rookie as a part of a brutal situation.

It’s hard to blame you for feeling uncomfortable in starting any member of this offense, but if you’re benching Judkins, you’re doing it wrong.

Rachaad White | TB (vs SF)

We kind of know what Rachaad White is at this point, don’t we?

Through 55 career games, the 26-year-old is averaging 3.8 yards per carry while hauling in 89.4% of his targets.

He’s not a current-day Theo Riddick because he’s had moments where he’s been trusted with high levels of volume on the ground, but in terms of a strengths and weaknesses profile, it’s a similar look.

White was the lead back on Sunday in Bucky Irving’s absence (shoulder) and will be again this week. That role, paired with his savvy in the passing game, makes him a starter in most formats, but understand that the 14 carries for 41 yards from last week isn’t exactly an outlier.

If he can cash in the short carries, there is low-end RB1 potential to chase. The floor is enough to operate with confidence, especially after a week in this situation where Sean Tucker wasn’t a major factor.

I don’t think White has much of a chance to take work off of Irving’s plate long-term, but as long as the shoulder is bothering the starter, you’ve got a weekly asset on your hands, especially in PPR formats.

Ray Davis | BUF (at ATL)

Ray Davis probably has a future in this league as a grinder, but asking him to work his way into any sort of complementary role in this version of the Bills offense is unwise.

His snap share has failed to clear 11% in four of five games this season (the Week 2 blowout of the Jets being the lone exception), and I actually think that’s a good thing for his fantasy stock.

There’s zero temptation to wedge him into your lineup as things stand right now, and there’s value in not having to make a decision. It also means that Buffalo is committed to a bellcow backfield, something that plays well should Davis see his number be called.

There’s contingent value as one of the five most sought-after handcuffs in the league, but this is the type of player who is living on the fringe of your roster and can be cut should you find yourself in need of immediate help.

Rhamondre Stevenson | NE (at NO)

“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

The football equivalent, in most locker rooms, is “what doesn’t kill possessions makes us stronger,” an ideology that Mike Vrabel seems hellbent on challenging.

I’m not sure if he’s stubborn or what, but at this point, it feels like every Rhamondre Stevenson fumble gives him life. It gives him a platform to stand and preach about the importance of having the back of the guy next to you.

In theory, it has served as a rallying point, and it has worked for a Patriots team that is back in the AFC East mix. Stevenson managers are certainly thankful for the loyalty, and with Antonio Gibson done for the season, there’s a pretty clear path for his touch count to move from 10 to 14-16.

But is that in the best interest of this team?

Personally, I need more than a 7.9% big rush rate to overlook the ball security issues, especially with a high-pedigree prospect waiting in the wings. Through five weeks, Stevenson has been on the field for 53.3% of New England’s red zone snaps (Gibson: 24.4% and TreVeyon Henderson: 22.2%), a role that he seems to have in hand.

I continue to think that Henderson is the best bet for winter production that could swing your fantasy postseason, but with each passing week, I soften that stance. At this point, the most likely outcome is that none of these backs are viable every week, and that’s disappointing given the trajectory of this offense.

Even in a strong matchup, I’m not confident that either RB reaches 15 touches, and therefore, both are ranked outside of my top 25 at the position.

Rico Dowdle | CAR (vs DAL)

Peak behind the curtain:

“Wow, 97 scrimmage yards in the first half for Rico Dowdle. Save for if he falls off after the half but still has strong counting numbers.”

That was a note I jotted down in real time during the Panthers game last week.

As it turns out, it was noteworthy, but for a different reason: he was better in the second half of the win over the Dolphins!

When all was said and done, the Chuba Hubbard replacement racked up 234 yards of offense and was the fantasy story of the week.

Now what? We saw him clear 1,000 rushing yards with Dallas last season, but that was more of a volume thing than anything impressive talent-wise (3.7% production below expectation). He certainly looked the part of a game-changer last week (+62.8%), though the opponent should be noted.

I’m not sure the performance was overly predictive for Dowdle. But with Hubbard (calf) entering this week with a ‘day-to-day’ plan and another ultra-enticing matchup ahead (sixth most PPR RB points allowed), we might get a chance to use him for another week with top-20 expectations.

Carolina’s lead back has gotten his hands on the ball at least 19 times in three of five games, and because I think this game will be competitive, such a projection is very possible for Dowdle should Hubbard miss another game.

If that’s not the case, we might be looking at a 60/40 type of split in a below-average offense where you’re not comfortable playing either.

RJ Harvey | DEN (at NYJ)

I think we need to put an “ignore all Bengal games” data filter when doing research.

RJ Harvey looked good in the Week 4 win over Cincinnati and played 41.3% of snaps as Sean Payton got him some valuable live reps. It was encouraging, but with a 21.4% snap rate over the weekend in Philadelphia, it was hardly predictive.

He’s caught 3+ passes in three straight games, and the versatile profile is one I’m holding onto, given Dobbins’ track record of making it through an entire season. Still, I’m throwing in the towel on thinking that there is a chance at standalone value here outside of an injury.

Saquon Barkley | PHI (at NYG)

Everything worked away from Saquon Barkley last week against the Broncos. Philadelphia had the ball for less than 26 minutes, couldn’t extend drives (two-of-11 on third down), and nearly half (48.6%) of Jalen Hurts’ targets went to his top two receivers.

That’s the world in which Barkley can fail. That’s the hyper-niche situation where one of the premier talents in this game can fall flat.

It didn’t happen.

He scored from 47 yards out on a pass, his first 20-yard gain of the season and a reminder of what he was doing weekly just a season ago.

I talked about it last week, and I’m not moving off of it: I’m just as in on Barkley’s profile now as I was two months ago. He’s caught 17 passes already (33 last season), and I trust the efficiency on the ground to recover, something that would put him back in the top five discussion at the position.

There is some “general soreness” for Philly’s bellcow entering this short week, so make sure you’re by your phone as we near kickoff, but as long as he plays, you play him and feel great about it.

Sean Tucker | TB (vs SF)

There was some speculation that the Buccaneers would opt for a committee to replace Irving, and that Sean Tucker’s hard-nosed running style could be a sneaky source of value.

After one week, I think we can safely say that Tampa Bay is content with White handling the majority of the work, thus making Tucker a player that can be rostered in deeper formats, but doesn’t need to be prioritized.

The third-year man out of Syracuse played just 20.7% of the snaps in Seattle last week and saw his six touches net a total of -1 yard.

If Tucker is going to see his role increase, it would likely be the result of a one-sided game in favor of the Bucs, and that’s not how I see this game playing out. White is the superior player in the passing game, and until he gives the team a reason to pivot, he should again be featured in what amounts to the Irving role, but with less upside.

Tony Pollard | TEN (at LV)

Not all players on your roster are there to determine your fate.

Tony Pollard has 16+ carries or three catches in all five weeks this season, and while his per-touch production is limited and the scoring equity capped by those around him, there is value in work, and we are getting that consistently.

The Titans were competitive last week, and that helped Pollard score 14.8 PPR points, despite losing his second fumble of the season. Tyjae Spears handled four touches in his return to action, and while he stands to be more involved as the season wears on, Pollard is entrenched as the bellcow in this offense, and that’ll keep him in the low-end RB2 conversation for as long as he’s healthy.

A second straight favorable matchup looks good for his projection and has him safely in the starting tier of running backs for me across all formats, even if his range of outcomes is relatively narrow.

Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX (vs SEA)

Travis Etienne has been RB21 or better in four of five weeks, earning multiple targets in every game. The usage appears safe now that the Bhasyal Tuten hype train has come to a halt (33 total yards over the past two weeks), and this Jaguars offense looked solid against the Chiefs on Monday night.

If we are picking nits, I have two that I can’t shake.

In the upset win over Kansas City, Trevor Lawrence’s legs were the most dangerous part of their offense, and should they lean more into that moving forward, a role for Etienne with a 16-touch ceiling, not expectation, is certainly a downgrade.

The more pressing concern for me is the boom/bust nature of his game this season.

The volume in the passing game is good to see, but he’s yet to reach 20 receiving yards in a game this season, so there are only so many points to pick up there.

As a runner, he’s hit three home runs, and I’ll grant you that three in five weeks is impressive, but they are tough to project. Without those three runs, he’s just under four yards per carry.

Those minor red flags by themselves aren’t enough to make me sweat, but when combined, we have an issue.

I’m not suggesting a sell-high, but his profile has my attention as one to monitor moving forward, rather than simply assuming he’s a top 15 RB going forward.

TreVeyon Henderson | NE (at NO)

With multiple catches in every game this season and a few sparks, you can’t cut ties with TreVeyon Henderson, but the Patriots have made it annoyingly clear that they are willing to ride-and-die with Rhamondre Stevenson.

The starting running back put the ball on the grass again last week, and Vrabel insisted that he work through it, not in the upcoming week in practice, but on the upcoming drive.

They upset the Bills in Buffalo, so it’s hard to imagine that any lasting damage was done from yet another turnover. Henderson is going to continue to be on the wrong end of this committee, and if he’s not getting enough work to prove himself (47 touches through five weeks), it’s hard to see the touch distribution change in a meaningful way.

The schedule is awfully light for New England over the next two months: if Henderson ever gets his chance to shine, there’s a real chance he does, and that’s why I’m not considering anything but holding the 38th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Trey Benson | ARI (at IND)

We knew that there was a knee thing bugging Trey Benson coming out of Week 4, but we got news last Wednesday that arthroscopic surgery was required and that a trip to IR was a decision made by the team.

Initial reporting suggests that Benson may return when first eligible in Week 10 against the Seahawks, good news for those who had hoped that, following the James Conner injury, they would have a bellcow at a bargain.

READ MORE: What Happened to Trey Benson? Revisiting the Cardinals RB’s Injury and When He’ll Return

Game script factored in, but he wasn’t used in the same dominating fashion that Conner was, more serving as the plus-side of a low-end committee than a true feature back.

That’s about what I’m expecting when he comes back, though this window does give Michael Carter a good chance to prove capable of handling more two-down work, including a juicy matchup in Week 9 with the Cowboys.

Before landing on IR, Benson had back-to-back 13-touch efforts, both coming in losses. The volume isn’t going to overwhelm, though I do think he’s the favorite to end this season with the lead role in an above-average offense that will benefit from a game against the Bengals in Week 17.

I’m holding and considering a low-ball trade offer, should the manager with Benson be fighting to keep their season on track.

Tyjae Spears | TEN (at LV)

Spears missed September with an ankle injury and returned last week to essentially spell Tony Pollard.

He finished with a 26.2% snap share and accounted for only four of Tennessee’s 22 running back touches, but all reports suggest he made it through his season debut without any sort of flare-up.

That’s obviously good news, but for a running back averaging under 10 touches per game for his career, asking him to impact your fantasy roster is a bit of a long shot. You waited out the injury, so I understand wanting to see a few games. But if this week looks like last, moving on could well be the right move, as roster spots become increasingly valuable the deeper we get into the season.

Tyler Allgeier | ATL (vs BUF)

I remain steadfast in my belief that Tyler Allgeier is one of the 32 best running backs in the NFL, but that doesn’t matter if you’re playing behind a top-five guy, and that’s the situation in Atlanta.

Allgeier has been handed the ball 10+ times in every game this season besides the 30-0 loss to the Panthers. He owns a very narrow range of outcomes, and that can be useful in ultra-specific spots, but with just two teams on a bye, hopefully Week 6 isn’t one of those spots for you.

He’s one of my three favorite handcuffs in the game, but that doesn’t mean he’s holding standalone value in most situations.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG (vs PHI)

They tell young kids that you can’t lose your job due to injury, and in amateur athletics, I’m all here for that messaging.

This isn’t that.

Tyrone Tracy is set to return, but the role he left behind is likely not his to reclaim.

I’m keeping Tracy rostered if for no other reason than Skattebo runs like a maniac and that carries injury potential of its own, but with this franchise giving the keys to Jaxson Dart, the youth movement is underway, and while Tracy isn’t old even by running back standards, he’s more than two years older than Skattebo, and that matters.

Tracy is a good player, but at 3.1 yards per carry this year, it’s not as if what he’s doing can’t be replicated. I think we are looking at a committee that lowers the floor of both backs to a point where there is risk of finishing outside of the top 35 in a matchup where cracking the top 20 with only two teams on a bye was always going to be difficult.

Personally, I think it’s Skattebo or bust this week. My read on this situation may change in Week 7, after we see just how healthy Tracy is and give him an extended week to recover. For now, I’m giving Skattebo 60-65% of the work and with a quarterback that is going to account for plenty of work on the ground, that leaves Tracy on the outside looking in at my flex tier in all formats.

Zach Charbonnet | SEA (at JAX)

The three highest snap share games in this backfield all belong to Zach Charbonnet this season (58% in Week 1, 57.4% in Week 5, and 54.7% in Week 2), and he’s found paydirt in three of four contests.

He was fortunate to get into the end zone against the Buccaneers over the weekend, as he cashed in a five-yard carry after Kenneth Walker III ripped off a 31-yard gain to put Seattle on the doorstep.

We complain weekly about the usage rates of this backfield, but should we? Charbonnet has 9-12 carries in three games this season and … doesn’t have a touch gaining more than 15 yards.

Why would we expect this to be anything but a full-blown committee?

Walker has a 20+ yard rush in three straight games with Charbonnet by his side, and yet, the Seahawks aren’t comfortable extending him. We’ve got three finishes in the mid-20s at the position from Charbonnet thus far, and that’s where he falls for me this weekend against a Jaguars team on a short work week.

Wide Receivers

A.J. Brown | PHI (at NYG)

There is one receiver with more than one game of 8+ targets and under 45 receiving yards this season, and it’s A.J. Brown.

With three.

The drama is high in the City of Brotherly Love after the Eagles lost their first game of the season. There was a bomb where it looked like Brown may have stopped a bit early on the route, a highlight that is making the rounds, given the posts he’s had recently across his platforms.

He still impacted the game, just not so much in the box score. The Broncos elected to put Patrick Surtain on him, and that opened up DeVonta Smith for his best game of this season. Brown even got the better of a matchup with the reigning DPOY in a spot, but it resulted in a penalty that eventually yielded a Dallas Goedert two-yard score.

We don’t get points for that, but the Eagles did, and that’s a start. Throwing in Brown’s direction resulted in a positive play for the offense, and I hope that carries over into a matchup that was Brown-centric in 2021.

Against the G-Men last year, Brown scored from 41 yards out and was responsible for 89 of his 114 passing yards. I think I speak for the entire community in saying that we would take that in a heartbeat right now.

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We did see Brown round into form when it mattered most last season (a touchdown in each of his final three regular-season games before scoring in both the NFC Title game and Super Bowl), and that’s the hope here.

There’s really nothing you can do. You’re not selling him for pennies on the dollar, and you’re not benching him for a Calvin Ridley type that gets more targets, but from a very questionable source.

You made your bed, and you’re sleeping in it. If you want out of the Eagles’ passing game, make a note of it before your 2026 draft, but for now, you’re not committed and will ride this out.

Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET (at KC)

Maybe we can give the Lions one week of grace to overhaul their coordinator positions?

If you do that, Amon-Ra St. Brown is pacing for 132 catches and 1,539 yards, huge numbers that feel obtainable if you turn on a Detroit game for five minutes. His usage patterns are all more or less in line with what we saw from him as a featured part of Ben Johnson’s offense a season ago, but his efficiency is spiking.

Through five weeks, his yards per route run are up 17.8% from 2021.

Was Johnson a limiting force on St. Brown’s potential?

I’m kidding, but with Detroit putting Jameson Williams back into the wind sprinter role, the middle field is St. Brown’s to dominate. Personally, I prefer Puka Nacua the rest of the way. Still, it wouldn’t take a crazy argument to pitch Detroit’s ace as the best PPR receiver in the business moving forward, and I suspect he’s a first-round pick in August for 2023.

Brandon Aiyuk | SF (at TB)

The 49ers were hoping for a mid-October return for Brandon Aiyuk, a former first-round pick who had ranked 11th in the NFL with 2,357 yards from the start of 2022 to the end of 2023, but that now sounds like a pipe dream with his status being labeled as “not close” in the middle of last week.

By getting some clarity on the health front in the first half of August, we were at least able to enter drafts with some plan. Aiyuk is hanging out on your IR slot for the time being, meaning that he is not costing you a roster spot and thus isn’t taking much win equity off of your plate early on.

In a perfect world, his injury recovery would have taken us past the San Francisco bye week, but it doesn’t (Week 14 bye). That said, a fully functional Aiyuk coming down the stretch for an offense that needs an alpha WR in a favorable stretch (Titans, Colts, and Bears in Weeks 15-17) could be the piece that swings your fantasy postseason.

This injury was priced into Aiyuk’s cost at your draft, so there’s no point in trying to trade for him now. But what if his manager starts slow? What if panic mode sets in before we have a definitive return date?

I’m making a mental note of who has Aiyuk rostered and tracking their status, preparing to pounce should the losses pile up. We are nearing the point in the process where a low-ball offer could be mutually beneficial, so keep your head on a swivel!

Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX (vs SEA)

The 33-yard catch on Jacksonville’s final drive took me way back to 2024 when Brian Thomas Jr. was making plays left and right.

It was nice to see, but it was his only catch of the second half, and we continue to see a disconnect with Trevor Lawrence.

The optimist in me wants to point to the 69.2% catch rate over the past two weeks as a step in the right direction (Weeks 1-3: 28%), and I suppose it is, but I need more layup targets in my life.

Through five weeks, Thomas has a total of seven receptions coming less than 10 yards downfield, and if he is going to turn this season around, he’s going to need to crawl before he can walk. This is a decent spot to try that, as Seattle allows 81.1% of such passes to be completed (third-highest in the NFL), but until I see that the Jags are willing to do this, I won’t assume it.

BTJ is sitting right around WR30 for me and is a player you shouldn’t feel obligated to start simply because of the price you paid in August.

Calvin Ridley | TEN (at LV)

When I have a knee injury, I complain to my wife, hire someone to cut the grass, and cruise through a season of “House.”

When Calvin Ridley nurses a knee injury, he drops 131 yards on the Cardinals and makes what proves to be the decisive play in maybe the craziest game of the season.

Maybe, just maybe, there’s a reason I write about this stuff, and he actually does it.

Ridley showed no signs of limitations in the win, racking up 176 air yards, his first game with 110+ this season. The one big game, however, doesn’t erase the fact that Tennessee’s WR1 wasn’t a top 55 player in our game at any point in September.

I’d rather throw darts in the Green Bay receiver room against the hapless Bengals this week or tempt fate with a 49er WR returning from injury than count on a repeat performance from Ridley in Week 6.

Cedric Tillman | CLE (at PIT)

Cedric Tillman is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, one that was initially diagnosed as a multi-week absence.

This isn’t good news, as it gives us access to one fewer risk-reward option at the position. This Cleveland offense is likely to be conservative with Gabriel under center, which would naturally lower my interest in Tillman, even if he were at full strength.

He had a touchdown in each of the first two games this season, but the first was against the vulnerable Bengals and the second on a goofy deflection that found him. There are players to wait on health-wise; Tillman isn’t one of them.

CeeDee Lamb | DAL (at CAR)

Jerry Jones left the door open for CeeDee Lamb to be placed on IR at the time of the ankle injury, and that’s obviously a major concern.

That said, with Dak Prescott playing at an MVP level, it’s hard to envision the Cowboys not using Lamb like an alpha WR1 the second he is given the medical green light.

We can discuss how to rank his return to action when we get a clear picture of when that will be, but he’s a fantasy superstar who could still well determine your fate this season.

Chris Godwin | TB (vs SF)

We all saw the 10 targets earned by Chris Godwin in his season debut against the Eagles and were impressed, but maybe we were a little ahead of ourselves.

The veteran receiver, coming off a devastating ankle injury, earned just four looks in Sunday’s 38-35 win in Seattle, and with Emeka Egbuka dominating down the field, Godwin’s aDOT was just 2.8 yards (Week 4: 15.1).

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if there’s one part of his game that figures to come back slowest, it’s the sudden cuts, something he needs access to in a big way to make it look like that matters.

RELATED: Buccaneers Star Chris Godwin Gets Candid About Suffering Devastating Injury Months After Losing His Father

Even without much in the way of production, if you told me that, entering Week 6, we’d have two games from Godwin where his snap share was north of 75%, I’d be thrilled.

He’s not a top 30 receiver for me this week and won’t be until we see some level of explosion from him. I still fear what happens to his target share when Mike Evans (hamstring) returns, but the end-of-season schedule is enticing enough that I’m never going to consider moving on from him (both Panther games, along with matchups against the Saints, Falcons, and Dolphins over the final five weeks of this regular season).

Chris Olave | NO (vs NE)

Isn’t Chris Olave just less-expensive-Ja’Marr-Chase at this point?

He’s earned 10+ targets in four of five games, but the lack of quality on that quantity has resulted in just one top 25 finish for the season (WR19 in Week 3).

I guess you could point to the Rashid Shaheed performance in Week 5 and sell yourself on hope, but this is a franchise that isn’t motivated to win games right now, and teams like that are tough to back in any capacity.

Despite all of the volume, his longest grab of the season is 17 yards, and without frequent trips to the red zone, how exactly does Olave beat me for ranking him outside of my top 25?

I don’t think he does, especially if we get the version of this Patriots defense that we saw on Sunday night.

For the season, as many passes thrown Olave’s way have hit the ground as Alvin Kamara has targets earned.

Let that sink in.

This is a good player, but he’s the definition of empty-calorie targets, and my lineup doesn’t have room for that profile.

Cooper Kupp | SEA (at JAX)

There is a time and a place to use Cooper Kupp.

That time and place is when you are grasping at straws and need access to some upside, but with the understanding that a dud is entirely possible. Kupp has a pair of games with six catches, a general profile that is hard to find on the waiver wire, but he has failed to see six targets in the other three contests, and that’s the rub.

Sam Darnold is playing at a high level under a very simple plan: get Jaxon Smith-Njigba as many looks as possible and take what the defense gives him otherwise.

Some weeks, the defenses will give him Kupp, and that’s where these PPR spike weeks come from, but there are yet to be any pregame signals to help us identify those spots ahead of time.

I’m ranking Kupp as a WR4 until I can crack the code as to when he will be featured. The upside is in volume, but without a 25-yard catch or an end zone target, this is a small-miss player; should he have a nice day on your bench, without the path to finish a week as a top-20 receiver.

Courtland Sutton | DEN (at NYJ)

Puka Nacua is on another level, but outside of him, the longest active streaks of 80+ receiving yards with three games belong to McCaffrey, Emeka Egbuka, and Sutton.

The Bo Nix rollercoaster is a heck of an experience, but at the end of four quarters, he has a way of supporting his WR1 on a consistent basis.

Life obviously is going to be difficult this week with Sauce Gardner roaming in the Jets’ secondary and potentially shadowing Sutton, but it’s not as if last week’s matchup in Philadelphia was a cakewalk, and he managed to account for 40.9% of Nix’s passing yards.

The lack of a secondary pass catcher worries me, but with Denver dialing back his aDOT some and Nix completing nine-of-10 third-down passes thrown his way over the past two weeks, the matchup downgrade isn’t enough for me to consider benching Sutton this week.

He sits just inside my top 20 at the position for Week 6.

Darius Slayton | NYG (vs PHI)

Over the past two weeks, the Giants rank 28th in receiver catches per game and ninth in RB/TE receptions per game.

That’s a Jaxson Dart stat, and with Malik Nabers out, I really don’t see that changing in the near future. I’m aware that Darius Slayton’s 3-31-0 stat line easily could have been 4-82-1 on Sunday in New Orleans if Dart doesn’t undershoot him on a flea-flicker, but do you really want to be counting on a rookie executing trick plays as a path to flex value?

I’m here for the Dart experience. He makes this Giants offense much more entertaining at the very least, but I’m not in a hurry to roster, never mind start, any of his pass catchers.

Davante Adams | LAR (at BAL)

What age curve?

Davante Adams has earned nine end zone targets this season and, in three of the past four games, has reached 130 air yards.

The future Hall of Famer is clearly in the circle of trust with Matthew Stafford and has plenty of juice left. He’s winning the same way he did during his prime in Green Bay, and I see no reason to think that changes in the short term.

He’s picked up 24+ yards on a catch in all five games this season, and a beat-up Ravens defense doesn’t exactly profile as the type to slow down this momentum. Puka Nacaua’s target share isn’t going anywhere, but there are enough passes in Los Angeles for Adams to continue to see 8-10 targets weekly, and that’s more than enough to stabilize strong WR2 value in all formats.

DeAndre Hopkins | BAL (vs LAR)

DeAndre Hopkins has made a vintage grab in three of five games this season, and that’s great for the highlight reels, but with just nine targets earned this season and an offense in disarray, this isn’t how an optimal fantasy manager builds depth.

Even if you want to buy Hopkins’ stock, now isn’t the time. Baltimore has their bye coming up, and if push comes to shove, you may have to cut ties sooner than later.

If you’re a Hopkins truther, take inventory of your team this time next week, with the Ravens off and no attention being paid to him. They come out of the off week with the Bears and Dolphins, a soft landing spot if you believe that Todd Monken leans into the veteran to help dig them out of this hole.

That’s not my approach. Hopkins is fine to leave in free agency because I think there isn’t much role upside. He’s a situational big-play threat in a run-first offense.

Deebo Samuel Sr. | WAS (vs CHI)

The prevailing narrative this summer was that the Commanders overspent on a veteran receiver, and while it may help them win games, the fantasy impact would be minimal.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Washington is bouncing him in and out of the slot with all sorts of success. His target rate sits at 26%, and while some of that is due to Terry McLaurin’s health, he has looked great physically.

Last season, 19.8% of his targets came deep downfield, a mark that has increased to 34.2% through five weeks. The touchdown against the Chargers was a great display of nonverbal communication with Jahan Dotson, and that’s the type of thing we love to see.

The versatility is hit-and-miss (three carries in two games this season, one total rush attempt in the other three), but if he’s going to be good for six catches per game, any value added on the ground is a bonus.

His value would be dinged a touch if McLaurin returns to action, but he’ll be a top-20 receiver for me regardless, with the second-worst completion percentage defense on the slate.

DeVonta Smith | PHI (at NYG)

I struggle to say anything is truly “sticky” when it comes to this Philadelphia passing attack, if for no other reason than we are dealing with small sample size issues every week.

That said, I liked what I saw from DeVonta Smith against the Broncos on Sunday. The 8-114-0 stat line is nice, but how about a season-high slot route rate (66.7%)? How about seeing eight of 10 targets come less than 10 yards downfield? How about paying off the one deep shot that was thrown his way?

It’s just one data point, but if the Eagles plan on using Smith more as a get-him-in-space-and-watch type of receiver, I think there’s a path for him to retain weekly value, something that is hard if your primary role is running downfield in a low-volume offense.

One more week like this and I’ll have him projected to lead this receiver room in points. As it is, both he and A.J. Brown are ranked as low-end WR2s for me in a great matchup.

DJ Moore | CHI (at WAS)

The Bears are coming off their bye week, and maybe that means that DJ Moore gets back on track, but we are firmly in the need to see it to believe it tier for the veteran receiver.

Just once this season, despite the strong play of Caleb Williams, Moore has had one top 45 finish on his 2023 resume. Rome Odunze has assumed the lead role of this Ben Johnson offense, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

There’s a path for Moore to be on the fringes of flex consideration (three catches in two different games) in what could be a high-scoring game, but with Colston Loveland expected back, I’m struggling to see a target ceiling higher than what we’ve seen up to this point (5-6 in every game).

For me, Moore is in the same range as the Buffalo receivers, ranking smack in the middle of the floor that comes with Khalil Shakir and the ceiling hopes that Keon Coleman carries. You’re getting in the rankings weeds: I’m not making an excuse to start any of those receivers in Week 6.

DK Metcalf | PIT (vs CLE)

I don’t mean to be dramatic, but it’s not happening again.

Metcalf took a slant the distance against the Vikings in Ireland before the Steelers went on bye, and that fueled a 5-126-1 stat line (WR7 in Week 4). Good players make impact plays, but when it comes to top-shelf upside, this Pittsburgh offense simply isn’t built to put their WR1 in a spot to produce.

This offense is far from creative, and Metcalf’s ceiling is the most significantly impacted aspect of our game. Through four games, one of the most physically imposing players in professional sports has one deep target.

One.

That’s a 4.5% share, and that feels insane, but it’s happening by design, which makes trending toward his role as a Seahawk (33.2%) nearly impossible. This is a very vanilla unit that needs to fire on all cylinders to pay off.

I don’t think that happens in a tough spot like this, even off the bye, and that as Metcalf sitting as an unexciting flex. If I had the chance to sell Metcalf under the pretense that he had the big game and is now past his bye, I’d do it, and I wouldn’t overthink it.

Dontayvion Wicks | GB (vs CIN)

Let’s call a spade a spade.

Dontayvion Wicks hasn’t been good. He’s yet to reach 45 yards in a game this season, and, for a big-play threat in college, the fact that we are nearing a calendar year since his last 30-yard reception is disappointing.

He’s playing, so there’s that. Wicks has cleared 20 routes run in three straight games, but without a single end-zone target and opportunities only going to get more difficult with time, there’s no reason to look in this direction right now.

I’ll never write off a Packers receiver given their democratic target distribution, but I’ll pass until I see signs of life.

Drake London | ATL (vs BUF)

After failing to finish any of the first three weeks as a top 20 receiver, Drake London broke out in Week 4 against the Commanders with 25 PPR points on his way to a WR5 finish.

Is it here to stay?

The Bills traditionally do well to take away chunk plays, so counting on a 43-yard catch in consecutive games is a long shot, but the volume is something that projects as stable and keeps London in the WR1 discussion.

His 38.5% target share in the game entering the bye was obviously good to see, and we saw the Falcons work hard to get their WR1 involved in the first week post-bye last season with a 42.1% share.

You can count on 9-11 targets, and that’s exactly what you drafted him for this summer. You can start London with plenty of confidence this week and for years to come, until further notice.

Emeka Egbuka | TB (vs SF)

Am I missing something?

What exactly is it that Egbuka can’t do?

He’s averaging a touchdown per game, has a 30+ yard grab in four of five games, and looks next to unguardable. And no, not “unguardable for a soon-to-be 23-year-old”. Unguardable by the standards of anyone in this league.

Evans has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, and in those contests, Egbuka has racked up 286 air yards (first three games: 251). On Sunday, he joined Puka Nacua, Malik Nabers, and Chase as the only active pass catchers to score 20+ PPR points in three of their first five career games.

“Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have been super instrumental in my success..

They give me so much confidence and they truly believe in me” ~ @EgbukaEmeka #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Q5JP2gMwUL

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 8, 2025

The return of Evans sounds close-ish, but is that going to stop Egbuka from gaining separation at every level?

I don’t think so. Evans’ role is TBD, and we will see how many targets are left for Chris Godwin to earn, but I’m having a near-impossible time seeing the Bucs take food off the plate of their explosive rookie.

Garrett Wilson | NYJ (vs DEN)

Garrett Wilson has at least six catches and a touchdown in four of five games this season, and that’s obviously high-level production that we love to have access to.

You’re walking an awfully thin line.

The touchdowns over the past two weeks have come with less than two minutes on the clock, and the result was all but determined. They still count, don’t get me wrong, but they came when all optionality was removed from New York’s game planning.

You could argue that betting on a pass-centric game script is wise for a team that has yet to win a game, and I can’t say you’re wrong; it’s just a dangerous path to production. Generally speaking, I prefer to roster/start fantasy players who play in the direction the team wants to go (which’s why we often chase Chiefs receivers and generally avoid those tied to Arthur Smith). The Jets don’t view the forward pass as an optimal strategy.

Wilson’s target share and raw talent demand that you play him, and this hot run could continue after this tough matchup (Panthers and Bengals in Weeks 7-8). I’m just a little more skeptical than the industry seems to be.

George Pickens | DAL (at CAR)

We got the full George Pickens experience on Sunday in New York.

He had his separation issues (four targets on 30 routes), but when Dak Prescott identified single coverage, even against one of the best corners in the game, and gave this 6’3″ athlete a chance to make a game-breaking play, he did.

With Sauce Gardner in about as good of position as he could be, Pickens plucked a 43-yard bomb out of the air for a touchdown, saving what was otherwise a no-show performance.

“George Pickens does what George Pickens does..

Dak gives him the opportunity to make a BIG TIME play” ~ @DariusJButler #PMSLive https://t.co/hI4R2hVW8x pic.twitter.com/tXqjRRFtcU

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 8, 2025

He’s now scored in four straight games and is averaging 15.5 yards per catch. I don’t think this is a flawless profile (without that 11.3-point play, we are probably having a different discussion today), but I do think the talent/situation combination is too good to fade in any given week.

Even better? The defense is so bad that I’m not overly concerned about game script in a spot like this. The projected total this week is flirting with 50 points, something that I expect to be the case weekly with Dallas. CeeDee Lamb is going to return from his high ankle sprain at some point, and we can discuss the (minimal) dip in ranking for Pickens when that happens, but until then, enjoy the production!

It wouldn’t be hard to make the case for him as a top 10 receiver this week. I’m a touch lower, but we are splitting hairs.

Ja’Marr Chase | CIN (at GB)

I’m happy for you, I really am.

Chase posted a big number on Sunday with a 6-110-2 stat line against the Lions, 29 PPR points that have to have you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

It couldn’t be less predictive.

The highlight plays were great, and great players make great plays, but relying on a YOLO offensive structure because the game is no longer in doubt is a dangerous way to live. Chase averaged 73.3 air yards per game in September, but with nothing to lose for most of the second half on Sunday, he finished with 185.6.

Over the past three weeks, Browning has supported Chase, who scored 44.3 PPR points, and 49.4% of them (21.9) came in the fourth quarter last week.

Do the math, and that means he was averaging a tick over two PPR points per quarter prior, and for the less mathematically inclined, that’s under 8.5 PPR points per four quarters. If you need a reference point, that’s the same range as the feared duo of Elijah Moore (8.6) and Calvin Ridley (8.4) in Tennessee this season.

I hate to be the wet blanket, but I’m just as worried about Chase’s forecast for the next 2+ months now as I was this time last week. He’s outside of my top 20 this week, behind the upward-trending Stefon Diggs and A.J. Brown, a struggling big name, but one where I’m not nearly as worried about the quality of throw coming his direction.

This all changes if Joe Flacco (acquired on Tuesday) is labeled as QB1 this week. If that’s the case, what would you label Chase’s target floor to be? He’s averaging nine per game this season, roughly seven if you remove the big game in Week 2 against the Jaguars.

Since 2020, here are the per-game averages (PPR) based on target floors when it comes to passes thrown by Flacco in a game:

• 7+ targets: 15.6 PPG

• 8+ targets: 16.3 PPG

• 9+ targets: 17.0 PPG

• 10+ targets: 19.2 PPG

Jakobi Meyers | LV (vs TEN)

Jakobi Meyers saw a pair of end zone targets, but a high-floor player like this is never going to pay off if his QB is struggling to throw a stone into the ocean.

I’m plenty comfortable counting on the talent of Meyers, and we saw him return startable numbers in each of the first two weeks, but every receiver is a reflection of the situation they find themselves in, and this passing game is … struggling (I’m in a kind mood).

With Brock Bowers banged up prior to and ultimately out in Week 5, Meyers is being moved all over the formation. He can do that, but for fantasy purposes, we want him to fill that big slot role on a regular basis, something that was happening more often when Bowers was being used in the same way he was last year.

I need to see proof of life from this passing game as a whole or, at the very least, a close-to-full-strength version of the star tight end.

There’s a world in which we get that this week, but I doubt we have a good feeling about the latter entering the weekend. Meyers is a reasonable PPR flex, but that’s more matchup than form-driven.

Jalen Coker | CAR (vs DAL)

Dave Canalas said last week that the plan is to open the 21-day return window for Jalen Coker (quad) ahead of action this week.

This obviously isn’t a player who needs to be rostered, but he did average 14.9 yards per catch last season, and the Panthers offense needs all the explosive potential they can get.

The immediate matchups aren’t too favorable, but could a 3-10 Carolina team prioritize all its young talent after its Week 14 bye? If that’s the case, matchups with the Saints and Buccaneers in Weeks 15-16 are interesting from a roster depth perspective as you navigate the playoffs.

Not a must-add right now, but I’m not losing track of his name as the weather turns.

Jameson Williams | DET (at KC)

Jameson Williams is on the field almost at all times (90.6% snap share when the score is within two possessions this season) for an offense that has scored at least 34 points in four straight games, and yet, he has reached 45 receiving yards only once.

It’s still relatively early, but Detroit’s plans for the burner appear pretty clear: run and run fast.

His average depth of target is up 71.6% from a season ago, and that sort of role in an offense like this that is loaded with quick route winners is going to come with plenty of downs that force you to question if the “ups” are ever going to come.

They will, but you need the Lions to be pushed more than they have recently.

Ideally, said game comes at home, but beggars can’t be choosers. This game figures to be competitive, and getting the Chiefs on a short week isn’t a bad thing. While KC has been good at limiting the deep ball, their more aggressive style of defense (top 10 in blitz rate last season and so far this season) could leave some single-coverage opportunities.

Williams carries a ton of risk into a matchup against a strong defense, but if you squint, I think there’s upside to chase in the event that you feel your team is overmatched. I’d rather roll the dice on him than a DK Metcalf type, but you can consult our FREE PFSN Start/Sit Analyzer as lineup lock nears for an exact answer to your specific decision.

Jauan Jennings | SF (at TB)

That’s now two missed games this season for Jauan Jennings, and the fact that they can’t decide on a single injury to list (ribs/ankle) is disconcerting to say the least.

He had the big game against the lowly Saints in Week 2 (89 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets), but he didn’t finish among the top 50 receivers in either of his other games this season and seems to be the lower-upside option when compared to Richie Pearsall.

I’m cautiously optimistic that he’ll play for the 49ers this week after a long week of prep, but I’m actively looking for other options, and I expect that to be the case moving forward, with George Kittle targeting next week as his return to the field.

He’s a talented player who will give this offense a boost, but I’m stopping well short of labeling him a reliable fantasy contributor.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA (at JAX)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had all of our attention last season by posting a 73% catch rate and looking like the future of the position in Seattle.

The Seahawks confirmed as much this summer by moving on from Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

Sometimes, things go as planned. Sam Darnold is playing at a high level, and we learned last season that when that’s the case, his top option can give us fantasy points by the boatload.

JSN has seen his catch rate spike to 79% over five weeks, which is noteworthy in itself. Toss in the fact that his aDOT is up 39.1%, and the elevated catch rate speaks to an entirely different level of dominance.

His floor this season is 90 yards from scrimmage. His floor. His 1,816-receiving-yard pace doesn’t feel unattainable. Jacksonville enters this game on a short week and struggled to contain bona fide WR1s in September.

Smith-Njigba (my WR3 this week) qualifies as part of that tier and has every chance to be a top 10 PPR receiver moving forward. Seattle lacks clarity just about everywhere else, but you should feel privileged to roster their WR1.

Jayden Reed | GB (vs CIN)

Jayden Reed underwent foot and clavicle surgeries in the middle of September, and the first half of November has remained the target ever since.

Green Bay’s presumed WR1 scored in Week 1 and was injured on a play in Week 2 that was inches from being a score. It’s only a six-target sample, so do with it what you will, but three came 15+ yards downfield (a sub-30% rate in each of his first two seasons).

My thought is that the team was aware of what Tucker Kraft could do in the short receiving game, and the speed of Matthew Golden was anything but a secret, thus opening up Reed to expand his route tree a bit. That’s how he can become a weekly fantasy asset, but he needs to prove himself healthy before anything.

The Packers play the Bears twice in December, matchups that give Reed the potential to crack my top 24 in those impact weeks, should his usage trend in the direction we saw out of the gates.

Jaylen Waddle | MIA (vs LAC)

Jaylen Waddle paid off our optimism in the first week of this post-Tyreek Hill world, and that’s great to see, though I would caution against assuming that he’s now an unquestioned top 15 player the rest of the way.

The long touchdown accounted for 50.4% of his points on Sunday in a picture-perfect matchup where 36 of Miami’s 50 plays were passes. The big play obviously counts, but it’s not exactly Waddle’s calling card, and those splash plays are going to be more and more difficult to come by as defenses gather data on how this offense is adjusting to life without their WR1.

And then there’s the matchup: it’s my understanding that the league prohibits you from playing the Panthers 17 times a year.

I was encouraged, like everyone else, over the weekend (26.5% target share and 43% of Miami’s receiving yards), but I’m going to pump the brakes on assuming that the usage is sustainable or that it means 23 PPR points on a regular basis.

Jerry Jeudy | CLE (at PIT)

Since the start of 2023, Jerry Jeudy is three times more likely to finish with single-digit PPR points than he is to finish with at least 15.

There’s plenty of boom/bust in his speed-oriented profile, but more of the latter and less of the former when playing in an offense led by the naturally conservative Dillon Gabriel.

In his first professional start, the rookie had only one completion 10+ yards down the field prior to a pair of such plays in the final minute, with the Vikings basically begging him to take those and not something deeper.

The Pittsburgh matchup doesn’t worry me as much as the offensive environment. Until proven otherwise, Jeudy should not be trusted in anything but absolutely desperate situations.

Josh Downs | IND (vs ARI)

For the second time this season, Josh Downs pulled in six of eight targets, and with some of the talent he’s flashed in the past, you’d likely assume that usage and efficiency at that level have him flirting with 20 PPR points.

Nope.

Really not even close.

The former third-round pick has yet to reach 55 receiving yards in a game this season and has only scored twice over the past 11 months. Michael Pittman has scored in four of five weeks, and that means that there is room for a receiver to extract weekly value next to Tyler Lockett in this Daniel Jones-led offense, but there are no real signs pointing to Downs taking over that WR1 title.

The role is the same as what we’ve seen in the past. His aDOT is under eight yards, and his slot percentage is north of 75%. He’s being used as expected, he’s just not doing much with it. I’m holding onto Downs, understanding that he’d likely walk into the Pittman role should an injury occur, but I’m not ranking him as a top-35 guy moving forward until he gives me a reason to.

Joshua Palmer | BUF (at ATL)

The idea of Josh Palmer made sense in August, but we now have five data points to consider, and it’s clear that he doesn’t have a consistent role.

The Bills are a Super Bowl contender, and in being such, they have a very clear outline of roles. Khalil Shakir is going to win around the line of scrimmage, Keon Colemon is mainly going to back up defenses, and Dalton Kincaid is going to threaten the middle of the field in a variety of ways.

Factor in the excellence of James Cook and the all-around game of Josh Allen, and where is Palmer generating looks from?

Exactly, he’s not.

After a preseason full of hype, he’s failed to earn more than three targets in four consecutive games and needs at least one injury ahead of him to be rosterable.

Kayshon Boutte | NE (at NO)

We are done here. Kayshon Boutte overachieved in the first two weeks (41 PPR points with 24.4 expected points) and has been slowly phased out of this passing game while Hunter Henry and Stefon Diggs do the heavy lifting.

Boutte hasn’t reached seven expected points in four straight games, failing to reach 50 air yards on each occasion. The Drake Maye growth tour is underway, and Boutte missed the bus. You can safely cut ties and target other offenses for a breakout option at the position.

Keenan Allen | LAC (at MIA)

The “third-and-Keenan” moniker continues to ring true, and while it’s great for the Chargers to have in their pocket, I do worry about it for his loyal fantasy managers.

In Sunday’s loss, four of his five catches came on third down, and those are often drive-extending plays. They are important for the integrity of the offense, but they tend to not carry much in the way of upside, something we’ve seen with Allen’s PPR points per target slip in three straight games.

Allen has been great, and seeing at least one end zone target in four of five games has allowed him to rack up a nice season stat line through five games.

I’d be cautious in assuming that he’s a locked-in starter every week. I prefer McConkey on this team for the rest of the season, and if I can get a top 20-ish receiver moving forward, I’d bite. I’d 100% move him for Rashee Rice, and I think a Zay Flowers type would also be a reasonable buy as he approaches the midpoint of the fantasy regular season.

Kendrick Bourne | SF (at TB)

Kendrick Bourne pulled in a 35-yard pass on San Francisco’s first drive on Thursday night, and I thought it was an aberration more than a breadcrumb for a matchup that Kyle Shanahan had every intention of exploiting for the next 60+ minutes.

With their top three receivers on the shelf, the Niners ran both Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson out there for 40+ routes and funneled 18 targets to them.

Week 5 Receiving Profiles

• Bourne: 80.7% snap share, 8.1-yard aDOT, 9.1% deep target rate

• Robinson: 84.3% snap share, 15.0-yard aDOT, 57.1% deep target rate

The roles were pretty straightforward, and, regardless of who is playing QB, Bourne is in the PPR flex conversation if either Rickey Pearsall or Jauan Jennings sits again.

His shorter route tree fits better next to Pearsall, so if you roster Bourne, you’re tracking Jennings’ status a little bit closer, even if I think he gets out there in two-receiver formats, should either miss Week 6.

Keon Coleman | BUF (at ATL)

If you’re really in the weeds, the Keon Coleman profile is trending in the right direction. His target share is up from his underwhelming rookie campaign, and he already has more red zone touches this year than last.

On top of that, he spent 30% of his snaps last week in the slot (previous high for this season: 11.6%). We know the downfield playmaking is Coleman’s calling card, but if this slot experimentation is here to stay, we could be looking at a second-half-of-Year-2 explosion.

He saw multiple end zone targets in Week 5, his second such game this season, and a path to production that I’m comfortable investing in given the potency of any offense headed by Josh Allen.

I’m not saying that Coleman stock is ready to take off, but I’m saying it could. Given his current status in trade markets, gaining access to this potential isn’t going to cost you much.

Khalil Shakir | BUF (at ATL)

Khalil Shakir has finished in the WR25-40 range in the majority of games this season, and that’s the nature of rostering a player like this.

Against the Patriots on Sunday night, Shakir’s average depth of target was 1.8 yards, his third consecutive game checking in under two yards, and a role that carries a nice floor without much room for spike weeks if your name isn’t Deebo Samuel.

You’d notice in a heartbeat if Shakir was missing from the Bills’ lineup in a given game, but missing from your fantasy squad? Not so much.

He’s a viable option in PPR leagues in any week, and this spot is no different (though he is a handful of spots lower than normal due to the Falcons allowing a league-low 3.1 yards after the catch per reception this season).

If you’ve built a solid team around him, Shakir is the perfect piece to help you tread water before your stars do the heavy lifting. If you have a team dealing with injuries and are willing to take on some risk for the spike weeks, Shakir isn’t for you, and I’d trade him straight up for teammate Keon Coleman.

I make sure to have a player like this on all of my rosters, understanding that an elevated floor is a nice bailout option, even if it’s not the most exciting profile to have stashed.

Ladd McConkey | LAC (at MIA)

Are we getting there?

Ladd McConkey was targeted on four of Justin Herbert’s first eight passes against the Commanders last week and finished with a pair of end zone targets.

His target rate fell off a cliff after the initial script was finished (three targets the rest of the way), but his aDOT ticked up for a third consecutive week, and it would appear that he’s trying to wedge his way into that midrange role.

It’s coming with a learning curve, but the punt return (that got called back) served as a reminder that there is plenty of per-touch potential in this second-year wideout.

The Dolphins are vulnerable all over the place, so if the Bolts want to put a charge into McConkey, this is as good a spot as any. He scored last week, which helped you last week. I’m hoping he can post WR2 numbers in this perfect spot without needing a score.

The lack of a yardage floor drops him just outside of my WR2 tier, but I would be comfortable flexing him in PPR formats where I have him over running backs that fall below the Dobbins line.

Luther Burden III | CHI (at WAS)

When you hear Luther Burden’s name, you likely think of that goofy flea-flicker that resulted in a touchdown against the Cowboys, and that play is a great reminder of the skill set that the rookie has access to.

But it shouldn’t tempt you to go this direction in redraft formats.

Burden is averaging just 8.5 routes per game this season, and with the embarrassment of potential in this pass-catching room, I’m not sure there’s anything more than a gadget role to be had.

Can Chicago sustain three pass catchers on a weekly basis? I’m not so sure, and Burden currently ranks fifth among them, role-wise. We are looking at an interesting long-term piece of this developmental offense, not a piece in 2023 that holds value to us.

Malik Nabers | NYG (vs PHI)

A casual reminder that Malik Nabers’ second season is over after suffering a Week 4 torn ACL.

The hope is that, with this injury occurring in September, his prep process for 2026 isn’t delayed. If Dart proves himself as the franchise QB, Nabers could push for first-round value in redraft formats this summer.

If you play in a dynasty league, I’d offer full price right now, hoping that the managers with him rostered view this as part of a title window and that you can leverage that optimism to pry away one of the five best long-term investments you can make.

Marquise Brown | KC (vs DET)

Personally, I think Xavier Worthy’s value will take a decent hit when Rashee Rice returns next week, but it’s Marquise Brown who is at risk of moving off of fantasy rosters when WR1 is back in the fold.

It was encouraging to see him earn eight targets on Monday night, his most in his “real” role this season (I’m not counting Week 1, where he was used in Worthy’s spot after just three snaps), but the playing time doesn’t lie: this is a player trending in the wrong direction.

• Week 1: 93.1% snap share

• Week 2: 75.4% snap share

• Week 3: 67.2% snap share

• Week 4: 52.9% snap share

• Week 5: 52.4% snap share

I don’t want to be overly dramatic, but I think I’d deal him for the Packers D/ST right now. There simply doesn’t seem to be a role for him beyond this week, and with Rice coming back from a suspension, not an injury, he could be phased out in short order.

Green Bay faces the Bengals this week, followed by the Cardinals, Steelers, and Panthers. They are also past their bye week, have the road game against the Lions in the rearview, and get the Bears twice in December.

Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI (at IND)

As a rookie, the Cardinals refused to use Marvin Harrison Jr. in the short passing game. They wanted his pedigree to make a major difference in games in a major way and had no interest in taking the layup targets.

That led to struggles throughout and a disappointing first impression to the fantasy community, which had expected big-time production from the jump.

In the first two weeks of this season, things looked a little different. We had a few screens in there, and while there were a few chances taken downfield (18.2% of his targets), it seemed that the Cardinals wanted to establish their ace receiver.

Since?

We are back to rookie-season usage. In those three games, 47.6% of his opportunities have come 15+ yards downfield, and while he’s going to make some big plays (see 42-yard jump ball in double coverage on Sunday), that target profile comes with a ton of risk.

The Colts hold the 10th-highest deep pass INT%, and teams have responded with the sixth-lowest average depth of target against them. I’m hopeful that this specific matchup forces Arizona’s hand in getting their WR1 more high-percentage targets, and that’s why I have him ranked as a strong WR2 for Week 6.

Now we need the Cardinals to both attack this game in an analytically-sound method and convince themselves that this is the best way to call plays moving forward. I’m asking for a lot, but it starts on Sunday with what I hope is the marriage of talent with high-percentage looks.

Marvin Mims Jr. | DEN (at NYJ)

Marvin Mims has a carry in consecutive games, and it’s fun to dream of creative Sean Payton schemes to get this big playmaker involved, but I can’t get there in a meaningful way.

He hasn’t been on the field for the majority of Denver’s offensive snaps in a game since Week 1, and if you remove an outlier game against the Bengals, 46.7% of his targets have come deep downfield.

Mims proved last season that he can make splash plays, and the rush TD in Week 4 was proof positive of as much, but if the opportunity count is going to be limited to those shots, the weekly floor is more damning than the ceiling is enticing.

We can expect Sauce Gardner to be locked up on Courtland Sutton, and if that’s the case, there could be deep passes attempted on the other side of the field. That’s a thread to pull if you’re trying to talk yourself into a boom/bust player like this if you’re a significant underdog, but in tight matchups, I can’t imagine going this direction with any level of confidence.

Matthew Golden | GB (vs CIN)

We get spoiled from rookie receivers that burst onto the scene right away. There are a select few that enter the NFL as polished prospects, and those are the ones we remember, but the vast majority of players take time to develop.

Matthew Golden has reached double-digit PPR points in consecutive games and has seen his expected point total increase during each of his first four career games.

He’s not going to be rookie season Brian Thomas Jr., but that doesn’t mean he can’t be an impactful piece as the weather begins to turn. Golden has seen a target with over 25 air yards attached to it in three straight, and while the target distribution in Green Bay is annoying, it also limits the amount of attention that can be paid to any one player.

If you’re chasing points after Thursday night or even after the first wave of games on Sunday, plugging in a profile like that of Golden is a reasonable play.

The range of outcomes is going to be wide weekly, but the upside is worthy of your attention when in advantageous spots like this.

Michael Pittman Jr. | IND (vs ARI)

We are still 2+ weeks from Halloween and, despite some injuries, Michael Pittman Jr. already has tied the second-best touchdown season of his career.

He battled through a hamstring injury for the majority of last week, but he didn’t miss a step come game time. He scored for a third consecutive game, this one coming on a back-of-the-endzone, uncover-and-make-yourself-available situation with Daniel Jones on the move.

Everything he’s doing looks sustainable to me. Obviously, touchdown luck has been on his side, but from aDOT to target share to route tree, everything is in line with what we’ve come to expect from Pittman through his five completed seasons.

He’s been no worse than a WR2 in four of five games, and I’m not sure the Cardinals are the team to end this run of strong production (18+ PPR points allowed to the opposing WR1 in three of the past four weeks).

Jones is spreading the ball around, and that introduces some risk, but the target share has been consistent, and that has him ranked as a strong WR2 for me this week. That said, if you’re encouraged by the defense of the Jags, there’s a strong case to be made to move on from Pittman sooner than later (Weeks 11-18 schedule: bye, two games against the Texans, two against the Jaguars, Chiefs, Seahawks, and 49ers).

Mike Evans | TB (vs SF)

Mike Evans suffered what Todd Bowles labeled as a “low-grade” hamstring injury, and while that sounds good, let’s not forget that this is a 32-year-old receiver who is in the process of seeing Emeka Egbuka replace him.

Obviously, not all hope is lost. Evans still has plenty of juice (the five-yard TD last week was the scoring zone slant that we’ve seen work for a decade with him) and when at full strength, he stands to slide into the back-end of my WR2 rankings. But with Chris Godwin nearing his return and the best from Bucky Irving yet to come, there’s as much risk as reward in counting on Evans.

There are some instances where a productive player goes down with an injury and I’ll encourage you to buy on a discount. Opportunities like this present themselves all the time as a fantasy manager is holding a distressed asset because of their standing in your league and is looking, for lack of a better way to say it, to make a bad deal. To take pennies now for a dollar in the future.

This isn’t that.

READ MORE: Mike Evans Injury Update: How Long Will Fantasy Managers Be Without the Buccaneers WR?

Evans missed three games a season ago, and these soft tissue injuries always come with aggravation risk. We haven’t seen the future Hall of Famer reach 60 receiving yards in a game this season, and I’m not sure that changes in a meaningful way when he returns to the field.

Assuming he sits this week, you’ll be able to free up a roster spot by using your IR, and that’s fine. Just be careful in assuming that you’re getting a difference-maker when he returns to your lineup.

Pat Bryant | DEN (at NYJ)

There’s nothing actionable when it comes to Pat Bryant (four targets earned this season), but he ran 28 routes in September and is already at 23 in October.

Denver took advantage of a big spot to hand Philadelphia a home loss last week, and while Bryant wasn’t in the box score, Sean Payton valued him enough to put him on the field for the majority of their offensive snaps, easily a season high.

Breadcrumbs.

Bryant is a talented player as a part of a team that could use pass-catcher depth behind Courtland Sutton. You don’t have to move on this increased snap share yet, but I want the seed planted in your head: I tend to favor being a week early rather than a week late with adds like this.

Puka Nacua | LAR (at BAL)

Spin the wheel and pick your favorite Puka Nacua note:

• Three straight double-digit catch games

• Pacing for more catches this year than anyone had targets last year

• 89 catches over his last nine regular-season games

This feels like 2021 Cooper Kupp all over again, and that puts him on a 1.01 trajectory for the 2026 redraft season. The scary part? His red-zone target rate is roughly half of what it was last season.

That might not recover, thanks to Davante Adams, but if it does, my spreadsheets are in danger of breaking.

Quentin Johnston | LAC (at MIA)

Not all good things last forever, and we were reminded of that last week with Quentin Johnston posting his first dud of the 2026 season against the Commanders, earning a season low four targets on his way to 6.9 PPR points, eight points below his previous worst showing of the season.

This was an oddly low passing plan for the Chargers, and it sounds like that’s going to be an outlier, not the norm, so I don’t think you need to run for the hills, especially in a plus matchup like this against a defense that is allowing opponents to complete a league-high 74.5% of their passes.

What I did find interesting, however, was his aDOT. It’s not dropped in three straight weeks, with his mark of 6.3 yards last week being slightly more than half of his season rate.

If this sustains, it could be an issue. Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen have been unable to match Johnston’s production down the field, but if this turns into a contest as to who can earn short-range targets at the highest level, there is serious risk for all involved every week.

Keep an eye on how he is used in this perfect matchup. The loss of Joe Alt could encourage a quick-hitting passing attack, so this is something we will need to closely monitor. That said, you’re playing him this week: the good signs from September earn him another week or two of trust before we drastically alter our thoughts.

Rashee Rice | KC (vs DET)

Rashee Rice was suspended for the first six weeks of this season for a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and with a Week 10 bye, you’re looking at a fantasy star that needs to hit the ground running in a month when you get him back.

Rice showed well physically in camp, and when he’s back on the active roster, there’s no conversation to be had. Over his past 13 healthy games, his 17-game pace was 110 catches and eight scores, a line that makes him an unquestioned asset in all formats.

We are getting close.

If the manager with Rice is running low on leeway when it comes to their ability to make the playoffs, what do you have to lose by sending an offer? You could easily spin the first month as a slow one for Kansas City’s WR1 as he works back into the mix and navigate that later bye week, something that a 1-4 manager isn’t going to have time for.

Check out our free PFSN Trade Analyzer for your specific situation, but Rice is a top 15 receiver for me the rest of the way, and I think it comes at the expense of both Xavier Worthy’s ceiling and floor.

Rashid Shaheed | NO (vs NE)

We knew a game like this was going to come. We weren’t sure when (a home game against the struggling Giants secondary made sense), but Rashid Shaheed has conditioned us to expect a game like what we got over the weekend (4-114-1) every 5-7 weeks, and we got it.

Most 40+ Yard Receiving TDs Since 2022

• Ja’marr Chase: 13

• Tyreek Hill: 11

• Shaheed: 8

• Jameson Williams: 8

• Davante Adams: 8

Fight the urge to get too excited.

I’ve been there. I’ve believed that Shaheed’s raw talent is greater than his counting numbers up to this point in his career, and, to be honest, I stand by that take. That said, he has been unable to deliver consistent production with more roster support, so what about this situation suggests that a different result is forthcoming?

He’s 0-for-7 for his career when it comes to following up an 18+ PPR game with 9+ points, and I’m not comfortable betting on that trend coming to an end against a Patriots defense that played with plenty of confidence on Sunday night.

I find myself ranking Shaheed and Darius Slayton in the same range every week, and that’s the case again: I’ll roster this profile in a DFS GPP if I really want exposure, and that’s not the case in Week 6.

Rashod Bateman | BAL (vs LAR)

Rashod Bateman was shut out during the Cooper Rush experience, and that wouldn’t terrify me if it were a one-off, but it was the fourth time in five games this season in which he’s been held under 25 receiving yards.

In a shootout with the Lions in Week 3, Baltimore’s secondary WR was productive (5-63-1), but that’s very much the outlier and not the norm. The former first-round pick is five years into his career and hasn’t proven himself as a target earner in any capacity.

Bateman should be on your waiver wire, regardless of who is taking snaps for Baltimore.

Ricky Pearsall | SF (at TB)

A knee injury resulted in Ricky Pearsall missing Thursday night’s game last week, something that wasn’t much of a surprise after he mentioned feeling “instability” coming out of Week 4.

I was never a high-level athlete, but I’ve been covering it for a while, and hearing someone self-describe an injury like that isn’t common.

I’m hopeful that we see Pearsall return this week, but with him being this offense’s primary deep threat (15.9-yard aDOT compared to Jauan Jennings’ 9.8), I’ll be a week late rather than a week early in inserting him into my lineup.

Those downfield routes require a connection with his quarterback (which necessitates the QB being healthy) and the ability to adjust on the fly to track the ball.

Pearsall can access both of those things with time, but I need assurance on the health side for a whole week at a minimum before being tempted to roll the dice here.

Rome Odunze | CHI (at WAS)

Rome Odunze has scored in every game of his young career, and while we obviously don’t expect that to continue, the fact that he has an end zone look in each of those contests is a hint that this type of production isn’t happening by accident.

What I like most and believe gives this second-year star a top 20 floor the rest of the way is the versatility that he’s being given the chance to thrive with.

Ben Johnson is a mad scientist, and he appears to be experimenting with exactly what is possible. Odunze has posted aDOTs ranging from 7.5 yards to 18.3 in his four games while lining up in the slot for over 30% of his routes in three contests.

He’s being used like a star, not a developmental project, and I see no reason to think that changes. There are plenty of early-season statistical spikes that I’d sell – this isn’t one of them.

Romeo Doubs | GB (vs CIN)

Romeo Doubs certainly looked like Jordan Love’s go-to option in the 40-40 tie with the Cowboys, but haven’t we done this before in this offense?

I have no problem labeling Doubs as the WR1 in Green Bay for now. For now. We will see where this offense trends (I still think Tucker Kraft is the only reliable pass catcher in this offense), but thanks to this matchup, you can flex him with relative ease this weekend.

Through five weeks (four games), 55.2% of Doubs’ PPR points have come on touchdown receptions. He’s a 6’2″ athlete who has scored on 11.9% of his career receptions. He’s proven himself capable of earning looks in valuable spots, and that’s a real skill, but the target count has a wide range of outcomes, and that keeps him on the fringe of the weekly starter tier.

Stefon Diggs | NE (at NO)

Fountain of Youth?

Full ACL recovery?

Random blip?

Depending on the lens you look through, Stefon Diggs could be labeled as anything from a must-trade-away player to a future league winner.

In Weeks 1-3, 61 receivers averaged more yards per route than the veteran, but over the past two weeks, he’s blown away the field with 247 yards on 41 routes (6.02 yards per route, nearly quadruple the positional average over that stretch).

It should be clear that the true projection moving forward lies somewhere between Calvin Johnson’s peak and the 62nd-best receiver in today’s game. We expect the New England offense to continue growing as Drake Maye develops, which has me optimistic about Diggs’ potential to return to startable numbers moving forward.

Upward trajectory alone isn’t enough to lock in a player, so let’s look under the hood a bit:

• Weeks 2-3: 5.8 aDOT with 55.4% slot share

• Weeks 4-5: 10.3 aDOT with 40.4% slot share

And this is where the interesting discussion comes in. If you’re buying Diggs as fully recovered, that’s the profile you want. Maye can extend plays, thus allowing an experienced player like Diggs to find holes down the field.

If you think this is a nice spurt, but that a receiver past his prime, coming off an ACL injury, is going to have an issue winning vertically, then we have a problem. Over the past two weeks, the Patriots have been telling us that they are in the former camp, asking their WR1 to forgo the easy button targets in favor of more field-tilting looks.

To my eye, Diggs looks fluid, and that has me singing an optimistic tune. For now. I don’t think a matchup with the Saints will teach us much, and that could well be the case next week in Tennessee, too. Regardless of what side of the coin you fall on, holding is the play.

With these two favorable matchups, you stand to have an asset that gains value in the short term. A late bye is a pain (Week 14), and a Week 17 trip to Gotham to face the Jets isn’t optimal, but the schedule is otherwise advantageous.

If you’re going to sell, you wait. If you’re sold, you’re riding this bus to the finish line. Either way, you’re playing him this weekend (I have him ranked over Jameson Williams, Calvin Ridley, and Ladd McConkey for Week 6).

Tee Higgins | CIN (at GB)

Tee Higgins found the end zone late in the drubbing at the hands of the Lions last week, and that put him into double-digit PPR points for the second time this season.

If a garbage-time touchdown was enough to get you back in on Higgins, I think you’re very much leaning into your priors too much.

He’s a talented player, but this situation is a disaster (all due respect to disasters). Higgins hasn’t reached 35 yards in four of five games and has been held under 0.60 yards per route in two of three games during this losing streak.

If you want to hang your hat on one thing, it’s four straight games with an end-zone target, but you’re putting a lot of weight on him paying off that one look. There is some discussion about the quarterback situation in Cincinnati, and while it can’t theoretically get worse, remember that teams put together depth charts for a reason.

I’d rather start the floor that comes with Khalil Shakir (at ATL) over Higgins. On the other side of the lineup construction plan, I have Matthew Golladay ranked one spot higher in this same game.

Yeah, it’s that bad, and a meaningless touchdown last week isn’t nearly enough to sell me on anything different. A new QB, however? Then we’d be talking.

Should the Bengals give the keys to the offense to recently acquired Joe Flacco, Higgins would move right back into my WR2 tier, ahead of the A.J. Brown’s of the world and in the same tier as Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton.

Terry McLaurin | WAS (vs CHI)

This quad injury is troublesome.

Terry McLaurin hadn’t missed a game in four consecutive seasons before Week 4, and, considering that Washington doesn’t go on bye until Week 12, I think they may take a long-term approach with their WR1.

Through three games, McLaurin doesn’t yet have an end zone target and has the lowest on-field target share through four weeks of his career. If the injury report is clean, we are looking at a WR2 that I wouldn’t hesitate to plug back into lineups.

Washington gets Dallas next week, so the hope is that McLaurin doesn’t completely miss this very favorable stretch (if there is a panicked manager in your league, a buy-low sort of deal is very much on the table).

Tetairoa McMillan | CAR (vs DAL)

The usage profile for Tetairoa McMillan is that of a WR2, while the offense he is heading profiles as a full fade. This is how we land in the middle, with him being a fine weekly option.

Through five weeks, McMillan has cleared 100 air yards four times and actually saw his slot usage hit a season high in the win over the Dolphins.

We know that he can win downfield, so that uptick in slot snaps has me interested in a flow-raising type of way. The vertical routes are going to continue to be there, but in this Bryce Young world, it’s hard to bank on those.

McMillan caught 75% of his targets on Sunday (September: 51.4%), and if the efficiency increases even a little, the eighth overall pick can trend closer to my weekly WR2 tier.

That’s more of a long-term view: if you’re earning 8-10 targets against and playing the Cowboys, you’re a must-start in all formats, that much we know.

Tory Horton | SEA (at JAX)

Tory Horton has caught a touchdown pass in three of four games, but he’s still searching for his first 40-yard game as a pro, and with a 44.1% snap share for the season, you’re really trying to thread a thin needle.

If you’re in the Horton business as a cheap bet against 32-year-old Cooper Kupp lasting in the WR2 role for the entire season, I’m with you. Kupp hasn’t overwhelmed at all, but if Horton were to absorb his role and work into 6-8 targets per game, you’d have my attention.

This is a dice roll that I like in deeper formats. I’m not ranking him as a viable option for Week 6 and don’t plan on it in the short term, but we play to win games in December, and if Sam Darnold continues to play at this level, there’s a chance that Horton will work his way into the flex mix with time.

Travis Hunter | JAX (vs SEA)

Don’t get me wrong, I love having a player like Travis Hunter in the league, but he is a different sort of threat when you have him on your roster.

He’s now made a 20+ yard catch in three straight games, the latest highlight being a 44-yard, track the ball and navigate contact situation against the Chiefs on Monday night, where he looked like a natural.

Because he is. The elite ball skills are what allow him to flirt with duality, unlike any player we’ve seen in the history of this game.

Weekly participation report:

• Week 1: 27 routes, 6 defensive snaps

• Week 2: 27 routes, 39 defensive snaps

• Week 3: 27 routes, 41 defensive snaps

• Week 4: 23 routes, 9 defensive snaps

• Week 5: 26 routes, 25 defensive snaps

The big play was nice, but it was one of 10 targets he’s seen over the past three weeks, and we also saw him limp off to the sideline during the Week 5 win.

He returned and is fine, but there is no denying the health risks that come from Hunter playing both sides of the ball.

I remain convinced that there is a top 20 receiver in this profile, but as expected, it will take time for the Jags to figure out how to maximize his potential. We aren’t there yet, and that’s why he’s more roster depth at this point for fantasy managers than a true weekly option (he’s my WR44 at the moment for Week 6).

Tre Tucker | LV (vs TEN)

The best way to score fantasy points, especially on these bad teams, is to be on the field, and Tre Tucker (91.8% snap share) certainly checks that box.

We continue to see Vegas explore how to use this big-play threat best, and, on the surface, that’s good to see. In the blowout at the hands of the Colts last week, Tucker notched his fifth carry in as many weeks while seeing multiple targets 20+ yards downfield in addition to multiple five or fewer yards from the line of scrimmage.

The six targets he saw over the weekend are about what we can bank on, and I’m just not confident that six looks from Geno Smith playing at this level is enough to matter.

This is a strong one-on-one matchup, but could this be a rare instance where the game script works against Tucker? I’ll co-sign the idea of rostering him for depth, but I’m not yet tempted to look this direction to fill my flex in any role.

Tyreek Hill | MIA (vs LAC)

Just a reminder that Tyreek Hill’s season is over and that there is no risk from moving on from him in redraft formats.

News surfaced last week that Drew Rosenhaus has Week 1, 2026 as a “realistic goal” for his client, but I’d take that news for what it is: an optimistic view from someone financially invested in this situation.

READ MORE: What Happened to Tyreek Hill? Revisiting the Dolphins Star’s Gruesome Injury and When He’ll Return

The early medical reports sound relatively good (no nerve damage), but dynasty managers are wise to take a wait-and-see approach with this devastating injury.

Wan’Dale Robinson | NYG (vs PHI)

I don’t want to make any sweeping generalizations about Jaxson Dart at this point in his career, but I don’t think the fact that 16 of his 39 completions have gone to the receiver position is a mistake.

Skattebo is soaking up the short targets, Theo Johnson is trending in a Rob Gronkowski direction in this tiny sample, and Darius Slayton has his role in the field-stretching business.

Where exactly does Wan’Dale Robinson win on a consistent enough basis to make you feel comfortable?

Trick question, there isn’t one. This offense has more upside with Dart under center than Russell Wilson, but not because of the receivers. Robinson has 44 receiving yards on 74 routes over the past two weeks and isn’t near my radar with games against the Eagles (twice) and Broncos making up the rest of New York’s October schedule.

The absence of Slayton doesn’t change much for me: at best, it opens up a low quality target or two and that’s not nearly enough to put Robinson on my radar.

Xavier Legette | CAR (vs DAL)

A hamstring cost Xavier Legette two games, but he returned in grand fashion. Scoring his first touchdown in 11 months.

It was a beautiful throw from Young, and plays like that are a part of the developmental process, but they are so few and far between that it doesn’t require your attention.

Legette has turned 107 routes into 39 receiving yards. That’s a tick over one yard per route, and football games aren’t nearly long enough to turn that into anything of note, especially as a part of an offense that is rarely in scoring position.

If you want to go this direction as a cheap way to attack the Cowboys in DFS, be my guest. It opens up a lot of flexibility, and that’s valuable with two teams on a bye and five games off the main slate.

Xavier Worthy | KC (vs DET)

Xavier Worthy was back to being WR1 in this offense on Monday night, even after being a late add to the injury report with ankle swelling following the flight.

The speedster was on the field for 77.8% of the snaps and earned nine targets. More encouraging was the type of involvement: he had a pair of behind-the-line-of-scrimmage targets in addition to two that came 25+ yards downfield.

Health limitations seem to be a thing of the past (17 targets on 66 routes over the past two weeks), and we still have one game left until we have to worry about what this offense looks like when Rashee Rice returns from suspension.

We will dive deep into that when the time is here, but for Week 6, you can bank on Worthy as a strong WR2 as you usually would, even against a Lions defense trending in a positive direction.

Zay Flowers | BAL (vs LAR)

The 1-4 Ravens have plenty of issues at the moment, but their WR1 has cleared 12 PPR points in four of five after managing to land a chunk play in this Cooper-led offense last weekend against the Texans (56-yard catch that he found a way not to score on).

Zay Flowers is seeing a career-high 36.1% of his targets come deep downfield this season, and while that brings about upside, the risk grows if Baltimore is playing from behind and opponents are shading against the splash gains.

I’m enjoying the ride while it lasts, but be aware that this is a rather flimsy house of cards. Flowers has just six red zone touches since the beginning of last season and has seen his target rate tank with each passing season.

• 2023: Targeted on 19.7% of red zone routes

• 2024: Targeted on 12.3% of red zone routes

• 2025: Targeted on 8.3% of red zone routes

I have him ranked as a low-end WR2/high-end flex in PPR formats because I’m not expecting anyone to subtract from his target count. That said, the targets these days aren’t as valuable as he hoped, and given that this team ranks 31st in average time of possession, there’s more room for regression than growth in terms of opportunity count.

Tight Ends

Brenton Strange | JAX (vs SEA)

An early hip injury ended Brenton Strange’s night prematurely on Monday night, and he was placed on injured reserve Tuesday afternoon, ruling him out for a minimum of four games.

The production had been plenty fine in the two weeks prior, as the former Penn Stater earned 14 targets on 56 routes and was playing roughly three-quarters of the snaps. He’s not consistent enough to hold through this injury, and there’s no replacement option worth your time on this roster.

If there is a beneficiary to this situation, Jacksonville may put more urgency on Hunter as a receiver. I didn’t change any of my rankings for the surrounding pieces in my Week 6 rankings after this news broke.

Brock Bowers | LV (vs TEN)

The Raiders continue to use the “day-to-day” label for Brock Bowers as he recovers from a knee injury that has limited him for the majority of this season.

It’s worth noting that Las Vegas goes on bye in Week 8, making it very possible that the team opts to slow-play this situation through October with a player they view as a centerpiece to their growth.

RELATED: Free Fantasy Waiver Wire Tool

Michael Mayer is likely to return this week (concussion), and the Raiders did open the season in something of a split. You’re playing Bowers once he returns to action, but he has to earn back his status as a Tier 1 tight end.

Cade Otton | TB (vs SF)

Seeing 12.1 PPR points from a tight end on your bench or the waiver wire is going to catch your attention, but I encourage you to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Cade Otton had a pair of 20+ yard catches against the Seahawks on Sunday, doubling his total since last Thanksgiving. Baker Mayfield is playing at an MVP level, and that’s going to result in one-off weeks like this. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that this was a game without Bucky Irving and Mike Evans, in which Chris Godwin totaled just 26 yards, yet still managed to score 73 points.

I didn’t view Otton as a viable streamer next week, and I still don’t. His routes are essentially empty calories, and we have too large a sample of that being the case to put much weight into one productive afternoon.

Chig Okonkwo | TEN (at LV)

Ward got his first career win and took advantage of the door being left open by the Cardinals. He threw 39 passes with a banged-up WR1 and an emerging WR2 that managed to shake free for just four targets.

In theory, that should lock in top 10 production for Chig Okonkwo, but he earned just five looks and 8.8 PPR points. At this point, we know what he is: he’s 5-6 targets that come with limited accuracy and almost no touchdown equity.

I’ll pass.

If you told me that you’re vying for a fantasy title in Week 17 and looking twice at streaming Okonkwo against the Saints with Ward finding his stride, I wouldn’t call you crazy. That said, there’s nothing you have to do at this moment in time when it comes to Tennessee’s TE.

Cole Kmet | CHI (at WAS)

Cole Kmet soaked up nine targets before the bye, but that was with Colston Loveland (hip) sidelined. He was the preferred option in the first two weeks over the standout rookie (six targets on 62 routes compared to Loveland’s three on 42), but that feels more like a placeholder than a predictive trend.

Kmet is walking so Loveland can run. If you want to hold onto him for now while Loveland recovers and eases toward the seemingly inevitable explosion, fine. You can do that, but I suggest not moving forward under the assumption that Kmet is a long-term solution.

Colston Loveland | CHI (at WAS)

This is precisely the type of player that savvy fantasy managers cash in on.

Colston Loveland was targeted three times on five routes in Week 3 against the vulnerable Cowboys, a usage pattern that would have resulted in a groundswell toward the rookie, but we never really got that.

He left that contest after those five routes due to a hip injury, missed Week 4, and went on bye in Week 5. Most of your league mates have larger fish to fry and have zero memory of Loveland being prioritized by Ben Johnson the last time we saw him.

Case in point? Cole Kmet was a featured target in Week 4.

Loveland was drafted to be the future of this position for this team, and if Johnson is cooking up plays for that spot, you better believe Loveland will have his moments moving forward, health provided.

He’s not a top 10 tight end for me this week due to the lack of clarity regarding his health, and this being one of the rare teams with a viable second option, but I’d make sure the kid is rostered.

The surge in value is coming, and I’d rather be a week or two early to the party.

Dallas Goedert | PHI (at NYG)

We’ve spent 1.5 months excusing the limited production of the Eagle receivers due to game script and the style of offense that this team wants to run, so why not play the other side of that coin?

Philadelphia is throwing the fourth fewest passes per game this season (27.8), and yet, Dallas Goedert is one of six players across the league to have scored in each of their past three games. Three of his seven touches over the past two weeks have come in the red zone, and while it’s been a fun ride, the math part of me simply cannot get behind assuming that it continues.

Goedert turned nine targets into 19 yards against the Broncos over the weekend: what happens if/when the volume dries up?

You’re starting him for now, especially in a matchup that doesn’t scare me, but he’s not in my circle of trust when it comes to tight ends I roster and know that I won’t need to sweat it at any point.

Dalton Kincaid | BUF (at ATL)

Is this Buffalo’s WR1?

Dalton Kincaid has been a top 10 tight end in three of five weeks and has seen multiple deep targets in consecutive games. He may not look like one of these size/speed blends that profiles well, but he always seems to be sitting in zones, and Josh Allen is clearly comfortable with his emerging tight end.

For the season, Kincaid is being targeted on 22% of his route,s and on Sunday night, he held a season-high slot usage rate (57.6%). The Bills are moving their former first-round pick all over the place and, even if it’s not with high-end volume, his connection has him sitting as a top 10 TE for me both this week and the rest of the season.

Through five weeks, he has an 18+ yard grab in every game and has improved his yards per catch from 10.2 in 2022 to 14.4.

Darren Waller | MIA (vs LAC)

Evan Engram and Jonnu Smith are on the list of the tight ends who have scored fewer fantasy points than Darren Waller this season, while Daniel Bellinger and Charlie Kolar have run more routes than the one-time elite TE and one-time rapper.

The touchdowns result in the fantasy spikes, but a 34-yard seam route and a first-quarter fourth-down reception point to the Dolphins really wanting Waller to be a thing.

I’m getting there.

He looks spry, and this is a great spot: a bad team that lacks stabilized target distribution patterns with Tyreek Hill done for the season. After playing just 25.4% of the offensive snaps in the Week 4 win over the Jets, Waller posted a 60.4% snap share in Carolina and hasn’t been asked to block a single time this year.

Waller is my TE12. Maybe that’s more a positional thing than a Waller thing, but at tight end, I don’t mind riding a hot hand like this, where there is usage to chase and an athletic profile in hand.

David Njoku | CLE (at PIT)

Dillon Gabriel wasn’t willing to take many shots in his first professional start, but when he did, David Njoku was the target.

It all started with a well-timed play to get the rookie on track (a 13-yard completion on his first career pass), and his confidence in targeting Njoku grew over time. The touchdown helped his fantasy stock in a major way, but moving forward, I’m more intrigued by him leading the Browns in catches (six), targets (nine), and yards (67); none of his teammates had even 30.

Harold Landry Jr. caught the first touchdown of Gabriel’s career and remains involved, but it was pretty clear that he was most comfortable when going the way of his veteran tight end. It’s hard to truly feel good about any pass catcher in this offense, but given the skill set and the position, Njoku is a viable weekly option.

Evan Engram | DEN (at NYJ)

He scored!

That was good to see, but we are still talking about a tight end who has yet to reach 35 receiving yards, is picking up just five yards per target, and has yet to play the majority of snaps in any of Denver’s games this season.

I want to believe. I really do. Troy Franklin has looked good at moments, but I think the Broncos are a good team, and I think their secondary role next to Courtland Sutton is wide open.

Engram was brought in to be that person, and I’ll be buying back in if he can build on the 13 targets he’s earned on 50 routes back from injury this week. After this matchup, games against the Giants, Cowboys, Texans, and Raiders loom.

I’m proceeding with cautious optimism. If you have room to stash him off the wire this week, I would. I wouldn’t force the issue in a less-than-ideal spot, and he’s ranked outside of my top 15 this week, but I’m open to the idea of returning to the low-end TE1 tier if we get a third straight week of 6+ targets.

George Kittle | SF (at TB)

George Kittle was doing George Kittle things until he decided to do less fun George Kittle things in the Week 1 win over the Seahawks.

Early on, he caught all four of his targets and scored on an extension play to the pylon, where he flexed his athleticism and awareness. When he’s right, he’s as good as it gets at the position.

The problem is that we almost always have to navigate injuries, and that is already the case in 2024.

Kittle has played the full slate of games just once in his eight-year career and is now nursing a hamstring injury that landed him on IR ahead of Week 2, ruling him out through Week 5 at the very least.

What causes Kittle to miss time is the same mindset that makes him an elite option when active. He can return this week, but a Week 7 (ahead of the Week 8 National Tight End Day that gives him life) activation seems to be most likely based on reporting out of San Francisco.

We are getting close. Stay the course and be patient: this is a game-changer at the highest of levels for the second half of your fantasy season (and, hopefully, the playoffs).

Harold Fannin Jr. | CLE (at PIT)

Harold Fannin Jr.’s first career touchdown catch came in London last week on Dillon Gabriel’s first career TD toss, and while the rookie tandem connected on all four of their attempts, 13 yards isn’t going to get it done.

For me, Fannin is more of a long-term piece than one you can rely on in 2025. He’s going to have a chance to develop alongside what the franchise hopes is its solution at the quarterback position. Still, with David Njoku offering more upside and showing well last week, this TE does not profile as anything more than a streamer.

Hunter Henry | NE (at NO)

Do you think the Patriots win or lose this game?

Hunter Henry usage by result:

• Wins (3): 64 routes and 9 targets

• Losses (2): 75 routes and 19 targets

He had the long touchdown in Week 4 against the Panthers, but he’s looking like a script-dependent tight end, and that makes his weekly value reliant on what you think of New England as a whole.

I worry that his looks are trending down with Stefon Diggs finding the Fountain of Youth: can this offense only sustain one pass catcher?

I’m keeping Henry on the TE1 fringe, but that third tier at the position is awfully fluid, and I don’t think you’re out of the long-term streaming mix if you’re currently comfortable holding New England’s TE1.

Isaiah Likely | BAL (vs LAR)

One target on 31 routes since returning to action in Week 4 is nothing to write home about, but at least he’s getting on the field and running a route on 67.4% of his offensive snaps.
The athletic profile is superior to that of Mark Andrews, and the Ravens are nearing desperation mode. I don’t think you can use either Baltimore tight end while Lamar Jackson is banged up.

Still, after the Week 7 bye, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Likely is ahead of Andrews in the hierarchy of this offense and the secondary pass catcher in an above-average offense.

The time to buy is nearing, but not just yet, not with the bye looming and roster slots so valuable.

Ja’Tavion Sanders | CAR (vs DAL)

Ja’Tavion Sanders suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 3 and is going to miss “multiple weeks”.

The 22-year-old tight end sparked in Week 2 against the Cardinals with seven catches, but even that came in that chaotic comeback attempt where Young threw 30 (!) passes in the fourth quarter.

I continue to think there is something in this profile. The blend of size and athleticism is that of an asset in this league, especially for an offense that is theoretically in the process of building. His target share, albeit in a small sample, was improved last season, and that’s impressive with an aDOT that was up 25.4% from his rookie campaign.

McMillan is going to be the alpha target earner in this offense for years to come, but after that, we are looking at a lot of middling talents without much proof of concept in the target-earning department.

Sanders doesn’t need to be held onto in redraft leagues if he was ever on a roster in the first place. Maybe he can be a streaming option in the second half of this season, but we will address that when we see that he is fully healthy and involved.

Jake Tonges | SF (at TB)

Jake Tonges is not Kittle, and he’s not going to be worth your time when the Tier 1 TE returns, but until then, why not?

He’s run at least 27 routes in four straight games and has scored three times this year (he capped the first drive on Thursday night with a six-yard TD). The 49ers are banged up across the board, and that makes a short, middle-of-the-field option ultra-appealing.

Christian McCaffrey threatens opposing defenses everywhere, but he’s an asset horizontally, and San Francisco has a handful of options capable of demanding attention deep down the field.

Tonges doesn’t have a 60-yard game yet, and I don’t expect that to change. But as long as Kittle is out, 5-7 high-percentage targets feels like a safe projection, and that puts him on the low-end of the TE1 radar based on everything we’ve seen at the position this season.

Jake Ferguson | DAL (at CAR)

You’d never know that Jake Ferguson had a touchdown-scoring problem up until two weeks ago, as fantasy’s top performer at the position has now found paydirt three times in eight quarters.

The spike in TD fortune is always good to see, but 7+ grabs in four straight is more of what gets my juices flowing. Reasonable minds can argue if he sees a downtick in production when CeeDee Lamb returns or if the increased pressure put on defenses puts the chain mover (6.6 yards per catch) in a better spot to succeed, but I’m not sure it matters.

Dak Prescott has three pass catchers he trusts, and a defense that struggles to stop anyone: Ferguson’s ranking among the fantasy elite is here to stay.

I won’t be paying the premium in DFS spots this week because I’m not sure this game environment resembles the ones Dallas has been a part of in the past, but that’s picking nits.

Jonnu Smith | PIT (vs CLE)

I believe that there is no true “bad” option at the tight end position because one big play has the potential to land you comfortably inside the top 10 for any week, but Smith is challenging that belief.

The veteran TE has yet to reach 30 receiving yards in a game and is running just 17.5 routes per game (10 in the Week 4 win over the Vikings before the bye). In theory, the conservative nature of Aaron Rodgers these days should elevate a big body like Smith. Still, it’s the Metcalf Show, and there isn’t nearly enough volume in this offense to sustain another player.

The big season with Miami was less than a year ago, but it may as well have been 15: this situation isn’t the same at all, and there’s no reason to roster him.

Juwan Johnson | NO (vs NE)

The return of Taysom Hill didn’t really take any food off of Juwan Johnson’s role plate (85.5% snap share with 26 routes run), but Spencer Rattler did.

Say what you will about New Orleans’ QB, but he knows what he likes. I think we can agree that Johnson is the fourth most talented pass catcher on this roster, and Rattler simply loaded up the three names ahead of him on Sunday to get the Saints their first win (Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed combined for 71% of the targets and 82.4% of the receiving yards).

That’s going to happen.

We saw Josh Allen routinely go to a wide-open Dalton Kincaid against these Patriots on Sunday night (six catches on six targets for 108 yards). But I think it’s safe to say that not only does Rattler not impact defensive alignment in quite the same fashion as the reigning MVP, but the Bills also have inferior talent at the receiver position.

I think you probably get more this week than last, but that’s a low bar to clear. Johnson sits comfortably outside of my top 12 this week, but I would hold if at all possible: the Saints still have games against the Bears, Buccaneers, and Panthers before going on bye.

Kyle Pitts Sr. | ATL (vs BUF)

Kyle Pitts caught all five of his targets for 70 yards and scored against the Commanders in Week 4 ahead of the Week 5 bye, his second top-7 finish at the position in September.

This, to me at least, looks different than Pitts’ tease runs of years past. His PPR points per target are trending toward a career high, and the efficiency is in a good spot to sustain, given his target diet.

• 2021: 11.2 aDOT

• 2022: 13.7 aDOT

• 2023: 12.0 aDOT

• 2024: 8.7 aDOT

• 2025: 5.6 aDOT

We’ve been fed the “he’s in the wide receivers room” propaganda for years now, and while that role came with theoretical upside, he’s been unable to cash in on any of it. Reasonable minds can disagree as to why the struggles happened, but they happened and showed no signs of correcting.

This chain-moving plan is going to keep Pitts’ ceiling case below that of a top 5 tight end, and that’s OK if it means locking him into top 12 status.

Like it or not, this is a different version of Pitts, and this version is a lineup lock due to the state of the position.

Mark Andrews | BAL (vs LAR)

We’ve got a problem here.

The touchdown regression was always going to be a red flag, and that’s paying off outside of the one big game. With Isaiah Likely now splitting reps, Mark Andrews is sitting outside of my starting tier at the position.

Forget for a moment the mess that is this offense without Lamar Jackson. Over the past two weeks, Andrews has out-targeted Likely 11-1 and has a whopping 14.2 PPR points in what might be the biggest usage edge he has at the position for the rest of the season.

He’s earning targets ahead of Likely, for now. We know he’s not an opportunity vacuum, so the fact that the on-field metrics are tight (Andrews leads 53-46 in snaps and 37-31 in routes) tells me that we’ve been fortunate to get what little we have over the past two weeks (52 yards).

OK, now you can stop forgetting about the Jackson injury.

That’s obviously a real thing. Zay Flowers had five catches, and the Texans had three. Outside of that, nobody caught more than two passes from Cooper Rush on Sunday despite a game script that was entirely out of hand.

Mason Taylor | NYJ (vs DEN)

There are nine players in the entire NFL with more catches than Mason Taylor (18) over the past three weeks.

Not tight ends. Not players who hail from LSU. Nine. Total. Players.

That’s obviously not going to sustain, and garbage time certainly factored into his nine-catch Week 5, but outside of Garrett Wilson, what Jets pass catcher can you name?

During this stretch, the rookie has earned a target on 24% and has seen the vast majority (13) of his receptions come shy of the sticks. If he were Jameson Williams, I’d highlight a stat like that as a reason for concern, but for a 251-pound tight end playing in an offense with a sporadic passer?

Sign me up.

He’s sitting outside of my top 12 this week, but not by much. Zach Ertz and Juwan Johnson are on a lot of rosters at the moment, and I have them both looking up to Taylor in my Week 6 rankings.

Mike Gesicki | CIN (at GB)

We saw this pass game finally get going against the Lions last week, albeit after the game was in hand, and that fueled Mike Gesicki, who saw a season-high in opportunities.

He responded by averaging a whopping three yards per target, and we are now more than 11 months removed from his last touchdown. I was bearish on Gesicki with Joe Burrow under center, and I’m not pivoting any time soon, regardless of who is under center.

This offense isn’t built to support a tight end, even if he essentially functions as a receiver in terms of route-to-snap rate.

There are better options on your wire for Week 6 (Mason Tayloe and Chig Okonkwo, as they mean more to their respective offenses), and I’m not optimistic that we see a lineup-lock version of Andrews for the rest of the season.

Sam LaPorta | DET (at KC)

Sam LaPorta got into the end zone for the first time this season on Sunday in Cincinnati, and it won’t be the last time a player gets right against the Bengals.

Even with the context of the matchup mentioned, it was good to see. We know that LaPorta is a highly efficient player (12 catches on 14 targets over the past three games), and it’s been good to see him add a little spice to things (27+ yard gain in three of five games).

The nature of this Lions offense is such that their tertiary option will change on a weekly basis. That’s a pain, but less so at the tight end position.

You’re starting LaPorta every week, and you’re gaining on many of your opponents in the process.

Travis Kelce | KC (vs DET)

Travis Kelce is coming off a Monday night game that featured him catching a season-high seven passes, the most productive of which was a two-yard score on their second drive of the evening.

There’s a high floor to his game these days (4+ receptions in four straight games isn’t overwhelming, but at the TE position in 2025, it’s not nothing), but the ceiling isn’t there and is at risk of falling even further with Rashee Rice now a week away from eligibility.

Kelce hasn’t picked up more than 15 yards on a catch in three straight games and has yet to earn more than seven targets in a game this season. As long as you’re realistic with your expectations (10-ish PPR points), this future Hall of Famer is still a valuable asset, even if it’s not close to the version of him we saw during the peak of his powers.

Trey McBride | ARI (at IND)

Scoring at least nine PPR points in all five weeks this season may not seem like the highest of bars to clear, but he’s the only TE in the sport that can lay that claim, and Trey McBride continues to offer a floor that is rare for this position.

The lack of usage in those ultra-valuable spots continues to irk me (12 end zone targets since the beginning of 2024 and a red zone target rate that is down nearly nine percentage points this year from last), but that’s like being bothered by having to fill up your Rolls-Royce with gas.

Like, you have a Rolls-Royce. What are you complaining about?

Marvin Harrison is starting to show some signs of a breakout, and if defenses continue to shade his way over the top to prevent the game-shifting play, McBride could well go 17-of-17 when it comes to scoring 9+ fantasy points.

It’s not a direct matchup, obviously, but seeing McBride and Tyler Warren on the same field will excite the fantasy nerd in me.

Tucker Kraft | GB (vs CIN)

Have you ever been more confident through four games in a season (Week 5 bye) in a player who has one finish better than 15th at the position?

Tucker Kraft looked like one of the five best options at the position during the Week 2 beatdown of the Commanders in an island game, but he has just 16.5 PPR points since, leaving those committed to him a bit underwhelmed.

Stay the course.

He caught all five of his targets against the Cowboys in Week 4, and with a little fortune, two of them ended in touchdowns.

This is still going to be a big season, potentially a very big season.

The Packers still lack a true WR1, and that is why Kraft is running a route on over 80% of Jordan Love’s dropbacks each week. Green Bay has been leveraging his YAC skills over the past two games (0.0 aDOT), and I think that elevates his floor in a serious way to complement the ceiling that comes with his ability to run those seam routes.

If the Kraft manager is willing to part ways with him at the price of anything but a lineup lock, I think you pounce and pounce fast. This buying window won’t last long.

Tyler Warren | IND (vs ARI)

I thought it would be impossible for a rookie tight end to impress me this season. Not because the top two prospects weren’t talented, but because of how much we had been spoiled by newcomers at the position in consecutive years after basically nothing in that regard outside of the Jeremy Shockey and Kyle Pitts seasons for a 20+ year sample.

Dead wrong.

Colts’ Tyler Warren is essentially Nittany Lions’ Tyler Warren, but with better TV coverage. Indy is exploring every nook and cranny of his skill set, and fantasy managers should feel great about the investment they made in August (and especially in keeper/dynasty formats).

Sunday was a great example. They went with an exotic package that basically gave Warren the chance to do as he saw fit in the red zone. After taking the ball and seeing nothing in the way of running lanes, he calmly threw it away and gave the Colts another down to work with in the red zone.

Sure, the next play was an 11-yard TD to him, so the symmetry works, but the fact that he didn’t feel rushed in a high-pressure spot was what I took from the series. He’s calm beyond his years, and we see that in his route-running every week.

He has easily been a TE1 in four of the last five weeks and is on a trajectory that could make him the TE1 entering 2026. I’m not going that far yet, and his target rate has declined every week this season. But you’re swimming in profit if you drafted Warren in the middle rounds this summer, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon.

Zach Ertz | WAS (vs CHI)

If you were under the impression that Jayden Daniels was the missing piece when it comes to Zach Ertz’s fantasy value, I’m sorry to report that he wasn’t.

The train of thought was logical: Ertz cleared 11 PPR points in each of the first two weeks with Daniels and totaled just 12.9 in the next two with Marcus Mariota at the controls, but he’s simply not a full-time player these days.

He’s played under 62% of the offensive snaps in four of five games and was held without a catch on his 22 routes against the Chargers on Sunday. This season, 12 of his 14 catches have come on first or second down, a role that tells me he’s more an extension of the run game than a weapon in the traditional pass game.

If I thought the running game was cooked, you could sell me on that role-holding value in a PPR scheme sort of way, but I don’t. Obviously, Daniels adds a rare dimension with his legs, but Croskey-Merritt finally lived up to what the advanced metrics suggested was likely, and that was why Ertz wasn’t used much over the weekend.

He’s still a viable player who can move the chains when called upon, but I’ve got my eye more on upside at the tight end position. The Waller heater isn’t going to last forever, but I’d rather stream him in this spot. I’d rather gamble on Loveland’s health coming out of the bye or Njoku’s potential connection with Gabriel.