Week 5 Rankings

Updated 10/11 at 12:05 ET. Added Julius Thomas. Removed Martavis Bryant. Ticked Julio Jones down. Moved Jay Cutler down. Moved Marquess Wilson up.

The Week 5 case for T.J. Yeldon isn’t effectiveness: It’s volume. Yeldon is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, but only Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte have gotten the ball more times on the ground. Yeldon has surpassed 22 totes in two of his past three games, and been held below 15 total touches only once. That was in Week 3, where Yeldon still managed 11 carries and two catches in a game the Jags lost 51-17.

Game flow won’t be an issue against the lowly Bucs, and neither will Lovie Smith’s defense. Only Cleveland and Miami have allowed more rushing yards. The Bucs are coughing up 21.4 fantasy points per game to enemy rushers even though they haven’t exactly faced a murderer’s row of opponents (Tennessee, Mark Ingram, Arian Foster-less Houston and Jonathan Stewart).

There’s no question Yeldon needs to run better, but he has a role most running backs could only dream of. He’s not just averaging 20 touches, he’s playing darn near every snap, including 78-of-84 last Sunday and 62-of-73 in Week 2. The Jags aren’t taking Yeldon off the field for Toby Gerhart, no matter the situation. I’d prefer to promote a back who’s running circles around the competition, but the next best thing is one who’s simply running more. Guaranteed to be on the field with the ball in his hands, Yeldon is an RB1 for Week 5.

Week 5 Quarterbacks

QB Notes: The Rams held Carson Palmer to one score last weekend, but didn’t exactly shut him down, getting burned for 352 yards on 46 attempts (7.65 YPA). Not even Jeff Fisher’s imposing defense can slow Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field. … The Cowboys’ defense has limited the damage through the air, but is permitting a 66.7 completion percentage. That’s a problem since they’re no longer playing keep away on offense, enabling opponents to once again rack up time of possession and attempts. Tom Brady will poke at the soft underbelly of Rod Marinelli’s defense until it bursts. … Matt Ryan is just 10th in fantasy points per game, but second in yards (1,202) and seventh in YPA (8.41). Devonta Freeman can’t keep scoring three touchdowns forever. Ryan’s TD rate is due to pick up. … Completing 63.4 percent of his throws, Palmer gets a Lions defense allowing a hard-to-believe 78.0 completion percentage. Throw in the fact that Jim Caldwell’s team is coming off a brutal loss on a short week, and you have a Cardinals receiver corps that should be getting open at will.

The Steelers’ pass defense hasn’t been quite as bad as advertised, but is still allowing a 69.5 completion percentage and 100.4 QB rating despite facing the unimpressive trio of Colin Kaepernick, Nick Foles and Joe Flacco since getting torn apart by Tom Brady in Week 1. Even with his weapons in flux, Philip Rivers should have a huge day at home. … Russell Wilson has been held below 20.0 fantasy points in 2-of-4 starts, but is completing 71.4 percent of his throws, and on pace for career highs in both passes (508) and rushes (136). Big days are ahead. … Peyton Manning’s four starts have been: Dreadful, passable, great and mediocre, in that order. The 39-year-old signal caller is on pace for just 24 touchdowns compared to 20 interceptions. His play has got to pick up if he’s going to remain in the top eight. Thankfully he gets a Raiders defense for Week 5 that’s allowed the fifth most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and been routinely flayed by Manning in a Broncos uniform.

The 49ers’ defense put up a surprisingly tough fight against Aaron Rodgers last week, but traveling 3,000 miles to take on Eli Manning in New York, they should collapse like they did against Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh three weeks ago. … Coming off injury in Week 4, Drew Brees was excellent against the Cowboys, but I’m still not prepared to trust him as a top-eight quarterback on the road. His health remains a question mark, and his “weapons” are among the shakiest in the league. … Andy Dalton has been phenomenal this season — only Tom Brady is averaging more fantasy points — but four good starts doesn’t wash away four years of unevenness when a defense like Seattle comes to town. Dalton has earned the QB1 benefit of the doubt, but not high-end QB1 benefit of the doubt. … Sam Bradford finally got the deep ball working in Week 4, hitting Riley Cooper and Miles Austin for long scores, and Jordan Matthews for a 30-yard gainer. He averaged 9.64 yards per attempt, bringing his season mark to 6.54. At the very least, the Saints will have to think twice before selling out on the box. Only the Chiefs are allowing more fantasy points to enemy QBs.

Only Brady, Dalton and Rodgers are averaging more fantasy points per game than Marcus Mariota through his first three career starts. He’s yet to be held below 22.8, an average that would rank ninth on the year. Meanwhile, though it’s fearsome on paper, the Bills’ defense is actually surrendering the fourth most roto points to signal callers. Mariota gets the edge over Tyrod Taylor with their showdown coming in Tennessee. … For the second time in three weeks, Taylor didn’t really get going until the Bills were forced into comeback mode last Sunday. The dual threat was also held to fewer than 20 fantasy points for the second time in four starts. Taylor has flashed all kinds of upside, but the QB1 borderline is where he belongs for a road matchup with a Titans defense that’s been surprisingly stingy against the pass. … Alex Smith averaged 338 yards during Kansas City’s tough two-game road trip through Green Bay and Cincinnati, but in typical fashion, has only one touchdown to show for it. Either way, he’s passing far more than he ever has in a Chiefs uniform, and is on pace for career highs in attempts (572) and yards (4,440). The Bears have already called off the dogs on 2015, and are a cake home matchup.

Jay Cutler has averaged 20.1 fantasy points in the two starts he’s finished. The Chiefs have allowed the most passing scores in the league (11). Don’t be afraid to fire Cutler up in DFS. … Blake Bortles is still completing just 54.5 percent of his passes, but has been a more reliable playmaker than he was as a rookie. He’ll have a decent day against the Bucs. … The matchup is right for Joe Flacco in the Browns’ collapsing defense, but his receiver corps is simply too banged up to put him in the top 16. … One thing that remained clear last week: Michael Vick still has a big arm. The presence of Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant makes him impossible to keep out of the top 20. … Derek Carr has been one of this season’s most improved players, but the Broncos’ league-best defense is also allowing the fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Keep Carr out of two-QB and DFS lineups if possible. … Josh McCown has temporarily silenced the Johnny Manziel crowd, but he’s a road leap of faith against a Ravens defense that’s had 10 days to prepare. … Colin Kaepernick is in danger of getting benched. Even in supposedly good matchups, he’s well off the radar.

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Week 5 Running Backs

RB Notes: Le'Veon Bell is the No. 2 back by average points. His 20.1 are 2.1 more than the weekly 18.0 he posted in 2014. If his touchdowns ever catch up with his yardage, Bell could be fantasy’s next LaDainian Tomlinson. … Jamaal Charles is already 50 percent of the way to his 2014 reception total. His 20 grabs have him back in the top three, and back amongst the game’s highest-floor players. The one-of-a-kind talent is averaging 5.2 yards per carry four games into his age-28 season. … Matt Forte has averaged 19.1 fantasy points in the two games Jay Cutler has played from start to finish. Even including his non-Cutler appearances, Forte is the No. 7 overall running back. The Bears probably aren’t going to beat the Chiefs, but Andy Reid’s affinity for field goals should keep Chicago in it. That means more than enough work for Forte. … Coming off his best game of the season, Eddie Lacy gets a Rams defense that was already allowing the seventh most fantasy points to running backs before losing WLB Alec Ogletree. Lacy’s now-annual stretch run is about to begin.

Arian Foster’s 2015 debut was about as forgettable as possible, but the top-five faith has to be kept for a player the Texans want to be their de facto quarterback. Only seven teams have allowed more yards on the ground than the Colts. With Andrew Luck out of the lineup, game flow won’t get away from the Texans like it did in Week 4. … Tevin Coleman is back, but while he was gone Devonta Freeman amassed 342 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. No. 6 for Freeman feels scarily high, but in reality, might be too conservative. Coleman is returning to change the pace, nothing more. … With the Ravens out of bodies at receiver, Justin Forsett exploded for his best game of the season in Week 4, stinging the Steelers for 150 yards on 27 carries (5.6 YPC). Now on 10 days rest against the Browns’ league-worst run defense, Forsett could get on a roll. … Mark Ingram is the No. 10 running back by average points despite not having topped 77 yards rushing and scoring only two total touchdowns. He’s averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Running back is in a sorry state.

Here’s the deal: The Rams need Todd Gurley as much as you do. Jeff Fisher basically didn’t have an offense before Gurley went off for 146 yards on 19 carries against the Cardinals. But having Gurley in the top 10 is all about his upside as opposed to his floor. For starters, Gurley was spectacularly boom or bust in Arizona, with his five best totes accounting for 137 of his yards. We also doubt 20 touches was the plan for a back still less than a year removed from tearing his ACL. This week, there’s a chance the Rams get buried early by the Aaron Rodgers machine. Nevertheless, when a runner is capable of 137 yards on five carries in his second NFL game, he gets a look in the top 10. Green Bay is allowing 4.8 yards per carry. … Marshawn Lynch’s (hamstring) status remains mysterious. He’ll probably tumble as the week progresses. … Allowing 113.7 rushing yards game and 4.3 yards per carry, Tennessee would be a nice matchup for Karlos Williams (concussion) if he can get cleared. … Frank Gore has been held to 8.7 fantasy points or fewer in 3-of-4 games. His workload and Houston’s shaky run defense keeps him on the RB1 borderline, but like Ingram, it speaks more to the lack of depth at running back than Gore’s actual production.

Latavius Murray’s Week 4 was a disaster — 3.3 yards per carry, a benching for fumbling — but he still amassed 18 touches, a total he’s cleared in every game. The Broncos are a tough matchup, but Murray’s likely workload keeps him in the top 15. … Maybe I have Dion Lewis, fantasy’s RB6, too low, but it’s hard for me to put a back who has just 15 carries for 77 yards over his past two games in the top 10. Yes, Lewis’ receiving prowess gooses his ceiling, but with LeGarrette Blount coming alive for three touchdowns before New England’s Week 4 bye, Lewis’ floor is simply too low for my liking. Blount, meanwhile, should have plenty of chances to finish drives against a Cowboys defense that’s begun to fray in the absence of Tony Romo playing keep away on the other side of the ball. … Joseph Randle is the RB9, but has cleared 10.7 points only once. New England has been allowing 4.9 yards per carry, but it’s hard to see the Cowboys committing to their running game in a contest where they will have to throw to keep up. Randle will likely disappoint if he doesn’t find the end zone.

DeMarco Murray is putting the “squeaky wheel” theory to the test after grousing about his role. He’s still Chip Kelly’s preferred back. Ryan Mathews has only six touches across Murray’s two most recent healthy games. … Seattle is a rough matchup for both Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, but I’ll give the edge to Hill. The Seahawks are allowing the second fewest fantasy points to runners. Roll with the back more likely to find the end zone. … Andre Ellington will change the pace, but coach Bruce Arians isn’t going away from Chris Johnson, who is averaging 4.4 yards on the fourth most carries (68) in football. … Doug Martin was quick and decisive against the Panthers last weekend, but has still had only one productive fantasy day out of four. The Jags are a tough matchup. … Ronnie Hillman has out-rushed C.J. Anderson in 3-of-4 games. Coach Gary Kubiak admits he’s earned more work. I was a CJA partisan before the season, but there’s no way I could put him ahead of Hillman based on what’s transpired over the past month. … Alfred Morris has again edge ahead of Matt Jones. He’s a legit FLEX play against a Falcons defense silver plattering the most fantasy points to opposing runners. … Try to avoid Antonio Andrews and the Titans’ “running game” if possible.

Week 5 Receivers

WR Notes: Odell Beckham is percolating. Allowing 9.2 yards per enemy pass attempts, the 49ers don’t have the horses to slow OBJ down. … Demaryius Thomas in six games against the Raiders with Peyton Manning at quarterback: 45/616/3. That extrapolates to 120/1,643/8. Thomas hasn’t gone for fewer than 5/83 against the Silver and Black since Manning came to town. … Antonio Brown’s 5/50 streak has been snapped at 36, but it’s important to remember his first start with Michael Vick under center would have been dramatically different had he not dropped a 38-yard touchdown in the end zone. Vick can still sling it deep, and with the Bolts potentially missing both Brandon Flowers (concussion) and Jason Verrett (foot), Brown’s Week 5 matchup is right. … Randall Cobb tweaked his shoulder in last Sunday’s win over the 49ers, but never checked out. The WR11 is ready to go for Week 5. … Carson Palmer has a 154.9 QB rating when targeting Larry Fitzgerald. Even as the Cardinals’ receiver corps gets more crowded with the healthy return of Michael Floyd, Fitz’s WR1 status is here to stay. Fitz has yet to post fewer than eight targets, 87 yards or six catches.

DeAndre Hopkins’ 61 targets lead the NFL. It’s embarrassing that the Ryan Mallett/Brian Hoyer “led” Texans have 30 more passing attempts than any team in football, of course, but even as Bill O’Brien attempts to correct his offense to account for the return of Arian Foster, it’s safe to assume Hopkins will keep soaking up looks. His Week 5 has been made easier by the expected absence of Colts CB Vontae Davis (foot). … Julian Edelman has at least eight catches for 85 yards in all three games. The Orlando Scandrick-less Cowboys aren’t going to slow him down. … Julio Jones leads the league in yards per pass route run. Antonio Brown is No. 3. Sandwiched in between them? A.J. Green, who is the WR4 as he repeats last year’s ridiculous per-route efficiency. Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom are a tough matchup for Week 5, but Green is a top-10 option no matter the opponent. … “Consistency” has never been Keenan Allen’s middle name, but it’s more likely I have him under-ranked than over. The Bolts could be missing Stevie Johnson (hamstring) and Malcom Floyd (concussion), while the Steelers have one of the league’s least-talented secondaries. Antonio Gates’ return is a potential wrench, but it’s hard not to be excited about Allen for Week 5.

Calvin Johnson fumbled away what would have been a massive victory on Monday, but still turned 7-of-11 looks into 56 yards against Richard Sherman and company. He’s drawn at least 11 targets in three straight games. Patrick Peterson is playing well, but has never erased Megatron in the past. … Jeremy Maclin’s Week 3 garbage time momentum carried over into Week 4. The WR19 is the league’s No. 7 receiver via yardage (398). Even with Alex Smith at quarterback, the touchdowns will come. … Owners have to keep the faith with Mike Evans. He’s drawn 25 targets over his past two games, and only six teams have allowed more passing yards than the Jags. … Coming off a week where they finally started hitting some big plays in the passing game, the Eagles get a Saints defense allowing 9.8 yards per attempt. 19th in the league in targets, Jordan Matthews could be on the precipice of a big game. … T.Y. Hilton’s upside can never be benched, but he’s a boom-or-bust WR2 with Matt Hasselbeck under center.

Amari Cooper continues to lead the league in YAC, with 192 of his 339 yards coming after the catch point. He’s like Demaryius Thomas or A.J. Green. Just get the ball in his hands and watch him go to work. Even in tough matchups like Sunday’s showdown with the Broncos, Cooper is capable of singlehandedly winning weeks. … If Alshon Jeffery (various lower body injuries) finally returns, it will be in a plus matchup with a Chiefs defense that’s allowed the most passing touchdowns (11) in the league. … Averaging an absurd 22 yards on his 15 receptions, Allen Robinson is always just a play away from potentially winning you a matchup. … Drawing target totals of 11, eight, seven and nine, Donte Moncrief has produced 10.6, 18.2, 9.2 and 7.5 (without Andrew Luck) fantasy points. He’s been more consistent than owners could have reasonably hoped for, but Matt Hasselbeck’s presence has him on the WR2 borderline. … DeSean Jackson (hamstring) is a week away, leaving Pierre Garcon as a WR2. … On pace for 76/912/4, John Brown is unfortunately living up to his boom-or-bust calling card. Of course, that means he’s still going to hit some weeks, and big.

The WR14 by average points, Kendall Wright has a nice home matchup in a Bills defense allowing the third most fantasy points to receivers. … Allen Robinson is the WR20. One spot behind him? Allen Hurns, who has drawn 10 fewer targets than his more heralded teammate, but has seven more catches. Hurns has yet to be held below 60 yards this season, and is developing a nice floor. … Leonard Hankerson: This Is Happening Apparently. HankTime has drawn at least six looks in each of his past three games. … This is aggressive for Martavis Bryant, but he’s been so missed in the red zone. His return also means the Steelers will no longer have to force targets to Markus Wheaton and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Bryant could get hot quicker than owners expect. … Brandin Cooks isn’t making plays, which is a problem for a supposed No. 1 receiver averaging a modest 7.8 looks. He’s a WR3. … Travis Benjamin is becoming a circular prophecy. His random big plays have led to deliberate looks. Perhaps he’ll be a WR3 after all. I’m still not holding my breath. … The Browns’ pass defense was struggling even before Joe Haden went week to week with rib and finger issues. Kamar Aiken is one of this week’s premier DFS “punt plays.” … It wouldn’t be surprising if the Titans spent their bye week trying to figure out a way to get Dorial Green-Beckham more looks.

Week 5 Tight Ends

TE Notes: Not even the Patriots’ Week 4 bye could stop Rob Gronkowski from having 13.5 more fantasy points than any other tight end. … No. 2 is Travis Kelce, even though coach Andy Reid is still having trouble realizing that, maybe, I don’t know, this is a player worth scheming the ball. Kelce is averaging an un-tight end like 14.0 yards per catch. … Martellus Bennett is a cinch top-five tight end whenever Jay Cutler is playing. Cutler is playing in Week 5. … Jimmy Graham is on pace for just 72/696/8 through four games in a Seahawks uniform. We’d be stunned if that didn’t pick up, but it’s becoming clearer and clearer that the days of Graham being the 1B to Gronk’s 1A are over. … The TE4, Charles Clay has posted back-to-back 5/80 weeks. A Titans defense allowing the fifth most fantasy points to tight ends could make it three. That’s especially true since Sammy Watkins (calf) won’t be around to steal targets.

Tyler Eifert has gone 7/118/1 since his 9/104/2 Week 1 against the Raiders. He’s still a top-six option — have you seen who’s behind him? — but perhaps the opener will go down as (by far) his best game of the season. … Jason Witten is doing 5/50 in his sleep. That’s sadly more than can be said for most of his competition. He remains a locked-in TE1. … The Titans need Delanie Walker to make plays down the seams as much as fantasy owners do. Having just had a week to rest his troublesome wrist, he’s a legit top-eight option. … Everyone knows Antonio Gates is Philip Rivers’ football soulmate, but Rivers is on the record as saying Ladarius Green has earned a role even if Gates is in the lineup. For now, we’ll keep Gates his ever-present touchdown potential higher in the rankings, but this might finally be the year Green doesn’t fade from relevance.

Settling into a groove in the absence of Andrew Quarless, Richard Rodgers’ presence in Aaron Rodgers’ aerial bonanza has him firmly on the TE1 radar. … Dwayne Allen is back to cancel out Coby Fleener, but perhaps the past two weeks have reminded Andrew Luck about his bromance with his former college teammate. Even with Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback, Fleener is an upside TE2. Allen is a touchdown dart throw. … The TE18, Owen Daniels is going to test the theory that any tight end can have a big day against the Raiders. Oakland is allowing 18.7 fantasy points per game to tight ends, 5.0 more than any other team. … Week 5 is also a laboratory for “Gary Barnidge, actually good?” No team is serving up fewer roto points to TEs than Baltimore. … Tim Wright has some plug-and-play touchdown appeal in the absence of Eric Ebron (knee). … Josh Hill needs at least one more decent game before he can again be declared “a thing.”

Week 5 Kickers

Week 5 Defense/Special Teams