The fifth Sunday of the NFL season featured a pair of winless teams (Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints) earning wins. Both of the previously unbeaten teams (Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills) are no longer so after falling in home games.
Individually, a backup running back for the Carolina Panthers rushed for more than 200 yards (Rico Dowdle), the league's leading rusher scored three touchdowns (Jonathan Taylor) and a rookie wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continues to produce major numbers (Emeka Egbuka).
The best part: Unlike prior weeks with critical, long-term injuries removing so many fantasy options (Joe Burrow, Malik Nabers, Tyreek Hill, James Conner), managers were spared in Week 5 -- at least so far.
Each Monday, before the current NFL week ends, we will identify players available in at least 50% of ESPN standard leagues worthy of your attention, from standard formats to deeper options. The NFL is a weekly league, and player valuation and roles seldom remain stagnant. It does not matter how you acquire players for your fantasy rosters, just that you get them.
Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (rostered in 21.9% of ESPN leagues): The Dolphins lost to the Panthers in their first game without star WR Tyreek Hill, but Tagovailoa scored 22.4 PPR points, his top statistical game of the season. He tossed touchdowns to RB De'Von Achane, WR Jaylen Waddle and TE Darren Waller, the latter among the most-added players in ESPN leagues. Waller's surprising presence greatly adjusts this offense. We shall see if Tagovailoa can thrive against a better defense in Week 6 (Los Angeles Chargers), but his five TD passes with nary a turnover over the past two games are a good sign, for sure.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (52.3%): We cheat a bit with the roster percentage being over 50%, but Stafford should be ranked as a top-10 QB for Week 6 because he faces the beleaguered, injury-riddled Baltimore Ravens defense. So many Ravens are out, not to mention their MVP-caliber QB Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have permitted at least 37 points in four of five games, including Sunday against the middling Houston Texans offense. Stafford started this season a bit slowly, but he boasts 52.96 PPR points over his past two games with nearly 800 passing yards. When healthy, he remains underrated -- and with arguably the top WR tandem in the sport.
Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts
San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones (2.2%) has started more games than Brock Purdy (toe) this season, and it sure looks like that's going to continue for at least another week or two. Jones scored 22.18 points last Thursday against Stafford's Rams after scoring 21.76 points in Week 3. Nobody is saying he is better than Purdy, but Purdy isn't playing. Jones should start Week 6 against the Buccaneers, a team that tends to play in high-scoring affairs. We certainly can wonder what would have happened had Jones had more help during his New England Patriots years.
Texans starter C.J. Stroud (60.8%) looked terrible for the first three games of the season, in part because he rarely has reasonable time to throw behind a subpar offensive line. Then he got to face the Titans and the Ravens, and now everything looks great! Stroud will be a popular add this week... but why? Yes, Stroud threw six touchdowns and completed 45 of 55 passes over the past two games, but he isn't playing in Week 6 (bye) and the Seattle Seahawks, 49ers and Denver Broncos are up next. It would be tough to rely on him for those games. Go with Seahawks starter Sam Darnold (14.4%) instead. We discuss Darnold in this space quite a bit.
The most-added QB in ESPN standard leagues entering Week 5 was New York Giants rook Jaxson Dart (44.3%), and he remains a bit too available. Yeah, Dart is a tad raw when throwing the football. Rookies turn the ball over and Dart sure did that in Sunday's loss to the Saints. He also tossed a pair of TD passes and ran for 55 yards. He is a top-20 QB option every week because he runs -- even sans Nabers and even for a Thursday game this coming week against the befuddling Eagles.
Running back
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals (41.9%): Someone had to handle the running back touches with James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) out -- and Emari Demercado became the most-added player in ESPN leagues. Carter was added in quite a few, too, and he was the top Arizona running back in Sunday's stunning loss to the Titans, turning 23 touches into 18.3 PPR points. Demercado scored 6.1 points, though it was his own fault he didn't score more. When will players stop celebrating touchdowns before they cross the goal line? Carter is the better addition for Week 6 against the tough Indianapolis Colts.
Rico Dowdle, Panthers (58.7%): Well, that was quite unexpected, eh? With starter Chuba Hubbard (calf) sidelined, Dowdle got the start and turned 26 touches into 234 yards and a touchdown -- a cool 32.4 PPR points. With several top running backs on bye (Bijan Robinson, Josh Jacobs), Dowdle was active in 47.3% of ESPN leagues. Dowdle, 27, rushed for 1,079 yards for last season's Dallas Cowboys, so he's no rookie. However, Hubbard was the undisputed starter over the first few weeks of this season, and he may return for Week 6 against the -- wait for it -- Cowboys. Dowdle surely would love a full-time role and revenge if Hubbard sits and, to be fair, this performance may force the Panthers to reconsider things. Add Dowdle in case Hubbard sits again.
Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts
For those who merely make their free agent pickups based on scoring from the prior week, you may forget about players who sat during the Week 5 bye. Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers may or may not get starter Jaylen Warren back, so add Kenneth Gainwell (47.1%) just in case. Atlanta Falcons backup Tyler Allgeier (31.7%) is also quite underrated.
Wide receiver
Kendrick Bourne, 49ers (6.5%): As with the Cardinals running backs, someone had to catch the Mac Jones passes for the 49ers with Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle) both out. Bourne, 30, clearly outshined Demarcus Robinson (2.2%) on Thursday against the Rams, catching 10 passes for 142 yards (24.2 PPR points). The 49ers play the Buccaneers this week, and, as of now, we don't know whether Pearsall and/or Jennings will be suiting up for this one. However, we do know offenses move the football on the Buccaneers. Bourne caught eight passes on just 13 targets during his first three games this season, so his opportunity may dry up quickly if the starting WRs do play.
Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts
Cowboys deep reserve Ryan Flournoy (0.1%) entered Sunday with just four catches over four games. A sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, this Southeast Missouri State product broke out in the easy win over the New York Jets with six catches for 114 yards, including a 46-yarder. George Pickens caught only two passes, albeit one for a touchdown. We don't know if star CeeDee Lamb (ankle) or reserve KaVontae Turpin (foot) will be ready to face the Panthers this week, but Flournoy warrants attention if only in case they sit again.
More than a few Colts enjoyed their Sunday afternoon against the feeble Las Vegas Raiders, but nobody had more receptions or targets than Josh Downs (43%). Should we read into this? Perhaps not. RB Jonathan Taylor is the star of the offense and WR Michael Pittman Jr. and TE Tyler Warren see more Daniel Jones targets. Still, this is a reminder that if this offense keeps thriving, Downs may matter.
As mentioned previously, the Texans had little trouble running up the score on the Ravens, so don't read much into Houston third-year WR Xavier Hutchinson (0.1%) nabbing a pair of short touchdown grabs. Rookie Jayden Higgins, who hasn't broken out yet, remains more likely to do so, but not with this schedule over the next month. Fantasy managers should bypass these Texans for short-term options.
Perhaps similarly, it is hard to feel much love for Panthers WR Xavier Legette, who turned one of his three targets into a touchdown against Miami. Rookie Tetairoa McMillan is an emerging star. No other Panthers WR is doing enough to warrant fantasy inclusion. Hunter Renfrow, who scored 23.8 PPR points in Week 2 and got added in a lot of leagues, has seen only 7.3 PPR points over three games since then.
Instead of adding Texans or Panthers, look at receivers who are coming off the bye, especially Green Bay Packers starter Romeo Doubs (44.9%) and Atlanta Falcons starter Darnell Mooney (47%).
Tight end
Liz Loza breaks down her fantasy outlook for Darren Waller in Week 6 after a nice game vs. the Panthers.
Darren Waller, Dolphins (48.3%): Waller has played in only two games, but this will likely be the final time he is featured in this space. Waller scored 17.7 PPR points in Week 4 and 18.8 points in Week 5. What's next, 19.9 points in Week 6 against the Chargers? Well, anything is possible, but this fellow looks like a TE1 option.
Theo Johnson, Giants (5.5%): Perhaps it is a reach to compare Johnson's situation to that of Waller. Then again, both offenses lost a star wide receiver in Week 4 and their tight end started scoring touchdowns. As with Waller, Johnson has three of them in these two games. Dart targeted Johnson seven times on Sunday. This looks legit.
AJ Barner, Seahawks (0.8%): Barner remains very much under the radar, but he led tight ends with 24.3 PPR points in Week 5 and he has touchdowns in three of four games. You don't drop Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews (yet) to get Barner (or Johnson, for that matter), but this is getting interesting.
Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts
Few would regard the winless Jets as boasting much of a passing offense, but rookie TE Mason Taylor (8.1%) has 19 targets in his last two games, with 14 catches for 132 yards. He hasn't scored a touchdown yet, but when he does it may be too late to acquire him in deeper formats.
The Taysom Hill (7.6%) season debut yielded precious little for fantasy, less than 1 fantasy point to be exact. Juwan Johnson is the star TE in New Orleans now. Hill rushed six times for minus-1 yard and threw one pass for 19 yards. It will get better, but perhaps not enough for fantasy managers.
Bye weeks: Keep these players rostered
Bye weeks continue in Week 6 with the Minnesota Vikings and Texans. Five Vikings players are rostered in more than 33% of ESPN leagues (Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Mason, Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones Sr.). Jones fits nicely in an IR spot, so you're probably keeping him. What about Hockenson? He has scored double-digit PPR points in just one of five games, and he hasn't reached 50 receiving yards yet. I can see the point in moving on, especially if you prefer to add Waller for him, but I can't do it. The Vikings just played twice in Europe. Things should normalize soon. Hockenson should improve.
We don't need to tell you to keep Texans WR Nico Collins (99.9%) around, but do any other Texans deserve it? We mentioned Stroud earlier. You don't need to keep him around in single-QB formats. Everyone assumed rookie RB Woody Marks was the one to trust, and then he scored only 2.4 PPR points on Sunday, with veteran Nick Chubb reaching double-digit PPR points for the second time. It is tough to trust any Texans player other than Collins. Move on from the others if you need the bench spot.
Defense
The Vikings D/ST (96.4%) is the highest rostered unit in ESPN leagues, but it has scored more than 5 PPR points in only one of five games (Week 3, with 32 PPR points against the feeble Bengals). The Vikings play the Eagles, Chargers, Detroit Lions and Ravens (presumably with Lamar Jackson back) after the bye. It may feel wrong, but you can move on from the Vikings D/ST. We will not predict great fantasy games for a while.
The Texans D/ST (78.9%) is fifth-most rostered. It has been better than the Vikings in four of five weeks, but again, move on. There is no need to roster more than one D/ST unit. As Aerosmith might sing, "Stream on."
The Packers (46%) return from their bye week with a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. There will be turnovers. Go get the Packers D/ST.
Baltimore will likely be without Jackson for Week 6 versus the Rams (49.1%). Stream the Rams D/ST against backup QB Cooper Rush.
No D/ST scored more PPR points in Week 5 than the Saints (2.6%) did against the Giants (18 PPR points). The Saints host the Patriots this week, making the unit an interesting streamer.