NFL Week 5 PPR Rankings: Bounce-Back Week For Stefon Diggs, Calvin Ridley, Allen Robinson?

Week 5 has arrived and I’m excited to present my fantasy football rankings. This week is the last full slate of games before bye weeks kick in, so enjoy the full 16 games. Week 5 brings a ton of awesome games to enjoy. The NFC West sets up two exciting divisional matchups for the second straight weeks with Rams-Seahawks and Cardinals-49ers games. The Browns and Chargers play in a matchup between two clear playoff contenders and the Chiefs and Bills will provide an excellent primetime matchup on Sunday Night Football. Let’s take a look at the best fantasy options at each position for Week 5.

NFL Week 5 Quarterback Rankings

Kyler Murray continues to rip through the NFL as he’s firmly established himself atop my QB rankings heading into Week 5. Patrick Mahomes isn’t too far behind, though, as he takes a slight dip against a tough Buffalo defense. Josh Allen will make the game extremely interesting on the other side of the field and both are clear-cut top-five QBs this week. Dak Prescott finished as the QB7 last week and I have him in my top five this week. Tom Brady should bounce back from a rough week, as should Justin Herbert and Aaron Rodgers. I’m expecting Trey Lance to be the starting quarterback for the 49ers this week with Jimmy Garoppolo hurt, and his rushing upside puts him in the top ten for me in a decent matchup against the Cardinals. Russell Wilson and Jalen Hurts barely hang onto top-12 spots in tough matchups against the Rams and Panthers, respectively. Joe Burrow looks like one of the best streaming options this week against a beatable Packers’ defense and Kirk Cousins should take advantage of an easy matchup against Detroit. Sam Darnold is the QB5 this season so far thanks to a league-leading five rushing touchdowns, and while I’m not expecting that to continue, I’m buying in on him as a startable quarterback for fantasy. Ryan Tannehill, Derek Carr, and Jared Goff have lower upside but are very solid streaming options while Drew Lock drops to the QB31 in an expected start for the Broncos despite Teddy Bridgewater putting up solid stats.

NFL Week 5 Running Back Rankings

Derrick Henry’s increased utilization in the receiving game has helped him deliver spectacular PPR value and a matchup against the Jaguars is incredibly enticing for him. The Cowboys’ improved defense allows Ezekiel Elliott consistent usage and he’s locked in as my RB2. At the moment, I’m expecting Dalvin Cook to play, but if he is unable to play then I would consider Alexander Mattison a top-ten RB. Austin Ekeler is the RB2 this season and is an obvious must-start every week. Cordarelle Patterson is entering that conversation, as well, as the RB3 on the season scored three touchdowns last week and continues to see a large target share in Atlanta. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are both very viable starting options from the same offense. Saquon Barkley is back in the top-five conversation after finishing as the RB2 last week. D’Andre Swift is the RB7 this season and is locked in as a top-ten guy. Najee Harris, James Robinson, Joe Mixon, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire are all in the same tier for me as players with limited upside but guaranteed usage will maintain their standing as starting players. Chase Edmonds has also emerged as a low-end RB2 in the Cardinals’ high-flying offense. Antonio Gibson hasn’t seen the receiving usage we hoped for but he’s still a must-start every week. Josh Jacobs should be back in the lineup this week and back in your fantasy lineup. Damien Haris is coming off a few down weeks but should be a great play against the Texans’ struggling defense.

NFL Week 5 Wide Receiver Rankings

This is the week Stefon Diggs delivers on preseason promises of the potential for a WR1 finish. He’s only been the WR19 so far, but one touchdown in four games has limited his upside. Diggs should get back on track this week against the Chiefs. Tyreek Hill is my WR1 this week against the Bills, a defense he has torched in the past. Cooper Kupp maintains a top-five spot despite a down performance last week. D.J. Moore scored two touchdowns last week and is a top-five wide receiver for me this week. Deebo Samuel finished as the WR2 last week and is the WR3 on the season but he sits as my WR19 this week as I have concerns about limited passing volume in the 49ers offense with Trey Lance under center. That concern also impacts Brandon Aiyuk’s ranking. DeAndre Hopkins is lower in my rankings than he will be for most as the Cardinals continue to spread the ball around and he maintains a lower upside in terms of total targets. CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper are also dealing with a capped upside, although theirs is due to the Cowboys’ want to be a run-first team. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett arguably have similar issues to the Seahawks’ receivers, but they both keep top-12 spots thanks to their elite talent and the lack of proven ancillary pass-catchers in the offense. Marquise Brown, Mike Williams, and Ja’Marr Chase have emerged as weekly top-20 plays for various reasons. Michael Pittman Jr. is on his way to that standing, as well.

NFL Week 5 Tight End Rankings

I don’t care that Travis Kelce finished as the TE25 last week – he’s still my TE1 this week and should get right back to dominating the tight end position in fantasy scoring. C.J. Uzomah was the TE1 last week and while he has some streaming upside, I’m not totally sold on his fantasy value in a crowded offense. The top of the tight end rankings continues to be populated by familiar faces in Darren Waller, Mark Andrews, T.J. Hockenson, and George Kittle. My only concern in that group is Kittle with a crowded 49ers’ offense that may have a less passing volume with Trey Lance under center. Dawson Knox and Dalton Schultz have arrived as top-ten fantasy options, as have Jared Cook and Tyler Conklin. In a bizarre tight end landscape, I have no problem giving those players their due. Kyle Pitts hangs onto a top-ten spot, but the high hopes for his rookie season have not yet come to fruition. Noah Fant, the TE7 this year, is in my top-12 but I’m concerned about his value with Drew Lock under center instead of Teddy Bridgewater. Maxx Williams is a decent streaming option, albeit one in a very crowded offense, while Cameron Brate should be valuable with Rob Gronkowski likely still out this week. Mike Gesicki, Dallas Goedert, and Robert Tonyan, all of whom I had ranked inside the top ten prior to the season, are no longer the reliable starters we expected them to be.