Week 5 fantasy football rankings: Evaluating best QB, RB, WR and TE options

The Sportsnaut Week 5 fantasy football rankings break down the most important positions in fantasy, evaluating individual matchups, recent performances, and injuries for the best players in the NFL. Bookmark this page for updates leading up to every game.

Our preliminary rankings for Week 5 are done before the latest NFL injury report comes out. Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams won’t play on Thursday Night Football and Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) is questionable to play. Those are just a few of the stars we’ll be monitoring and each player’s status and likelihood of playing influences where they land in our Week 5 fantasy rankings.

Related: NFL games today – 2023 NFL schedule

Let’s dive into our Week 5 fantasy football rankings.

Fantasy football QB rankings – Week 5

Related: NFL QB rankings

Rank:	Player	Opponent
1	Lamar Jackson	vs Cincinnati Bengals
2	Josh Allen	vs Pittsburgh Steelers
3	Jalen Hurts	@ Arizona Cardinals
4	Patrick Mahomes	vs Las Vegas Raiders
5	Joe Burrow	@ Baltimore Ravens
6	Justin Herbert	@ Cleveland Brown
7	Tom Brady	vs Atlanta Falcons
8	Kirk Cousins	vs Chicago Bears
9	Trevor Lawrence	vs Houston Texans
10	Aaron Rodgers	vs New York Giants
11	Kyler Murray	vs Philadelphia Eagles
12	Matthew Stafford	vs Dallas Cowboys
13	Derek Carr	@ Kansas City Chiefs
14	Carson Wentz	vs Tennessee Titans
15	Jared Goff	vs New England Patriots
16	Ryan Tannehill	vs Washington Commanders
17	Andy Dalton	vs Seattle Seahawks
18	Teddy Bridgewater	@ New York Jets
19	Justin Fields	@ Minnesota Vikings
20	Jacoby Brissett	vs Los Angeles Chargers
21	Zach Wilson	vs Miami Dolphins
22	Marcus Mariota	@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Leading off the Week 5 fantasy football rankings, Lamar Jackson is headed for a shootout with the Cincinnati Bengals. The over/under for this matchup will be one of the highest in Week 5, creating an opportunity for Jackson and Joe Burrow to deliver three touchdowns and 300-plus yards of offense.

Tom Brady is slowly climbing back up the fantasy football rankings, in part because of a receiving corps returning to form. The future Hall of Famer boasts a career 117.4 QB rating with a 26-3 TD-INT ratio and averaged 319.4 pass ypg in nine career contests against the Atlanta Falcons. We’re betting on the MVP version of Brady coming out on Sunday.

Week 5 fantasy QB sleepers

• Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears
• Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans vs Washington Commanders
• Teddy Bridgewater, Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets

Entering Week 5, opponents are averaging a 105.2 passer rating with a 10-1 TD-INT ratio against the Washington Commanders’ defense. Furthermore, Washington has the second-lowest hurry rate in the NFL. It all means this is a prime opportunity for Tannehill to find the end zone multiple times and potentially eclipse 250 passing yards.

Assuming Tua Tagovailoa is out for Week 5, Teddy Bridgewater is an excellent streaming option. He plays to the level of the talent around him and the Tyreek Hill-Jaylen Waddle combo against the New York Jets secondary is a ‘plus’ matchup. If you want a solid floor, think 200-plus yards and two touchdowns, Bridgewater is a great Week 5 streaming quarterback.

Week 5 fantasy RB rankings

Rank:	Player	Opponent
1	Saquon Barkley	vs New York Giants
2	Dalvin Cook	vs Chicago Bears
3	Nick Chubb	vs Los Angeles Chargers
4	Derrick Henry	@ Washington Commanders
5	Austin Ekeler	@ Cleveland Browns
6	Christian McCaffrey	vs San Francisco 49ers
7	Aaron Jones	vs New York Giants
8	Leonard Fournette	vs Atlanta Falcons
9	James Robinson	vs Houston Texans
10	Alvin Kamara (Q)	vs Seattle Seahawks
11	Jamaal Williams	@ New England Patriots
12	Joe Mixon	@ Baltimore Ravens
13	David Montgomery (Q)	vs Minnesota Vikings
14	Najee Harris	@ Buffalo Bills
15	Miles Sanders	vs Arizona Cardinals
16	Rashaad Penny	vs New Orleans Saints
17	Josh Jacobs	@ Kansas CIty Chiefs
18	Tyler Allgeier	@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
19	Dameon Pierce	vs Jacksonville Jaguars
20	Rhamondre Stevenson	vs Detroit Lions
21	AJ Dillon	vs New York Giants
22	J.K. Dobbins	vs Cincinnati Bengals
23	Devin Singletary	vs Pittsburgh Steelers
24	Damien Harris	vs Detroit Lions
25	James Conner	vs Philadelphia Eagles
26	Jeff Wilson Jr	@ Carolina Panthers
27	Ezekiel Elliott	@ Los Angeles Rams
28	Clyde Edwards-Helaire	vs Las Vegas Raiders
29	Raheem Mostert	@ New York Jets
30	Antonio Gibson	vs Tennessee Titans

Saquon Barkley should be No. 1 in all Week 5 fantasy rankings. On pace to eclipse 2,000 scrimmage yards this season, the New York Giants running back draws a matchup against a Packers defense that is allowing 5 ypr this season. New York is going to put its entire offense on Barkley’s shoulders and that makes him a practical lock for 100-plus scrimmage yards and a touchdown in Week 5.

Right behind Barkley in the fantasy RB rankings, Dalvin Cook takes the field against a Chicago Bears defense surrendering 5.1 yards per rush and an NFL-worst 182.3 rushing yards per game. The game script works out favorably for Cook, offering him a high volume and his playmaking abilities could result in his best statistical performance of the year.

James Robinson is an underrated play in Week 5 as it’s difficult to ask for an easier matchup than this. Opponents are averaging 5.1 ypr and 172 rush ypg against the Houston Texans through the first four weeks. Our bet on Austin Ekeler paid off this past Sunday and we think there is upside for a 100-yard, one-touchdown game for Robinson in Week 5.

There are a few running backs we’re not as high on this week, but fantasy will have to start a few of them. Christian McCaffrey is squaring off against a San Francisco 49ers run defense that allows just 2.8 ypr and 78.7 rush ypg. As for Josh Jacobs, a breakout performance in Week 4 sparked hope for fantasy managers. However, the Kansas City Chiefs are holding opponents under 70 rushing yards per game this season.

As for the remainder of our Week 5 fantasy RB rankings, Miles Sanders is locked in as a high-end RB2 against the Arizona Cardinals as there should be enough opportunities for 50-plus yards and a touchdown. While we like Jeff Wilson Jr. from a season-long perspective, facing a Panthers’ defense that allows just 4.1 yards per rush to opponents limits the upside. We continue to stay away from Ezekiel Elliott, stuck in a timeshare without explosive playmaking ability and now facing a Los Angeles Rams defense that surrenders just 3.9 ypr.

Week 5 running back sleepers

• David Montgomery, Chicago Bears vs Minnesota Vikings
• Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks vs New Orleans Saints
• AJ Dillon, Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants

If either of the New England Patriots’ running backs got hurt, the healthy ballcarrier would become a top-12 running back. With both sharing the workload, Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson become RB2s in the Week 5 fantasy football rankings. We’d feel safe betting on Harris to deliver 50-plus rushing yards and a touchdown, while Stevenson can deliver 60-plus scrimmage yards.

We’re excited about Tyler Allgeier in Week 5. The rookie took advantage of more opportunities last Sunday and now will step into a more prominent role with Cordarrelle Patterson on injured reserve. Tampa Bay is allowing 4.3 ypr and over 100 rush ypg this season, so Algeier could deliver low-end RB2 production.

Week 5 fantasy rankings – WR rankings

Rank:	Player	Opponent
1	Ja’Marr Chase	@ Baltimore Ravens
2	Cooper Kupp	vs Dallas Cowboys
3	Tyreek Hill	@ New York Jets
4	Justin Jefferson	vs Chicago Bears
5	Davante Adams	@ Kansas City Chiefs
6	Stefon Diggs	vs Pittsburgh Steelers
7	A.J. Brown	@ Arizona Cardinals
8	Mike Evans	vs Atlanta Falcons
9	Deebo Samuel	@ Carolina Panthers
10	Chris Olave	vs Seattle Seahawks
11	Tee Higgins	@ Baltimore Ravens
12	CeeDee Lamb	@ Los Angeles Rams
13	Amon-Ra St. Brown (Q)	vs New England Patriots
14	Keenan Allen	@ Cleveland Browns
15	Jaylen Waddle	@ New York Jets
16	DeVonta Smith	@ Arizona Cardinals
17	Gabriel Davis	vs Pittsburgh Steelers
18	Mike Williams	@ Cleveland Browns
19	Chris Godwin	vs Atlanta Falcons
20	Diontae Johnson	@ Buffalo Bills
21	Christian Kirk	vs Houston Texans
22	Marquise Brown	vs Philadelphia Eagles
23	Amari Cooper	vs Los Angeles Chargers
24	Drake London	@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
25	Garrett Wilson	vs Miami Dolphins
26	Terry McLaurin	vs Tennessee Titans
27	Brandin Cooks	@ Jacksonville Jaguars
28	Allen Lazard	vs New York Giants
29	Tyler Lockett	@ New Orleans Saints
30	Josh Reynolds	@ Detroit Lions
31	Romeo Doubs	vs New York Giants
32	George Pickens	@ Buffalo Bills
33	Robert Woods	@ Washington Commanders
34	JuJu Smith-Schuster	vs Las Vegas Raiders
35	DK Metcalf	@ New Orleans Saints

As written above, we’re betting on Bengals vs Ravens to be a shootout. Because Baltimore’s pass rush hasn’t proven it can consistently generate pressure, Burrow will be able to throw deep to Ja’Marr Chase and the Ravens are surrendering far too many plays of 20-plus yards this season.

Related: NFL power rankings

There aren’t too many surprises in our Week 5 fantasy WR rankings, but the presence of Chris Olave at No. 10 might grab the most attention. Entering Sunday, Seattle is allowing 274 pass ypg and it was just picked apart by Jared Goff and the Lions’ backup receivers. Chris Olave (36 targets in four games) is quarterback proof and we’ll bet on him in this matchup.

While we’re not high on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, he can be trusted to get the football into Deebo Samuel’s hands with room to run. The Carolina Panthers can also be attacked in the slot, opening Samuel up to do even more. Right behind Samuel, CeeDee Lamb should avoid Jalen Ramsey and with the Dallas Cowboys star averaging 86.3 receiving ypg in the last three weeks, we’re not concerned if Dak Prescott doesn’t return on Sunday.

Carolina Panthers receiver DJ Moore will be outside the top-35 of our fantasy WR rankings. He’s an excellent offensive weapon, but his situation is awful. There is no chemistry with the wildly inaccurate Baker Mayfield and now Moore faces cornerback Charvarius Ward, who hasn’t allowed more than 53 receiving yards in a game this season.

We would also advise caution with Amari Cooper. Coming off a one-catch outing, he could now be blanketed by J.C. Jackson in coverage. It greatly reduces Cooper’s ceiling, making him a low-end WR2 in our fantasy football rankings.

Looking at the remainder of our Week 5 fantasy football rankings, we think there is upside for WR2 production from both of the Green Bay Packers receivers in a get-right game for the offense. Keep an eye on Robert Wood and George Pickens as well, with both likely to see plenty of targets and that raises the floor for each player substantially.

Week 5 fantasy tight end rankings

Rank:	Player	Opponent
1	Travis Kelce	vs Las Vegas Raiders
2	Mark Andrews	vs Cincinnati Bengals
3	Kyle Pitts	@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4	Darren Waller	@ Kansas City Chiefs
5	George Kittle	@ Carolina Panthers
6	Dallas Goedert	@ Arizona Cardinals
7	T.J. Hockenson	@ New England Patriots
8	Zach Ertz	vs Philadelphia Eagles
9	Gerald Everett	@ Cleveland Browns
10	Hayden Hurst	@ Baltimore Ravens
11	Robert Tonyan	vs New York Giants
12	Tyler Conklin	vs Miami Dolphins
13	Tyler Higbee	vs Dallas Cowboys
14	Dawson Knox	vs Pittsburgh Steelers
15	David Njoku	vs Los Angeles Chargers
16	Taysom Hill	vs Seattle Seahawks
17	Pat Freiermuth	@ Buffalo Bills
18	Dalton Schultz	@ Los Angeles Rams
19	Mike Gesicki	@ New York Jets

Closing out our Week 5 positional fantasy rankings, there is the usual elite tier at tight end. Kyle Pitts worked his way back into the group and this is a favorable draw as tight ends have totaled 139 receiving yards with three touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the last two games.

Making our way down the fantasy TE rankings, Zach Ertz gets a revenge game against his former team and Philadelphia can be attacked in the middle of the field. We’re also moving Robert Tonyan up once again. He scored a touchdown and snagged six receptions in Week 4, proving he is one of the few targets Aaron Rodgers trusts.

Week 5 could be pivotal to determining Pat Freiermuth’s fantasy value moving forward. He snagged five receptions on 10 targets with 75 receiving yards in Week 1 then couldn’t even meet those totals in his next two games combined. Things got better last Sunday (85 receiving yards, nine targets) but we need to see how often Kenny Pickett targets him.

For those seeking streaming options at tight end in Week 5, Will Dislly, Taysom Hill and Evan Engram all provide some intriguing upside. If Tonyan is available in any leagues, though, he should be the priority.

Week 5 fantasy kicker rankings

1. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens vs Cincinnati Bengals
2. Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons
3. Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens
4. Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles vs Arizona Cardinals
5. Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders vs Kansas City Chiefs
6. Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants
7. Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos vs Indianapolis Colts
8. Brett Maher, Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Rams
9. Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills vs Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets
11. Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers vs Carolina Panthers
12. Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears
13. Graham Gano, New York Giants vs Green Bay Packers
14. Dustin Hopkins, Los Angeles Chargers vs Cleveland Browns
15. Matt Gay, Los Angeles Rams vs Dallas Cowboys

Week 5 D/ST rankings