While perusing the final fantasy football stat lines from the games on Sunday, I came across a tweet from one of my followers on X (@Roto_Wizard, in case you aren’t following me) that summed things up nicely: “It turns out that there was plenty of scoring this week; it just came from everyone that I didn’t roster.”
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Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 5
Yes, some players posted good stat lines this past week, but more than ever, it felt like they came from dart-throw options because of the overwhelming number of injuries fantasy managers had to navigate. Did you somehow pick up and start Braelon Allen? Jameis Winston? DeMario Douglas? Teagan Quitoriano? (I had to check the last one to make sure it was a real person.) Probably not.
Complicating matters further are the bye weeks, which are now upon us. Scouring the waiver wire for gems is more important than ever — look for players who will be thrust into the limelight with an advantageous matchup or who are starting against a porous defense.
Hopefully you dodged the plethora of landmines from superstars putting up duds, and fielded a lineup better than the one I was forced to start. Fingers crossed that the upcoming weeks are kinder on the injury front, because it is brutal out there.
Quarterbacks
Stud: Drake Maye (QB – NE)
After three weeks of head-scratching performances, Drake Maye has finally reverted to the MVP-caliber form managers saw at the end of last season. Against a Las Vegas defense ranked in the top 10 in several categories, Maye picked them apart for 374 passing yards on 26 completions, tossing four touchdowns and rushing for another one.
Even without alpha receiver A.J. Brown, Maye spread the ball around to secondary options like Kyle Williams (3/91/1) and DeMario Douglas (4/65/2) with relative ease. He will square off against the Jets in Week 6 and will look to continue his string of outstanding play.
Stud: Jayden Daniels (QB – WSH)
Managers who patiently waited for Jayden Daniels to return from his dislocated elbow were rewarded immediately on Sunday. Donning a large brace for protection, Daniels appeared no worse for wear, passing for 199 yards on 17 completions against a stingy New York Giants secondary.
Though he didn’t throw any touchdown passes (and was largely held in check with modest totals), Daniels escaped the pocket twice for massive runs, resulting in 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
This game will likely be remembered for Daniels’ bone-headed overtime decision to mismanage the clock and cost his team a chance at victory, but it was still nice to see him finish healthy for once. Daniels will face stiffer competition on the road against San Francisco in Week 6, before Washington’s bye week.
Stud: Jared Goff (QB – DET)
When Jared Goff shows up in the “studs” section, fantasy managers know it’s because his outstanding arm talent is being unleashed in Detroit. Against a very shoddy Arizona defense that continually blew up coverage in the secondary, Goff threw for 271 yards on 19 completions, tossing three touchdowns (two to wideout Jameson Williams and one to tight end Sam LaPorta) and sneaking in another on the goal line in a 45-21 victory.
Goff now has 12 touchdown passes through five games, and hasn’t thrown an interception yet this season. He’s currently the fantasy QB2, and he will be relied upon heavily to keep Detroit competitive, considering how terrible their defense is. The Lions are on a bye in Week 6, before two divisional matchups against Green Bay and Minnesota.
Dud: Dak Prescott (QB – DAL)
Everyone expected Dallas to steamroll Tampa Bay on Thursday Night Football, since it was a home game against an undrafted rookie quarterback — it turns out that we were wrong. The tables flipped, with Jalon Daniels shining in the spotlight and Dak Prescott struggling to stay consistent.
On 42 attempts, Prescott completed 24 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown, but threw two ugly interceptions. CeeDee Lamb pulled a disappearing act after his monster performance last week, catching just two passes on five targets for nine yards.
Prescott seemed flustered all evening and was forced into a pass-heavy approach, with Javonte Williams and the ground game struggling to find traction. He will square off against a stingy Green Bay secondary in Week 6 that ranks fifth in the league in passing yards allowed per game (175).
Dud: Tyler Shough (QB – NO)
This performance ranks among the most difficult to watch through the early season. Tyler Shough appeared totally lost against Minnesota’s defense, constantly under pressure from their outstanding EDGE rushers. This led him to force multiple throws into situations best left avoided, resulting in two interceptions.
Shough passed for just 96 yards total on the afternoon and finished with negative fantasy points in most leagues. He will look to turn things around in Week 6 on the road against the New York Giants. Big Blue is outstanding against the pass but has struggled to stop the run, so look for the Saints to establish Alvin Kamara early before trying play-action shots downfield to Chris Olave.
Dud: Bo Nix (QB – DEN)
Surely once play-calling duties were handed off from offensive coordinator Davis Webb to head coach Sean Payton, Bo Nix would experience a massive resurgence, right? Right? Wrong.
Nix continued his poor string of play this season, passing for just 123 yards and a touchdown against a weak Los Angeles Chargers secondary. This marked the fourth game this season in which he has thrown for fewer than 215 yards and just one touchdown pass. Compounding things further is his lack of rushing yards to compensate for the drop-off.
Things won’t get any easier in Week 6 when the Broncos host Seattle, as the Seahawks are surely miffed after a divisional loss to San Francisco. Managers might want to consider benching Nix until he figures things out.
Running Backs
Stud: Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT)
Jaylen Warren currently ranks as the fantasy RB2 this week, behind Jahmyr Gibbs. Since being thrust into the limelight due to Rico Dowdle‘s lingering toe injury, Warren has been fantastic, culminating in 198 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns yesterday. Even with modest rushing attempts, Warren’s usage on checkdowns and screen passes greatly inflates his weekly point floor, and he should be viewed as a low-end RB1 moving forward.
Warren won’t catch an 80-yard touchdown every week, but his big-play ability makes him a strong buy-high option. Pittsburgh squares off against Tampa Bay in Week 6, a defense that allows the second-fewest rushing yards per game (just 72.8). Look for Warren to continue his involvement as a passing-game threat for Aaron Rodgers.
Stud: Bucky Irving (RB – TB)
I alluded to Dallas’ epic failure against Tampa Bay earlier, and Bucky Irving was the catalyst. On a season-high 21 rushing attempts, Irving ran for a career-high 165 yards and a touchdown and also caught two passes for 10 yards and another score.
Routinely bowling over and through defenders at will, Irving formed a potent 1-2 punch on the ground with quarterback Jalon Daniels, who scrambled for several first downs. This breakout performance was a breath of fresh air after Irving struggled the last three weeks for his fantasy managers.
Tampa Bay is crossing its fingers that Baker Mayfield can return for Week 6, as the feisty Buccaneers square off against Pittsburgh at home. The Steelers opened as a road favorite by three points in a game that Tampa Bay desperately needs to win.
Stud: Braelon Allen (RB – NYJ)
I wanted to highlight Braelon Allen in the studs section, since I’m not sure when he’ll have this level of success again. Without Breece Hall, Allen dominated backfield touches for New York, rushing for a career-high 116 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. For perspective, the Jets called only three running plays for Isaiah Davis and Isaiah Williams — this was a one-man show.
New York managed a 17-12 win in this snoozefest against Cleveland, improving their record to 2-3 this season. Hall is currently listed as “week-to-week” with a quad strain, and it is unclear whether he will be able to return in Week 6 against New England. If he continues to nurse his injury, look for Allen to post back-end RB2 numbers against a Patriots line that surrenders the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game.
Dud: Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)
Ashton Jeanty entered Week 5 extremely questionable, missing Friday’s practice due to lingering foot and ankle soreness. Rather than giving their star player much-needed rest, Las Vegas opted to clear him instead, and the results were as expected.
Jeanty rushed for just 27 yards on 10 carries, salvaging his fantasy day with three receptions for 50 yards on six targets. Overall, Las Vegas played extremely poorly, especially on offense. Jeanty has been extremely disappointing the last four weeks and has yet to record a rushing touchdown this season.
Despite Las Vegas making a concerted effort to improve its offensive line this offseason with several free-agent signings, it has been horrific at opening running lanes. Jeanty will square off against Buffalo in a “get right” game in Week 6, which will surely be a shootout. Fingers crossed he shows up this time.
Dud: Chase Brown (RB – CIN)
For Chase Brown managers, Cincinnati’s bye certainly came at a good time, hopefully allowing the team to reassess its offensive identity. Drafted as a mid-range RB1 after a fantastic finish last season, Brown has been a major disappointment, failing to find the end zone in four straight weeks while his rushing attempts have plummeted.
Veteran Samaje Perine finished with more carries (14) and rushing yards (68) than Brown this past week, which is a concerning development for his short-term outlook. An improved defense has given Cincinnati the luxury of not needing to pass as often to stay competitive. One would assume that this would work in Brown’s favor, but the opposite has happened.
Brown has struggled to find running lanes when afforded opportunities, and appears to be suffering from Saquon Barkley syndrome, trying to turn every carry into an 80-yard score. Hopefully, the bye week will give him a breather and allow the Bengals to scheme him into the game plan more effectively.
Dud: Jeremiyah Love (RB – ARI)
Jeremiyah Love’s press conference at the end of Week 4 raised plenty of eyebrows in the fantasy community after the rookie running back revealed he was playing through multiple injuries and the Cardinals were monitoring his workload. It turns out that the concerns were valid.
Love rushed for just 22 yards on 12 carries against Detroit on Sunday and showed no flashes of his trademark explosiveness against a Lions defense that was putrid to start the season. Love is currently the fantasy RB22 in the young season and is struggling to justify his expensive draft-day cost.
Arizona doesn’t have a bye until Week 14, when the team will likely be out of playoff contention, possibly with a new quarterback under center. Love faces an uphill battle against the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos the next two weeks, presenting a buy-low opportunity for those willing to acquire him.
Wide Receivers
Stud: Christian Watson (WR – GB)
I have to say, I’ve never been happier to eat a large portion of crow than I am to see Christian Watson’s success this season. I warned managers to be cautious when drafting him, citing his extensive injury history and my assumption that Green Bay would find some semblance of a running game without Josh Jacobs. So much for that.
Watson has been the biggest beneficiary of quarterback Jordan Love‘s propensity to look deep downfield, culminating in his 6/143/2 performance on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Though his catch totals will never rival Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase, Watson more than makes up for it with his freakish size/speed combination and ability to box out defenders on downfield looks. Watson made several highlight-reel catches and is well on his way to his first 1,000-yard season if he can stay on the field.
Stud: Parker Washington (WR – JAX)
I sincerely hope you were able to climb aboard the Parker Washington hype train this offseason, hosted by the conductor — yours truly. In nearly every article that mentioned wide receiver breakout candidates dating back to March, I did my best to emphasize that Washington was a “must target” whenever possible. And here we are.
The fantasy WR8 on the young season, Washington had his best performance of the season on Sunday against Philadelphia “over the pond” in London, hauling in six receptions on nine targets for 124 yards and two touchdowns. There is very little downside to Washington right now — he’s an alpha option on an elite offense that throws, capable of playing both inside and outside to create mismatches against defenses. I don’t often endorse buying high on players, but this is an exception.
Stud: Malik Nabers (WR – NYG)
Welcome back, Malik Nabers. After easing slowly into the offense as he regained confidence in his body, Nabers has begun to assert himself as one of the top receivers in the NFL. Benefiting from the New York Giants’ inability to get their ground game going behind backup Jameis Winston, the team has switched to a pass-happy mode instead.
Armed with a ferocious “feed me more” mindset, Nabers made it clear to New York’s offensive coordinator Matt Nagy that he needed more touches. Well, consider that box checked. On an absurd 20 targets, Nabers hauled in 11 passes for 121 yards and the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He and tight end Isaiah Likely are the main reason the G-Men are sitting in first place in the NFC East with a 3-1-1 record.
Dud: CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL)
Want to watch my rabbit disappear? Poof! CeeDee Lamb managed to hoodwink his managers in Week 5, going from a 17/189/1 line against Houston the game prior to a 2/9 total on just five targets. Late in the game, Lamb picked up a “quad bruise” after he was hit in the same area the week prior. He tried to re-enter the game but couldn’t run routes at full speed, so this is a situation worth monitoring.
If Lamb misses time, Ryan Flournoy would be the primary beneficiary in this offense. Thankfully, he has a few extra days of rest to recover since Dallas played on Thursday Night Football, but keep an eye on practice reports to see if he can tough it out for a road matchup against Green Bay next Sunday.
Dud: Chris Olave (WR – NO)
Chris Olave fell flat on Sunday against the stingy Minnesota Vikings’ secondary, failing to record his first game of at least eight receptions or 85 receiving yards. On just six targets, Olave caught four passes for 46 yards while fighting through constant blanket coverage.
With quarterback Tyler Shough under constant pressure, Olave couldn’t get downfield quickly enough to finish passes or generate targets. Thankfully, New Orleans isn’t squaring off against Brian Flores each week, and they should find it easier to move the ball against the New York Giants in their upcoming matchup. Consider this one a blip on the radar of an otherwise stellar start. As long as Olave remains healthy, he’s a top-10 wideout in the league.
Dud: Carnell Tate (WR – TEN)
After Carnell Tate broke out in Week 4 against Baltimore for a 9/145 line, many thought he was coming into his own and would justify his lofty draft cost. Whoops. Tate turned back into a pumpkin on Sunday, recording just one reception for six yards on five targets.
As long as Cam Ward remains under center, one has to wonder how much Tate’s upside is capped — he simply isn’t a good quarterback. Tate will have the occasional good game, but his erratic statistical totals will make him difficult to trust as anything more than a WR3 for the remainder of the season. It is a real shame this organization drafted him, as he would thrive almost anywhere else.
Tight Ends
Stud: Isaiah Likely (TE – NYG)
As one of the biggest Giants homers on the plane, I thought Isaiah Likely would be good, but not this good. Inked by head coach John Harbaugh as one of the major holdovers from his Baltimore days, Likely has blossomed into a major threat for the Giants, which opposing defensive coordinators will need to account for.
Currently the fantasy TE2 (yes, you read that correctly), Likely is already up to 33 receptions for 284 yards and four touchdowns — totals that rival his full seasons while with Baltimore. As long as Jameis Winston is under center, Likely will keep getting targets on an offense that needs to pass to stay competitive. This trend isn’t altering course anytime soon.
Stud: Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT)
Brock Bowers and Trey McBride predictably finished as top-three options this past week, but Pat Freiermuth was right behind them, so I wanted to give this veteran a shout-out. On a team that seems content with turning back the clock, Freiermuth caught five of his seven targets for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Injuries to Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson should keep Freiermuth’s volume solid, and he can be started as a low-end TE1 in the short term, before Pittsburgh’s Week 9 bye.
Dud: Harold Fannin Jr. (TE – CLE)
One had to assume that Harold Fannin Jr. would feast on short-yardage targets this past Sunday, after wideout KC Concepcion left with a concussion early on. Not so much. Instead, receivers Isaiah Bond and Jerry Jeudy were force-fed passes as Cleveland played catch-up.
Fannin’s erratic usage is surprising, given his athletic prowess and the fact that head coach Todd Monken has featured the position in the past. We shall see if he can manage to get back on track in Week 6 against Baltimore’s defense, which hasn’t been nearly as dominant as in prior years.
Dud: Colston Loveland (TE – CHI)
I’ll admit, I was hopeful that Colston Loveland was finally coming into his own after recording six catches for 57 yards last week, but things took a turn for the worse yet again. Without Caleb Williams under center, Chicago’s offense has retreated into a shell — one that only grew worse in the absence of running back Kyle Monangai.
The hope is that things will turn around in Week 6 against a Falcons unit that will look to lock down wideouts Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. It is hard to trust Loveland to provide more than seven points each week, which is a scenario I never envisioned. Fingers crossed for better days moving forward.
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