Fantasy Football Week 5 Recap - We Have It Figured Out!

Aaron Rodgers found parts of his game that were thought to be dead and brought them back alive in Week 5 against Indianapolis; showed renewed effectiveness.

Failed to score in Week 5 despite being started by fantasy managers; lost goal-line work to Kendra Miller, who received all the carries inside the five-yard line and punched in an early touchdown, limiting Kamara's scoring opportunity.

Alvin Kamara's fantasy value becomes unreliable if Tyler Shuck has a broken hand; the highs seen earlier in season can't be trusted moving forward, making him unserious for fantasy purposes alongside Juwan Johnson.

Williams is a rookie receiver on the Commanders; Matt Harmon likes him but notes he's part of a limited receiving corps, especially when Diggs is not playing.

Brandon Cooks showed up late in 49ers-Seahawks game with a touchdown; Mike McDonald called timeout before the play, forcing a redo, but Cooks caught the same touchdown design on scramble with Brock Purdy; Harmon notes the 49ers are going to need Brandon Cooks at this point given injuries to Debo Samuel and Jacob Cowan.

Brock Bowers went 10 targets, 8 receptions, 110 yards and a touchdown against Patriots' depleted secondary (top two corners out); became second-fastest tight end in NFL history to 2000 yards (only behind Mike Ditka); Harmon notes he's now uncoverable and will face top corners moving forward; still only 19-20% snaps in line but completely uncoverable at this point.

Brock Purdy threw 2 interceptions in high-turnover 49ers-Seahawks game but showed aggression and willingness to throw with anticipation, particularly on in-breakers to Mike Evans; Harmon notes the 49ers offense is statistically the best in the NFL coming into Week 5.

Douglas has barely been seen through five weeks but flashed in the opening two weeks of the season; the eye test suggests he is a wide receiver the Dolphins can build around despite limited opportunities.

Caleb Williams is expected to return from injury next week. Matt Harmon states: "That sounds like we're going to get Caleb Williams back next week. That's just based off of some of the quotes that I saw." His return should significantly improve the Bears offense and the fantasy outlook for all Bears pass-catchers, though the crowded receiver room remains a concern.

Matt Harmon notes that Chase Brown has been discussed as a buy-low candidate every single week, and this week against the Dolphins was expected to be the breakout opportunity; the Dolphins' defense allows easy short throws and simple plays, creating potential for increased running back usage.

Despite repeated buy-low calls, Chase Brown failed to deliver in Week 5 with 13 carries for 39 yards and 3 receptions for 21 yards plus a fumble; Matt Harmon assesses him as a competent NFL starter lacking elite explosiveness and tackle-breaking ability, with a ceiling limited to goal-line work and flat-route receptions rather than the elite production expected from a 15th overall draft pick.

Bell's best play has been taken away in the Dolphins offense, but the eye test suggests he is a wide receiver the team can build around for the future.

Recorded one 16-yard explosive play in Saints' historically poor offensive performance against Vikings; Saints offense generated just 2.3% explosive play rate, the lowest in the Next Gen Stats era since 2016, with Olave's reception being the only explosive play of the day.

Chris Olave is essentially the only reliable Saints fantasy option if Tyler Shuck's broken hand limits the passing game; Juwan Johnson and Alvin Kamara become unserious plays.

Led Saints backfield in snap count during Week 5 loss to Vikings, playing the most snaps as the pass protection back; role aligns with preview show prediction that Donaldson would handle pass protection duties.

Cody White had 2 catches for 44 yards in Raiders-Patriots game; Harmon notes the Raiders need more wide receiver help beyond White and Brock Bowers, as they lack needle-moving talent at receiver positions.

Loveland has been mysteriously uninvolved in the Bears offense despite preseason expectations that he would be a focal point. Matt Harmon states: "The Loveland stuff is the one that's really, really hard to explain because he's just not involved in the offense. He never gets these priority looks. And I think he's the one that I've probably changed the priors on the most because I was expecting him to be the focal point. And he's not." He received only five targets on all dropbacks in Week 5, suggesting a significant downgrade from prior expectations.

Loveland is mysteriously not involved in the Bears offense despite the crowded receiver room; Matt Harmon notes he remains in the same old role with no clear path to increased usage, with Raymond also hanging around, making it unclear if anybody will fully run away with the target share.

Daniel Jones continues to disappoint post-Achilles injury; he doesn't move like he used to, and his deep ball accuracy is poor (1 for 11 on the deepest passes of the game), making him unreliable for fantasy purposes and limiting his receivers' upside despite their individual talent.

Darius Slayton's role in the Giants offense is unclear and inactive; Matt Harmon expressed surprise at his lack of involvement, questioning whether he will ever get active playing time in this dysfunctional offense.

Debo Samuel suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 and did not return; Harmon suggests this injury seems long-term; with Debo and Jacob Cowan both injured, Mike Evans and George Kittle become the primary pass catchers for the 49ers offense.

Metcalf benefited from strong blocking downfield in Week 5, with Sauce Gardner's trash talk potentially contributing to his groove; he was sprung on a long touchdown by effective blocking from teammates.

DK Metcalf provided key blocking downfield on Jalen Warren's 80-yard touchdown, springing him for the score; his blocking effort may have been energized by Sauce Gardner trash talk this week.

Drake Maye posted 100th percentile total EPA with 22 percentage points over expectation on completions (99th percentile) on plays without play action, RPO, or screens; averaged 12 yards depth of target with 3.3 seconds time to throw, sitting in pocket and bouncing before throwing over middle; Matt Harmon notes this resembles last year's Patriots offense with everything downfield, suggesting improved performance against softer schedule (Jets, Dolphins) ahead.

Brown is a role player who shouldn't be featured; he fumbled a screen pass late in the game when the Giants were trying to work their way back into it.

Dylan Lauby played more snaps than Mike Washington in Week 5 and scored a goal-line touchdown; Harmon suspects this is trust-related to pass protection; his increased snap share in a three-way backfield with Ashton Jentry and Mike Washington complicates Jentry's path to RB1 status.

Emmanuel Wilson fumbled in 49ers-Seahawks game; Harmon notes Seahawks running backs (Wilson and George Alani) were taking turns making mistakes and putting out sloppy tape, contributing to 7 combined turnovers in the game.

Wilson secured 20 carries for 61 yards (3.1 yards per carry) and a goal-line touchdown against San Francisco; while the yardage efficiency was modest, the high carry volume and touchdown scoring opportunity are consistent with his role as the lead back in the absence of Jadarian Price and while Zach Charbonneau recovers from injury. Over the past three weeks, Wilson has accumulated incremental receiving production (2 receptions in opening three games, 3 last week, 2 this week), suggesting a growing role in the passing game.

Fernando Mendoza came in late in Raiders-Seahawks game with only 8 plays; had a couple of plays over the middle and scrambled on fourth down before getting stopped; minimal impact in game.

George Kittle didn't record his first catch until 40 seconds remained in the game and dropped his first pass; with Debo Samuel and Jacob Cowan injured, Kittle becomes a primary pass catcher alongside Mike Evans for the 49ers.

Hayden Hurst played 79 of 89 snaps and had a strong performance, though he had two touchdown passes go off his fingertips—one in the end zone on fourth quarter with zero touch on it. Harmon notes it was great to see Hurst back to this level of production and snap volume.

Likely had 13 targets for 11 receptions, 94 yards, and two touchdowns in the Giants' comeback win.

JJ McCarthy played only four snaps, all of which were jet sweep and zone read plays designed for him; all four plays failed and looked ineffective. Harmon characterizes this as 'coaching malpractice' from the Giants, noting one sequence where McCarthy's snap led to a delay-of-game penalty that set up a third-and-nine situation.

Jamar Chase delivered 6 catches for 77 yards and 1 touchdown despite barely practicing all week and being listed as questionable; Matt Harmon emphasizes the Bengals' consistent quick-hitting shotgun offense targeting Chase on slants and short routes, with occasional deep shots, mirroring the same scheme that has worked for five years.

Chase exploited the Dolphins defense in Week 5, continuing a pattern of dominant performances against Miami's secondary; this matchup-specific success mirrors what happened to Jordan Addison the prior week.

Chase nearly recorded 160 yards and 2 touchdowns against Miami; one incompletion from Burrow with Chase open over the top and two Dolphins defenders underneath him cost him a touchdown. The play demonstrates Chase's elite separation and downfield threat capability despite the Dolphins' defensive effort.

Winston was terrible for three quarters but the Giants played quick in the fourth quarter and hit on big third and fourth downs against zero blitz looks, when they scored a whole bunch of points including 14.

Jameis Winston played poorly in the game, including throwing a goal-line interception (later called back on a defensive pass interference penalty); despite his inconsistent play, he still creates opportunities for his receivers like Malik Nabers. Harmon notes that even when Winston plays bad, he gives his guys chances, but the Giants' secondary and overall team issues remain problematic.

In Week 5 overtime against the Ravens, Daniels failed to throw the ball away on a designed rollout left with the clock running out and no timeouts remaining, instead running directly to the line of scrimmage and sliding. Matt Harmon attributes this to poor game awareness and lack of urgency from the quarterback, noting that as a star QB, Daniels should know timeout management before the drive starts. Daniels acknowledged post-game that communication starts with everyone top-down and ultimately rests on him, though Chris Paul (starting OL) confirmed the offense discussed timeout situation in the huddle. Harmon views this as a critical quarterback decision-making failure in a high-leverage moment.

In the final moments of the Giants-Commanders game, Daniels failed to throw the ball away on a critical late-game play with 12 seconds remaining and the clock running down; instead of preserving time or taking a checkdown, he ran directly to the line of scrimmage and got down, allowing the clock to expire and ending the game. This decision-making lapse—whether due to miscommunication with offensive coordinator David Blau or confusion about timeout availability—cost the Commanders a potential game-winning field goal attempt.

Daniels returned from a dislocated elbow and was an exceptional scrambler all day, showing decisiveness running directly up the middle rather than stringing plays along the outside; he scored a 38-yard touchdown and 26-yard touchdown both up the middle, outrunning athletic linebackers Tremaine Edmonds and Arville Reese who were spying him. As a thrower, he looked quite good when given time and throwing down the field.

Jayden Daniels was an incredible scrambler throughout Week 5 against the Ravens, showing decisiveness and mobility directly up the middle. He came off a dislocated elbow injury and demonstrated strong scrambling ability all day, suggesting his mobility and decision-making on broken plays remain a key part of the Commanders' offensive identity.

Warren delivered 21 touches in Week 5, matching the pre-game expectation of 17-22 touches per Jim Nance's booth commentary; he broke two arm tackles on a 50-yard touchdown run and showcased explosive play-making ability that distinguishes him from committee partner Rico Dowdle.

Matt Harmon compares Warren's trajectory to Austin Ekeler's—both undrafted, both at pick 30, same skill set—and advocates for the Steelers to fully unleash him rather than maintain a 50-50 committee split with Rico Dowdle; Warren is a better fit for Aaron Rodgers' spread offense and could finish as a top-15 RB for the rest of the season rather than settling at RB24.

Warren is the first running back since Herschel Walker to record both an 80-yard touchdown and a 50-yard touchdown in the same game, underscoring his explosive play-making ability and rare dual-threat upside.

Jay-J Watt mentioned in the booth that Jalen Warren gets better the more touches you give him, suggesting internal Steelers communication supports increased usage; this commentary hints at potential role expansion and upside if touches increase.

Jalen Warren was a huge difference for Steelers in Week 5 win over Colts; scored two touchdowns including an 80-yard swing pass TD and a 50-yard TD where he broke two arm tackles at the line of scrimmage and ran untouched to the end zone.

Jonathan Taylor was stuffed four times at the goal line, indicating red zone inefficiency and potential touchdown regression despite being described as awesome; this limits his expected fantasy points in goal-line situations.

Saints will get better once Jordan Tyson comes back eventually; currently at 1-4 and need to improve offensive weapons and run game.

Josh Downs had a 40-yard explosive play and averages 16.5 air yards per target, showing vertical involvement; however, the Giants offense is dysfunctional with Daniel Jones struggling post-Achilles injury, limiting overall offensive efficiency and touchdown upside.

Juwan Johnson's fantasy value becomes unreliable if Tyler Shuck has a broken hand; the highs seen earlier in season can't be trusted moving forward, making him unserious for fantasy purposes alongside Alvin Kamara.

Raymond's fantasy relevance has collapsed from strong early-season production to minimal impact. Matt Harmon notes: "The Khalif Raymond plays have gone from white hot in the first three weeks to some of the worst stuff that they're putting on tape these last three, especially today." His role has deteriorated significantly as the Bears offense has struggled and the receiving room has become more crowded.

Keenan Allen received only 9 targets in the Giants game, indicating limited volume in a dysfunctional offense; the Giants' compact passing game and Jones's struggles make Allen's target share unreliable for fantasy purposes.

Received all goal-line carries and punched in a touchdown early in Week 5 game against Vikings, taking over the red zone work that fantasy managers expected Alvin Kamara to handle.

Kirk Cousins was doing all right in Raiders-Seahawks game but the Raiders don't have enough wide receivers; Harmon notes the team could have used Marvin Harrison (who went to Texans) and will need Brandon Cooks at this point.

Kyle Williams ran 19 routes on 45 dropbacks (42% route participation) in Week 5 win; had two explosive plays against man coverage including stutter-go touchdown; Harmon notes he's not yet a full-time route player but excels on press-man coverage one-on-one situations; limited snap share suggests full breakout unlikely despite strong performance.

Laquon Treadwell received 8 targets but is being used as a deep ball recipient in a dysfunctional Giants offense where Daniel Jones struggles with accuracy; the vertical focus to Treadwell feels like a desperation strategy rather than a sustainable fantasy advantage.

Burden has been limited to gimmicky, low-efficiency plays in recent weeks; the Bears offense has struggled to get him involved consistently. Matt Harmon notes the offense was forced to rely on "Mickey Mouse gimmicky stuff" to get Burden the ball, and Zyre Franklin criticized him post-game for lack of production and effort, saying "that guy's not made any plays in the league. He's done nothing in the league and he quit today, essentially." Burden remains stuck in a limited role with no clear path to increased involvement.

Nabers received 37% and 24% target share in recent games despite rainy conditions and Jameis Winston's inconsistent play; Matt Harmon notes that even when Winston plays poorly, he still creates opportunities for Nabers, and the Giants' secondary struggles mean Nabers will continue to get volume. Harmon advises fantasy owners to trust the box score production rather than worry about tape quality or Nabers' social media updates about his health status.

Despite not looking 100% healthy, Nabers has been producing at a high level over the last two weeks; Harmon notes that even at 85% of Nabers' capability, he remains better than most other receivers in the league, supporting continued fantasy production.

Washington is tied with Justin Jefferson in targets per route run (top 15 range) but consistently finishes games with modest stat lines like six catches for 43 yards; he looks pretty decent on the eye test but the Dolphins simply do not run many plays for him.

Willis threw two interceptions that were described as inexcusable; he also scored a goal-line touchdown in garbage time, indicating poor decision-making and limited upside in the Dolphins' offense.

Mike Evans dominated 49ers-Seahawks game with 7 catches, 113 yards, and 1 touchdown despite being probably not 100% healthy; Harmon notes he's 98th percentile arms and 97th percentile height/weight, giving him massive strike zone on in-breakers with Brock Purdy's aggressive anticipation; drafted as WR25 but should be valued closer to WR12 moving forward; if he plays all 17 games, he's a different caliber of receiver than ever paired with Purdy.

Harris was mentioned as having started a drive with a soft snap inside the 10-yard line during the Giants-Commanders game, indicating he received some goal-line opportunity work in this contest.

Najee Harris started some drives and received snaps inside the 10-yard line, indicating a committee backfield approach with Cam Sutton-Bott and Tyron Tracy rather than a clear lead-back role.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine got a long target in the Giants game, showing some vertical involvement but limited overall role in the dysfunctional offense.

Gordon has back-to-back games with touchdowns; in Week 5 he led the team in snaps with 18 carries for 88 yards, including four or five runs for roughly 10 yards each and a long of 22. He does not catch the ball but is by far the biggest back in the backfield and will get goal-line work.

Rhamondre Stevenson logged 13 carries and 3 receptions for 85 total yards and a touchdown after Trevion Henderson suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter; played majority of snaps in second half and garbage time; Harmon notes if Henderson remains out, Stevenson will be a fantasy RB1.

Rico Dowdle is returning from absence but faces a potential committee situation with Jalen Warren; Matt Harmon emphasizes that Warren and Dowdle play different styles—Dowdle cannot replicate Warren's explosive plays—and hopes the Steelers do not revert to a 50-50 split that would limit Warren's upside.

Rico Dowdle is expected to return next week from his dislocated toe injury, clearing the path for his return to the backfield.

Roman Wilson dislocated his finger on his first target just before halftime and was immediately ruled out, opening opportunity for Jerry Bernard to lead the Steelers receiving corps.

Romeo Dobbs is in a case-on-booty role, winning downfield for Patriots offense in Week 5; part of the improved passing attack with Drake Maye.

Tee Higgins barely practiced all week and was listed as questionable but played in the Bengals' 31-24 win over Miami; the Bengals' consistent quick-hitting shotgun scheme targets Higgins on slant routes over the middle, exploiting the Dolphins' weakness of allowing 90% completion rate on throws 10 yards and short.

Tee Higgins entered Week 5 with an adductor/groin injury after DNP, DNP, then full participation in practice; he played 28 of 34 snaps but had limited impact with a drop and only minor slant wins, suggesting the injury may have lingered despite full participation designation.

McLaurin entered the game with an injury and played only 36 of 62 snaps; however, he was ultimately the leading receiver for the Commanders. Much of his production came late in the game when the team needed to win, suggesting limited usage was the initial plan.

Theo Johnson is not receiving designed plays in the Giants offense; Harmon notes that the Giants don't design anything for Johnson, Malik Nabers, or the running backs in the passing game, limiting his fantasy upside despite being on the roster.

Travis Etienne wasn't being used heavily in Saints run game even before injury; offensive line and run game issues are more pressing concerns than his return.

Trevion Henderson suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter on a jet sweep toward the sideline; severity unknown but Harmon notes this is a reminder that if Rhamondre Stevenson plays significant snaps, he becomes a fantasy RB1.

Burks is a role player on the Commanders who shouldn't be featured; he had at least one decent catch in this game.

Tyler Warren scored a rushing touchdown as a fullback and went 7 for 83 yards on deeper routes, showing expanded role beyond traditional fullback usage; he had the lowest average depth of target (ADOT) in the league among non-running backs entering the week at 2.3, but posted 9.9 air yards per target this game—a significant improvement suggesting increased vertical involvement.

Tyron Tracy started some drives and received snaps inside the 10-yard line, indicating a committee backfield approach with Cam Sutton-Bott and Najee Harris rather than a clear lead-back role.