Week 5 Fantasy Recap

Matthew Berry expects Aaron Jones's role to diminish significantly when Jordan Mason returns in Week 7 against the Colts after the bye week; Jones is projected to drop from his current top-12 production to a low-end RB2/high-end flex role once Mason reclaims the primary workload.

Aaron Jones posted 28 touches (season high) and 100 yards against New Orleans; he's averaged 15.1 points per game over the past four weeks with Jordan Mason out, ranking as the 12th best running back in fantasy football on a points-per-game basis, with four straight games of at least 22 touches.

Had a quiet day in Week 5 but Matthew Berry expresses no concern about his outlook, suggesting this is a minor blip rather than a trend.

Braylon Allen has dominated the Jets' running back touches over the past two weeks, receiving 41 of 44 team rushing attempts; he's played 88% of snaps and posted back-to-back games with at least 13% target share, converting usage into production this week after a quiet outing the prior week.

Matthew Berry rates Braylon Allen as a borderline RB1 (high-end RB2/low-end RB1) as long as Breece Hall remains out, noting he looked the part in a difficult weather game where the Jets had to rely on him.

Caleb Williams and the Bears offense crashed back down to earth in Week 5 after earlier strong performances, disappointing fantasy owners.

Matthew Berry is confident Caleb Williams will return next week after dealing with a hamstring injury; his return should improve the Bears' passing game and quarterback play, which has been hampered by third-string quarterback play.

Carnell Tate is listed among the Week 5 Sunday Scaries—players you don't want to be on the bust list for.

Left the Thursday night game early. Matthew Berry included him in the week 5 injury report without specifying the injury type.

Samadji P. Ryan out-snapped Chase Brown 22-17 after Brown lost a fumble in the second quarter. Through five weeks, Brown has averaged 3.5 yards per carry and 4 yards per target, showing inefficiency both on the ground and through the air. Matthew Berry notes Brown started slow last season before finishing strong, but acknowledges he is nervous about Brown's role and production this year, particularly with his route participation declining from earlier 10-11 catch games to around 70%.

Matthew Berry notes that the Saints' offensive struggles center on whether opposing defenses can shut down Olave; if Olave is shut down, the team's entire offense becomes neutralized, highlighting his critical role in the Saints' passing attack.

Christian Watson went off for a huge day in Week 5 against the Bears, part of a strong Packers passing attack performance.

Adam Schefter tweeted that there is still no decision on DJ Moore's status. There is a chance he does not play; if he does play, he is potentially limited. This uncertainty affects the target share outlook for the Bills-Dolphins game.

Drake May delivered another huge game with five touchdowns and 39 fantasy points in Week 5, fully returning to elite fantasy status after earlier questions. Matthew Berry notes this was a moronic move to doubt him, emphasizing May is back to being the elite fantasy option he was drafted to be.

Matthew Berry emphasizes Drake May's improved confidence and decision-making. Over the last two games, May has added rushing production (nearly 80 yards with a rushing touchdown across two weeks, including 25 rushing yards in Week 5), demonstrating he's using his legs effectively. More critically, the Patriots offense is finally protecting him: only two sacks and a season-low 34% pressure rate in Week 5 despite facing Max Crosby and the Raiders defense. Berry attributes May's turnaround to a shift in mindset—'it's because he's confident. He's letting it go'—and notes he's no longer timid, completing difficult throws down the field with accuracy and willingness to take calculated risks.

After a strong Week 5 performance (40 points), Matthew Berry highlights Drake May's recent trajectory: over the last two games, nearly 650 passing yards, seven touchdowns, zero interceptions, compared to early-season struggles with turnovers. Despite early-season issues, May ranks top six in the NFL in yards per pass attempt. Berry's conviction is high: 'This is why we said don't drop Drake May. Wait to see it. Now we've seen it. Top five guy.' He notes May is performing this well without A.J. Brown and two starting offensive linemen, suggesting further upside.

Matthew Berry identifies a favorable upcoming schedule for Drake May: home vs. Jets, at Chicago (where the Packers just dominated the Bears), at Miami, and home vs. Green Bay. Berry expresses skepticism about the Packers defense ('I don't believe in this Packers defense'), suggesting May will continue his strong performance trajectory through this stretch.

Harold Fannin is listed among the Week 5 Sunday Scaries—players you don't want to be on the bust list for.

Isaiah Likely had a strong performance in the Giants passing attack in Week 5, part of a big day for the entire Giants passing game.

Had a big game in Week 5; Matthew Berry notes this as part of the strong performances from Lions receivers.

Jared Goff was unbelievable in Week 5 with four total touchdowns and over 270 passing yards. Over the last four weeks, Goff is the second-best quarterback in fantasy football, averaging 320 passing yards and recording multiple touchdowns in every game this year but one.

The Lions offense is performing at an elite level; per EPA per drive, this is the best Lions offense this century, achieved without Ben Johnson. The offense is ranked 31st-32nd in defense but features some of the best offenses right now, putting up consistent points.

Jaylen Daniels had a monster day in his return to the lineup with over 100 yards on the ground, delivering a big performance in Week 5.

Matthew Berry views Jaden Daniels as an elite fantasy option and elite top-five quarterback. In week 5, Daniels posted almost 200 passing yards, over 100 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns, plus a two-point conversion pass. Despite a brutal upcoming schedule (road at San Francisco, bye, home to Philadelphia, home to the Rams), Berry notes that junk time still counts and Washington's offense has been pretty good despite defensive and coaching issues.

Jalen Waddle has been a major disappointment through five weeks, with only one strong game (Week 2 vs. Jacksonville: 8 catches, 138 yards). He has been under 20 receiving yards in three of five games and has produced only one game with more than 15 fantasy points, with three games under 7 fantasy points. Matthew Berry notes that Sean Payton famously told his wife to draft Waddle in fantasy, but the receiver has failed to deliver on that recommendation.

Jalen Warren delivered his third straight massive game in Week 5, continuing to push for a much larger role in the Steelers backfield. Matthew Berry emphasizes it is now Jalen Warren's world in Pittsburgh, signaling a shift away from Rico Dowdle.

Matthew Berry asserts that Jalen Warren has secured the lead role in the Steelers backfield, stating 'It is Jalen Warren's world. So, yeah. Yeah. No, I know neither one of you asked, but I went 2-0 again this week.' This signals Warren has displaced Rico Dowdle and established himself as the primary back.

Warren has posted three straight 100-yard games with at least 20 touches in each, averaging over 24 fantasy points per game over the last three games (with some inflation from the Colts game) and 8 yards per touch. Berry calls him "one of the best running backs in football that just no one's talking about" and "literally probably the most underrated player in the National Football League right now." Berry projects him as a top-12 fantasy running back the rest of the way and expresses skepticism that the backfield can be split when Rico Datil returns, saying "I don't see how you put this genie back in the bottle."

Matthew Berry calls him "one of the most disappointing guys from a fantasy perspective" this season; Love appears physically different from his Notre Dame form, reports feeling tired, and is not being used in the passing game or red zone despite being a rookie. He's played below 50% of snaps in four of five games, had just 12 rushes and no receptions in Week 5, and has been under 3% target share the last two weeks. Only two games this year with more than 13 points. Berry projects him as a touchdown-dependent flex moving forward.

Matthew Berry describes Joe Burrow's Week 5 performance as 'awesome,' indicating strong quarterback play despite frustration with touchdown distribution to other receivers.

Jordan Love went off for a huge day in Week 5 against the Bears, leading the Packers passing attack to a strong performance.

The rookie tight end left the game early. Matthew Berry included him in the week 5 injury report.

Matthew Berry projects Keon Coleman for 45 receiving yards at fantasy.com; with DJ Moore off the field the last two weeks, Coleman has commanded a 35% target share. Berry is backing the over on Coleman's 37.5 receiving yards prop, noting he could hit it on one deep shot and that Josh Allen will have to throw in an expected shootout. Berry maintains this stance even if DJ Moore plays.

Malik Nabers had a big performance in the Giants passing attack in Week 5, part of a strong day for the entire Giants passing game.

Marvin Harrison Jr. was traded from the Cardinals to the Texans, a significant roster move that will impact his fantasy outlook and opportunity.

Traded to the Texans from the Cardinals; Matthew Berry views this as positive from a fantasy perspective, noting "a change of scenery will do a good" and highlighting the familiar connection with C.J. Stroud in Houston.

Traded to the Texans from the Cardinals; reunited with college quarterback C.J. Stroud, which should reduce pressure and unlock his potential. Berry notes this is "as good as it could possibly get" for a situation change; Harrison had his most success at Ohio State with Stroud, and Stroud has publicly gushed over him. The move provides a reset after underperformance in Arizona despite being drafted third overall. With Nico Collins also on the roster and an elite defense in theory, the situation should alleviate pressure and allow Harrison to play to his top-five draft pedigree.

Berry projects Harrison as a wide receiver four-ish at the moment in Houston, with the caveat that targets are earned and he won't start him until seeing production. Notes that despite being drafted third overall by Arizona, the Cardinals barely used him, so the fit and scheme deployment in Houston remains to be proven. Recommends rostering him in case the Texans can reignite a prospect considered can't-miss coming out of college.

Matthew Golden went off for a huge day in Week 5 against the Bears, part of a strong Packers passing attack performance.

Had a down game with a season-low 15% target share in Week 5 when Marvin Harrison was out; Matthew Berry initially expected Wilson to step up but views this as a fluky situation and expects him to improve when Harrison returns.

Nico Collins is noted as a teammate of Marvin Harrison Jr. in Houston's receiving corps, with the context that Collins has missed a bunch of games. This depth chart context is relevant to Harrison's opportunity, as Collins' injury history creates additional target share availability for Harrison.

Pat Freiermuth scored two touchdowns and posted a season-high 23% target share, indicating the team likes him as a safety blanket and positioning him as a high-end tight end moving forward.

Left the game early with a foot injury. Matthew Berry flagged him among several running backs dealing with injuries in week 5.

With Travion Henderson out, Stevenson posted 83% snap rate and 23 touches; he had the same 23-touch workload in week one when Henderson was also out. Matthew Berry views him as a rock-solid RB2 going forward, especially given the favorable upcoming schedule (home to Jets, at Chicago, at Miami, home to Green Bay).

Has quietly accumulated at least 17 fantasy points in three of the last four games; Matthew Berry highlights this consistent production as noteworthy despite flying under the radar.

Tee Higgins is listed among the Week 5 Sunday Scaries—players you don't want to be on the bust list for.

Matthew Berry expresses frustration about Tee Higgins' Week 5 performance, noting that despite Joe Burrow's strong play, touchdowns were distributed to other receivers (specifically Tanner Hudson) rather than to Higgins, creating fantasy disappointment.

13% target share in Week 5 against Miami, but Matthew Berry emphasizes this was game-plan specific; Higgins maintained an 82% route rate and the Bengals deployed 12 personnel (two tight ends) on 64% of plays to attack the Dolphins' defense. Berry is not worried about Higgins' long-term outlook and suggests buying low on him as a league-wide panic sell.

The trendy sleeper on the Chargers left the game early. Matthew Berry noted the Chargers' injury problems, saying "they can't stay healthy," and flagged Harris as part of the week 5 injury wave.

Had an unbelievable catch for a touchdown in junk time in Week 5; Matthew Berry notes this as a positive play despite the game context.

Matthew Berry projects Tyler Warren as a top five tight end for the remainder of the season, citing improved target depth as Daniel Jones becomes healthier and more comfortable in the offense.

Left the game in London with a foot injury. Matthew Berry included him in the week 5 injury roundup affecting multiple running backs.