SNF REAX + Week 5 Fantasy Takeaways

Williams is a rookie receiver on the Commanders who is viewed as a role player rather than a featured piece in the offense, especially when Stefon Diggs is not playing.

Ashton Jeanty had 27 yards on 10 carries in the Raiders' win over the Patriots, indicating limited offensive production despite the team's 17-point victory.

Bijan Robinson had a cartoonishly good game with 17 carries for 86 yards and 32 receiving yards; Harmon calls him the best running back in the NFL, period, noting he makes something out of nothing, hits small creases, and gets big plays. Robinson is the center point of the Falcons offense, and without him they would be completely banged up.

Brian Robinson came away with only 16 scoreless yards on the night after fantasy owners chased touchdowns over the previous weeks; however, Harmon still views him as one of the best bench holds and a viable flex option in the right game scripts, as the Falcons remain a strong rushing unit overall.

Brock Bowers went off for 10 targets, 8 receptions, 110 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots; he was uncoverable throughout the game, facing backup corners (Marcus Jones) due to New England's top two corners being out, and had multiple dunking grabs including a touchdown reception.

Brock Bowers became the second-fastest tight end in NFL history to reach 2,000 receiving yards, trailing only the late Mike Ditka; this milestone underscores his elite production level and trajectory.

Going forward, Brock Bowers will face top corners on opposing teams due to his elite production and utilization; this represents a significant step down in matchup quality. Week 6 vs Buffalo (Christian Benford) and Week 7 vs Rams (Trent McDuffie) will be tougher assignments, though Jets and 49ers in Weeks 8-9 will also present challenges despite Benford and McDuffie's experience.

Douglas has barely been seen but flashed in the opening two weeks of the season; he's one of two wide receivers the Bengals can build around despite the team's 0-5 record.

Expected to return next week after missing time; his return should unlock the Bears offense, which has been stagnant without him. Matt Harmon notes the Bears had nothing through the air in Week 5 and expects Williams back based on available quotes.

Williams faces three consecutive road matchups: at the Falcons, Thursday night at the Patriots, and Monday night at the Seattle Seahawks; these upcoming games present a challenging schedule for the young quarterback.

Akers played the majority of snaps in Week 5 (84 total including overtime) but does not have a true bell cow role. Najee Harris and Tyrone Tracy both started drives and received snaps inside the 10-yard line, limiting Akers' red zone monopoly. He fumbled on his final carry in overtime, adding to concerns about his reliability.

Akers is becoming difficult to trust in fantasy going forward. Despite playing 84 snaps in Week 5, he is not receiving the volume in pass-catching that would elevate his value; he was on pace for top-five running back receptions last season but is not tracking that way this year, limiting his ceiling.

Brown failed to deliver in what was positioned as his breakout week against the Dolphins; he carried 13 times for 39 yards, caught 3 passes for 21 yards, and fumbled, continuing a pattern of disappointing production despite being repeatedly discussed as a buy-low candidate.

Matt Harmon assesses Chase Brown as a competent NFL starter but not a superstar talent; he doesn't break enough tackles or rip off explosive plays. Despite being drafted 15th overall, his tape doesn't support that draft capital. Week 5 performance was 13 carries for 39 yards, 3 receptions for 21 yards, plus a fumble. Harmon notes the Bengals have abandoned under-center looks (which could have raised his ceiling for explosive plays) within five weeks, and improved defense reduces play volume and compiler receptions. The disconnect is between draft position and actual ceiling—he's a fine goal-line back but not a league-winner.

Bell's best play has been taken away, but the eye test shows promise; he's one of two wide receivers the Bengals can build around for the future.

Cody White had minimal production with 2 receptions for 44 yards in the Raiders' win over the Patriots.

White is making plays for the Raiders but the team needs additional receiver talent to support Kirk Cousins; he alone cannot carry the receiving corps.

Mysteriously not involved in the Bears offense despite expectations he would be the focal point. Matt Harmon has changed his priors on Loveland the most because he was expecting him to be central to the offense but he never gets priority looks. The Bears receiving room is crowded with defined roles, and Loveland hasn't grown out of his limited usage.

Corey Kiner came in as relief for Trevion Henderson after Henderson's ankle injury but fumbled the ball, losing the opportunity to establish himself in the backfield.

Demario Douglas had 2 touchdown passes in the Patriots' 45-17 win over the Raiders, contributing to the offensive explosion.

Drake London had 11 targets, 7 catches, and 118 yards with dominant third-down production; he had a 43% target share on third down with 5 catches and 86 yards. He was in the slot on 58% of his snaps. Harmon calls him his favorite receiver to watch in the NFL despite not being the fastest, noting he's good at every part of the game except running fast in a straight line.

Drake London leads all wide receivers since 2024 in targets per game on out and corner routes (2.4 per game) and ranks second in yards per game (18.2); he has 78 targets for 601 yards in 33 games, ranking top three in both categories alongside Amon Ross St. Brown, Jamar Chase, and Jackson Smith-Njigba. Harmon ranks him as a tier-two NFL receiver and his favorite to watch.

Drake Maye had 4 touchdown passes in the Patriots' 45-17 win over the Raiders; he posted 100th percentile total EPA and 99th percentile points over expectation on completions (22 percentage points). On plays without play action, RPO, or screen passes, Maye had +1 EPA per play. After the game, Maye said he could eat a ham sandwich because he had so much time with protection.

Drake May posted 100th percentile total EPA and 22 percentage points over expectation on completions (99th percentile) in Week 5 SNF. On non-play-action, non-RPO, non-screen plays, he averaged +1 EPA per play. Post-game, May noted he had so much time in protection he could eat a ham sandwich. The Patriots offense felt significantly better with improved pass protection and downfield efficiency compared to earlier in the season.

Drake Maye showed improved play in Week 5 with an average depth of target of almost 12 yards and 3.3 seconds time to throw. Harmon attributes the improvement not to scheme innovation but to better execution across receivers, pass protection, and Maye himself; the offense beat the Bills and Raiders in two of three recent games against a favorable schedule (Jets and Dolphins next).

With the Patriots hitting a softer stretch of schedule, Drake Maye's fantasy expectations can be ratcheted up in the coming weeks; the offense is straightforward and static, which means it will follow schedule trends cleanly, benefiting pass catchers when facing weaker defenses.

Brown was targeted on a screen pass late in the game but fumbled, contributing to the Commanders' fourth-quarter offensive struggles against the Giants' zero blitz defense.

Laube played more snaps than Mike Washington and scored a goal-line touchdown; likely getting trust-based pass protection reps, indicating increased offensive role and opportunity in the Raiders backfield.

Wilson received 20 carries for 3.1 yards per carry against San Francisco, securing a goal-line touchdown despite modest efficiency. Matt Harmon notes Wilson's incremental receiving gains (2 receptions in opening three games, 3 last week, 2 this week) continue to build his role. While not explosive in yards after contact or big plays, Wilson can break tackles and find holes; he's a reliable back every week.

Mendoza played only 8 snaps late in the game with a couple of scrambles and fourth-down plays; minimal offensive role at this stage.

Likely had 13 targets for 11 receptions, 94 yards, and two touchdowns, receiving 24% of the Giants' targets and benefiting from the team's quick-tempo fourth-quarter offense against zero blitz looks.

McCarthy played only four snaps in Week 5, all of which were jet sweep/zone read design carries that failed to produce. The Giants' usage of McCarthy appears to be limited to specific gadget plays, with poor execution; one sequence involved a delay-of-game penalty when swapping McCarthy off the field for Winston on third down, suggesting coaching inefficiency rather than a meaningful role expansion.

Chase posted 6 receptions for 77 yards and 1 touchdown against the Dolphins defense, which allowed 90% completion rate on throws 10 yards and short; this matchup profile repeats weekly against Miami's defense that consistently allows easy short throws and occasional deep shots.

Jahan Dotson had 2 catches for 53 yards and made a big 36-yard catch on third down, contributing to the Falcons' strong third-down passing attack alongside Drake London.

Winston played 79 of 89 snaps in Week 5 and continues to provide volume and opportunity to his receivers despite tape-watching concerns about his play quality. The speaker recommends trusting box score production over tape evaluation when assessing Winston's receivers, as he consistently gets his guys opportunities regardless of performance quality.

Winston played poorly for three quarters but improved in the fourth quarter when the Giants played with quicker tempo and hit on big third and fourth downs against zero blitz looks, scoring 14 points in that quarter.

In the Commanders' overtime sequence against the Giants, Jayden Daniels failed to throw the ball away on a critical play with 12 seconds remaining and the clock running down. Instead, he ran directly to the line of scrimmage and got down, allowing the clock to expire and costing the Commanders a chance at a game-winning field goal. Matt Harmon identifies this as either a failure by Daniels to show game awareness or a communication breakdown with the offensive coordinator.

Jayden Daniels showed poor game awareness in the final overtime drive against the Ravens, failing to throw the ball away when the play call appeared designed for a throwaway to set up a game-winning field goal. Despite being told in the huddle that the team had no timeouts remaining, Daniels slid after rolling out left and then showed no sense of urgency, ultimately leading to a tie instead of a win in a game the Commanders dominated for three quarters. Daniels acknowledged responsibility post-game, saying "we've got to relay that as an offense. It starts with everyone top down. Ultimately it's on me."

Jayden Daniels was an exceptional scrambler in the Commanders' dominant performance against the Ravens, showing very decisive scrambling directly up the middle rather than stringing plays along the outside. He threw two touchdown passes on scrambles up the middle (38 yards and 26 yards) and was highly effective in the first three quarters when the Commanders built a 27-13 lead after the first drive of the fourth quarter, demonstrating strong mobility coming off his recent dislocated elbow injury.

Daniels was decisive and effective running up the middle rather than scrambling to the outside; he scored three rushing touchdowns (38 yards, 26 yards, and a 33-yard opening drive TD by Bill Krosky Merrick) by attacking vertically. He also looked quite good as a thrower when given time and throwing downfield, though he faced a zero blitz defense that the Commanders struggled to answer in the fourth quarter.

Wright had six carries for 11 yards in the game, significantly trailing Ollie Gordon in snap count and opportunity; he's not the lead back in the Dolphins backfield.

Burrow threw 4 touchdowns in the Bengals' 31-24 win over the Dolphins on just 190 passing yards, showcasing efficient scoring production in a quick-hitting, shotgun-based offense that has remained consistent over five years.

Addison took a deep shot against the Dolphins defense last week; the Dolphins allow both easy short throws (90% completion rate on 10-yard-and-short throws) and occasional deep plays, creating a repeatable matchup pattern.

Justice Hill ripped off explosive plays with 4 carries for 73 yards and was a factor on passing downs as usual, contributing to the Ravens' strong rushing attack.

Plays have deteriorated significantly from white-hot in the first three weeks to some of the worst tape in recent weeks, especially in Week 5. The Packers defense shut down the Bears' cutesy plays behind the line of scrimmage, which has been a primary way to get Raymond involved.

Cousins was doing all right in the game but the Raiders lack sufficient wide receiver talent; the team was considered a potential fit for Marvin Harrison before he went to the Texans, highlighting the receiver depth issue.

Kyle Pitts had 5 catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, scoring his first touchdown of the year; however, Harmon is not 100% convinced the touchdown was designed for Pitts, as it appeared to go through multiple receivers' hands. The performance is trending in the right direction after a disastrous stretch, though Harmon notes it was rough even in Penix's first game back.

Kyle Williams had 1 touchdown pass in the Patriots' 45-17 win over the Raiders.

Kyle Williams, not a full-time player, had explosive plays against man coverage in Week 5 SNF, including a touchdown post where he threw up the mailbox for an explosive. He ran 19 routes on 45 dropbacks (42% route participation). Matt Harmon noted Williams' releases off the line and downfield route running ability from Washington State are evident, and his little stutter step works at the line against press man coverage in one-on-one situations. However, Harmon cautioned that Williams' size limits him as a full route player and he hasn't been deployed more despite showing talent in preseason and training camp.

Williams hasn't been on the field much; he's not yet a full route player in Harmon's view. His size can create explosive plays in press man coverage one-on-one situations when his footwork works at the line, similar to his Washington State profile, but a full breakout isn't expected.

Consistently getting the ball only on gimmicky, Mickey Mouse plays behind the line of scrimmage; no consistent involvement in the Bears offense. Zyra Franklin criticized him post-game for quitting, noting he hasn't made plays in the league. Without Caleb Williams, Burden has been limited to trick plays rather than meaningful offensive touches.

Matt Harmon was open to Ewing theory with Mac Jones regarding the Patriots offense, suggesting the team played better without him in Week 5. The offense felt faster and more explosive with Drake May at quarterback, and Harmon noted the Patriots got a lot faster players on the field without Jones.

Nabers received 37% of targets in Week 5 despite rainy conditions and concerns about his health status heading into the game. Despite not looking 100% healthy, he has been producing at a high level over the last two weeks; even at 85% of his normal capacity, he remains better than most other receivers in the league.

Washington is tied with Justin Jefferson in targets per route run (top 15-ish), but ends up with modest weekly production like six catches for 43 yards; he looks pretty decent but the Dolphins don't run many plays for him, making him a PPR scam of the season.

Willis threw two inexcusable interceptions—one with a clear check-down available and one across his body after flushing himself out of the pocket—plus a fumble stepping up in the pocket; these are three critical mistakes that will hurt his fantasy value and decision-making.

Mark Andrews had a rough night with 6 targets, 4 catches, and 28 yards; the stat line doesn't capture how poor the performance was, as Andrews had multiple drops, a dropped touchdown, and a fumble returned for a touchdown. This poor outing comes after the Ravens extended Isaiah Likely's contract, which Harmon calls a curious decision that now looks poor in hindsight.

Michael Penix took a shot to the ribs late in the game and was checked out; his health status needs to be monitored going forward. Harmon questions whether Penix could have completed the game and whether the Falcons might have won or tied if he had stayed healthy.

Michael Penix played much better than expected with 19 completions on 32 attempts for 240 yards and a touchdown; he had an up-and-down game with some inaccurate throws when knocked off his spot, but the broadcast noted he still doesn't look totally confident in his knee when on the move. Despite this, Harmon believes Penix has come in and played much better than anybody would have expected.

Washington played fewer snaps than Dylan Laube in the game; unclear why he was limited, but likely pass protection concerns led to Laube getting more offensive opportunities.

Najee Harris started a drive inside the 10-yard line in the Giants-Commanders game, indicating he received goal-line or red-zone opportunity touches during the contest.

Harris started some drives and received snaps inside the 10-yard line in Week 5, indicating he remains part of the Steelers' red zone rotation despite Akers playing the majority of snaps. This limits Akers' goal-line touches and suggests a committee approach to the running back position.

Gordon has back-to-back touchdowns with 18 carries and 88 yards; he easily led the team in snaps and is by far the biggest back in the backfield, meaning he will get goal-line work despite limited overall goal-line opportunities.

Rashad Bateman had 5 catches for 62 yards and made plays in clutch situations in overtime, though he also had a false start penalty late in the first half. Harmon notes Bateman was used in slot receiver formations as part of offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's diverse scheme, including a play where he cleared space for Zay Flowers on third down.

Ramondre Stevenson dominated the Patriots backfield in Week 5 with 13 carries, 3 receptions, 85 total yards, and a touchdown. He played most of the game after Trevion Henderson suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter, and Harmon notes that if Stevenson continues to see that many snaps, he'll be a reliable fantasy running back.

Higgins barely practiced but played against the Dolphins; the Bengals offense featured quick slant routes over the middle and short throws to Higgins, exploiting Miami's 90% completion rate allowance on throws 10 yards and short.

Tee Higgins entered Week 5 with an adductor/groin injury after going DNP, DNP, then full in practice. Matt Harmon notes the injury status was uncertain (could have gone either direction), but Higgins played through it, running 28 of 34 drop backs. He had a drop and a couple slant wins but nothing substantial. Harmon attributes the quiet performance to the Bengals' young defense allowing Joe Burrow to dink-and-dunk efficiently rather than needing deep shots, similar to how Kittle and Kelsey operate.

Higgins is running very similar routes for explosives; the Bengals are getting layups downfield rather than requiring him to dunk on guys way down the field, suggesting a more efficient route tree focused on high-percentage plays.

McLaurin entered the game with an injury and played only 36 of 62 snaps (58% snap share), limiting his availability despite being the team's leading receiver.

Trevion Henderson suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter during a jet sweep or sideline play in Week 5. The severity is unknown, but his injury opened the door for Ramondre Stevenson to play the rest of the game and dominate the backfield.

Tyron Tracy started a drive inside the 10-yard line in the Giants-Commanders game, indicating he received goal-line or red-zone opportunity touches during the contest.

Tracy started some drives and received snaps inside the 10-yard line in Week 5, indicating he remains part of the Steelers' red zone rotation despite Akers playing the majority of snaps. This limits Akers' goal-line touches and suggests a committee approach to the running back position.

Charbonnet's fantasy stock rose significantly despite not playing a snap, as backup Lonnie Holani had a rough showing (20 carries for 3.1 yards per carry) in his absence. This performance underscores Charbonnet's value as the lead back when healthy and returning from injury.

Zay Flowers had 9 targets and 8 catches for 53 yards but was denied a potential 23-yard reception when the Ravens accepted pass interference on the play, wiping off the catch. Harmon notes this was a backbreaking development for fantasy owners despite understanding the strategic decision by Baltimore.