2023 Fantasy Football: Week 5 Quarterback Rankings

Week 5 marks the beginning of bye weeks. That means Deshaun Watson, Justin Herbert, Geno Smith, and Baker Mayfield will all be absent from the Week 5 quarterback rankings. Add in injuries to Kenny Pickett and Jimmy Garoppolo, and you may need some lineup help this week. But don’t sweat it. I’ve got you covered with my Week 5 quarterback rankings and notes.

As noted above, Kenny Pickett is dealing with a bone bruise in his knee and is scheduled for limited practice this week. If he can’t suit up, Mitch Trubisky will hold down the fort while Pickett is out. Jimmy Garoppolo missed Week 4 after he failed to clear concussion protocol. As of this writing, there’s no update on his Week 5 status, so be sure to keep tabs during the week. If he misses another game, rookie Aidan O’Connell will get the start.

Quarterback Notes

Bye Weeks: CLE, LAC, SEA, TB

• Sam Howell looked good against the Eagles last week, completing 29-of-41 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown. He also added 40 yards on the ground on six attempts. Howell should continue to roll in Week 5 with a cushy matchup against the Bears. Chicago has given up the second-most touchdowns (10) and fantasy points per game (21.6) to quarterbacks this season. Howell has thrown for at least 290 yards in two of his last three games and rounds out my top-12 quarterbacks in Week 5.
• Joshua Dobbs is quietly having a solid fantasy season. He scored over 23 fantasy points in two of his last three games and is the QB15 through four weeks. Dobbs’ ground game has primarily contributed to his fantasy success, as his 141 rushing yards rank fourth-most among quarterbacks. Dobbs has another opportunity to pad his rushing totals in a Week 5 matchup against Cincinnati. The Bengals are a middle-of-the-pack defense that has given up the fifth-most rushing yards to the position. Mobile quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson had top-10 finishes against Cincinnati this year, and Dobbs could follow suit. Look for Dobbs to make some noise in Week 5.
• Daniel Jones‘ terrible, horrible, no good, very bad season continues to slog along. Jones is coming off a poor Monday night performance where he threw for 203 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was also sacked a whopping 10 times. Jones did add 66 yards on the ground, but that didn’t move the needle. Up next is what should be a favorable matchup against Miami. However, you can’t trust an offense averaging a league-worst 11.5 points per game. While Jones has racked up the second-most rushing yards among quarterbacks through four weeks (173), that only amounts to fantasy goodness if the offense starts clicking through the air. Jones is a mid-tier QB2 for me in Week 5.
• Joe Burrow falls out of my top 12 this week. In a seemingly good Week 4 matchup against the Titans, Burrow underwhelmed yet again. He threw for 165 yards and zero touchdowns, marking the third time in four weeks that Burrow has failed to score. Burrow is dealing with a lingering calf injury and hasn’t looked right all season. Despite a favorable matchup against the Cardinals this week, I’m fading him in 1QB leagues until he can string together a couple of good starts.

Week 5 Quarterback Rankings

More Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End