Fantasy Football Week 5 Matchup Winners

I really enjoy and take pride in creating this article series every week. It’s one of my favorite pieces of content, even with the amount of content I produce regularly. I put a lot of effort into this series and take pride in identifying players who are poised for a breakout week. This article aims to help you with your Fantasy Football lineups and DFS plays, giving you an edge in your competitions.

Each week, I thoroughly analyze every NFL matchup. This involves looking at Fantasy PPG (points per game) allowed, yards allowed, and player performances, and then determining which players can benefit from these statistics in their matchups. I hold myself accountable for both my successful picks and the ones that don’t pan out. Some of my misses from last week’s article include Daniel Jones, Caleb Williams, Tyler Conklin, Brandon Aiyuk, and Kyle Pitts. On the other hand, some of the HITS from Week 4 include:

• Zack Moss – 17.8 Fantasy Points
• Diontae Johnson – 21.3 Fantasy Points
• Kyren Williams – 20.4 Fantasy Points
• Aaron Jones – 17.9 Fantasy Points
• Jayden Reed – 27.1 Fantasy Points
• Brian Thomas Jr. – 21.9 Fantasy Points
• CJ Stroud – 23.5 Fantasy Points
• Pat Freiermuth – 16.7 Fantasy Points
• Mike Evans – 23.4 Fantasy Points
• Ladd McConkey – 17.7 Fantasy Points
• Derrick Henry – 35.9 Fantasy Points
• Tony Pollard – 18.8 Fantasy Points

Keep in mind that we have our first set of BYE week teams this week which include the Lions, Chargers, Eagles, and Titans. You are going to leave this article with plenty of info heading into Week 5, with the intention from the jump being to help you “Play 2 Win”. Let’s get it!

Fantasy Football Week 5 Matchup Winners

Buccaneers vs. Falcons (Thursday Night Football)

• After being targeted four total times in Weeks 1-2, Cade Otton has been targeted 17 times across Weeks 3-4. Through these two games, Otton has caught 13 passes for 47 and 52 yards with Fantasy scores of 9.7 and 11.2. Mike Evans has been limited with a knee/calf issue to monitor as we near TNF as well. The Falcons allow the ninth most Fantasy PPG to tight ends so far this season.
• Kirk Cousins has had one solid week for Fantasy Football so far this season and three down ones but I think he has his second solid score in Week 5. Cousins has completed 20+ completions in three straight weeks with 230+ passing yards in each of them. The Buccaneers allow the sixth most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks, and being a top 10 team in passing yards may mean Cousins matching them there.

Jets vs. Vikings

• Tyler Conklin had a solid Fantasy outing in Week 3 scoring 14.3 points, catching five passes for 93 yards on six targets. It was then a down Week 4 for Conklin who caught just half of his eight targets for only 17 yards. Encouraging here is the 14 targets and nine catches across the last two weeks and even further is this Vikings matchup who have allowed the most passing yards this season and the fifth most Fantasy PPG to tight ends.

Panthers vs. Bears

• Chuba Hubbard has caught Fantasy Football fire, scoring 27.9 then 22.1 points in the last two weeks. Hubbard rushed for 114 yards and caught five passes for 55 yards and a score in Week 3. Then in Week 4 Hubbard rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 17 yards. 22+ touches, over 100 rushing yards, four or five catches, and a touchdown in each of the last two weeks shows a lot of dual-threat production. The Bears have been a tough matchup through the air but allow the ninth most Fantasy PPG to running backs this season.
• After three truly terrible weeks of production, efficiency, and Fantasy Football scoring for D’Andre Swift he exploded in Week 4. Swift finished with season-highs across the board with 16 rushing attempts for 93 yards which was 5.8 yards per carry, a rushing touchdown, seven receptions for 72 yards, and 29.5 Fantasy Points. The Panthers are a great matchup for Swift to keep positive momentum as they allow the second-most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the fourth-most rushing yards this season.

Ravens vs. Bengals

• The Ravens look like they have abandoned the passing game the last two weeks, with Lamar Jackson only throwing 15 then 18 times in those games. In Week 4, Justice Hill earned six of the 18 targets as a running back which meant an absurd 33.33% target share. Hill caught all six targets for 78 yards and a touchdown for 21.6 Fantasy Points. Hill has been efficient with the rushing work he has had the last three weeks with yards per carry totals of 5.5, 6.6, then 4.5. Week 4 was the second time Hill caught six passes and finished with over 50 receiving yards through four weeks. The Bengals currently allow the 12th most Fantasy PPG to running backs.
• Tee Higgins is a sleeper in a big matchup this week against the Ravens who allow the ninth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the fourth most passing yards this season. After missing the opening two games due to injury, Higgins returned to action in Week 3 to catch three of his six targets for 39 yards. Higgins then doubled his catches in Week 4 by catching six of his 10 targets for 60 yards. Higgins is trending up in the right direction, and the 10 targets last week may be mirrored against a solid Baltimore offense in Week 4.

Bills vs. Texans

• Keep an eye out for rookie Keon Coleman, who could be trending in the right direction. Coleman was benched in the first quarter of Week 3 and was in the doghouse due to being late to a meeting which resulted in one catch on one target but for a touchdown. In Week 4, Coleman caught three of his four targets for 51 yards. This was the second week Coleman finished with 51 yards. Kahlil Shakir is dealing with some ankle soreness, which could create even more of an opportunity for Coleman with targets this week. The Texans allow the eighth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season, and the game script could favor 30+ passing attempts out of Josh Allen. 
• Joe Mixon is listed as “day-to-day” with his ankle injury that has kept him out of the last two weeks of football. Mixon opened up the season rushing 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown, catching three passes for 19 yards, and scoring 26.8 Fantasy Points. A return to action against a tough opponent could be emphasized this week, and the Bills allow the most Fantasy PPG to running backs along with the third most rushing yards this season.

Colts vs. Jaguars

• The Jaguars allow the most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks and the second-most passing yards this season. Joe Flacco stepped in for Anthony Richardson after he sustained a hip injury in Week 4. Flacco threw 16/26 for 168 passing yards and tossed two touchdowns. In the event Flacco is the starter in Week 5, I like him as a streamer this week. Especially knowing just last season Flacco averaged 21.8 Fantasy PPG in Cleveland.
• I have historically been anti-Trevor Lawrence for Fantasy Football but feel he is a good play this week against the Colts. Indy allows the third-most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks and the seventh-most passing yards so far this season. Lawrence has yet to have a stellar Fantasy Football week, but has thrown 30+ passes for three weeks in a row with last week being the first time he has thrown multiple touchdowns. Another positive this season is the competency of just one turnover through four weeks of football. A top-12 Fantasy week is coming.

Dolphins vs. Patriots

• Via Phil Perry who covers the Patriots… “Mayo on whether he would start Antonio Gibson over Rhamondre Stevenson, who has fumbled four times in four games: “That’s definitely under consideration… We can’t preach ball security is job security and still have him out there the majority of the time,”. This could mean a boost in Gibson’s role for Week 5 against the Dolphins who allow the fourth most Fantasy PPG to running backs. Gibson rushed for 96 yards in Week 2, finished with 67 receiving yards in Week 4, and has caught seven passes in the last two weeks. Gibson could be a deeper sleeper this week.

Browns vs. Commanders

• Jerry Jeudy has out-performed Amari Cooper from a Fantasy Football lens in three out of four weeks this season so far. Jeudy has scored double-digit Fantasy Points three times now, scored a touchdown in Week 1, and finished with 73/72 receiving yards in two games. Jeudy earned a season-high nine targets last week which could be a positive sign for similar volume to come. The Commanders allow the most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the 11th most passing yards this season which creates a FLEX-worthy week for Jeudy.
• Terry McLaurin has trended up the last two weeks for Fantasy Football after starting the season truly rough in scoring. McLaurin has scored a touchdown in each of the last two weeks, finished with 100 receiving yards in Week 3, earned 10 targets in Week 4, and produced 20/18.2 Fantasy Points during this span. The Browns allow the 12th most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season.

Raiders vs. Broncos

• Javonte Williams had been incorrectly rumored to lose his job and roster spot all summer and I heard the rumblings again prior to Week 4. Javonte rushed for a season-high 16 attempts for a season-high 77 yards last week in a game the Broncos defense stepped up, which could be a similar script to this week’s game. Williams also caught nine passes in Weeks 2-3 which shows potential for some points there. The Raiders allow the eighth most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the ninth most rushing yards this season which is a matchup Javonte can continue trending up as the clear RB1 in Denver.

Check out all of our Week 5 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex

Cardinals vs. 49ers

• James Conner has finished two weeks with exactly 5.8 yards per carry in games he rushed for 122 yards (Week 2) and 104 yards (Week 4). In three of Conner’s four appearances this season, he has finished with 18+ Fantasy Points, and three rushing touchdowns in the year have helped this. The 49ers allow the 14th most Fantasy PPG to running backs but are ranked 17-27 in PPG allowed to the other positions so running back seems to be the best potential matchup here. What I like the most about Conner is the 19+ touches in three of his games played this season which gives him a safer floor for Fantasy.
• Brock Purdy currently ranks second in the NFL in passing yards with 1,130 but has lacked the touchdown upside to lift his Fantasy Football ceiling. The 49ers have dealt with a series of injuries so far this season that could directly correlate to the lack of touchdowns so far. Purdy did throw for 292 yards and three passing touchdowns in Week 3, and finished with a season-high 319 passing yards in Week 2, so we have seen some upside flashes. The Cardinals present a matchup that Purdy can have his second big Fantasy week in, as they allow the fourth most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks so far this season.

Packers vs. Rams

• If you are looking for a tight end streamer for the week, I would take a look at Tucker Kraft. In Jordan Love’s Week 4 return, he targeted Kraft nine times with Kraft catching six of those for 53 yards and a score. Kraft played 86% of the snaps last week and is clearly the team’s TE1. Christian Watson sustained a mild high-ankle sprain which creates target opportunity even further for Kraft. The Rams allow the sixth most Fantasy PPG to tight ends so far this season.
• A deeper FLEX consideration this week could be Tutu Atwell against the Packers who allow the seventh most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the ninth most passing yards this season. In the absence of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, Atwell has been targeted 11 times in the last two games with receiving yard totals of 93 and then 82. This has resulted in scores of 13.3 and 12.2, and Week 5 could be a continued trend there.

Giants vs. Seahawks

• Kenneth Walker III missed Weeks 2-3 while Zach Charbonnet filled in very well and then returned in Week 4 to explode for Fantasy Football. KWIII rushed 12 times for 80 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, and caught four passes for 36 yards. 33.6 Fantasy Points upon his return makes it simple that you do not have to fear Charbs and that KWIII should be right back in your lineups.

Cowboys vs. Steelers (Sunday Night Football)

• Najee Harris has had flashes on the ground and through the air the last two weeks, and if he can put those together he can have his best Fantasy week. Najee rushed for 70 yards and caught five passes in Week 3, then finished with 54 receiving yards in Week 4. Both weeks were double-digit Fantasy Points but 13.6/10.3 do not give you what you are necessarily hoping for for an edge in your matchups. The Cowboys allow the third most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the sixth most rushing yards this season which could mean an overdue big Fantasy week for Najee.

Saints vs. Chiefs (Monday Night Football)

What I will be looking for the most in this game are two things:

1. Does Kareem Hunt continue to operate as the lead back and does this turn into a workhorse sort of role? 16 touches last week is a great start and if this continues to be the norm we could be looking at a difference-maker in your Fantasy lineups simply due to the KC offense lifting Hunt.
2. Who gets the targets with Rashee Rice to miss time? Does someone get a substantial boost that could mean Fantasy Football impacts until Rice is back?

Make sure to check out all of our Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!