Fantasy Football Dynasty Market: Week 5 Risers and Fallers

We’re officially a month into the NFL season, and dynasty values are starting to become much clearer. Four games have given us enough information to separate early-season surprises from trends that may actually stick. Young players are carving out bigger roles, veterans are seeing their values shift, and disappointing starts are creating potential buy-low opportunities for dynasty managers.

That’s what our Dynasty Fantasy Football Market Changes series is all about. Each week, we break down players whose dynasty stock is moving in either direction and determine how managers should react. Is a breakout worth buying into before the price climbs even higher? Has a player’s value peaked enough to consider selling? Or has a slow start created the perfect opportunity to buy at a discount?

Heading into Week 5, we’re breaking down 5 players whose dynasty values are on the move and what fantasy managers should consider doing next.

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Dynasty Football Market Risers & Fallers: Week 5

Trending Upward

Kirk Cousins | QB

Our first dynasty market player trending upward has to be Kirk Cousins. The Raiders quarterback has found the fountain of youth and is playing like it’s 2016 again. Cousins is averaging 24.9 fantasy points per game in 6-point passing touchdown leagues. His advanced stats have also been above average, with a 2.0 CPOE and 74.3% adjusted completion percentage, along with strong quarterback ratings against both man and zone coverage. The impressive part is that he’s doing this without an elite receiving group outside of Brock Bowers. Klint Kubiak’s offense has Cousins moving around the pocket and giving him opportunities to push the ball downfield.

We’re still talking about a 38-year-old quarterback who looked like his career might be over a year ago. However, with injuries piling up and the dynasty quarterback market becoming thinner, you may be able to use Cousins’ hot start to your advantage. He could be an attractive option for contending teams frustrated with their current quarterback room and focused on winning right now. As Cousins continues to play well, I’d look to sell high while his market is hot. Rebuilding teams should consider packaging Cousins with a player or picks to target a younger quarterback like Bo Nix or Justin Herbert, especially if their current managers are growing frustrated with their slow starts.

Carnell Tate | WR 

The first rookie wide receiver off the board got off to a slow start to his NFL career, but Carnell Tate has really started to ramp up his production over the last two weeks. He has a 31% target share during that stretch as the Titans continue to push him into the WR1 role, highlighted by an impressive 40.5% first-read rate. Tate is taking advantage of those opportunities, ranking 11th in TPRR and 10th in YPRR. Tennessee is telling us they want Tate to be one of the focal points of this passing attack, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon. The 0-4 Titans have struggled to stay competitive, which should continue forcing them into pass-heavy game scripts.

The important part for dynasty managers is that Tate’s value is rising, and this may be the last opportunity to buy before his price really takes off. His next three games come against Houston, Indianapolis, and Cleveland, giving him an opportunity to continue building on his recent production. Another few strong performances could make Tate nearly unobtainable from managers who believed in his upside before the draft. He’s still a rookie, so his value will likely have some ups and downs, but based on his increasing role and production, things are looking up for the young receiver.

Kyren Williams | RB

One player shooting up in value over the last few weeks has to be Kyren Williams, who has scored over 50 combined fantasy points during that stretch. The Rams are leaning heavily on Williams right now and moving away from the expected split with Blake Corum. Over the last two weeks, Williams has averaged around 77% of the offensive snaps and handled 73% of the rushing attempts between the two backs. He has also seen 20 targets during that span, making him a major threat in the passing game, especially in PPR leagues. Williams is making the most of his opportunities right now, but the question is whether this workload is sustainable for an entire season.

I don’t believe the Rams will continue using Williams at this rate all season. We saw something similar last year when Williams dominated the backfield early before Corum became more involved, dropping Williams from around 70% of the rushing attempts closer to the 50% range during the second half of the season. Corum is also averaging a solid 4.9 yards per carry, so it’s not like he has struggled when given opportunities. Unless you’re making a serious championship run, this could be the perfect time to sell high on Williams. I’d be looking for a 2027 first-round pick plus another asset, or seeing if a rebuilder can pivot to a running back like De’Von Achane or Omarion Hampton while Williams’ value is this high.

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

Trending Downward

Saquon Barkley | RB

No other big-name running back is likely to fall more in the dynasty market than Saquon Barkley. The 29-year-old running back is off to a poor start, without a single game over 10 fantasy points. Looking at the whole picture, his advanced stats are actually encouraging. Barkley’s 0.22 missed tackles forced per attempt and 3.06 yards before contact rank inside the top 15 among starting running backs. He is still running with some efficiency based on those metrics. The bigger issues have been his health and lack of production in the passing game. Barkley has left two games with an injury and could miss more time if this hamstring injury continues to linger. We knew his receiving role would be limited, but four receptions for just 8 yards is worse than expected.

The recent struggles of the Eagles offense, combined with Barkley’s injury, will have dynasty managers looking for a way out. We know Barkley can still produce when healthy, so this is an important time to hold rather than sell low. From Weeks 6 through 9, Barkley has a favorable running back schedule, which could create the perfect opportunity to sell high if your team is struggling. For contenders, I would look to buy if Barkley misses a game and his manager starts to panic. You could potentially offer a player like Emanuel Wilson plus a pick to help a struggling manager. Barkley is one of those risky dynasty assets whose market you need to monitor closely over the next month.

Justin Herbert | QB

This one hurts, as expectations for Justin Herbert were high among dynasty managers who thought we could be in for a career season from the Chargers quarterback. Instead, Herbert currently sits at QB23 and has yet to score 20 fantasy points or throw for multiple touchdowns in a game. The turnovers have also been a major problem, with seven through four games. However, his above-average CPOE and adjusted completion percentage suggest Herbert is playing better on the field than his fantasy production indicates. Herbert simply doesn’t seem like the right fit for Mike McDonald’s offense, which relies heavily on speed, accuracy, and timing. Herbert has traditionally been at his best playing on script, using play action, and making big throws downfield. Injuries across the Chargers offense haven’t helped either, as Herbert has struggled to consistently get enough time to throw the football.

Due to this poor start and a likely difficult stretch of games over the next month, Herbert’s dynasty value could continue to fall. If the season continues to spiral, we could see major changes in Los Angeles, potentially including a new coaching staff and offense. That makes Herbert a strong buy-low target for rebuilding teams. He’ll only be 29 next season and could find himself in a system better suited to his strengths. With the market down, I’d be willing to move an older quarterback like Kirk Cousins plus additional value to acquire Herbert for the future. There may be more downs than ups in the short term, but this is exactly the type of dip dynasty managers should be looking to buy.

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