After just five weeks’ worth of games, can we know that what we saw on the field this weekend is the same thing we will see for the next 13 weeks? That’s unlikely, but interesting trends are already emerging after just four games per team.
This weekly piece will look at those trends and make recommendations for players who might be worth rostering or starting in our fantasy lineups. We will look primarily at how roles changed over the first five games of the season for a player on each team, and if that is signal or noise this early in the year.
More Week 6 Fantasy Football Fun!: | Sneaky Starts | Fantasy Football Waiver Wire | Weekly Sleepers & Streamers | Starts & Sits | Skrip’s Week Winners | NFL DFS | NFL Player Props | IDP Analysis | Bold Predictions | Survivor Picks | NFL Injury Report | Dynasty Trade Targets | Weekly Rankings | Dynasty Risers and Fallers
If you have interesting usage notes, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter/X (@CableBoxScore) and let me know. Let’s dive into the NFL Week 5 usage!
NFL Week 5 Usage Trends
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Running Back Breakdown
ATLANTA FALCONS
The Atlanta Falcons Were on Bye For Week 5
KP day!
HBD, @kylepitts__ 🎉 pic.twitter.com/1LkDBUDPu5
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 6, 2025
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Tight End Timeshare
With Isaiah Likely back on the field, what we expected would happen to him and Mark Andrews is happening. Andrews played 58% of the snaps, and Likely played 53%. Together, they combined for three catches and 35 yards.
BUFFALO BILLS
Kincaid is the Prime Target
Curtis Samual and Keon Coleman might have caught the touchdowns, but Dalton Kincaid is emerging as Josh Allen’s clear favorite receiver. Kincaid caught six balls for 108 yards, his fourth game with at least four receptions this year. Khalil Shakir is the only other Bills player who can claim that same streak.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Rico Dowdle Runs Wild
Rico Dowdle stepped in for an injured Chuba Hubbard and proceeded to rush for 206 rushing yards, catch 28 more, and run for a touchdown. His 206 rushing yards are the most by a running back this season, and Dowdle was quick and decisive all game. Dowdle handled 67% of snaps for Carolina, a number Chuba Hubbard topped only once in four games.
CHICAGO BEARS
The Chicago Bears Were on Bye For Week 5
The many faces of team photo day 📸 pic.twitter.com/3k4ba0erO3
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 6, 2025
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Chase Brown Seeing Less Work
Perhaps it was the massive hole the Cincinnati Bengals found themselves in early, but they sat Chase Brown in favor of Samaje Perine on 47% of the snaps on Sunday. That’s far and away his highest count of the season, and it appears the Bengals are growing tired of Brown’s inefficiency.
Check out all of our Week 6 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Dillon Gabriel Tendencies
Under new quarterback Dillon Gabriel, tight end David Njoku (nine targets) and wide receiver Isaiah Bond (eight) led the team in targets. No other player saw more than four, and if Gabriel sticks as the starting quarterback, we will have to monitor whether this stays consistent week-to-week.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Who is Ryan Flournoy?
Wide receiver Ryan Flournoy had zero snaps in Week 1, but has been steadily increasing, and now played 57% on Sunday. That earned him six catches for 114 yards in a breakout performance. This is only lasting until CeeDee Lamb returns, but Dak Prescott had no problem looking to Flournoy with all of the other wide receiver injuries they have.
DENVER BRONCOS
Pump the Brakes on RJ Harvey
RJ Harvey had a game in Week 4 where we all thought the breakout was here for the talented rookie running back. That went down the drain after Harvey rushed for 12 yards and caught just 18 yards in Week 5. His touches dropped from 18 to seven in this game, and he played just 20% of snaps. I do recommend holding Harvey if you are a J.K. Dobbins manager, but it’s just insurance for now, as Harvey is too inconsistent to trust.
DETROIT LIONS
Jameson Williams Left Out of the Party Again
Jameson Williams led the NFL in air yards in Week 4, although it only led to two catches for 40 yards. But after eight targets and 215 air yards that week, surely he would regress to a big game in Week 5. Right? That didn’t happen as the Lions scored 37 points, but Williams only had one target, one reception, and nine yards. The Lions are on a record-breaking pace for points, but I fear that at some point, we might hear of Williams giving the Lions the A.J. Brown treatment.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
The Green Bay Packers Were on Bye For Week 5
Reporting for duty pic.twitter.com/u4KAWY7YWK
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 6, 2025
HOUSTON TEXANS
Woody Marks Disappearing Act
After rushing 17 times and drawing five targets in Week 4, Woody Marks was a top waiver wire add last week. So what happens next? Because fantasy football hates us all, against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, Marks rushes just seven times for 24 yards and does not catch his lone target. His snaps dropped from 56% to 39%. The Houston Texans largely relied on Nick Chubb again, setting up a tricky situation with this backfield going forward.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Adios Adonai
After his two bone-headed plays in Week 4, Adonai Mitchell dropped from 89% of snaps played to just 9%. Ashton Dulin played on 71% of snaps, and Drew Ogletree even got more run with 45% of the snaps for Indianapolis.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Travis Hunter Playing More
Travis Hunter started on both offense and defense and played on 39 snaps as a wide receiver (Brian Thomas Jr. had 54). He had a couple of massive plays in this game on both sides, especially a 44-yard reception in the second half, which helped him earn his career-high in receiving yards in this game.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Brashard Smith and Kareem Hunt
There were rumblings that Brashard Smith would see a bigger role in Week 5, but he played less this week than he did in Week 4. Kareem Hunt, however, had the same number of carries as Isiah Pacheco and received the goal-line carries that resulted in two rushing touchdowns. Hunt is non-existent in the passing game, but appears to have the red zone locked down.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Ashton Jeanty Breakout Game
Geno Smith is definitely not having the start of his Las Vegas Raiders two-year residency he was hoping for. He has five touchdowns and nine interceptions in his last four games and has been under 230 yards in three of them. He bottomed out in a 40-6 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday and somehow managed just 228 yards on 36 pass attempts.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Ladd McConkey Relief
There’s only one thing that can be said after Ladd McConkey finally scored his first touchdown:
LADD MCCONKEY TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/mAGcX2rvuF
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 5, 2025
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Blake Corum Back in Hiding
All of the concerns about Blake Corum taking over some of Kyren Williams’ work can be put back to bed for at least one more week. Corum handled one touch in Thursday Night Football, while Williams had 22 touches in the game. Corum’s snap share fell from 29% in Week 4 to 9% in Week 5.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Mailk Washington Experiment Over
Many fantasy football managers gave Malik Washington a shot on our fantasy rosters after Tyreek Hill was lost for the year with an injury. That experiment is over quickly, as Washington caught four balls for exactly zero yards against Carolina on Sunday despite playing over 58% of snaps. The Dolphins do not want to target him downfield, and there does not appear to be enough offense left after Jaylen Waddle, DeVon Achane, and Darren Waller get fed for Miami.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Jordan Addison’s Surprise Discipline
Many fantasy managers were surprised to learn Jordan Addison was benched for the first quarter of the London game against Cleveland because he missed a walk-through this week. In the end, fantasy managers can’t be too upset, as he still finished with five receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Will it Ever Happen for TreVeyon Henderson?
Rookie TreVeyo Henderson played 50% of the snaps on Sunday, essentially splitting time with Rhamondre Stevenson. But it was Stevenson who got two rushing touchdowns, as it appears the Patriots are only going to use Henderson situationally. On a brighter note, Stefffon Diggs more than doubled his production from the last two games combined, with 10 receptions for 146 yards.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Juwan Johnson Regressing
Juwan Johnson started his season with 28 targets and 19 receptions in his first three games. Since then, he has had just five catches on seven targets. He caught just two balls for 17 yards on Sunday, and it appears Johnson is suffering from having Spencer Rattler as his quarterback. The return of Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau also complicates things for Johnson, and he is no longer a must-start at the position.
NEW YORK GIANTS
Darius Slayton Faceplants
The first game in the post-Malik Nabers era could not have gone worse for Darius Slayton. He played 75% of snaps (great!), but then he dropped a sure touchdown from Jaxson Dart, he fumbled at the end of the first half when the Giants were driving, and then he suffered a hamstring injury in the second half, forcing him to leave the game. Slayton will be reevaluated this week to determine if he must miss any time.
NEW YORK JETS
Mason Taylor Continues to Grow
This is now four straight games with increased receptions and receiving yards for tight end Mason Taylor. On Sunday, he put up nine catches for 67 yards. He also played on 84% of snaps, and is quickly working his way into top-ten tight end territory, especially in PPR leagues.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
A.J. Brown Cliff Coming?
Here is a list of players who have more half-PPR points than A.J. Brown in the last two weeks: Ashton Dulin, Tory Horton, Jalen Nailor, Luke McCaffrey, Tez Johnson, and Ryan Flournoy. This is getting to the point where we have to consider whether or not to sit A.J. Brown each week.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The Pittsburgh Steelers Were on Bye For Week 5
Week 6️⃣ up next 😤 @Patrickqueen_ pic.twitter.com/Zg9NXMGiAd
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 6, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
It’s Still Christian McCaffrey in the Red Zone
In the game last Thursday night, the San Francisco 49ers had 62 combined touches by skill players (receptions plus rush attempts). Christian McCaffrey, Kendrick Bourne, and Jake Tonges accounted for 47 of those as the 49ers eeked out a win over the Rams. Will players like Christian McCaffrey stay healthy after short week games where they touch the ball 30 times? Who can say, but the usage is elite.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Barner Burner
Three different tight ends scored two touchdowns on Sunday. Was it Trey McBride, Mark Andrews, and Brock Bowers? Nope, those three combined for zero touchdowns. But Theo Johnson, Jake Ferguson, and AJ Barner all found the end zone twice for their teams and are the three top tight ends of the week heading into Sunday Night Football. All three had at least seven targets and are all emerging as legitimate threats in their respective passing games. Barner played 80% of snaps and now has four touchdowns in the last four games.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Egbuka Elite Status
Emeka Egbuka was put on this earth to score touchdowns, apparently. Heading into Monday Night Football, he led all wide receivers with 27.8 half-PPR fantasy points after catching all seven of his targets for 163 yards, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion. Egbuka has five touchdowns already this season and fewer than seven targets in a game just one time. He tied Ja’Marr Chase, Randy Moss, and Terry McLaurin with those five scores to start a player’s career.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Calvin Ridley Comeback
After games against incredible secondaries like Houston and Denver, it was nice to see Calvin Ridley regress back to how talented we know he is. Ridley’s 131 yards on Sunday were just 10 fewer than he had in his first four games combined. Assuming Cam Ward can build on some of his success from Week 5, Ridley should continue to be a usable fantasy asset moving forward with a much easier schedule.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
Terry McLaurin Sits, Deebo Samuel Benefits
Data Sources: Pro Football Focus, NFL Next Gen Stats, Football Guys Snap Summary, FTN Air Yards, Pro Football Reference, Team Rankings, Fantasy Points Data Suite
Make sure to check out all of our Week 6 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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