Five weeks into the 2026 NFL season, we’re starting to see some clear trends in how teams want to use their players. Of course, injuries have continued to throw a wrench into those plans, but the usage helps us adjust. Several backfields are becoming increasingly difficult to predict, while injuries to key receivers and running backs are creating opportunities for players who weren’t even on the fantasy radar a few weeks ago.
This weekly piece will look at those trends and make recommendations for players who might be worth rostering or starting in our fantasy lineups. For Week 5, we will dive into some ambiguous and uncertain situations that developed over the last three weeks to see how different roles played out.
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 2026 NFL Week 5 usage!
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NFL Week 5 Usage Trends
ARIZONA CARDINALS
With Marvin Harrison Jr. traded to Houston, Kendrick Bourne had a 51% overall snap share and 59% route participation. He caught five of eight targets for 70 yards. Jalen Brooks benefited from Harrison’s departure, playing 39 snaps and drawing seven targets, while Michael Wilson led the receivers with 44 routes and seven targets.
ATLANTA FALCONS
Bijan Robinson played 52 of 64 snaps (81%) compared with just 14 for Brian Robinson Jr. Bijan handled 17 carries for 86 yards and caught four of seven targets for another 32 yards, giving him 21 touches and 118 total yards. The three-touchdown explosion from Brian Robinson in Week 4 was fun, but this week’s workload makes it clear that Bijan remains the centerpiece of the offense.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
With Lamar Jackson sidelined, Tyler Huntley leaned heavily on Zay Flowers, who commanded 29% of Baltimore’s targets against Atlanta. Flowers finished with nine touches for 66 yards, but his average depth of target was just 4.4 yards. Flowers is still the clear top receiving option, but his targets from Huntley are considerably less valuable than those from Jackson.
BUFFALO BILLS
With DJ Moore out, six Bills players had between two and four targets in the passing game in a game where Josh Allen threw for 210 passing yards and 57 of those were on the first drive of overtime. As usual, Josh Allen and James Cook (35 combined carries) handled the load with 232 total rushing yards and three rushing scores.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
The Carolina Panthers were on bye for Week 5.
CHICAGO BEARS
D’Andre Swift reclaimed the lead role in Chicago’s backfield with Kyle Monangai sidelined, playing 57% of the snaps and handling nine carries for 43 yards and a touchdown. Roschon Johnson played 40% and caught five passes for 34 yards, but six of his seven targets came on Chicago’s final two drives after Swift had been removed because of the blowout.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Chase Brown’s hold on Cincinnati’s backfield suddenly looks much less secure after Samaje Perine took on a much larger role against Miami. Brown played 38 snaps (59%) compared with 33 (52%) for Perine, but Perine actually led the team in carries, 14 to 13, and rushing yards, 68 to 39. Brown ran twice as many routes (20 to 10) and drew four targets compared with two for Perine.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Quinshon Judkins suffered a foot/ankle injury in the fourth quarter against the Jets, further complicating Cleveland’s backfield. Judkins played 53% of the snaps and handled 14 carries for 44 yards, adding three receptions on four targets. Raheim Sanders played 30% of the snaps but left with a hip injury, leaving Jaleel McLaughlin to handle all seven snaps over Cleveland’s final two drives. Dylan Sampson also returns to practice this week.
DALLAS COWBOYS
Javonte Williams actually played a season-high 84% of Dallas’ offensive snaps against Tampa Bay, with Tyler Goodson getting just three snaps (5%). Williams handled 12 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown, adding two receptions for 17 yards. His 14 touches were limited by Dallas falling behind, not by a committee.
DENVER BRONCOS
J.K. Dobbins handled 18 carries for 68 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers, but the curious part was RJ Harvey’s reduced receiving involvement. Harvey drew just one target on 12 routes after seeing 10 targets on 18 routes the previous week. The 10-to-one target swing is a reminder of just how game-script-dependent his numbers can be.
DETROIT LIONS
Detroit’s 45-point explosion against Arizona was another reminder of how many fantasy-relevant players this offense can support. Amon-Ra St. Brown commanded 11 targets and caught six for 69 yards, while Jameson Williams caught two passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Detroit’s increased use of two-tight-end formations is becoming for frequent, making really anyone else besides the wide receivers, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs hard to trust despite.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Christian Watson and Matthew Golden completely dominated Green Bay’s passing game against Chicago. Watson played 81% of the snaps, ran routes on 85% of dropbacks and caught six of eight targets for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Golden wasn’t far behind, playing 76% of snaps and catching six of seven targets for 123 yards. The two combined for 266 of Jordan Love’s 367 passing yards.
HOUSTON TEXANS
David Montgomery’s groin injury in the second quarter completely changed Houston’s backfield. Montgomery played just nine snaps (14%) and handled five carries before leaving, while Woody Marks took over nearly every remaining snap. Marks finished with 53 snaps (84%), 15 carries for 62 yards and four receptions for 23 yards on four targets. Marks also lost a 24-yard touchdown run to a penalty. If Montgomery misses Week 6, Marks looks like a legitimate three-down starter.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Keenan Allen played just 46% of Indianapolis’ snaps in his return, but that didn’t stop him from drawing a team-high nine targets, catching five for 45 yards. Tyler Warren also received nine targets, catching seven for 83 yards, and played 94% of the snaps while running a route on 84% of dropbacks. Josh Downs played 84% and received six targets and continues to disappoint despite a great opportunity.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Bhayshul Tuten continues to take control of Jacksonville’s backfield, reaching a season-high 66% snap share against Philadelphia and handling 25 of 30 running back opportunities. Tuten finished with 22 carries for 72 yards and caught two passes for another 24 yards, giving him 24 touches and 96 total yards. LeQuint Allen played just 19% of snaps, primarily in passing situations, while Chris Rodriguez fell to 13%.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The Kansas City Chiefs were on bye for Week 5.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
The biggest surprise in Las Vegas’ backfield was Dylan Laube taking over as the backup to Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty played 53% of the snaps, ran 17 routes and handled 10 carries for 27 yards, adding three catches for 50 yards on six targets. Laube played 40% of the snaps, ran 14 routes and received seven touches, including a rushing touchdown. Mike Washington Jr. played only four snaps (7%) and received two touches.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
This Chargers backfield is becoming a complete mess for fantasy managers, and Week 5 only made things worse. Kimani Vidal led the running backs with 26 snaps (41%), followed by Keaton Mitchell with 21 (33%) and Omarion Hampton with 20 (32%). Vidal also broke a 42-yard touchdown run against Denver. This is turning into a big mess, especially for Hampton managers.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
How best to describe the dominance of Puka Nacua’s 17 catches on 24 targets against the Buffalo Bills? In the last three weeks, Ja’Marr Chase had 18 catches on 25 targets. Puka did in one game what Chase accomplished in three weeks.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Ollie Gordon II continued to lead Miami’s backfield, playing 42 snaps (66%) and handling 18 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati. Jaylen Wright was limited to nine snaps (14%) and six carries for 11 yards, while Carlos Washington also played nine snaps. Gordon additionally ran 18 routes compared with just one for Wright.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Aaron Jones was a legitimate workhorse against New Orleans, playing 88% of the snaps and handling 28 of Minnesota’s 30 running back opportunities. Jones finished with 25 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown, adding three catches for four yards. Jordan Mason can come back this week, so we will have to see what this new split looks like.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
TreVeyon Henderson’s ankle injury opened another opportunity for Rhamondre Stevenson. Stevenson finished with 13 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown, adding three receptions for 21 yards. Corey Kiner received most of his seven touches in garbage time, while Henderson played just 12 snaps before leaving. Stevenson could be looking at a significant workload if Henderson misses tim.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
New Orleans’ backfield continues to be a nightmare for fantasy managers, even after Travis Etienne got injured, and Week 5 did little to clear things up. Kendre Miller received additional rushing opportunities early, but his playing time fell to just 27% of snaps after his productive opening stretch. Alvin Kamara also lost work in obvious passing situations, and the Saints used Audric Donaldson in some of those plays.
NEW YORK GIANTS
Malik Nabers completely dominated New York’s passing game against Washington, commanding 20 targets and catching 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. He played 92% of the snaps and ran routes on 95% of dropbacks, accounting for 38% of the Giants’ targets and 48% of their air yards.
NEW YORK JETS
Braelon Allen rushed for 116 yards against Cleveland after dominating the Jets’ backfield in the previous game. Breece Hall may be back as soon as next week, but Allen has proved he can handle a full workload in back-to-back weeks. All other running backs got three total carries while Allen had 24.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
With DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, and Hollywood Brown all inactive, Philadelphia gave Darius Cooper, Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon nearly full-time roles. Cooper led the receivers with an 85% snap share but received only three targets, catching two for 71 yards and a touchdown. Wicks played 83% of the snaps and led the receivers with eight targets, catching five for 63 yards. Lemon played 80% and caught five of seven targets for 43 yards.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Jaylen Warren continues to dominate as Pittsburgh’s lead running back with no Rico Dowdle. Warren played 85% of the snaps against Indianapolis and handled 21 of the team’s 22 running back opportunities. He finished with 15 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown, adding six receptions for 87 yards and another score. Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday they are going to keep featuring Warren even when Dowdle comes back.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Mike Evans was the clear focal point of San Francisco’s passing game against Seattle (because of a lack of other wide receiver options), drawing 10 targets and catching seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Evans accounted for 37% of the targets and an incredible 68% of the team’s air yards despite playing only 64% of the snaps. Deebo Samuel Sr. played just 45% before leaving with a hamstring injury.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Emanuel Wilson continues to lead Seattle’s backfield, playing 60% of the snaps and handling 20 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown. Wilson also caught both of his targets for 11 yards, giving him 22 of Seattle’s 30 running back opportunities. George Holani played 40% of the snaps and handled passing situations, catching four passes for 24 yards, but lost a fumble near the goal line.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Bucky Irving had his best game of the season with 165 rushing yards and two total touchdowns against Dallas. Irving played 35 of 65 snaps (54%), handling 21 carries and three targets. Kenneth Gainwell played 24 snaps (37%), with four carries and four targets, while Sean Tucker played six snaps (9%) but received five carries, including a fourth-and-goal attempt that didn’t work.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Tyjae Spears played 52% of Tennessee’s snaps against Houston and caught all nine of his targets, but those receptions produced just 28 yards and were likely a result of the blowout. Tony Pollard remained the preferred runner, handling 14 carries compared with just two for Spears. Pollard is the early-down back, while Spears handles receiving situations.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
Jacory Croskey-Merritt scored on a 33-yard run and handled 10 of Washington’s first 16 running back opportunities through three quarters. Rachaad White completely took over late. Croskey-Merritt had played 53% of snaps through three quarters, while White was at 38% and Austin Ekeler at 16%.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 6 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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