Week 5 is here, and what a set of games we had. From big upsets to last-second, come-from-behind field-goal wins, we had it all. But, what are the fantasy football implications of all of this?
As Bucky goes, the Bucs go
After a huge Thursday night performance, it’s clear: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to get the ball to their best player. With Baker Mayfield out, getting the ball to Bucky Irving should be their game plan. With a 21/165/1 performance on the ground along with 2/10/1 in the air, he was the driving force of their win. Getting Bucky 20+ touches per game will make him an elite fantasy option every week.
Parker Washington is living up to offseason hype
Parker Washington is looking like a league-winner. He posted a 6/124/2 line, showing he was worth the pick over the summer. After a slow game last week, he’s
back in a big way and clearly a WR1 moving forward. While the Jaguars offense looks ineffective at times, Washington is the go-to guy for Trevor Lawrence in a very crowded wide receiver room.
The Tennessee Titans are irrelevant in fantasy football
Zero, zilch, nothing, nada. The lowest-scoring offense in the league is a non-factor in fantasy football. Despite being in a full passing game script nearly the entire game, Cam Ward mustered only 170 yards in the air, and only one receiver – Wan’Dale Robinson – had more than 50 yards. The low floor and the inconsistency are just too much to consider them in any capacity.
Kyler Murray looks … goodish
I’m not ready to say Kyler Murray looks great, but as of now, he’s good. It’s really the lack of touchdowns that’s holding him back from truly being a great fantasy option. Despite three straight wins and Murray completing 73% and 80% of his passes in the last few games, Murray has just two passing touchdowns. It’s great to see him moving the offense and being efficient, but the ceiling just isn’t there right now.
It’s time to unleash Jayden Daniels in the passing game
I’m not here to talk about how the game ended, but Jayden Daniels needs to get the offense moving in the air. Yes, the game had some weather elements. Yes, it was Daniels’ first game back. Yes, they were missing Stefon Diggs. But Daniels only had 25 passing attempts and 199 passing yards in a game that ended with 54 points and went to overtime. Yes, he was great on the ground with 9/103/2, but consistency in the passing game is the next step.
Is Drake Maye back?
It was a terrible start to the season for Drake Maye; everyone knows that. But the last two weeks he has looked like his 2025 self. The first few weeks were filled with turnovers; the last few weeks have been filled with touchdowns. A total of 8 touchdowns in the past two weeks is what you drafted Maye for, and it’s what we should be expecting over the next few weeks, with some great matchups coming up.
Can we believe in Jordan Love?
While the Green Bay Packers have been a bit up and down, Jordan Love has been good. He has two passing touchdowns in every single game this season, and now has 300+ passing yards in three of five games. He’s surrounded by offensive talent, and considering how mediocre the Packers’ defense is, and how bad the running game is, they’ll be in high-scoring games most of the season. Love is a solid fantasy option every week, full stop.
Braelon Allen can be trusted
With Breece Hall out, Allen has become the main guy. We got a glimpse of it last week, but this week it was the full show. Allen ended with 24/116/1 on the ground, the clear new RB1 for the Jets. I also love to see that Isaiah Davis was the only other running back to get carries, and it was only two. Allen is the workhorse back when Hall is out.
Germie Bernard breakout incoming?
Michael Pittman is on IR, Roman Wilson left the game with a hand injury, and DK Metcalf was a non-factor. Bernard ended with 6/80/1 on a team-high 9 targets. While Jaylen Warren led the team with 87 receiving yards, 80 of those yards came on one play. Aaron Rodgers routinely looked to Bernard, who should be in for plenty of work moving forward.
Malik Washington continues to produce
The Miami Dolphins are 0-5 and are largely terrible, but Malik Washington is a viable fantasy option. He has 5+ targets in each game this season and holds a stable fantasy floor of points. Considering the Dolphins will almost exclusively be in passing game scripts, Washington will continue to be a low-end WR2 in most weeks. Giving him 5+ targets with 11+ airyards per target will offer a reasonable ceiling of fantasy points.
Mike Evans is still Mike Evans
While he might not always be 100%, the fantasy output for Mike Evans is unmatched when he gets rolling. Also, there's not many players on the 49ers who can consistenty take targets away from Evans. Is basically just Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle, considering everyone else is injured. With season-highs across the board – 7/113/1 – Evans continues to dominate the 49ers' target share and can win you a matchup.
Ride the wave with Jameson Williams
Rostering Jameson Williams in fantasy football is like riding a roller coaster. There are tons of ups and downs; we've known this for years. But when he's on, he's on in a big way. He posted 6/102/0 last week and 2/47/2 this week. Sure, the two catches and 47 yards don't jump off the page, but it's still nearly 20 PPR fantasy points. With some favorable games coming up for the Detroit Lions, Williams is a low-end WR2 or flex option going forward.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 12 instant fantasy football takeaways from Week 5
