The first byes of the 2026 NFL season will arrive in Week 5. The Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs will get early respite, which will likely send fantasy football managers to the waiver wire for streaming options.
Patrick Mahomes and Bryce Young have both been top-six fantasy quarterbacks to open the season, according to FantasyPros. Each has been something of a surprise, as many expected Mahomes to slowly work back into form after a late-season ACL tear while few projected Young to take a massive leap forward in his fourth NFL season.
Even so, fantasy managers have come to rely on those two players to serve as lineup anchors. Their absences will leave many looking for replacement options, even if it's just for Week 5.
Luckily, a handful
of quality streamers stand out, along with some MVP-caliber players you can trust after rocky starts to the 2026 NFL season.
Which quarterbacks can you trust in fantasy football for Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season? Here's a breakdown of the players to start and sit at the position.
WEEK 5 RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DST | FLEX
Fantasy football start 'em: Week 5 QBs
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (vs. Buffalo Bills)
Stafford has had an up-and-down start to his NFL MVP defense, but he can be trusted in a favorable-looking Week 5 matchup against the Bills.
Buffalo has surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to opposing quarterbacks this season and just allowed Drake Maye to snap out of a season-long funk. Maye posted 269 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception in that contest, so it's easy to imagine Stafford enjoying a similarly strong performance.
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Detroit Lions)
No NFL team has been worse this season against quarterbacks than the Lions. Detroit is allowing the most FPPG to the position and is also surrendering an unfathomable 304 passing yards per game, 24.3 more than the next-worst team, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Brissett is averaging 38 passing attempts per game through three weeks, so he has a great floor/ceiling combination in this favorable matchup.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (vs. Las Vegas Raiders)
Maye is back in the circle of trust after his strong performance against the Bills. He looked good through the air and also found running lanes, racking up 54 rushing yards with improved field-reading.
Maye will now face a Raiders defense that has surrendered 57 total points over its last two games, giving him higher-end touchdown potential in what could be a high-scoring matchup.
Jalon Daniels, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Dallas Cowboys - "Thursday Night Football")
OK, look, there are plenty of quarterbacks you should probably start ahead of Daniels. That said, if you're in a deep league or play in a superflex league, Daniels could be a sneaky-good play in Week 5.
The reason? The Cowboys have given up a league-high 188 rushing yards to quarterbacks this season. Daniels scrambled for 55 yards in his first start, so if he can repeat that production and log a multi-touchdown outing against a weak Dallas defense, he could emerge as a solid streamer.
Fantasy football sit 'em: Week 5 QBs
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (at Seattle Seahawks)
Purdy has been playing at an MVP level to start the 2026 NFL season, but he will face his toughest test yet against the Seahawks. Seattle has allowed the second-fewest FPPG to quarterbacks this season, along with an impressive average of just 161.3 passing yards per game.
Last season, Purdy racked up 544 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions across three meetings with the Seahawks, postseason included. His ceiling will be lower than usual in this difficult matchup.
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (vs. Chicago Bears)
The Bears were shredded through the air by Young and the Panthers in Week 1. Since then, the Bears have allowed an average of 112 passing yards per game and just one total passing touchdown, while Young has proven his hot Week 1 performance was no fluke.
Could Love find success against the Bears in a manner similar to Young? It's possible, and Love's consistency – he has logged two touchdowns in all four of his starts this season – may look appealing. Even so, it's hard to recommend trusting him against a Chicago defense that has performed well of late.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)
The Eagles are severely banged up right now. DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley are dealing with hamstring injuries while Philadelphia's offensive line will be down Landon Dickerson (knee), Lane Johnson (retirement) and potentially Cam Jurgens (concussion) against the Jaguars.
The Jaguars have allowed the eighth-fewest FPPG to quarterbacks this year while Hurts is averaging just 178.3 passing yards per game this season. This seems like a bad matchup for him.
Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'ems, Week 5
Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:
→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you. Here's who to start and who to sit in Week 5.
→ The wide receiver position is one of the deepest each season. Set yourself up for success in Week 5 with start 'em, sit 'em advice for wideouts.
→ Tight ends can be the perfect X-factor for any fantasy team. Here's who you should start and sit in Week 5.
→ Defense (and special teams) can win you championships – including your fantasy league's. Here are some of the best D/ST units to start and sit in Week 5.
More fantasy football content
For more fantasy football analysis, check out the Sports Seriously NFL vodcast.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em quarterbacks for Week 5 fantasy football
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