Week 5 brings a difficult slate of quarterback matchups, but several widely available players remain viable fill-ins for fantasy managers dealing with injuries, bye weeks and late roster changes. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins heads the group after a productive opening month, while Houston’s C.J. Stroud, Green Bay’s Jordan Love and Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson offer QB2 options in superflex leagues.
Cousins enters Sunday’s road game against the New England Patriots with at least 20 fantasy points in each of his past three outings. He has thrown multiple touchdown passes in all four games and owns eight red-zone touchdown throws, tied for the NFL’s second-highest total. He does not offer much rushing production, but his fit in Klint Kubiak’s timing-based attack and the Raiders’ willingness to throw near the goal line make him a dependable second quarterback.
Stroud travels to Tennessee after posting a season-best 23.08 points against Dallas in Week 4. Nico Collins’ return was pivotal, as the wide receiver produced 118 yards and two touchdown catches. The Titans present a stiffer test, but Stroud is averaging 17.1 points per game and has renewed upside with Collins back in the Houston passing game.
Love has thrown two touchdown passes in each of his four starts and is averaging 16.2 fantasy points. Green Bay’s struggling ground game has pushed him to 38.5 passing attempts per game. Chicago has defended quarterbacks well, but favorable outside matchups for Christian Watson and Matthew Golden could give Love a path to another useful fantasy day.
Watson is a more volatile choice at the New York Jets, whose defense ranks among the league’s best against quarterbacks. Still, he has topped 19 points twice, averages 31.8 rushing yards per game and has supplied 16.7 fantasy points per outing. Cleveland’s willingness to attack vertically adds big-play potential to his running-based floor.
Wide receiver options
Miami’s Malik Washington has become a more prominent component of the Dolphins offense ahead of Sunday’s home game against Cincinnati. Washington has delivered at least 11 points in consecutive games, averages seven targets per week and accounts for 27% of Miami’s targets. His role also includes designed rushing work, with at least two carries in each of the last two games. He is a credible WR3 choice.
Keenan Allen is expected to return from a groin injury when Indianapolis visits Pittsburgh. He missed the Colts’ Week 4 victory over Washington, but caught six of nine targets for 63 yards and a touchdown against Houston in Week 3, totaling 18.3 points. With Alec Pierce on injured reserve because of a heel injury, Allen’s ability to work underneath and find space over the middle could be especially important for an Indianapolis offense lacking a consistent deep threat.
Philadelphia could again need contributions from Darius Cooper and Dontayvion Wicks at Jacksonville with DeVonta Smith still sidelined by a hamstring injury. Cooper turned seven targets into three receptions, 33 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 4 loss to the Rams. Wicks has already registered two games of at least 12 fantasy points. Both are deeper-league candidates despite the difficult Jaguars matchup.
New York Giants receiver Malachi Fields is an upside flier against Washington, which sits in the bottom five of the league in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. Fields had a season-high 13.1 points against Arizona in Week 4, including a red-zone touchdown. He averages only 3.8 targets, but his size and boundary skills give him a chance to capitalize on isolated coverage.
New England’s DeMario Douglas could see a larger workload against Las Vegas because Mack Hollins is expected to miss the game with a calf injury. Douglas has only nine catches for 82 yards on 17 targets this season, but he could become a preferred slot outlet for quarterback Drake Maye.
Running back situations to monitor
Brian Robinson Jr. powered Atlanta’s Week 4 rout of New Orleans with 62 rushing yards and three touchdowns, producing a season-high 25.7 points. Although he remains behind Bijan Robinson, he has received at least 10 carries in three straight games and has scored on the ground in two of them. Atlanta ranks second in the NFL with 181 rushing yards per game, giving Robinson flex appeal against Baltimore in deeper formats.
The winless Los Angeles Chargers shifted to a three-back arrangement in their loss to Seattle, and Keaton Mitchell handled the most work. Mitchell had 15 touches, compared with 11 for Omarion Hampton and seven for Kimani Vidal. He finished with 39 rushing yards on 10 attempts and added five receptions for 24 yards. After scoring at least 11 points in back-to-back games, Mitchell stands out for his receiving role against Denver.
Will Shipley could receive more work for Philadelphia with Saquon Barkley dealing with a hamstring injury and Tank Bigsby on injured reserve. Shipley has not exceeded nine touches in any game this season, however, and the Eagles are managing significant offensive-line changes. Dameon Pierce also may take part in the rushing rotation, leaving Shipley as a deeper-league play at Jacksonville.
Green Bay’s MarShawn Lloyd is positioned to share the workload with Kaleb Johnson if Chris Brooks cannot play through an ankle injury. Lloyd is averaging just 2.7 yards per carry, but he has been more useful in the passing game. He caught five passes for 36 yards against Tampa Bay last week, has at least two receptions in three consecutive games and caught a touchdown in Week 2.
At tight end
Jacksonville’s Brenton Strange is coming off a breakout effort against Cincinnati, where he caught seven of eight targets for 95 yards and a season-best 16.5 points. Strange has reached double figures in two of four appearances and has drawn 13 targets over his past two games. The Eagles matchup is tougher, but Trevor Lawrence should continue to look for him on throws between the numbers.
Defenses for Week 5
Cleveland’s defense has produced at least three sacks and an interception in each of its last three games. The Browns face a Jets offense that ranks 24th in both scoring and total offense, making them a strong streaming consideration.
Cincinnati’s defense travels to Miami after recording four sacks across its last three games. The Bengals have forced only one turnover during that span, but the matchup offers opportunity: Miami is last in the NFL at 11.5 points per game and ranks among the bottom five offenses in yards per game.
