Faux Football Preview - Week 5
Chew previews Week 5 in the NFL with some redraft and dynasty fantasy advice.
Week 4 is a thing of the past, and our fantasy rosters are (hopefully) finding ways to win. There were surprise boom weeks from Jaxson Dart, Kenneth Gainwell, Romeo Doubs, and Darren Waller; however, there were duds from Cam Ward, David Montgomery, Ladd McConkey, and Chig Okonkwo. Let’s look ahead to a healthy, fantasy-point-filled Week 5.
Check out last week’s preview here to see how things shook out. As a reminder, both redraft and dynasty are considered in this weekly roundup, so without further ado, let’s get to it.
DYNASTY BUY/SELL
Once the NFL season starts, the dynasty mindset can take a backseat to the redraft mindset. Each week, I will highlight two players to buy and two players to sell in dynasty, providing examples for each. As always, the trades are taken from the dynasty-daddy.com trade database.
Buy #1 - LADD MCCONKEY
The time to buy is now for Ladd McConkey in the pass-heavy Chargers’ offense that has benefited everyone except for, well, Ladd McConkey. Targets have been relatively steady, but Justin Herbert has been looking downfield for targets like Quentin Johnston and Keenan Allen. I do not expect Johnston & Company to disappear, but McConkey breaking his sophomore slump could happen sooner rather than later.
Trade #1: Ladd McConkey + ‘26 2nd ←→ J.K. Dobbins + Jordan Addison
Trade #2: Ladd McConkey + Rashee Rice + ‘26 2nd ←→ CeeDee Lamb
Sell #1 - ROMEO DOUBS
Three touchdowns in one week is sure to turn some heads, even if it was against the Cowboys. Romeo Doubs offers some flex upside after returning from the Week 5 bye; however, it is anyone’s guess which of these Packers receivers is going to be the target leader on a weekly basis. This is an opportunity to sell high on a player that is in a good offense but does not offer the stability necessary to be considered a starter in most fantasy leagues.
Trade #1: Romeo Doubs ←→ Malik Washington + ‘26 2nd
Trade #2: Romeo Doubs ←→ ‘26 2nd
Buy #2 - MALIK WASHINGTON
The gruesome injury to Tyreek Hill opens up the door for the remaining Dolphins’ pass-catchers. While Darren Waller and and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine offer big-bodied targets for Tua Tagovailoa, I am shifting my focus to a player I was high on in his 2024 rookie season and that is Malik Washington. There is no one-for-one replacement for Tyreek Hill, but Washington is a dynamic player in space and plays with a physicality that exceeds his size. The Miami offense does not provide much excitement for fantasy football but this is an opportunity for Washington to raise his dynasty stock.
Trade #1: Malik Washington + ‘26 2nd ←→ Romeo Doubs
Trade #2: Malik Washington ←→ ‘26 3rd
Sell #2 - DERRICK HENRY
This is not the end for Derrick Henry, but from a dynasty perspective this is the time to ship him off to a contender looking for the last bit of fantasy production. The lack of production can be attributed to game flow not being in Henry’s favor and ball security issues that have never been a blemish on his resume. This is not the Ravens team we expected after falling to 1-3 but with Lamar Jackson now missting at least one game due to injury it is anyone’s guess what we will get out of Henry.
Trade #1: Derrick Henry + Jameson Williams ←→ Tetairoa McMillan + ‘26 2nd
Trade #2: Derrick Henry ←→ ‘26 2nd + ‘27 2nd
HANDCUFF HEIRARCHY
The running back position can be one of frustration in fantasy as we scour the bench and waiver wire to fill in when injuries and bye weeks strike. But since we are just now getting started with the NFL season, here is a look at the various tiers for all 32 backup running backs. As the season progresses, we will see players rise and fall amongst the tiers, so stay tuned!
*This list only includes each team’s RB-2; thus, if the RB-1 is injured, then the RB-3 will take the place of the RB-2 on this list.
STANDALONE VALUE
These players have flex appeal even with the RB-1 being healthy in Week 5.
Some exciting names on this list could overtake the current RB-1s even without injury.
Despite the fumbling woes, Rhamondre Stevenson led the backfield, but TreVeyon Henderson retained his usual opportunities.
Woody Marks is still the RB-2 until he concretely overtakes Nick Chubb, but I think he is close to officially leading the Texans’ backfield.
R.J. Harvey and J.K. Dobbins had an excellent Week 4, but look for Dobbins to retain the lead role.
Rachaad White may be stepping into a larger role with Bucky Irving, who is dealing with an injury.
SPOT STARTER
The initial RB-1 is injured, and everyone moves up the depth chart, or a specialized role is created for the player.
There are some touchdown vultures and gameflow beneficiaries that could creep into flex territory if the stars align.
Emari Demercado ate into Trey Benson’s work despite the widespread belief that the latter would step into the James Conner role.
Derrick Henry has not been himself, and the game flow has not helped him, but it did help Justice Hill feast in the garbage time of Week 4.
The success of Ollie Gordon and Bhayshul Tuten is dependent upon game flow and maximizing their modest opportunities.
All other running backs here have their chances, but it is anyone’s guess when it will turn into meaningful fantasy points.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
If you are in a DEEP league, these are the rest of the bunch that you’re picking from for Week 5.
I expect some of these names to change throughout the season as injuries mount and rosters churn.
Plain and simple, those on this tier are behind bell cow backs and/or in paltry backfields.
TIGHT END STREAMERS
Of all the fantasy-relevant positions, it’s the tight end that is my favorite to stream. If you were not fortunate enough to get one of the top few tight ends, it can be a futile process to find fantasy points at the tight end position. Here are three tight ends ranked outside the top 12 who are stream-worthy in Week 5.
A Look Back At Week 4 (If Top-12 ✅)
Kyle Pitts → 18.0 points ✅
Mark Andrews → 10.0 points ❌
Dallas Goedert → 19.7 points ✅
Week 5
ZACH ERTZ (TE-13) @ LAC
With Terry McLaurin out at least another week, look for Zach Ertz to step into a larger role against a Chargers’ defense that was just shocked by rookie Jaxson Dart. I expect that Jayden Daniels will return, which will be a boost to Ertz, who caught a touchdown in each of his first two games. If Ertz can sneak into the top-12, it will likely be because of a touchdown, as is the case with most tight ends in this range.
DARREN WALLER (TE-19) @ CAR
I would consider two touchdowns for a debut pretty good for Darren Waller. After signing with the Dolphins late in the offseason following a Jonnu Smith trade, Waller immediately became a red zone weapon despite a so-so snap share. The usage is reassuring, especially on the heels of the Dolphins needing playmakers following the gruesome injury to Tyreek Hill. My rule for 2025 is to consider at least starting the tight end who is going up against the Panthers, and Waller could very well get his third touchdown for 2025.
A.J. BARNER (TE-23) v. TB
Rookie Elijah Arroyo’s role has been growing, but A.J. Barner is not going anywhere just yet. The Seahawks’ offense is well-balanced, with most of the passes going to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in a breakout season. But Barner has been utilized in the red zone enough that he can be considered a streaming option in the right matchup. Going up against the Buccaneers in Week 5 provides another great opportunity for Barner to get a few targets and hopefully pull down another touchdown.
So you made it this far, and hopefully you enjoyed it (that’s what she said). If you wouldn’t mind sharing this in your group message with your fellow fantasy football degenerates, I would greatly appreciate it!
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