Just when you thought players on byes were all you had to worry about when making Week 5 Fantasy football picks, the injury bug struck in a big way. Malik Nabers and Tyreek Hill are done for the year, while Lamar Jackson (hamstring) will reportedly miss at least two weeks. That throws a wrench into the Fantasy football strategy for their owners, while those players on byes affects just about everyone setting Week 5 Fantasy football lineups.
With those wideout injuries, plus the likes of DK Metcalf and Rome Odunze on byes, can you continue to rely on the likes of Quentin Johnston, Tre Tucker and Michael Pittman Jr.? They are all in the top 15 of positional Fantasy football rankings, while bigger-named wideouts like Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy and Cooper Kupp sit outside the top 50. With everything going on, your Fantasy football start/sit decisions will likely be tougher for Week 5 Fantasy football lineups than for any other week thus far. Before making your Week 5 Fantasy football picks, be sure to check out the Week 5 Fantasy football rankings from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
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When it comes to ranking players, SportsLine’s model beat human experts in Fantasy football for the past several seasons, especially when there were big differences in ranking. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home empty-handed.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, including being ahead of the curve on players like A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara and Jahmyr Gibbs. Anybody who banked on players like those could have made a run at their league title.
Now, the model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has revealed its Fantasy football rankings for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
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Top Week 5 Fantasy football picks
One surprise in Week 5: The model is fading Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith, a two-time 1,000-yard wideout who has been a top-30 Fantasy receiver each of the last three years. Much has been made about A.J. Brown’s lack of involvement in Philly’s offense, but Smith has been just as much as a non-factor. He’s had 60 or fewer receiving yards in every game this season and has just one touchdown. He’s averaging just five targets per game and is coming off a two-catch, 29-yard performance versus Tampa.
Smith has eight fewer targets than Brown this year, and dating back to last season’s playoffs, Smith hasn’t reached 70 yards in eight straight games. In Week 5, he’ll face a top-10 passing defense in the Broncos, who have also allowed the fewest passing touchdowns (one) in the NFL. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for just 55 yards versus Denver on Monday night, and only one wideout all year has eclipsed 68 receiving yards against the Broncos. Thus, Smith may not warrant a spot in Week 5 Fantasy football lineups as he sits outside the top 30 in positional rankings.
Another curveball: The model is high on Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. The former Giant has four passing and three rushing touchdowns on the season as he enters Week 5 as the QB8 in Fantasy points. He may be even higher if Colts wideout, Adonai Mitchell, wouldn’t have fumbled on the 1-yard-line on Sunday with a premature celebration, taking away another potential passing score for Jones. The quarterback is among many who have found success after leaving New York, as Jones has career highs in passer rating, yards per game and completion percentage.
The Raiders’ defense awaits Indy in Week 5, and Vegas has a bottom-10 pass defense on the season. All four quarterbacks the Raiders have faced have at least 200 passing yards and a passing score, so there’s a high Fantasy floor whenever playing Las Vegas. Additionally, just seven teams have allowed more rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks than Vegas, which plays into one of Jones’ strengths. He checks in as a top-three Fantasy QB for Week 5, slotting ahead the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott. For more start/sit Fantasy football advice, be sure to check out the rest of the Week 5 Fantasy football rankings.
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How to set Week 5 Fantasy football rankings
The model is also calling for a surprising running back you aren’t even thinking about to finish in the top five of its Week 5 Fantasy football rankings. This pick could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing. See the model’s entire Week 5 Fantasy football rankings for PPR and standard leagues here.
So who should you start and sit this week, and which surprising running back could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 5 Fantasy football rankings for every position, plus see which running back is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top five, all from the model that has outperformed experts big-time.
