Top 5 Fantasy Football Takeaways: Surprises & Disappointments

Some youngsters stepped up and asserted themselves as intriguing fantasy football options in Week 5. A veteran stepped up and filled the void of an injured teammate. On the other end of the spectrum, an entire offense is a mess, and a veteran running back’s fantasy value needs something to change to resuscitate it.

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Top 5 Fantasy Football Takeaways

Let’s dive into the biggest takeaways from Week 5.

Fantasy Football Week 5 Surprises

New Jersey is the Home of Two Viable Fantasy Football Options at Tight End

Mason Taylor and Theo Johnson had robust roles for the Jets and Giants, respectively. Taylor paced the Jets in targets (12), receptions (nine) and was second on the club in receiving yards (67). According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Taylor played 68 snaps, and his 45 routes were second for Gang Green. Running routes and earning targets at a high rate will help offset the lack of touchdown potential the Jets’ impotent offense provides him.

On the flip side, Johnson caught a pair of touchdowns against the Saints after catching one in Jaxson Dart‘s first career start against the Chargers in Week 4. Johnson played 60 snaps and ran 35 routes versus 38 and 16 for Daniel Bellinger. Johnson had seven targets, six receptions, 33 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, tying for the team lead in targets and receptions. Dart didn’t have a flawless start in a loss, throwing two picks, losing a fumble and taking a sack. Nevertheless, he attempted 40 passes and eclipsed 200 passing yards. So, Dart could play well enough to provide some of Big Blue’s players with fantasy value, including Johnson.

Jaylon Waddle Had a Predictable Breakout

Tyreek Hill‘s brutal knee injury in Week 4 resulted in Jaylen Waddle stepping up the rest of that contest. Unsurprisingly, he kept his momentum in Miami’s Week 5 loss against the Panthers. Waddle was tied with De’Von Achane for the team high in routes (34) and converted his route participation into team highs for targets (nine) and receiving yards (110) and co-team highs in receptions (six) and receiving touchdowns (one). Thus, Waddle had 0.26 targets per route run, a 25% target share and 3.24 yards per route run.

According to the data suite at Fantasy Points, among 110 wideouts with at least 75 routes through Week 4, 0.26 targets per route run would have tied for 13th, a 25% target share would have ranked 16th and 3.24 yards per route run would have been third. Waddle won’t benefit from facing the Panthers every week, but he should be treated as a WR1.

The “Bill” Breakout Was Beautiful

Jacory Croskey-Merritt exploded against the Chargers in a 27-10 win. He handled 14 of Washington’s backfield’s 20 rush attempts, rumbling for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Arguably equally important, “Bill” ran 12 routes versus seven for Chris Rodriguez and 13 for Jeremy McNichols.

JCM’s routes weren’t empty, either. Instead, he had two targets, two receptions and 39 receiving yards. Croskey-Merritt’s speed and elusiveness were on full display en route to 150 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 16 touches.

He’s unlikely to morph into a bell-cow, and JCM wasn’t one in a breakout performance. Still, his blow-up showing, coupled with the rock-solid usage, was encouraging for his rest-of-season outlook. Moreover, Washington might be making a conscious decision to limit his touches and snaps for now, as he played only one game and 24 snaps last year before missing the rest of the season due to the NCAA’s mishandling of his eligibility. The Commanders could unleash him more down the stretch. Nevertheless, Croskey-Merritt is an upside RB2/flex for now.

Fantasy Football Week 5 Disappointments

The Raiders Are a Roaring Dumpster Fire

To the surprise of no one who’s followed Pete Carroll’s history of lying about injuries, Brock Bowers was inactive on Sunday, despite Carroll stating on Friday that he expected Bowers to play. Left tackle Kolton Miller was placed on the injured reserve (IR) earlier in the week, too. The absences were too much for the Raiders to overcome.

Las Vegas scored just six points in a 40-6 defeat against the Colts. The Raiders also amassed only 296 yards at a pitiful 4.6 yards per play. Geno Smith threw two more picks and took four more sacks, running his totals to an NFL-high nine interceptions and 16 sacks. Fortunately, Smith’s ineptitude didn’t prevent Ashton Jeanty from stacking back-to-back useful weeks.

Jeanty had 14 carries for 67 scoreless yards and seven targets, five receptions and 42 scoreless receiving yards. Jeanty is a do-it-all running back, but he’ll endure some duds in a dumpster fire offense. Smith is a turnover and sack-taking machine, which is a killer for the offense. Las Vegas’s offensive line will also struggle to pave the way for Jeanty on the ground. The rookie running back’s second straight stellar showing after an eruption in Week 4 could provide gamers an opportunity to sell at a reasonable price. Gamers shouldn’t give Jeanty away since his robust role can lead to useful weeks, but kicking the tires on shipping him out at a reasonable price is a forward-thinking move.

Gamers with Bowers are probably stuck holding him. Unfortunately, as the season spirals down the drain for the Raiders, they have less incentive to push Bowers to play through an injury. Tre Tucker had a team-high 62 receiving yards on six targets and four receptions, and he added a nine-yard run. The speedster is an OK bench option, albeit a volatile one.

Jakobi Meyers had six targets, four receptions and 32 scoreless yards against the Colts. Meyers is a rock-solid fantasy option who would benefit from Bowers’ continued absence. However, Meyers is also in the final year of his contract and could be a trade deadline chip for a Raiders team that’s not going anywhere and needs more assets, including draft picks.

Alvin Kamara Might Need a Trade to Revive His Fantasy Value

Alvin Kamara isn’t having a banner year, and there’s no reason to believe in brighter days ahead in New Orleans. Kamara had season lows for rush attempts (eight) and rushing yards (27) in Week 5, trailing Kendre Miller‘s 10 carries and 41 rushing yards. Kamara isn’t soaking up as many gimme fantasy points in half-point per reception (half PPR) and PPR leagues, either.

Through five games, he has 21 targets (4.2 per game), 17 receptions (3.4 per game) and 77 receiving yards (15.4 per game). Kamara ran 19 routes versus nine for Miller, and the former had six receptions for 28 scoreless yards. Kamara’s receiving yardage in Week 5 was a season high, and he’s scored only one touchdown this season. The return of Taysom Hill could also squeeze Kamara’s touchdown potential near the goal line.

Frankly, Kamara is just a mediocre flex or bye-week RB2 unless the Saints trade him. The Saints signed him to a two-year extension during the 2024 season. However, new head coach Kellen Moore has trusted Miller more than Dennis Allen, and the Saints aren’t a contender. Thus, an RB-needy team could conceivably trade for Kamara, and even a passing-down gig with a change-of-pace role in a talented offense could make him more valuable, especially if he handles goal-line duties with an acquiring club.

Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.