Fantasy Football Week 5 Sleepers: Jaxson Dart leads list of players who could have a big week
Under-the-radar players who could give your lineup an edge in Week 5
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1 min read
Jaxson Dart had a solid debut as the starting quarterback for the Giants in Week 4 against the Chargers, and he has the chance for a quality encore performance in Week 5 at the Saints. I like Dart as a sleeper in this matchup.
Against the Chargers, Dart was 13-of-20 passing for 111 yards and one touchdown, and he added 10 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He scored 21.5 Fantasy points, but there was one negative for Dart and the Giants in that game.
Malik Nabers (knee) suffered a torn ACL, and he's out for the season. Now, we have to see if Dart can be productive without one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson are the top two receivers for the Giants moving forward, and while they aren't Nabers, both should help Dart be productive enough against New Orleans. I would use Dart as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in deeper leagues.
The Saints are No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and every quarterback to face New Orleans this season (Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen) has scored at least 20.7 Fantasy points. And Murray and Allen have each rushed for at least 38 yards against the Saints, which bodes well for Dart and his rushing potential.
Dart would have top-10 upside if Nabers were healthy for this game. But even without Nabers, this matchup should allow Dart to play at a high level, and he's a great streaming option if you need a quarterback in Week 5.
I also like Slayton and Robinson as sleepers for this week, which you'll read about below. Let's take a look at all my favorite sleepers for Week 5.
Week 5 Sleepers
Week 5 Preview
Sleepers
Sleeper QBs
Prescott was impressive in Week 4 against Green Bay with 36.9 Fantasy points, and he did that without CeeDee Lamb (ankle), who is out for Week 5 as well. The Jets aren't an easy matchup since Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Tua Tagovailoa have been held to 19.7 Fantasy points or less in three games in a row. But Prescott is averaging 44 pass attempts a game in his past three outings, and he should continue to challenge this defense with George Pickens and Jake Ferguson. I like Prescott as a No. 1 quarterback in all leagues.
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This will be Tagovailoa's first game without Tyreek Hill (knee), but I still like Tagovailoa as a low-end starter in all leagues. The Panthers just allowed Drake Maye to score 27 Fantasy points in Week 4, and Tagovailoa should have enough weapons to be productive with Jaylen Waddle, De'Von Achane, Darren Waller and Malik Washington. The last time Tagovailoa played the Panthers in 2023, he passed for 262 yards and three touchdowns, and hopefully he can have a similar stat line in Week 5.
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Darnold is playing great coming into Week 5 against Tampa Bay, and we'll see if he can have a breakout Fantasy performance against the Buccaneers. He's scored at least 18.1 Fantasy points in three games in a row, but his best outing for the season is 20.7 points in Week 3 against New Orleans. He's also averaging just 25 pass attempts per game, but opposing quarterbacks against Tampa Bay are averaging 31.5 attempts per game. More volume would help Darnold, and the Buccaneers have also allowed three quarterbacks this season to score at least 20.7 Fantasy points. He's a great streaming option as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in this matchup.
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I want to have more faith in Young this week because his matchup against the Dolphins is fantastic. Miami is No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and every quarterback to face the Dolphins this season (Daniel Jones, Drake Maye, Josh Allen and Justin Fields) has scored at least 29.0 Fantasy points. But Young has scored 12.3 Fantasy points or less in three of four games, and his best outing was Week 2 at Arizona when he scored 27.3 Fantasy points thanks to 55 pass attempts. I'll take a chance on Young this week as a low-end starter in deeper leagues, and hopefully the matchup allows him to play at a high level like everyone else to face the Dolphins this year.
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Stroud is coming off his best game this season in Week 4 against Tennessee with 22.4 Fantasy points, and hopefully he can build off that performance in Week 5 against the Ravens. Baltimore is a mess defensively, and Stroud should be considered a low-end starting quarterback in deeper leagues. The Ravens just allowed Patrick Mahomes to score 35 Fantasy points, and Stroud could have back-to-back 20-plus Fantasy points for the first time since Weeks 3 and 4 of his rookie campaign in 2023. It's difficult to have much faith in Stroud, but the matchup against Baltimore is favorable enough to use him as a starter in deeper leagues.
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Sleeper RBs
Chuba Hubbard (calf) is out for Week 5 against Miami, and I like Dowdle as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues. In 2024 with the Cowboys, Dowdle had 10 games with at least 15 total touches, and he scored at least 14.9 PPR points in six outings over that span. He will likely share the work in Carolina with rookie Trevor Etienne in Week 5, but we expect Dowdle to do most of the heavy lifting. He already started to take work away from Hubbard, and Dowdle has 19 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 6 yards on two targets in his past two games against Atlanta and New England. The Dolphins have allowed a running back to score at least 12.8 PPR points in every game this season, including the past three opponents (Rhamondre Stevenson, James Cook and Breece Hall) to score at least 16.1 PPR points. Dowdle is my favorite injury replacement running back in Week 5, and he has top-20 upside in all leagues with his matchup against Miami.
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Bucky Irving (foot) is out for Week 5 at Seattle, and I like White as a No. 2 running back in all leagues. He only has one game this season with double digits in carries, but he got four catches in Week 4 against the Eagles. White will share playing time with Sean Tucker, but I expect White to get more touches and work on passing downs. That matters against the Seahawks, who are No. 1 in most receptions (29) and receiving yards (266) allowed to running backs. Three backfields this season (San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Arizona) have combined for at least seven catches against Seattle. In those games, Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, Trey Benson and Emari Demercado have scored at least 4.6 PPR points against the Seahawks with their receiving stats alone. This is all a benefit for White, who should be a primary weapon for Baker Mayfield. As for Tucker, he is more of a desperation flex in deeper leagues.
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Trey Benson (knee) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, and the Cardinals will likely use a committee to replace him, including Carter and Emari Demercado. Most likely, Carter will handle rushing duties, and Demercado will remain in his role on passing downs. Carter had two games in 2024 with extended action for the Cardinals, and he did well in those outings. He scored 10.1 PPR points at the Rams in Week 17 with 13 carries for 70 yards and two catches for 11 yards, and he had 15.9 PPR points in Week 18 against San Francisco with 17 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 16 yards. I'd use Carter as a low-end No. 2 running back against the Titans, who are No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to the position. Three running backs this season have scored at least 14.8 PPR points against Tennessee, and Carter might be able to help Fantasy managers in a desperate situation in Week 5. As for Demercado, he is a flex option for this week, but I prefer Carter in this matchup with the Titans.
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Hill has eight catches in the past two games for the Ravens on 10 targets, and he finished with 86 yards and a touchdown over that span. He also added three carries for 76 yards and a touchdown in Week 4 at Kansas City. If Baltimore falls behind in Week 5 against Houston, then Hill will likely see an increase in playing time, and Lamar Jackson (hamstring) is out. I like Hill as a flex option in PPR, and he should be a reliable weapon out of the backfield for new Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush.
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I'm hoping Chubb takes a backseat to Woody Marks this week, and I like Marks as a top-20 Fantasy running back in all leagues. But even when Marks had his breakout game in Week 4 against Tennessee, Chubb still played 42 percent of the snaps and finished with 13 carries for 47 yards and two catches for 15 yards on two targets. This week, the Texans have a dream matchup against the Ravens, who are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Baltimore is a mess defensively, and Marks and Chubb could both perform well in this game. Don't be afraid to use Chubb as a flex option in Week 5.
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Based on how Sunday's game against the Browns could unfold for the Vikings, we could see Scott playing in a prominent role on passing downs. It's hard to run on the Browns, who have held Chase Brown, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs and David Montgomery to a combined 57 carries for 108 yards on the season. I expect Cleveland to keep Jordan Mason in check as well, meaning Scott could be needed to catch passes. And he just had six receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown on eight targets in Week 4 at Pittsburgh. In deep PPR leagues, Scott can be used as a flex option for this game in London.
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Sleeper WRs
Olave had a weird game in Week 4 at Buffalo. He scored his first touchdown of the season, but he had season lows in targets (six), catches (three) and yards (20). And he also threw an interception on his first career pass attempt, so let's not do that again. I expect Olave to get back on track in Week 5 against the Giants, who are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. Six receivers have scored at least 15.3 PPR points against the Giants this year, and Olave should be considered a low-end No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. Rasheed Shahid is also worth using as a sleeper in Week 5, given the matchup.
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Godwin's stat line in Week 4 against Philadelphia wasn't pretty, with three catches for 26 yards, but he had 10 targets, which is what matters most. That was his first game back from the ankle injury he suffered in Week 7 last season, and he needed to shake off the rust. This week, he doesn't have an easy matchup against the Seahawks, who are No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. But Baker Mayfield should continue to lean on Godwin, who should be considered a low-end No. 2 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues.
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Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson should both be considered sleepers in Week 5 against the Saints in the first game without Malik Nabers (knee). We'll see if Jaxson Dart favors Slayton or Robinson, but both should be considered No. 3 Fantasy receivers in the majority of leagues. Last year, when Nabers was out for two games, Slayton had 22 targets for 14 catches, 179 yards and a touchdown over that span. And Robinson had 11 catches, 86 yards and a touchdown on 20 targets during that stretch as well. Five receivers have scored at least 12.2 PPR points against New Orleans this season, and Slayton and Robinson are now set up for success with Nabers out for the year.
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Diggs just had his best performance of the season in time for a revenge game against the Bills. In Week 4 against Carolina, Diggs had six catches for 101 yards on seven targets. Buffalo has only allowed three receivers to score at least 14.9 PPR points this season, but the Bills have allowed five touchdowns to the position. And Diggs had six catches for 82 yards on eight targets with the Texans in 2024 against Buffalo, so hopefully he can have similar success against the Bills again in Week 5. He should be considered a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Shakir had another solid outing in Week 4 against New Orleans with five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown on five targets, and he's now scored at least 12.4 PPR points in three of four games this season. He's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues against the Patriots, who have allowed six receivers to score at least 12.2 PPR points this year.
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Ayomanor had a down game in Week 4 at Houston with two catches for 44 yards, but he got seven targets, which is a positive. And he scored at least 13.8 PPR points in each of his two previous outings prior to Week 4, which included two touchdowns. Calvin Ridley (knee) is banged up, and Cam Ward may have to rely on Ayomanor even more in Week 5 against the Cardinals. It helps that Arizona has allowed a receiver to score at least 12.4 PPR points in every game this season, and I like Ayomanor as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues in this matchup.
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Kirk hasn't done much in his two games this season with a combined six catches for 45 yards on 12 targets against Jacksonville and Tennessee, but he could be a nice surprise in Week 5 at Baltimore given the matchup. The Ravens are dealing with several defensive injuries coming into this game, and Baltimore is No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. Six receivers have already scored at least 12.4 PPR points against the Ravens, and Kirk could follow suit as a complementary option to Nico Collins. I would use Kirk as a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues in this matchup.
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Sleeper TEs
In his past two games against Houston and San Francisco, Strange has combined for 12 catches for 106 yards on 14 targets, and he scored at least 10.5 PPR points in each outing. He has a difficult matchup in Week 5 against Kansas City, but the Chiefs just allowed Mark Andrews to catch seven passes for 30 yards on eight targets in Week 4. Strange should be considered a low-end starter in all leagues.
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I like Tremble as a low-end starter in all leagues against the Dolphins, who have struggled with tight ends so far this season. Miami has allowed three tight ends to score at least 11.5 PPR points, including Dalton Kincaid and Mason Taylor in each of the past two weeks. Tremble stepped up in Week 4 at New England in the first game without Ja'Tavion Sanders (ankle) with five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. Tremble should have the chance for two quality games in a row, given the matchup with Miami.
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Taylor has 13 targets in his past two games against Tampa Bay and Miami, and he was great against the Dolphins with five catches for 65 yards. This week, he has a quality matchup against the Cowboys, who have allowed two tight ends to score at least 10.6 PPR points this season. Taylor should be the No. 2 option in the passing game for the Jets opposite Garrett Wilson, and I like Taylor as a low-end starter in all leagues.
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Defense/Special Teams
Kicker
- Chad Ryland (vs. TEN)
- Matt Prater (vs. NE)
- Ka'imi Fairbairn (at BAL)
