The NFL is back for Week Five’s action, which also marks the first bye weeks of the season (other than the surprise Week One byes for Miami and Tampa Bay). The Falcons, Broncos, Saints and Redskins are all taking the week off, so be sure those players are out of your lineups.
(7:31PM) After an amazing, clock-draining drive from the Cowboys, the Packers answered with a fast-paced, game-winning drive that ended with QB Aaron Rodgers throwing his third touchdown of the day and his second to WR Davante Adams, who finished with 66 yards on seven receptions. The Packers pulled this one out, 35-31.
(7:21PM) With just over a minute remaining, the Cowboys finished off a drive that took the majority of the fourth quarter with a touchdown scamper from QB Dak Prescott to take the lead. Prescott now has 223 passing yards with three scores, along with 37 rushing yards. He’s the top-scoring fantasy QB on the week, pending SNF and MNF.
(7:14PM) The Seahawks are going to hang on and get a win against the league’s top scoring team, the Rams, holding them to just ten points. Rams RB Todd Gurley was finally stopped, gaining just 50 total yards. Rams WR Sammy Watkins failed to record a reception on four targets.
(7:08PM) The Ravens held on to defeat the Raiders 30-17. Oakland WR Michael Crabtree finished with six receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown, while his teammate Amari Cooper managed just one grab for eight yards.
(6:31PM) After the Cowboys controlled much of the game, the Packers have taken the lead on a touchdown from QB Aaron Rodgers to WR Jordy Nelson in the back of the end zone. Nelson still has just 24 yards on two receptions.
(6:20PM) We may be witnessing the beginning of a change in the Packers backfield, or at the very least, a committee attack. Rookie RB Aaron Jones has 91 total yards and a touchdown on 14 touches. Fellow rookie RB Jamaal Williams hasn’t seen a carry.
(6:03PM) The Cowboys have maintained their lead over Green Bay, which is now down to just six points after a field goal from K Mason Crosby. QB Aaron Rodgers has been held in check with just 154 yards and one touchdown, while WR Jordy Nelson didn’t even see his first target until the third quarter. WRs Davante Adams and Randall Cobb are sporting identical 4/29 stat lines, though Adams has the Packers only receiving touchdown.
(6:00PM) The Ravens continue to cruise over Oakland, 24-10. There is not much offense to speak of in this matchup. WR Mike Wallace has a pair of receptions for 106 yards, while Raiders WR Michael Crabtree is stuck at his 3/61/1 stat line. RB Marshawn Lynch has just 29 yards on eight carries and is being outrushed by RB Jalen Richard. Oh, and WR Amari Cooper still doesn’t have a catch.
(5:58PM) The Seahawks and Rams are tied at 10 early in the second half. Rams RB Todd Gurley is having an understandable letdown against a strong Seattle defense. Gurley has 33 total yards and has been outgained on the ground by WR Tavon Austin.
(5:34PM) With RB Ty Montgomery out with a rib injury and rookie RB Jamaal Williams dealing with a bad knee, fellow rookie RB Aaron Jones is leading the way against Dallas. As expected, most of the Packers offense is running through QB Aaron Rodgers, but Jones does have 35 total yards on seven first half touches.
(5:28PM) With the late games nearing intermission, let’s check on the top fantasy scorers for Week Five, up to this point:
QB- Carson Wentz, Cam Newton, Brian Hoyer, Philip Rivers, Dak Prescott
RB- Melvin Gordon, Leonard Fournette, LeVeon Bell, Duke Johnson, Marlon Mack
WR- AJ Green, Antonio Brown, TY Hilton, Odell Beckham, Chris Hogan
TE- Ed Dickson, George Kittle, Zach Ertz, Cameron Brate, Darren Fells
(5:18PM) We continue to gain more clarity on the injury to Giants WR Odell Beckham as the team has announced their star has a fractured ankle and could require surgery. Fantasy owners can expect to be without OBJ for the remainder of the NFL season.
(5:16PM) The Seahawks are on the board for the first time today as QB Russell Wilson found TE Jimmy Graham for the short score. Graham now has five receptions for 28 yards in the game.
(5:13PM) If you were hoping for an offensive explosion in the Dallas/Green Bay game, you’re not going to be disappointed. QB Dak Prescott just threw his third touchdown of the first half, finding WR Dez Bryant for a ten-yard score. Bryant has a 3/38/1 line so far.
(5:01PM) The Raiders finally hit paydirt as QB EJ Manuel connected with WR Michael Crabtree for a 41-yard score. Crabtree now has three grabs for 61 yards. WR Amari Cooper has no receptions on one target.
(4:59PM) It was the Cowboys turn for a score and once again, it was WR Cole Beasley who was targeted by QB Dak Prescott. With the defense focusing on stopping WR Dez Bryant, Beasley is making the difference.
(4:49PM) The Rams have taken the lead on a long touchdown run, but it was RB Todd Gurley. Instead, WR Tavon Austin took the handoff and went 27 yards for the first score of the game. Gurley has 32 yards on seven carries.
(4:46PM) With RB Terrance West out of the game with a leg injury, Baltimore is using RB Javorius Allen and he just scored his first rushing touchdown of the season, giving the Ravens a 21-3 lead over the Raiders. Allen has 15 rushing yards, while RB Alex Collins has 34 yards on three carries.
(4:44PM) The Packers are on the board, having matched the early Dallas score. WR Davante Adams, who was iffy to even play after taking a huge hit against the Bears in Week Four, caught the first score from QB Aaron Rodgers. A missed extra point made this a 7-6 game.
(4:38PM) Bad news for Giants WR Odell Beckham, who is reportedly “headed for surgery” after injurying his ankle late in today’s game. We have to assume OBJ will miss an extended period of time.
(4:36PM) In the fantasy football bonanza that is Packers/Cowboys, it was Dallas that drew first blood as QB Dak Prescott hit WR Cole Beasley for a short touchdown. Beasley has not been involved much this season, but got the score against Green Bay. The big play of the drive was a 49-yarded to WR Brice Butler.
(4:34PM) The Colts had a pair of impressive overtime drives, which is rare, and came away with the score needed, a game-winning field goal from K Adam Vinatieri. The Colts take out the 49ers 26-23.
(4:20PM) A play that was originally ruled as a touchdown for Rams RB Todd Gurley was reversed and ruled as a fumble and touchback against the Rams. The Seahawks have the ball in the scoreless game.
(4:17PM) The Ravens have found the end zone again on a scoop and score from TE Jared Cook and Baltimore leads Oakland 14-0 early.
(4:16PM) Things keep getting worse for the Giants, who have now lost the lead to the Chargers on a touchdown from QB Philip Rivers to RB Melvin Gordon, his second receiving score of the day. Gordon has 163 total yards in the game.
(4:14PM) In overtime, Colts WR TY Hilton had a nasty collision with 49ers defenders and stayed down on the field for a while, grabbing his head immediately after hitting the ground.
(4:12PM) The Ravens have lost RB Terrance West with an early injury as the veteran was carted off the field. Baltimore was able to get the early score and gain the lead over Oakland on a short rush from WR Vince Mayle.
(4:10PM) As of things weren’t bad enough for the Giants, already having lost WRs Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard and Dwayne Harris in the game, superstar Odell Beckham was tackled on a short reception and his leg wrapped up awkwardly underneath him. OBJ had to be carted off as he cried in pain and frustration. It appeared to be a left ankle injury for Beckham.
(4:07PM) Some games are wrapping up as the late afternoon games begin. The Jets held off the Browns, 17-14. The Jaguars finished out their blowout of the Steelers, 30-9, as did the Eagles over Arizona, 34-7. Cincy outlasted the Bills in the rain, 20-16.
(4:04PM) With time running out, the 49ers have tied the game on a touchdown connection from QB Brian Hoyer to rookie TE George Kittle, who is enjoying a breakout game, catching seven passes for 83 yards.
(4:02PM) It might have looked like a replay from an earlier score, but that was once again a hobbled QB Matthew Stafford connecting with TE Darren Fells in the end zone for a score. The Lions now trail by three points with just over three minutes remaining.
(3:58PM) Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette just put a nail in the Steelers coffin with an untouched 90-yard touchdown run. The gives the rookie back 181 rushing yards on the day and gives the Jags a 30-9 lead with under two minutes remaining.
(3:55PM) Browns RB Duke Johnson just caught a short outlet and took off, evading tacklers on his way to a 41-yard touchdown. Johnson has 83 total yards and the touchdown, but the Browns will fall short as the onside kick attempt failed.
(3:53PM) The Jagurs have dominated the Steelers today and QB Ben Roethlisberger just threw his fifth interception of the day, a new career high. The Jags lead 23-9 with under four minutes remaining.
(3:48PM) The Panthers have had their way in Detroit today, but QB Matthew Stafford just hit TE Darren Fells for a short touchdown to narrow the lead to ten points with under six minutes remaining. Stafford has 173 passing yards and that was his first touchdown of the game.
(3:41PM) Some scoring updates...the 49ers are in the end zone as QB Brian Hoyer hit RB Kyle Juszczyk for a short score. Also, Miami scored their first offensive touchdown of the day as QB Jay Cutler found WR Jarvis Landry for a six-yard score. Landry now has four receptions for 36 yards in the game.
(3:39PM) The Giants put up more points with QB Eli Manning finding WR Odell Beckham for a 48-yard score, helping the Giants to regain the lead. OBJ now has five grabs for 97 yards and a score.
(3:34PM) The Colts have scored again. After a touchdown run for RB Marlon Mack was overturned, QB Jacoby Brissett finished off the drive with a three-yard score. Brissett is having a nice day with 230 passing yards n top of his rushing touchdown.
(3:33PM) The Browns forgot to cover Jets WR Jermaine Kearse and QB Josh McCown found him streaking down the sideline for a 24-yard score. The Jets now lead 17-7 over the Browns.
(3:31PM) The Chargers have taken the lead against the Giants as both fight for their first win of the season. QB Philip Rivers connected with TE Hunter Henry for the score. Henry has three receptions for 42 yards.
(3:28PM) The Niners were unsure about the status of RB Carlos Hyde entering the week and now we see why. Presumably due to an injury, Hyde has spent much of the day on the sidelines while rookie RB Matt Breida has seen the majority of the snaps and carries, leading the team with 47 yards on eight carries. Hyde has just 10 yards on five carries.
(3:22PM) Good news for the Bengals! First, WR AJ Green was able to return to the field and on the same play, rookie RB Joe Mixon scored his first career rushing touchdown. That was also the first rushing score of the season for the Bengals.
(3:19PM) Bengals QB Andy Dalton was already banged up and limping after a first half hit and now his top WR AJ Green was forced to limp off after a long reception. Green now has 191 yards on seven catches.
(3:13PM) Due to injuries, the Giants are left with only two healthy active receivers and one of them just caught a 29-yard touchdown from QB Eli Manning. No, it wasn’t OBJ. WR Roger Lewis made his first grab of the day count as the Giants took the lead over the winless Chargers.
(3:12PM) The Eagles have done it again as QB Carson Wentz hit WR Nelson Agholor who did a good job of avoiding tacklers and ran it in for a 72-yard touchdown. Wentz now has 269 yards and four scores. The Eagles are cruising over Arizona 31-7.
(3:09PM) The Colts are opening the lead over the 49ers and the latest score came from rookie RB Marlon Mack as he ran it in from 22-yards out. The Colts lead 16-6. RB Frank Gore has 86 total yards on the day.
(3:07PM) For the second time today, the Jaguars have returned a QB Ben Roethlisberger interception for a touchdown. The Jags lead 20-9 over a struggling Steelers squad.
(3:06PM) The Jets have regained the lead over Cleveland on a touchdown hook up between veteran QB Josh McCown and the rejuvenated TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins. ASJ has four receptions for 22 yards on the day.
(3:03PM) After committing a pair of false start penalties, pushing his team back ten yards, TE Phillip Supernaw caught his first career touchdown, an 11-yarder from veteran QB Matt Cassel. The Titans and Dolphins are tied at 10 early in the second half.
(2:59PM) The Giants have ruled out both of their injured WRs Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard for the remainder of the game. The Giants will have to find some help for QB Eli Manning and WR Odell Beckham if they are going to overcome a small second half deficit and get their first win of the season.
(2:55PM) Panthers QB Cam Newton looks like a completely different player than the one we saw in the first three weeks of the season. Newton just threw a perfect strike to WR Kelvin Benjamin for a 31-yard score, giving Carolina a 24-10 lead over the Lions.
(2:52PM) The Miami Dolphins have ruled out WR DeVante Parker for the remainder of the game. The entire Dolphins offense, especially QB Jay Cutler, continue to underperform against the Titans soft pass defense. Cutler has only 20 passing yards early in the third quarter. WR Jarvis Landry has one reception for 0 yards.
(2:50PM) The move to bench the rookie QB DeShone Kizer in favor of Kevin Hogan has quickly paid off as Hogan hit rookie TE David Njoku for a touchdown, giving the Browns their first lead at any point this season. If Hogan can lead the Browns to a win over the Jets, we might not see more of Kizer for a while.
(2:44PM) A first half injury we didn’t notice...Jets starting RB Bilal Powell is questionable to return with a leg injury. Expect to see a heavy dose of rookie Elijah McGuire in the second half.
(2:42PM) As teams prepare for the second half kickoff, QB Kevin Hogan is warming up for the Browns, while rookie DeShone Kizer is without his helmet. It is unclear if this is injury or performance related, but Kizer already leads the league in turnovers and has thrown an interception in the first half.
(2:38PM) Many games are at halftime, so let’s take a look at the top fantasy performers of the day:
QB- Carson Wentz, Cam Newton, Tyrod Taylor
RB- Melvin Gordon, LeVeon Bell, Orelans Darkwa
WR- AJ Green, Pierre Garcon, Torrey Smith
TE- Ed Dickson, Zach Ertz, Trey Burton
(2:26PM) The Panthers are heating up as QB Cam Newton and WR Devin Funchess are at it again. Newton found a leaping Funchess for a 10-yard score to give his team a lead as halftime approaches. Funchess has pulled in all three of his targets for 34 yards. WR Kelvin Benjamin has just two catches for 10 yards.
(2:21PM) The Steelers stars are playing well through the first half. WR Antonio Brown has caught all four of his targets for 97 yards while RB LeVeon Bell has 60 total yards, along with a team-high six receptions.
(2:16PM) The Giants have called both of their injured WRs Sterling Shepard and Brandon Marshall as questionable to return to the game. Meanwhile, the Bengals have lost a pair of DBs after the ruled both Dre Kirkpatrick and Adam Jones out for the remainder of the game. Bills QB Tyrod Taylor may be in for a big second half.
(2:11) An earlier score I nearly missed...the Cardinals got on the board with a 13-yard touchdown from QB Carson Palmer to WR John Brown. Palmer has just 76 yards as the game nears halftime.
(2:09PM) I did not know that WR Brandon Tate was still in the league, but he just caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from QB Tyrod Taylor to tie the game in Cincy. Taylor has 100 passing yards with halftime approaching.
(2:05PM) The Giants WR corps just got very thin, very quickly. With Sterling Shepard already on the sidelines, veteran Brandon Marshall stayed down on the field after a long missed pass and had to be carted off the field.
(2:01PM) A bad ankle has forced another young WR off the field as Giants WR Sterling Shepard hopped off the field. Team medical staff is checking him on the siedlines.
(1:53PM) Here’s a surprise option for top-scoring fantasy TE of the week...Carolina’s Ed Dickson. The veteran already has three grabs for 140 yards from QB Cam Newton and his latest long reception led to a shuttle pass from Newton to rookie RB Christian McCaffrey, his first career score.
(1:50PM) Bengals QB Andy Dalton connected again with WR AJ Green, his fifth catch of the day, but this one might have been costly as Dalton limped to the sidelines following the play. He was able to quickly return to the field, but this could be a situation to monitor moving forward.
(1:47PM) A pair of quick scoring updates...the Lions found the end zone to take the lead over Carolina on a short run from RB Zach Zenner. A fumble from QB Matt Cassel led to a defensive score for the Miami defense. Cassel also seemed banged up on the play. Veteran QB Brandon Weeden, signed earlier this week, is next in line.
(1:44PM) The Chargers are on the board and RB Melvin Gordon is hoping to break his cold streak as he scores on a six-yard reception from QB Philip Rivers. Gordon has 51 total yards from scrimmage in the game.
(1:43PM) Some injury news...after being checked in the sideline medical tent, Bills TE Charles Clay limped to a cart and was taken to the locker room with what is being called a knee injury. Dolphins WR DeVante Parker is questionable to return with an ankle injury.
(1:39PM) Jaguars rookie RB Leonard Fournette appears to be a matchup-proof fantasy option. He just scored his fourth touchdown of the season, diving over the line for a score. Fournette has 34 yards on ten carries and his team leads over the Steelers.
(1:38PM) The blowout is on in Philadelphia as QB Carson Wentz threw his third score of the day, a 59-yarder to deep threat WR Torrey Smith. Wentz also has 121 passing yards along with his three scores.
(1:35PM) Bills TE Charles Clay, one of the very few reliable options for QB Tyrod Taylor, has suffered a leg injury after a low hit from a Bengals defender. Clay needed assistance from the field and appeared to be unable to put any weight on his foot.
(1:32PM) The winless Giants, hosting the winless Chargers, are looking strong early on. After an early safety on a bad Chargers snap, Giants RB Orleans Darkwa powered through the Chargers defense for a 23-yard touchdown run. Darkwa now has 58 yards on six carries, while rookie RB Wayne Gallman, expected to have a big role, has just one carry in the first quarter. This looks to be a hot hand situation and that is Darkwa today.
(1:29PM) Today was supposed to be a huge day for Miami WR DeVante Parker, but the emerging star has been forced from the field with an ankle injury. More on this injury as it is reported.
(1:25PM) The Eagles have scored again and QB Carson Wentz has his second touchdown pass of the day to a tight end as Zach Ertz fought to cross the line on an 11-yard reception. The Eagles lead 14-0 and this could force QB Carson Palmer to throw the ball more than planned the rest of the afternoon.
(1:24PM) Many expected 49ers WR Pierre Garcon to have a nice day in Indy and it is certainly starting well. Garcon already has five receptions for 51 yards as the Niners and Colts are tied at 3 late in the first quarter.
(1:16PM) Soon after the Eagles broke the touchdown seal, the Bengals joined the party as QB Andy Dalton and WR AJ Green connected for a 77-yard score in the pouring Cincinnati rain. Green caught all three passes from Dalton for 99 yards, already sporting over 18 fantasy points.
(1:14PM) The first touchdown of the day comes from the Eagles after QB Carson Wentz found TE Trey Burton in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard score. The Eagles lead the Cardinals 7-0.
(1:10PM) After TE Eric Ebron dropped a sure touchdown, the Lions settled for a field goal from K Matt Prater, giving Detroit an early lead against the Carolina.
(1:08PM) Steelers WR Antonio Brown took some heat this week after showing his displeasure with the offense a week ago. This week is starting well as Brown hauled in a 49-yard pass from QB Ben Roethlisberger to get Pittsburgh near the red zone.
(1:05PM) I’ll admit...I didn’t expect the first game note of the day to be related to a sack, but Browns DE Myles Garrett, making his NFL debut, took down Jets QB Josh McCown on his very first snap as an NFL defender. The top overall pick missed the first four games with an ankle injury.
(12:53PM) In the later games, Raiders QB Derek Carr and Packers RB Ty Montgomery are expected to sit out, while Packers WR Davante Adams should play. Vikings QB Sam Bradford is still unsure of his playing status for Monday Night Football and would obvioulsy be a risk to wait on for fantasy players.
(12:49PM) Here’s a quick look at some notable actives and inactives for the early games...
IN: Chargers WR Tyrell Williams, Jaguars WR Marqise Lee, Cardinals WRs J.J. Nelson and John Brown, and Steelers WR Martavis Bryant
OUT: Jets RB Matt Forte, Bengals TE Tyler Eifert, Giants RB Paul Perkins, Titans WR Corey Davis, Titans QB Marcus Mariota, Colts TE Jack Doyle, Bengals WR John Ross, Eagles RB Wendell Smallwood, Browns WR Kenny Britt, Lions WR Kenny Golladay and Bills WR Jordan Matthews
