Chris Olave attempts to keep cooking for the Saints, Zay Flowers adjusts to life without Lamar Jackson, and Mike Evans pulls up in Seattle for a tough matchup.
Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Tight End/Kickers/Defense
Week 5 Receivers
| 1 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA | vs. SF |
| 2 | Puka Nacua | LAR | vs. BUF |
| 3 | CeeDee Lamb | DAL | vs. TB |
| 4 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET | at ARI |
| 5 | Chris Olave | NO | vs. MIN |
| 6 | Nico Collins | HOU | at TEN |
| 7 | Drake London | ATL | vs. BAL |
| 8 | Justin Jefferson | MIN | at NO |
| 9 | Zay Flowers | BAL | at ATL |
| 10 | Michael Wilson | ARI | vs. DET |
| 11 | Malik Nabers | NYG | at WAS |
| 12 | Christian Watson | GB | vs. CHI |
| 13 | Garrett Wilson | NYJ | vs. CLE |
| 14 | Davante Adams | LAR | vs. BUF |
| 15 | George Pickens | DAL | vs. TB |
| 16 | Matthew Golden | GB | vs. CHI |
| 17 | Parker Washington | JAC | vs. PHI |
| 18 | Jaylen Waddle | DEN | at LAC |
| 19 | Jameson Williams | DET | at ARI |
| 20 | Mike Evans | SF | at SEA |
| 21 | DK Metcalf | PIT | vs. IND |
| 22 | Luther Burden III | CHI | at GB |
| 23 | Carnell Tate | TEN | vs. HOU |
| 24 | Josh Downs | IND | at PIT |
| 25 | Jordan Addison | MIN | at NO |
| 26 | Stefon Diggs | WAS | vs. NYG |
| 27 | Denzel Boston | CLE | at NYJ |
| 28 | Romeo Doubs | NE | vs. LV |
| 29 | Deebo Samuel | SF | at SEA |
| 30 | Rome Odunze | CHI | at GB |
| 31 | Khalil Shakir | BUF | at LAR |
| 32 | Emeka Egbuka | TB | at DAL |
| 33 | Devaughn Vele | NO | vs. MIN |
| 34 | Tre Tucker | LV | at NE |
| 35 | Malik Washington | MIA | vs. CIN |
| 36 | KC Concepcion | CLE | at NYJ |
| 37 | Keon Coleman | BUF | at LAR |
| 38 | Dohnte Meyers | CIN | at MIA |
| 39 | Tre’ Harris | LAC | vs. DEN |
| 40 | Courtland Sutton | DEN | at LAC |
| 41 | Dontayvion Wicks | PHI | at JAC |
| 42 | Chris Godwin | TB | at DAL |
| 43 | Wan’Dale Robinson | TEN | vs. HOU |
| 44 | Jakobi Meyers | JAC | vs. PHI |
| 45 | Makai Lemon | PHI | at JAC |
| 46 | Chris Bell | MIA | vs. CIN |
| 47 | Roman Wilson | PIT | vs. IND |
| 48 | Quentin Johnston | LAC | vs. DEN |
| 49 | Malachi Fields | NYG | at WAS |
| 50 | Rashod Bateman | BAL | at ATL |
| 51 | Antonio Williams | WAS | vs. NYG |
| 52 | Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI | vs. DET |
| 53 | Rashid Shaheed | SEA | vs. SF |
| 54 | Ryan Flournoy | DAL | vs. TB |
| 55 | Kendrick Bourne | ARI | vs. DET |
| 56 | Brian Thomas Jr. | JAC | vs. PHI |
| 57 | Michael Pittman Jr. | PIT | vs. IND |
| 58 | Keenan Allen | IND | at PIT |
| 59 | Kalif Raymond | CHI | at GB |
| 60 | Isaac TeSlaa | DET | at ARI |
| 61 | Mitchell Tinsley | CIN | at MIA |
| 62 | Xavier Hutchinson | HOU | at TEN |
| 63 | Kayshon Boutte | HOU | at TEN |
| 64 | Isaiah Williams | NYJ | vs. CLE |
| 65 | Ted Hurst III | TB | at DAL |
| 66 | Cooper Kupp | SEA | vs. SF |
WR Notes: Chris Olave is just seven yards off CeeDee Lamb for the league lead. His 48 targets are in fact the most in the NFL. He has forced his way into the top receiver tier, even for dates like this week’s difficult Vikings matchup. … Nico Collins has made two appearances this season. He has 14 catches for 193 yards and three touchdowns. Maybe he’s burning fast, but he’s burning bright. … Only CeeDee Lamb has more receiving yards than Drake London since Michael Penix Jr. returned under center in Week 3. 48 receivers have more touchdowns during that timespan. The scores are coming. … Lamar Jackson (ankle) is an enormous loss for Zay Flowers. This is nevertheless not a Baker Mayfield/Emeka Egbuka situation where we are debating benching the wideout. As such, Flowers’ exact rank isn’t terribly relevant. … With his usage skyrocketing over the past two weeks, Michael Wilson is the rare wideout to be narrowly ahead of CeeDee Lamb in a recent receiving category. He has one more target than Lamb since Week 3, leading the league. There is undoubtedly an element of fluke, but there isn’t a single manager in fantasy in position to bench Wilson vs. the defenseless Lions this Sunday.
Justin Jefferson (ankle) says he will play against the Saints’ shoddy pass D. Jordan Addison, meanwhile, is now missing practice time with a hamstring issue. It’s supposedly minor. Either way, Jefferson is apparently back to being the safer, healthier option in this offense searching for some semblance of normality. … In some ways, Malik Nabers’ 6/112/1 Week 4 felt too good to be true. It came on only seven targets/29 Jameis Winston dropbacks as Isaiah Likely commanded 12 looks. Well maybe it was, because now Nabers is dealing with renewed knee soreness. If he’s out there, you’re playing him, but it’s a reminder this situation is not going to be conducive to frequent spiked weeks. … Week 4 was a manifestation of our worst Davante Adams fears. He’s still awesome. It’s just that Puka Nacua is even better. By now you’ve probably seen the stat, but in two games without Nacua in the lineup, Adams has gone 15/332/2. With Nacua playing? 7/58/0. That almost has to normalize in an offense where Tyler Higbee is the “next man up,” but there are lots of things that have to happen in this world that never do.
As Denny Carter points out in the Regression Files, George Pickens is a textbook positive regression candidate. We know Pickens has one of the most boom-or-bust skill-sets in the entire NFL, but this fallow period cannot go on much longer. (I say as the bank examiner repossesses my beautifully restored Buick Six). … Parker Washington’s past two games show why we don’t always believe everything we see in Weeks 1 and 2. Thankfully, we also saw plenty from Washington down the stretch last season to confirm he’s an every-week starter. The question now becomes where he eventually settles. It should be in the top 24. … If that’s the best Jameson Williams has got on 52 Jared Goff attempts vs. a short-handed Panthers defense, I’m officially worried about his going-forward WR2 prospects. … Mike Evans gasped through his Week 4 rib injury to the tune of 5/76/0 on a season high eight targets. Coach Kyle Shanahan said afterward he escaped further injury. His Week 5 reward is a date with the Seahawks’ league-best pass defense, keeping him in the low-end WR2 range.
Carnell Tate finally turned his elite “rates” into real Week 4 production. His Week 5 reward is a Texans defense struggling to the degree that head coach DeMerco Ryans has seized defensive play-calling duties from DC Matt Burke. That will presumably make a difference, though as Denny points out, the Texans are hemorrhaging boundary production this season. This is a great spot to “point chase” with the No. 4 overall pick. … There will be no Josh Downs water turned into wine with Daniel Jones under center, it turns out. Jones’ return from a torn achilles’ tendon is going considerably less smooth than his recent ACL rehab. Rather than upside WR2, Downs looks like he will max out as a targets-based WR2/3. … The most surprising part of Denzel Boston’s early-season production has been his floor. That he has also minted ceiling 2-of-4 weeks is the icing on the cake. Boston’s 2/40 baseline might not sound like much, but it is enough to give him more bang for his buck as a boom/bust WR3. … Romeo Doubs’ top-30 case is slowly coming into focus. Emphasis on “slowly.” Of course, A.J. Brown (ankle) could return as early as Week 6.
It indeed turns out an already-struggling Emeka Egbuka having to catch passes from an undrafted rookie quarterback was a rough development. The Cowboys’ truly-horrendous pass defense is a “get right” matchup, but it takes two to tango in that department. Fantasy managers can probably keep trusting in Egbuka’s 3/30 “floor.” As for any theoretical ceiling? Don’t bank on it. … DJ Moore (shoulder) might finally need a blow. That gives waivers desperados an excuse to fire up fill-in WR4 Keon Coleman, though Khalil Shakir remains the more financially sound play. … Courtland Sutton has been unusable but definitely receives a boost with Pat Bryant week-to-week with an ankle injury. … Ladd McConkey (foot) isn’t practicing and appears poised to sit. Things are never straightforward in Boltsville, but if McConkey is out, Tre’ Harris would become a usage-based WR4. Ladd’s status doesn’t really affect Quentin Johnston’s down-field usage. … Joe Burrow is good enough that even when his star receivers sit, someone still gets fantasy points. Traditionally, it has been his tight ends. Atypically, it was former CFL receiver Dohnte Meyers in Week 4. Meyers has potential one-game wonder written all over him, but he will command WR4 attention if Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) and Tee Higgins (adductor) both sit against the overwhelmed Dolphins.
