🏈 Week 5 Fantasy Mega-Preview

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Start 'Em Up: Week 5 Starts and Sleepers

Quarterbacks

Start: Justin Fields (vs. Cowboys) is one of the best quarterbacks you can play this week. He has an incredible matchup, and his rushing ceiling makes him more than capable of finishing in the upper echelon of quarterbacks. Play Fields with immense confidence. He ranks very well in the WalterPicks app. 

Start: Jared Goff (vs. Bengals) has one of the top matchups possible this week. Bo Nix just annihilated the Bengals, and Goff is projected to do the same. The only apprehension with Goff this week is if they run for multiple scores, making the game out of hand, before he can score touchdowns himself.

Sleeper: Jaxson Dart (vs. Saints) had a great fantasy performance in his debut, mainly because of his rushing. He no longer has Malik Nabers to throw to, which leads us to project him for even more rush attempts. Factor that in with the good matchup, and he is certainly viable for fantasy purposes.

Running Backs

Start: Quinshon Judkins (vs. Vikings) is in a fantastic spot this week against the Vikings. Minnesota was just nuked into the sun by Kenneth Gainwell. In Dillon Gabriel's debut, expect Judkins to see lots of touches. Play the rookie running back confidently.

Start: Woody Marks (vs. Ravens) went off in Week 4. This week, he is taking on an incredibly injured defense that was playing badly before they got injured. He has an excellent pass-catching skill set, and he is projected to have a great outing in PPR formats, assuming his role continues to grow.

Sleeper: Kendre Miller (vs. Giants) is a tiny bit risky, but the Giants run defense is among the worst in the league. He saw an encouraging workload last week, and we have him projected to continue seeing similar touch numbers. He also has a great opportunity to score a touchdown in this spot. He is a very sneaky, yet viable, running back start.

Wide Receivers

Start: Quentin Johnston (vs. Commanders) must be started moving forward. He is the top wide receiver on the Chargers so far, and it is incredibly unlikely that you have room to have him on your bench. He projects excellently in the WalterPicks app this week, and he has a great matchup as well.

Start: Chris Godwin (vs. Seahawks) played over 80% of snaps in his 2025 debut, while also garnering 10 targets. He is expected to continue being heavily targeted, and with Bucky Irving missing this game, it is fair to anticipate a heavier passing attack from Tampa against Seattle.

Sleeper: Tre Tucker (vs. Colts) is a top-tier boom/bust option this week. He currently projects better than A.J. Brown in our app, and we have seen what Tucker is capable of. If you are in a deep league, play Tucker because he ranks as a top 35 option this week at the position.

Tight Ends

Start: Juwan Johnson (vs. Giants) is in a good spot with the Giants. New York is pedestrian against opposing tight ends, and it is clear that Johnson is someone Spencer Rattler relies on. If you have Juwan Johnson, play him.

Sleeper: Theo Johnson (vs. Saints) is an intriguing option this week in deep leagues. Without Nabers, the Giants will need to find weapons for Dart to target. Johnson had a rapport with Dart in the preseason, and he scored a touchdown in Dart's NFL debut.

Things to Watch Closely for Fantasy in Week 5

• Will Derrick Henry see more work this week with the entire Baltimore roster injured?

• Can Woody Marks continue to see a massive workload?

• Brian Thomas Jr., Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, Marvin Harrison Jr. 

• Chris Godwin in his second week back

• The entire Chargers offense with the most injured offensive line in the league

• How will the Eagles perform against a stout Broncos defense?

• Is George Pickens going to cement himself as a top fantasy asset?

• The Jaguars’ defense against the Chiefs

DFS Favorites

These are some of the players Walter recommends prioritizing in your FanDuel and DraftKings lineups.

Justin Fields, FD price: $7,700 DK Price: $5,600, is far too cheap when you factor in his rushing and the matchup. His ceiling is massive, and he is going to be heavily rostered in all contest types.

Woody Marks, FD Price: $5,400 DK Price: $5,400, appears to be the top running back on Houston, but he is not priced as such. Marks is going to be incredibly popular, but with the matchup, anticipated workload and his ROI, the popularity makes sense.

Chris Olave, FD Price: $6,100 DK Price: $5,200, has seen a high target share this season, and that is going to continue against a weak New York secondary. He has a great ROI, and we recommend getting him into your lineup in a very stackable situation.

Colts Defense, FD Price: $4,700 DK Price: $3,300, are in a great situation against a bad and injured Raiders offensive line. Geno Smith has also been unimpressive, throwing interceptions on a regular basis. If you can afford the Colts defense, the cost is certainly worth the potential reward.

To see the rest of our DFS favorites, look at our DFS Optimizer and DFS Favorites tools in the WalterPicks app!

My Favorite Upset Pick of Week 5

Browns to defeat the Vikings in London

Odds: +165

Spread: MIN -3.5

Reasoning: The Vikings offensive line is incredibly injured, and they are facing one of the top defenses in the league. Additionally, the Browns should be able to run the ball very effectively against them. Dillon Gabriel's debut is expected to provide a spark for Cleveland, and although the defensive scheme is difficult to go against, I believe the rushing attack will help Cleveland be very successful, and, in turn, win the game.