We are officially five weeks into the NFL season, with Week 5 of fantasy football in the books. There have been plenty of disappointing and breakout performances from players around the league. Let’s take a look at some players that are rising and falling in the rest of season rankings.
Risers and Fallers – Week 5 Fantasy Football
RISERS
D.J Moore – Chicago Bears
After a slow start to the season, Moore exploded in Week 5, recording 105 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a 36-10 win against the Panthers. It appears that the Bears offense is starting to click, with Moore being the true WR1 as Caleb Williams overcomes the rookie jitters. Moore and the Bears have a favourable upcoming schedule, as they face the Jaguars, Commanders, and Cardinals over their next three games.
Rico Dowdle – Dallas Cowboys
Dowdle had a breakout performance on Sunday Night Football, as he rushed for a career-high 87 yards on 20 rushing attempts. Dowdle also added a 27-yard receiving touchdown with a great catch in the third quarter, illustrating his versatility. While the Cowboys running back room was an ugly committee to begin the season, Dowdle has emerged as the Cowboys lead back and should be considered a fantasy RB2 moving forward.
Chase Brown – Cincinnati Bengals
Brown has begun featuring more for the Bengals offense over the past two weeks. He has been splitting carries with running-back Zack Moss, tallying 27 rush attempts for 126 yards in Weeks 4-5. Moss also suffered an ankle injury in Week 5, opening the door for Brown to see more touches and a higher snap percentage. Fantasy managers can view Brown as an upside flex play dependent on matchup.
Kirk Cousins – Atlanta Falcons
Cousins threw for a staggering 509 passing yards and four passing touchdowns in a thrilling overtime win on TNF. This greatly benefited the Falcons’ pass catchers, with Drake London and Darnell Mooney going for 12-154 and 9-105, respectively. Cousins looks back to his old self, shaking off the rust from last season’s Achilles tear. Managers can consider Cousins a low-end QB1 moving forward.
FALLERS
Travis Etienne Jr. – Jacksonville Jaguars
While Etienne saved his fantasy day in Week 5 with six receptions for 43 yards, the emergence of back-up RB Tank Bigsby is concerning for Etienne’s rest of season outlook. Bigsby rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts and is currently the fantasy RB1 for Week 5. While Jaguars coach Doug Pederson stated that this is still Etienne’s backfield, Bigsby has earned more opportunities and will likely limit Etienne’s upside in what could turn into a running-back committee.
Dontayvion Wicks – Green Bay Packers
Wicks was the most popular Week 4 waiver wire add after putting up 22.3 fantasy points against the Vikings. However, he surely disappointed fantasy managers in Week 5, catching only two passes for 20 yards. Wicks had some bad drops against the Rams but still saw a team-high seven targets. While Wicks can still be considered a flex option, his low floor makes him a riskier player for fantasy managers to deal with.
Dalton Kincaid – Buffalo Bills
Kincaid was poised to have a breakout year in 2024-25, being drafted as a borderline top-5 tight end in fantasy. However, he has been a massive disappointment thus far and had only two receptions for 34 yards in Week 5. Kincaid has eclipsed double-digit fantasy points only once this season and currently ranks outside of the top 10 tight ends. The Bills have been a run-first team this season, hindering Kincaid’s production. Fantasy managers will have to hope Kincaid becomes more involved in order to justify his draft ADP.
Jerome Ford – Cleveland Browns
Ford tallied 47 rushing yards in a blowout loss to the Commanders in Week 5. Ford has continued to split carries with D’Onta Foreman in a putrid Browns offense, making him a shaky fantasy start. Additionally, star RB Nick Chubb returned to Browns’ practice this week as he looks to come back from last season’s gruesome knee injury. How the Browns rushing attack plays out for the remainder of the season is uncertain, which doesn’t bode well for Ford’s outlook as a reliable fantasy player.
Main Image: Daniel Bartel – USA Today Sports
