With one-quarter of the NFL season complete, there is now a four-week sample size with which to make valid fantasy football conclusions. Running back Melvin Gordon continued his elite fantasy production with 159 total yards and a receiving touchdown in the Los Angeles Chargers 29-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. With the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans coming up before a Week eight bye, Gordon will continue to provide a strong return on investment for the foreseeable future.
Here are the top five fantasy football plays at each position heading into Week five.
Best Week Five Fantasy Football Plays
Quarterbacks
Ben Roethlisberger (vs. Atlanta)
The Atlanta Falcons defense has been decimated by injuries and a road trip to Pittsburgh comes at the wrong time. Atlanta has given up 104 points in three consecutive home games and has been particularly vulnerable through the air. After getting torched for a combined 733 passing yards and six passing touchdowns the last two games by Drew Brees and Andy Dalton, the Steelers aerial attack, with Ben Roethlisberger under center, will have a field day at Heinz Field on Sunday especially coming off a tough loss to the Ravens.
Tom Brady (vs. Indianapolis)
Entering Week four, the Indianapolis Colts pass defense had performed very well, allowing only 263.3 passing yards and one passing touchdown per game. But after the Houston Texans win in Indianapolis on Sunday, the Colts are faced with a short turnaround on a road trip to Foxboro. Tom Brady returned to his Hall of Fame form on Sunday in a 38-7 win over the Miami Dolphins, throwing for three touchdowns. Look for more of the same on Thursday Night Football.
Philip Rivers (vs. Oakland)
Philip Rivers (vs. Oakland): The Raiders barely escaped at home in an overtime 45-42 win over the Cleveland Browns. They now face the intrastate rival Chargers with a hot Philip Rivers who has thrown 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions. With Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, and a rejuvenated Antonio Gates, the Chargers simply have too many weapons for a struggling Raiders defense.
Andy Dalton (vs. Miami)
Ever since Bill Lazor took over as offensive coordinator, Andy Dalton has played great. In the 18 games Lazor has served in that position, Dalton has thrown 36 touchdown passes. Nest up is a Miami defense that ranks 29th against the pass, allowing 288.3 passing yards per game. Running back Joe Mixon should return this week as well, giving Dalton another weapon.
Cam Newton (vs. New York Giants)
Defending a refreshed Cam Newton is a tall order for any defense. Coming off a Week four bye, the Carolina Panthers will be healthy and ready to feast on a 1-3 New York Giants team. Running back Christian McCaffrey has been a PPR machine and gives Newton an easy target on short to intermediate routes. The key to Newton’s fantasy football production is his rushing ability. The Panthers signal-caller ranks first in quarterback rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
Running Back
Melvin Gordon (vs. Oakland)
The top running back for the Chargers has finally shaken his Achilles heel of yards per carry. This season Gordon is averaging a robust 5.1 yards per carry while totaling 24 receptions and five total touchdowns. The presence of Austin Ekeler has actually improved Gordon’s efficiency, and he faces an Oakland defense that just allowed 208 rushing yards at home to Cleveland.
Christian McCaffrey (vs. New York Giants)
Christian McCaffrey is averaging a mind-blowing 8.7 targets per game despite not scoring a touchdown. That changes this week against a Giants defense that just allowed 181 total yards and three rushing touchdowns to Alvin Kamara at home. With McCaffrey, it’s all about the snap share which stands currently at 96.8 percent (PlayerProfiler.com). A well-rested McCaffrey is a lock for a huge PPR fantasy performance in Week five.
Alvin Kamara (vs. Washington)
Should fantasy football owners be worried about the return of running back Mark Ingram? Absolutely not. Alvin Kamara has been the clear RB1 in all of fantasy football and he will continue to produce at home on Monday Night Football. The Washington Redskins sits atop the NFC East at 2-1, but Kamara at home in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome has the highest floor of any fantasy running back in Week five.
Ezekiel Elliott (at Houston)
The Houston Texans defense is especially tough at home, but Ezekiel Elliott‘s volume serves as his security blanket. The NFL’s rushing leader has also seen a huge uptick in targets (six per game), and that makes him a solid top five weekly fantasy running back. Elliott led the Cowboys in rushing yards, receptions, and receiving yards in a 26-24 win over the Detroit Lions.
Todd Gurley (at Seattle)
The Seattle Seahawks are always tough against the run at home, but head coach Sean McVay has this Los Angeles Rams offense in high gear. The Rams lead the NFL with 140 points scored, and Todd Gurley‘s versatility in both the running and passing game ensure his weekly fantasy production. The star running back has actually fared well in Seattle, averaging 91.7 rushing yards and 21.9 PPR fantasy points in his last three road games in this rivalry.
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins (vs. Dallas)
With Will Fuller‘s status in question after a hamstring injury in Week four, DeAndre Hopkins will demand an even bigger target share against the Dallas Cowboys. While quarterback Deshaun Watson was less than impressive the first three weeks, Hopkins is currently on pace for 120 catches, 1,776 yards, and eight touchdowns.
Julio Jones (at Pittsburgh)
The lack of red zone production is now at an insane level. Despite leading the NFL with 503 receiving yards, Julio Jones still has not had a touchdown in his last ten regular season games, and only two in his last 15 regular season games. Regardless, he faces a Pittsburgh pass defense that is atrocious and this game should be a shootout, which means big numbers for Jones.
Keenan Allen (vs. Oakland)
With many of the top 12 wide receivers facing difficult road matchups, Keenan Allen becomes the third Charger in the top-5 at their position in this article. While a slow starter in 2017 as well, Allen torched the Raiders at home in Week 17 for nine receptions, 133 yards, and two touchdowns to finish as the overall WR1 in fantasy. This week will be the start of another big Allen production run.
Antonio Brown (vs. Atlanta)
Desmond Trufant is a great cornerback, but he doesn’t shadow the opposing team’s best receiver. When Cincinnati and Atlanta clashed, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton simply alternated passes between wide receivers A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd depending on who Trufant was covering. Regardless of the coverage on Antonio Brown, he always finds a way to score. After a bad loss to the Ravens, look for Brown to come out with a vengeance on Sunday.
A.J. Green (vs Miami)
It’s easy to find the daily fantasy stacks this week, and another great one is in Cincinnati. New England Patriots wide receivers Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson caught touchdown passes on Sunday, and neither is close to the caliber of A.J. Green. With Tyler Eifert out for the season, there will be even more targets coming his way. Green ranks second among all wide receivers with five receiving touchdowns.
Tight Ends
Zach Ertz (vs. Minnesota)
Zach Ertz is one of the only reliable tight ends in the NFL. He is rarely hurt and leads the position with 31 receptions. Carson Wentz‘ return has ignited Ertz, who tallied 10 receptions and 112 yards in a 26-23 loss at Tennessee. The Minnesota Vikings allowed 90-plus yards or a touchdown to a tight end in each of the first three weeks of the season.
Rob Gronkowski (vs. Indianapolis)
Provided he plays, Rob Gronkowski is an easy top-three tight end this week against Indianapolis. The Colts were torched in Week three by the Philadelphia Eagles tight ends for 13 receptions, 156 yards, and a touchdown. While the Texans don’t feature a tight end of consequence, they did struggle against slot receiver Keke Coutee. Gronkowski will find fantasy points with ease as long as he starts on Thursday Night Football.
Travis Kelce (vs. Jacksonville)
While the Jacksonville Jaguars have a great defense, it’s hard to not put Travis Kelce in the top three, especially with Patrick Mahomes playing at such a high level. Kelce has consecutive 100-yard receiving games in an offense that is averaging 39.3 points per game. Kelce never comes off the field and is first among tight ends in fantasy points per game.
George Kittle (vs. Arizona)
With his college teammate C.J. Beathard now at quarterback, George Kittle will have weekly top-12 tight end fantasy production. He exploded for six receptions, 125 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 29-27 loss against the Chargers. That included an 82-yard run and catch touchdown. At home against Arizona, Kittle brings safety to a fantasy position that provides very little.
Jared Cook (at Los Angeles Chargers)
The Chargers were tough on opposing tight ends, until facing the aforementioned George Kittle last week. Jared Cook has been a nice surprise for a Raiders offense that is desperate for play makers in the passing game. He has already totaled 26 receptions, 370 receiving yards, and two touchdowns through four games. Cook’s consistency is a huge value at the challenging fantasy tight end position.
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