Week 5 of the NFL and Fantasy Football season is finally here and fantasy managers are making final adjustments following another week or surprises and new developments. In terms of PPR leagues, the wide receiver position may the most important roll in all of lineups, carrying teams with each caught pass. With the first round of BYE weeks hitting the league's schedule, fantasy managers will have to soft through their benches and potentially hit the waiver wire for last-minute pickups.
Aside from must-start players like Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, or Justin Jefferson, we'll be taking a look at the best starts of NFL Week 5 and which wide receivers you can leave on your bench this week.
Week 5 Wide Receivers – Start ‘Em
This Week's Top-5 Starts:
- Puka Nacua, LAR (SF)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET (@CIN)
- Garrett Wilson, NYJ (DAL)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA (TB)
- Justin Jefferson, MIN (@CLE)
Quentin Johnston, LAC (WAS)
If it wasn't apparent by now, third-year receiver Quentin Johnston has emerged as the WR1 within this high-octane passing offense. Teammate Ladd McConkey was touted as a preseason favorite with overall WR1 potential, but it's clearly been Johnston (22 rec, 337 yds, 4 TD) outpacing McConkey (16 rec, 174 yds, 0 TD) in terms of productivity and big play potential.
The Washington Commanders rank No. 27 in the NFL with 248.5 passing yards allowed per game and seven touchdowns through the air. While quarterback Justin Herbert may have ample mouths to feed in McConkey, Johnston, and Keenan Allen, he should be looking to bounce back through the air following a tough loss to the New York Giants. Upgrade all Chargers receivers, but particularly focus on Johnston as he's showing WR1 consistency within fantasy lineups.
Jameson Williams, DET (@CIN)
Jameson Williams was extremely quiet during the Detroit Lions' dominant 34-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns. While most of that offense came in the second quarter, Williams was largely a non-factor with just two receptions for 40 yards. The glaring issue, however, were his eight total targets with two drops mixed in, contributing to the overall lackluster performance.
Williams will face a Cincinnati Bengals' secondary allowing 262.0 passing yards per game to opponents with eight touchdowns allowed already. With Amon-Ra St. Brown erupting for six touchdowns over the last two games, most of the defensive doubles will be centered around him. This should open the door for some Jameson Williams attempts downfield and given his mental toughness, expect him to make every catch after his performance last week.
Khalil Shakir, BUF (NE)
The Buffalo Bills escaped an upset scare last week as the winless New Orleans Saints inched within two points midway through the fourth quarter. MVP quarterback Josh Allen accounted for three total touchdowns, one of which was thrown to Shakir and added to his 69 yards receiving in the win. Over the last few years, we've seen Khalil Shakir become the most reliable and available receiver for Josh Allen on third downs and in the red zone. Given the gravity of this divisional game against the Patriots, expect Allen to look towards Shakir repeatedly if the Patriot give Buffalo a competitive game.
Week 5 Wide Receivers: Sit ‘Em
Ladd McConkey, LAC (WAS)
While this isn't a complete fade of McConkey as a player, it certainly is a warning sign for the rest of his usage throughout this season. He's only surpassed 10.0 fantasy points one time this season and is serious getting out-shined by Johnston's constant availability in the end zone. With defenses specifically scheming for the pass against the Chargers, McConkey's receptions and yardage totals have not been where they need to be.
Furthermore, Quentin Johnston seems like the number one option in this offense at this point and even veteran Keenan Allen is leading McConkey by eight receptions and three more touchdowns. Downgrade McConkey moving forward if you can find productions elsewhere.
Jordan Addison, MIN (@CLE)
While the Cleveland Browns remain at 1-3, there's no question that their defense has shown their ability to give very good teams like the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions serious issues. Last week, their secondary limited Lions' quarterback Jared Goff to just 168 yards through the air and forced an interception. While Amon-Ra St. Brown was able to capitalize with two touchdowns, other receiving options like Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta saw pedestrian days.
Justin Jefferson is bound to rack up his receiving yards down field and after the catch, but this Minnesota Vikings offense may be limited as a whole with Carson Wentz under center for just the third game. This will serious inhibit the production from Jordan Addison, who's returning in just his second game and should have a tough test against the Browns' secondary.
