The first month of the 2025 NFL season is now in the books, and many fantasy football managers are already down in the dumps entering Week 5. For many fantasy football players, it is officially time to get desperate, particularly with the quarterback position.
Whether due to the arrival of bye weeks or unfavorable matchups, Week 5 is a fascinating field to navigate. Those lucky enough to leave the draft with Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes or Baker Mayfield are unharmed, but the majority of the field is still searching for options.
With Lamar Jackson on track to miss multiple weeks, there is even more competition in the fantasy football quarterback market. J.J. McCarthy, Brock Purdy and Joe Burrow join him on the Week 5 injury report.
Managers who turned to the waiver wire early should have already picked up the early surprises, including Daniel Jones and potentially even Justin Fields. Small leagues aside, there should be no more league-winning options available, but a few might be worth picking up for Week 5.
Whether you are in an eight-team league or a 16-team moshpit, several fantasy football managers are already getting desperate with their quarterbacks. Do not expect any of these players to drop a 40-point bomb, but there are still potential game-saving options on the board.
Bye weeks and difficult matchups
NFL bye weeks are officially here, leaving four teams out of commission in Week 5. The Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons are the first four teams to receive a break. They take their quarterbacks with them, removing Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, Aaron Rodgers and Michael Penix Jr. from the weekly fantasy landscape.
Week 5 also presents difficult matchups for several routine starters, namely Jalen Hurts and Matthew Stafford. Hurts leads a low-volume Philadelphia Eagles passing attack into a matchup with the Denver Broncos' elite secondary, while Stafford's Los Angeles Rams face a stingy San Francisco 49ers defense.
Expectations for Hawaiian southpaws Tua Tagovailoa and Dillon Gabriel should also be tempered for the week. Neither has been worthy of a weekly start, but both face difficult matchups on the road. Gabriel, in particular, has one week to prepare for his first career start against a tough defense in Europe.
Hurts and Stafford are still better than anyone left in free agency, but they might be worth sitting for a week if one of the following options is available.
5. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud has had a horrendous first month, but he seems to be finally settling in. Reports suggested that the third-year quarterback had a difficult time adjusting to the Houston Texans' new offense under first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caserio, but he is finally turning the corner.
As a result, Stroud had his best game of the year in Week 4, throwing 233 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was sacked twice, but at this point, that is practically a win for the Texans' offensive line.
Although most of Stroud's success in Week 4 did not materialize until the fourth quarter, he has improved each week and has refrained from committing a turnover since Week 1.
Stroud now looks to sustain his momentum in a Week 5 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, who have allowed the third-most passing yards on the year. Perhaps more importantly, the Ravens have also struggled to generate consistent pressure, entering Week 5 with just two sacks.
4. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Since dropping a dud in his Seattle Seahawks debut, Sam Darnold has been everything the team has asked of him. It has translated to consistent fantasy football production, as the 28-year-old has delivered three consecutive solid performances for his managers.
Despite his success, Darnold is still not an exciting fantasy option, which is likely why his roster percentage remains low. His value is largely dependent on keeping the ball safe, as Darnold has only topped 250 passing yards once thus far.
However, there is a chance that he can become a home-run hitter in Week 5. Darnold leads the Seahawks' passing attack against a vulnerable Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy football points to quarterbacks through the first month.
The Buccaneers rely on a heavy dosage of man defense, which should benefit Darnold's pass-catchers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp have both been much more successful against man than they have against zone, likely leading to another productive fantasy week for the USC alum.
3. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Through four games, all the success that Bryce Young had late in the 2024 season has yet to carry over into 2025. There is still hope, but his miraculous career resurgence was seemingly more of a mirage than a sign of things to come.
Young might seem like a player to stay far away from, but he has a juicy opportunity in Week 5. Young leads the Panthers into a home game against the Miami Dolphins, who are allowing the second-most fantasy football points per game to opposing quarterbacks thus far.
Miami has ranked near the middle of the league against the pass, but it cannot seem to contain quarterbacks in the pocket. The Dolphins enter Week 5 allowing the third-most rushing yards per game to the position, which aligns with Young's peak fantasy value.
The Alabama alum has struggled in three of the Carolina Panthers' four games, but he did have one encouraging performance in Week 2. Young threw for 328 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 14, proving he still has that in him.
2. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
NFL fans were all over Jaxson Dart‘s debut win over the Los Angeles Chargers, but he remains unowned in most fantasy football leagues entering Week 5. The New York Giants' brutal schedule will not always be smooth sailing for Dart, but he has an encouraging opportunity to back up his solid inaugural performance.
Dart led his team to a win in Week 4, but he did not exactly stuff the stat sheet. The rookie ended the game completing just 13 of his 20 pass attempts for 111 passing yards and a touchdown, while adding 54 rushing yards and another score on the ground. He avoided turning the ball over, giving him 19.84 fantasy points in his first career start.
The passive output was influenced by Malik Nabers' season-ending knee injury, which is likely deterring fans. However, against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5, Dart has a golden opportunity to fill the box score.
The Saints enter the game allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks and have been in the bottom half of the league at defending quarterback rushing yards. The matchup also favors Dart's receivers, as New Orleans' zone-heavy defensive scheme plays into the strengths of Wan'Dale Robinson, Theo Johnson and Darius Slayton.
1. Justin Fields, New York Jets
Justin Fields has gotten off to an incredible start to the 2025 season. He will not sustain the level of play that he has been at recently, but it should sustain for at least one more game.
Perhaps Fields' ownership rate suggests that he is not a streamer, but managers should not rely on him as a weekly starter. But aside from the premier options at the position, Fields has the highest upside of any quarterback in Week 5.
Through three games, Fields has alternated good and bad performances to start the season. That will likely be a trend as the season progresses, but against a faulty Dallas Cowboys defense in Week 6, expect him to have another solid outing. Dallas has done nothing to stop quarterbacks at any point thus far, allowing the most fantasy points to the position at nearly 30 per game.
Even Russell Wilson, whom the Giants recently benched for Jaxson Dart, looked like his vintage, MVP-caliber self against this Cowboys defense. Fields might not be much of a passer, but the windows this Cowboys defense has been allowing lately are wide enough to fit a car through. A subpar performance from the New York Jets' signal-caller would be enough to get the job done in Week 6.
