The top three names in our fantasy football WR rankings for Week 5 are familiar faces in CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase. However, the rest of the top 10 is filled with various players who have climbed their way up in the rankings after stellar starts to the season.
Let’s dive into our Week 5 fantasy WR rankings and then break down the outlooks for a few intriguing players at the position.
WEEK 5 POSITIONAL RANKINGS: QB | RB | TE | K | DEF | FLEX
Top 75 Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings
1) CeeDee Lamb | Dallas Cowboys (at PIT)
2) Justin Jefferson | Minnesota Vikings (vs. NYJ {London})
3) Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati Bengals (vs. BAL)
4) Nico Collins | Houston Texans (vs. BUF)
5) Marvin Harrison Jr. | Arizona Cardinals (at SF)
6) Malik Nabers | New York Giants (at SEA)
7) DK Metcalf | Seattle Seahawks (vs. NYG)
8) DJ Moore | Chicago Bears (vs. CAR)
9) Brandon Aiyuk | San Francisco 49ers (vs. ARI)
10) Mike Evans | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at ATL)
11) Drake London | Atlanta Falcons (vs. TB)
12) Chris Olave | New Orleans Saints (at KC)
13) Jayden Reed | Green Bay Packers (at LAR)
14) Garrett Wilson | New York Jets (vs. MIN {London})
15) Chris Godwin | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at ATL)
16) Terry McLaurin | Washington Commanders (vs. CLE)
17) Zay Flowers | Baltimore Ravens (at CIN)
18) Deebo Samuel Sr. | San Francisco 49ers (vs. ARI)
19) Stefon Diggs | Houston Texans (vs. BUF)
20) Tyreek Hill | Miami Dolphins (at NE)
21) Amari Cooper | Cleveland Browns (at WAS)
22) Diontae Johnson | Carolina Panthers (at CHI)
23) Tee Higgins | Cincinnati Bengals (vs. BAL)
24) Michael Pittman Jr. | Indianapolis Colts (at JAX)
25) George Pickens | Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. DAL)
26) Christian Kirk | Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. IND)
27) Khalil Shakir | Buffalo Bills (at HOU)
28) Xavier Worthy | Kansas City Chiefs (vs. NO)
29) Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks (vs. NYG)
30) Brian Thomas Jr. | Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. IND)
31) Rashid Shaheed | New Orleans Saints (at KC)
32) Keenan Allen | Chicago Bears (vs. CAR)
33) Wan’Dale Robinson | New York Giants (at SEA)
34) Dontayvion Wicks | Green Bay Packers (at LAR)
35) Rome Odunze | Chicago Bears (vs. CAR)
36) Darnell Mooney | Atlanta Falcons (vs. TB)
37) Jaylen Waddle | Miami Dolphins (at NE)
38) Michael Wilson | Arizona Cardinals (at SF)
39) Courtland Sutton | Denver Broncos (vs. LV)
40) Jordan Addison | Minnesota Vikings (vs. NYJ {London})
41) Jauan Jennings | San Francisco 49ers (vs. ARI)
42) Mike Williams | New York Jets (vs. MIN {London})
43) Jerry Jeudy | Cleveland Browns (at WAS)
44) Romeo Doubs | Green Bay Packers (at LAR)
45) Tyler Lockett | Seattle Seahawks (vs. NYG)
46) Jakobi Meyers | Las Vegas Raiders (at DEN)
47) Xavier Legette | Carolina Panthers (at CHI)
48) Greg Dortch | Arizona Cardinals (at SF)
49) Allen Lazard | New York Jets (vs. MIN {London})
50) Josh Downs | Indianapolis Colts (at JAX)
51) Tutu Atwell | Los Angeles Rams (vs. GB)
52) Demarcus Robinson | Los Angeles Rams (vs. GB)
53) Justin Watson | Kansas City Chiefs (vs. NO)
54) Gabe Davis | Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. IND)
55) Josh Reynolds | Denver Broncos (vs. LV)
56) Brandin Cooks | Dallas Cowboys (at PIT)
57) Andrei Iosivas | Cincinnati Bengals (vs. BAL)
58) Tre Tucker | Las Vegas Raiders (at DEN)
59) Keon Coleman | Buffalo Bills (at HOU)
60) Jalen Tolbert | Dallas Cowboys (at PIT)
61) Alec Pierce | Indianapolis Colts (at JAX)
62) Jordan Whittington | Los Angeles Rams (vs. GB)
63) DeMario Douglas | New England Patriots (vs. MIA)
64) Ray-Ray McCloud III | Atlanta Falcons (vs. TB)
65) Rashod Bateman | Baltimore Ravens (at CIN)
66) Jalen Nailor | Minnesota Vikings (vs. NYJ {London})
67) Luke McCaffrey | Washington Commanders (vs. CLE)
68) Tyler Johnson | Los Angeles Rams (vs. GB)
69) Jonathan Mingo | Carolina Panthers (at CHI)
70) Curtis Samuel | Buffalo Bills (at HOU)
71) Noah Brown | Washington Commanders (vs. CLE)
72) Ja’Lynn Polk | New England Patriots (vs. MIA)
73) Elijah Moore | Cleveland Browns (at WAS)
74) Calvin Austin III | Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. DAL)
75) Davante Adams | Las Vegas Raiders (at DEN)
Which WRs Are Intriguing for Week 5?
Malik Nabers’ Fantasy Outlook
Nabers went streaking down the left sideline on the third play Thursday night and was as wide open as you’ll see a star receiver ever be. Did Dallas forget about the rookie?
Nope, they tried. He simply hit a double move that left the defender so crippled that he wasn’t in the frame as the camera tracked the ball to its final destination.
It’s difficult to overstate just how impressive this kid has been to open his career. Nabers has the second-most receptions (35) ever through four career games (Puka Nacua had 39), recording at least eight grabs in each of his past three games — something DK Metcalf has never done.
Malik Nabers making guys touch grass 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/OEshvF2TSc
— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2024
The big play to open Week 4 wasn’t just impressive on the stat sheet, it spoke to a larger New York philosophy. And that’s to funnel its offense toward Nabers and look in on him every single time a favorable matchup presents itself. For fantasy managers, that’s of course great, but the downside is there.
Any player being featured as heavily as Nabers is (especially for a 1-3 team that didn’t have much in the way of expectations coming into this season) carries a health risk. Nabers suffered a concussion late in last Thursday’s loss, putting his status into question this week.
A case of the dizzies is the only thing that can stop Nabers at this point. He’s a lineup lock moving forward, and that’s certainly the case as his Giants get an extended week to prepare for a Seahawks team that played on Monday in Detroit. Nevertheless, you’ll obviously need to monitor this situation.
This game takes place in the second window of games on Sunday, and with a London game — not to mention four teams on a bye — I’d enter the weekend with contingency plans in place to avoid a mad scramble around lineup locks if we don’t have definitive news.
Giants rookie Malik Nabers has the second-most receptions of any player in their first four career games in NFL history. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/r2u9RvgbDI
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 27, 2024
Rashid Shaheed’s Fantasy Outlook
Not all growth is linear. Shaheed has been a downfield threat since entering the league, and those highlights are what produce the ceiling games that we love from him. However, through four weeks, I’m more encouraged by the “how” his three top-25 performances have occurred.
This season, Shaheed’s target rate is higher when Derek Carr is pressured (29%) than when not (25%), something that wasn’t even close to being true through two seasons (11.2% compared to 20.6%).
On Sunday, Shaheed earned a pair of end-zone targets inside the 10-yard line. For the season, his first-quarter on-field target share is 36.4%, a rate that is leaps and bounds ahead of his 22.4% number from a year ago.
Most teams have a burner who can threaten defenses vertically, but few teams have a player like Shaheed who owns that trait while developing in this fashion. I have him ranked inside of my top 30 at the position this week — I think he’s a version of George Pickens with more stability under center.
It’s early, but the deep passer rating allowed by the Chiefs is 41.7 points higher than it was a season ago.
Dontayvion Wicks’ Fantasy Outlook
In Jordan Love’s return, Wicks racked up 215 air yards, the second most by a receiver this season and the most by a Packer not named Davante Adams over the past six years.
Wicks may have only hauled in five of 13 targets, but with Christian Watson sidelined, he has clearly been identified as the field-stretching option in Green Bay’s offense, which could result in another usable week from the 2023 fifth-rounder.
Big-play WRs vs. Rams in 2024:
- Week 1: Jameson Williams — 24.4 fantasy points (nine targets, 14.6 aDOT)
- Week 2: Marvin Harrison Jr. — 29 fantasy points (eight targets, 19.5 aDOT)
- Week 3: Jauan Jennings — 46.5 fantasy points (12 targets, 13.4 aDOT)
- Week 4: DJ Moore — 11.2 fantasy points (six targets, 14.7 aDOT)
Those stat lines are illuminating, and while Moore’s numbers drag down the averages, he did account for half of Chicago’s receiver targets — it just wasn’t a high-volume game.
Wicks has the athletic skill set that could thrive in this matchup, and that is why I’m comfortable putting him on the Flex radar, even in an offense with no shortage of viable pieces. I currently have him ranked over Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, and Jordan Addison — all of whom your first instinct would likely slot above him.
Greg Dortch’s Fantasy Outlook
For a player who has yet to reach 50 receiving yards or find the end zone, Dortch continually grades out higher for me than most, something that is again the case this week.
For me, Dortch is the way to bet cheap on this Cardinals offense, and with bye weeks upon us, sometimes that’s what you’re looking for.
Through four weeks, 71.1% of Dortch’s routes have come from the slot, and the 49ers happen to own the fourth-highest opponent passer rating when throwing to that spot on the field (24 of 30 for 391 yards).
Given the efficiency of the targets Dortch earns, I give him a good chance to reach double figures in PPR points this week in a matchup where the game script figures to lean in his favor.
All stats are from TruMedia unless otherwise stated.