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Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley caught five of his 10 targets for 131 yards in Sunday's Week 5 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The veteran pass catcher finally got out of the rut that had plagued him for the first four weeks of the season. In fact, this Sunday, Ridley delivered his first double-digit fantasy performance (PPR) of 2025. While it's possible that a softer matchup against the Cardinals was the main reason for his breakout, the good news is that Tennessee takes on another subpar defense next week in Las Vegas. Ridley remains a solid WR3/flex option for the time being.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith caught eight of his 10 targets for 114 yards during Sunday's Week 5 loss against the Denver Broncos. After a frustrating Week 4 in which Smith caught just two passes and was subsequently reported to be "frustrated" within the offense, the talented receiver bounced back in a huge way. The 26-year-old was able to impress despite the Eagles' passing game struggles and despite an unfavorable matchup against a strong Broncos defense. If Smith was able to thrive in this week's situation, he should have no trouble producing next week against the New York Giants. He's a low-end WR2 in fantasy football ahead of Week 6.

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Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller caught all five of his targets for 78 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's Week 5 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The veteran pass catcher was primarily involved in the first half, as all five catches came within the first 20 minutes of the contest. We'd like to see him contribute steadily throughout the whole game, but we also know that fantasy managers won't complain about a 78-yard, one-touchdown showing from a tight end, regardless of the timestamps when he caught each pass. Waller has scored at least 17.7 fantasy points (PPR) in each of his first two games back from retirement, ranking as the overall TE2 in fantasy football over the last two weeks. His volume and scoring ability instantly make him a top streaming option for Week 6, as he should rank as a top-12 fantasy tight end in his matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta caught five of his six targets for 92 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's Week 5 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He scored his first touchdown of the season on a trick play that involved a pass from running back David Montgomery. By breaking into the end zone, LaPorta turned in his best fantasy outing of the 2025 season. He was the fourth-highest tight end scorer in Week 5 and ranks as the overall TE6 in total scoring this year. While there is some inconsistency in his production week over week, fantasy managers should feel confident that LaPorta is still a top-10 fantasy tight end. He should be started in all leagues ahead of next week's competitive matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries during Sunday's Week 5 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He also converted his lone target into a six-yard reception. Furthermore, the veteran running back was involved in a trick play as he threw a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Sam LaPorta. In the end, Montgomery finished the victory with 71 scrimmage yards and two total touchdowns. He was the team's leading rusher and also posted a season-high in carries. While we can't necessarily expect Montgomery to replicate this type of performance going forward, he has established himself as a high-end RB3/flex option once again in 2025. He should be started in leagues with at least 10 teams when he takes on the Kansas City Chiefs next week.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs caught 10 of his 12 targets for 146 yards during Sunday's Week 5 win over the Buffalo Bills. Diggs served as Drake Maye's favorite target and made several key catches against his old team, including toe-taps on the sideline and several first downs. The veteran receiver was a main reason why the Patriots were able to maintain a lead over -- and defeat -- the Bills on Sunday night. While Diggs was relatively inconsistent over the first few weeks of the season, he has come on quite strong lately, eclipsing 100 yards in back-to-back games. His 40.7 fantasy points (PPR) over the last two weeks rank seventh-best among all NFL receivers. He'll look to carry this momentum into a favorable matchup against the Saints, ranking as a low-end WR2 in fantasy football.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley wasn't a big part of the game plan in the team's first loss of the season on Sunday against the visiting Denver Broncos in Week 5. Barkley had only six rushing attempts for 30 yards on the ground, but he salvaged his day for fantasy managers with three catches (three targets) for an additional 58 yards and a 47-yard receiving touchdown, his first receiving score of the year. It was some concerning usage for Barkley in a game that the Eagles led by multiple scores late into the second half. Barkley's previous low this year for rushing attempts has been 18. Perhaps it's all part of Philly's plan as they head into a short turnaround in Week 6 in a divisional clash against Barkley's former team, the New York Giants. If the 28-year-old isn't used as more of a bell-cow back in that one, fantasy managers will be even more worried.

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New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson is now firmly in the mix as a waiver-wire pickup heading into Week 6 after catching six of his seven targets for 33 yards and two more touchdowns in Sunday's 26-14 loss on the road to the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, fellow TE Daniel Bellinger led the team with 52 receiving yards on four receptions. Both the 24-year-old's six catches and seven targets were season highs, and it's looking like he's going to need to be taken seriously as a high-end QB2 now that receiver Malik Nabers (knee) is lost for the season. Johnson's upside certainly takes a hit with Bellinger involved, but fantasy managers can't just ignore Johnson's three touchdowns in rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart's first two NFL starts. He'll be in play as a touchdown-dependent TE2 on a short week next Thursday night against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy stepped up in Week 5 with CeeDee Lamb (ankle) and KaVontae Turpin (foot) out, catching six of his nine targets for a team-high 114 yards in the 37-22 victory over the hosting New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. He also added 10 rushing yards on two carries. Flournoy's six catches were one behind team leader Jake Ferguson, and his nine targets were tied with Ferguson for the team lead. The 25-year-old stepped up alongside George Pickens in another big passing game from quarterback Dak Prescott. This was Flournoy's first game with over 41 receiving yards in his career, and while he proved he can step up when needed, this could easily be his best showing in 2025. It will all depend on when Lamb and Turpin can return, which could be as early as Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers. Flournoy shouldn't be high on your priority list as a waiver-wire addition in 12-team fantasy leagues.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had a strong day for his fantasy managers through the air, but it came in the team's first loss of the season in a 21-17 defeat at home to the Denver Broncos in Week 5. Hurts went 23-for-38 passing for 280 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. The 27-year-old only ran the ball two times for three yards while being sacked a season-high six times for a loss of 23 yards. Hurts' pass attempts, completions, and passing yardage were all season highs, and he has now thrown for multiple touchdown passes in the last three weeks. Given the strong defensive opponent, Hurts' overall performance was pretty impressive, but he was also unable to close out the visiting Broncos after leading for the majority of the game. Hurts has high-end QB1 upside because he can do it with both his arms and his legs, and he'll have a better matchup on Thursday night in Week 6 when the Eagles play the division-rival New York Giants.

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. stayed heavily involved in the team's offense with Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) missing a second straight game on Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers. Samuel led the team in targets (11), receptions (eight), and receiving yards (96) while catching his third touchdown of the season in the 27-10 victory in Week 5 in quarterback Jayden Daniels' return from a knee sprain. The 29-year-old has had a nice bounce-back season in 2025 so far in his first year in Washington while being the team's most consistent pass-catcher. Through the first five weeks, Samuel has 346 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. As long as he can stay healthy, Samuel should continue to be a must-start in fantasy lineups, even when McLaurin returns from his quad injury. Samuel will have quite a bit of upside in Week 6 on Monday night against the Chicago Bears, especially if McLaurin misses a third game.

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Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff led the charge as his team scored at least 34 points for the fourth straight week in a 37-24 Week 5 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Goff completed 19 of 23 pass attempts for 258 yards and three touchdowns, although he did get sacked four times and lost a fumble while playing without left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder). Through five games this season, Goff has thrown for 1,187 yards, 12 touchdowns, and two interceptions. He remains a matchup-dependent, low-end fantasy starter in single-quarterback formats. Goff and the Lions will face a difficult test in Week 6 as they travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.

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New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of his team's Week 5 matchup against the Buffalo Bills due to a knee injury. Gibson recorded six carries for 21 yards and one catch for five yards before getting injured. In his absence, Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson and veteran back Rhamondre Stevenson will likely split the backfield work. Stevenson fumbled for the third time this season in the first half against Buffalo, so Week 5 could be Henderson's best chance to stake his claim to the Patriots' backfield.

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Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson recorded seven catches for 49 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets in his team's 37-22 Week 5 win over the New York Jets. Ferguson continues to produce like one of the best tight ends in the NFL in 2025. Through five games, the 26-year-old has hauled in 41 catches for 272 yards and three touchdowns on 48 targets. Ferguson looks like a must-start player at the tight end position heading into a juicy Week 6 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed recorded four catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in his team's 26-14 Week 5 win over the New York Giants. Known as one of the league's premier big-play threats. Shaheed broke loose for an 87-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. The 27-year-old has recorded 22 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns on 30 targets through five games so far this season. Shaheed ranks third on the Saints in targets behind wide receiver Chris Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson, but he's got far more explosive potential than any of his New Orleans teammates. Shaheed remains a boom/bust flex option in the majority of fantasy leagues.

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Filling in for the injured Bucky Irving (shoulder, foot), Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White recorded 14 carries for 41 yards and two touchdowns in his team's 38-35 Week 5 win over the Seattle Seahawks. White also chipped in four catches for 30 yards. The 26-year-old looks like the clear lead back in Tampa Bay while Irving is sidelined. In Week 5, White earned 18 touches while fellow Bucs running back Sean Tucker earned just six. White now has 212 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 49 total touches through five games. For as long as Irving is out, White could provide solid fantasy RB2 production.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle recorded six catches for 110 yards and a touchdown on nine targets in his team's 27-24 Week 5 loss to the Carolina Panthers. In the team's first game of 2025 without star wideout Tyreek Hill (knee), Waddle stepped in admirably as the number one option in the passing game for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Waddle now has 23 catches for 295 yards and three touchdowns through five games in 2025. With Hill set to miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, Waddle could be a must-start fantasy wide receiver the rest of the way.

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Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner hauled in all seven of his targets for 53 yards and two touchdowns in his team's 38-35 Week 5 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Barner is developing into a red zone weapon for Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. The 23-year-old tight end now has 14 catches for 134 yards and four touchdowns on 16 targets through five games this season. Week 5 was the first time Barner earned more than three targets in a game so far this year, so he will likely remain dependent on touchdowns to produce in fantasy. Still, as a low-end streaming option at tight end, Barner could have some appeal on a week-to-week basis.

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Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had the best game of his young career in his team's 27-10 Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Croskey-Merritt recorded 14 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns, adding two catches for 39 yards as well. The 24-year-old has now recorded 43 carries for 283 yards and four touchdowns so far this season. Perhaps most encouragingly, Croskey-Merritt earned more than double the touches in Week 5 (16) of fellow Commanders running backs Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Jeremy McNichols combined (seven). If Croskey-Merritt can fully seize the lead rushing role in Washington, he could become a must-start fantasy running back sooner than later.

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his excellent start to the 2025 season by recording eight catches for 132 yards and a touchdown on nine targets against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5. Smith-Njigba has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL so far this season. Through five games, the 23-year-old has 34 catches for 535 yards and two touchdowns on 43 targets. Smith-Njigba profiles as a must-start fantasy wide receiver regardless of opponent.

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