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Higher or Lower? Fantasy Football Players We’re Backing or Fading in Week 5

By Published On: October 3rd, 2025

by Optimus Staff

Published On: October 3rd, 2025

Do you long for the summer? Fresh out of the draft, which you clearly won and would coast to another fantasy football championship with nary a breath of opposition?

Well, this is not that, folks! Massive injuries have decimated otherwise airtight plans, underperformers have destroyed foolproof schemes, and byes are wreaking havoc on our once impregnable rosters. Now we get to face such soul-sucking questions as “Should I start Rico Dowdle as my RB1 this week?” It’s fun, this game is fun. <sobs uncontrollably>

Ok, we’ve taken Lou away and given him his blankie. Don’t worry, this happens around this time every year; he’ll be fine. We hope. At any rate, you’ve got lots of tough decisions to make this week, and our staff is here to make them a little easier for you. So let’s get to it and see which fantasy football players our analysts are higher or lower on.

Higher or Lower? Fantasy Football Players We’re Backing or Fading in Week 5

Check out our Premium Tools – Use Code “OptimusFall” for 25% OFF 4 Months!

Players We Are Higher On:

Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Consensus Rank: WR23

Evan’s Rank: WR15

The Chargers were straight-up embarrassed by the Giants last week. The entire team played poorly. Likewise, Keenan Allen failed to reach 60 receiving yards against a terrible Giants secondary. He also didn’t find the end zone. Despite the bad game, he has yet to receive fewer than seven targets in any game. The Commanders are a bottom-10 team in defending wide receivers so far this season. Averaging 29.6 fantasy points given up to wide receivers, the Commanders will struggle to defend Keenan Allen, who should have a nice bounce-back game. You can safely start him as a WR2 in your lineups.

Tory Horton, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Consensus Rank: WR55

Nate’s Rank: WR45

Okay, we’re really getting into the weeds with this one. I know WR45 is a backend flex type of play in any given week, but this isn’t any given week. Between injuries and bye weeks, fantasy rosters are beat up, and managers are looking for anything that can give them an advantage, and rookie WR Tory Horton could be that player.

While Horton has mostly served a limited role in the Seahawks’ offense, he has emerged as a deep threat, with an aDOT of 26.5 last week against Arizona, and 16.7 on the season. His volume hasn’t been eye-popping, with only 10 total targets over his first three NFL games. However, with those, he has six catches and two TDs.

We’re staring down a week where even backend flex players like Alec Pierce are out, and it isn’t pretty. While Horton’s floor is as low as they go, his ceiling is a 20-plus fantasy output against a Tampa Bay team that loves to turn things into a shootout. Horton isn’t a slam dunk, but this week, a warm body with any upside will do just fine if you’re in a pinch.    

Chris Rodriguez, RB, Washington Commanders

Consensus Rank: RB37

Lou’s Rank: RB27

Okay, this isn’t attractive at all, so don’t get it twisted; Rodriguez is not a must-start. He’s not. But we’re deep into the season now, and just like at last call, the borderline considerations get a lot more attractive. Don’t lie, we’ve all been there. It’s OK, you’re among friends here; you can admit it. We’re not judging. To be clear, we’re not judging the fact that it’s only Week 5 and you’re considering starting Chris Rodriguez. Same page, right?

The fact of the matter is, the Commanders know they don’t have a great answer among their stable of RBs at the moment. The Commanders have played Bill Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez, and Jeremy McNichols, all almost exactly one-third of the snaps each, since Austin Ekeler injured his Achilles. Over the last two games, Rodriguez has handled 70% of all redzone snaps for the Commanders and 100% of the redzone snaps in Week 4. So while none of the RBs will likely get a ton of volume, Rodriguez is most likely to get the volume when we, as fantasy players, care about it the most.

Players We Are Lower On:

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns

Consensus Rank: RB13

Evan’s Rank: RB17

I promise, I’m not being pedantic about this ranking. I think folks are a bit too high on the Browns’ offense with the quarterback change shifting from Joe Flacco to Dillon Gabriel. While the Vikings’ defense still doesn’t have Andrew Van Ginkel back, their defensive front line consists of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, along with Jonathan Greenard and Ivan Pace at linebacker. The Vikings suck at defending the pass, but when the defensive front blitzes the hell out of Dillon Gabriel, how does one expect the Browns to get anything consistent going on offense? It will be quite the challenge for the Browns on Sunday in London. If you have to start Judkins, at least you can count on him getting lead-back volume, which should be good enough to score FLEX-worthy points. Be ecstatic if he can fall into the end zone.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

Consensus Rank: WR16

Nate’s Rank: WR27

With Tyreek Hill at least done for 2025 with a brutal knee injury, Waddle will now assume the role as the WR1 in Miami. I understand the excitement surrounding the prospect of the former first-round pick being the guy in the Dolphins’ offense. 

You can be excited all you want, but this is still an offense led by QB Tua Tagovailoa, who is currently ranked 39th in overall QB grade, per PFF. That’s bad, and without Hill, it’s only going to get worse. Furthermore, after starting the season with a pass-forward approach, the Dolphins switched it up last week, throwing on only 44.64% of passing plays in the absence of their WR1.

Waddle heads into Week 5 as the PPR WR29, and while I’m giving him a slight bump from there, it’s not close to where consensus has him right now. This isn’t a “you need to sit him” situation. He’s still a mid-range WR3 right now, but expectations should be tempered, even with Hill done for the year. 

Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

Consensus Rank: WR14

Lou’s Rank: WR23

First off, the byes are hitting a little harder this week, so you’re probably still starting Sutton. Let’s just get that out of the way.

However, it’s time to stop treating Sutton like he’s the only option in this Denver passing game. Through four weeks, Sutton and Troy Franklin are tied for the lead in targets. In Week 4, Sutton, Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Evan Engram were all within two targets of each other. Last year, Sutton averaged eight targets/game. This year, he’s at 6.75. The Sean Payton Flattening – it’s happening!

“What is The Flattening,” you ask? I’ve said it time and time again: we cannot trust Sean Payton. This is exactly what I mean. We’re seeing this passing game get “flat” – the target leader has been different in three out of four games so far. We see this in Green Bay, Buffalo, and now Denver as well. The main cog can and will still have success, but it becomes much more difficult to predict how and when. That’s simply the world Sutton is living in now.

For more advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

Do you long for the summer? Fresh out of the draft, which you clearly won and would coast to another fantasy football championship with nary a breath of opposition?

Well, this is not that, folks! Massive injuries have decimated otherwise airtight plans, underperformers have destroyed foolproof schemes, and byes are wreaking havoc on our once impregnable rosters. Now we get to face such soul-sucking questions as “Should I start Rico Dowdle as my RB1 this week?” It’s fun, this game is fun. <sobs uncontrollably>

Ok, we’ve taken Lou away and given him his blankie. Don’t worry, this happens around this time every year; he’ll be fine. We hope. At any rate, you’ve got lots of tough decisions to make this week, and our staff is here to make them a little easier for you. So let’s get to it and see which fantasy football players our analysts are higher or lower on.

Higher or Lower? Fantasy Football Players We’re Backing or Fading in Week 5

Check out our Premium Tools – Use Code “OptimusFall” for 25% OFF 4 Months!

Players We Are Higher On:

Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Consensus Rank: WR23

Evan’s Rank: WR15

The Chargers were straight-up embarrassed by the Giants last week. The entire team played poorly. Likewise, Keenan Allen failed to reach 60 receiving yards against a terrible Giants secondary. He also didn’t find the end zone. Despite the bad game, he has yet to receive fewer than seven targets in any game. The Commanders are a bottom-10 team in defending wide receivers so far this season. Averaging 29.6 fantasy points given up to wide receivers, the Commanders will struggle to defend Keenan Allen, who should have a nice bounce-back game. You can safely start him as a WR2 in your lineups.

Tory Horton, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Consensus Rank: WR55

Nate’s Rank: WR45

Okay, we’re really getting into the weeds with this one. I know WR45 is a backend flex type of play in any given week, but this isn’t any given week. Between injuries and bye weeks, fantasy rosters are beat up, and managers are looking for anything that can give them an advantage, and rookie WR Tory Horton could be that player.

While Horton has mostly served a limited role in the Seahawks’ offense, he has emerged as a deep threat, with an aDOT of 26.5 last week against Arizona, and 16.7 on the season. His volume hasn’t been eye-popping, with only 10 total targets over his first three NFL games. However, with those, he has six catches and two TDs.

We’re staring down a week where even backend flex players like Alec Pierce are out, and it isn’t pretty. While Horton’s floor is as low as they go, his ceiling is a 20-plus fantasy output against a Tampa Bay team that loves to turn things into a shootout. Horton isn’t a slam dunk, but this week, a warm body with any upside will do just fine if you’re in a pinch.    

Chris Rodriguez, RB, Washington Commanders

Consensus Rank: RB37

Lou’s Rank: RB27

Okay, this isn’t attractive at all, so don’t get it twisted; Rodriguez is not a must-start. He’s not. But we’re deep into the season now, and just like at last call, the borderline considerations get a lot more attractive. Don’t lie, we’ve all been there. It’s OK, you’re among friends here; you can admit it. We’re not judging. To be clear, we’re not judging the fact that it’s only Week 5 and you’re considering starting Chris Rodriguez. Same page, right?

The fact of the matter is, the Commanders know they don’t have a great answer among their stable of RBs at the moment. The Commanders have played Bill Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez, and Jeremy McNichols, all almost exactly one-third of the snaps each, since Austin Ekeler injured his Achilles. Over the last two games, Rodriguez has handled 70% of all redzone snaps for the Commanders and 100% of the redzone snaps in Week 4. So while none of the RBs will likely get a ton of volume, Rodriguez is most likely to get the volume when we, as fantasy players, care about it the most.

Players We Are Lower On:

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns

Consensus Rank: RB13

Evan’s Rank: RB17

I promise, I’m not being pedantic about this ranking. I think folks are a bit too high on the Browns’ offense with the quarterback change shifting from Joe Flacco to Dillon Gabriel. While the Vikings’ defense still doesn’t have Andrew Van Ginkel back, their defensive front line consists of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, along with Jonathan Greenard and Ivan Pace at linebacker. The Vikings suck at defending the pass, but when the defensive front blitzes the hell out of Dillon Gabriel, how does one expect the Browns to get anything consistent going on offense? It will be quite the challenge for the Browns on Sunday in London. If you have to start Judkins, at least you can count on him getting lead-back volume, which should be good enough to score FLEX-worthy points. Be ecstatic if he can fall into the end zone.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

Consensus Rank: WR16

Nate’s Rank: WR27

With Tyreek Hill at least done for 2025 with a brutal knee injury, Waddle will now assume the role as the WR1 in Miami. I understand the excitement surrounding the prospect of the former first-round pick being the guy in the Dolphins’ offense. 

You can be excited all you want, but this is still an offense led by QB Tua Tagovailoa, who is currently ranked 39th in overall QB grade, per PFF. That’s bad, and without Hill, it’s only going to get worse. Furthermore, after starting the season with a pass-forward approach, the Dolphins switched it up last week, throwing on only 44.64% of passing plays in the absence of their WR1.

Waddle heads into Week 5 as the PPR WR29, and while I’m giving him a slight bump from there, it’s not close to where consensus has him right now. This isn’t a “you need to sit him” situation. He’s still a mid-range WR3 right now, but expectations should be tempered, even with Hill done for the year. 

Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

Consensus Rank: WR14

Lou’s Rank: WR23

First off, the byes are hitting a little harder this week, so you’re probably still starting Sutton. Let’s just get that out of the way.

However, it’s time to stop treating Sutton like he’s the only option in this Denver passing game. Through four weeks, Sutton and Troy Franklin are tied for the lead in targets. In Week 4, Sutton, Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Evan Engram were all within two targets of each other. Last year, Sutton averaged eight targets/game. This year, he’s at 6.75. The Sean Payton Flattening – it’s happening!

“What is The Flattening,” you ask? I’ve said it time and time again: we cannot trust Sean Payton. This is exactly what I mean. We’re seeing this passing game get “flat” – the target leader has been different in three out of four games so far. We see this in Green Bay, Buffalo, and now Denver as well. The main cog can and will still have success, but it becomes much more difficult to predict how and when. That’s simply the world Sutton is living in now.

For more advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

Do you long for the summer? Fresh out of the draft, which you clearly won and would coast to another fantasy football championship with nary a breath of opposition?

Well, this is not that, folks! Massive injuries have decimated otherwise airtight plans, underperformers have destroyed foolproof schemes, and byes are wreaking havoc on our once impregnable rosters. Now we get to face such soul-sucking questions as “Should I start Rico Dowdle as my RB1 this week?” It’s fun, this game is fun. <sobs uncontrollably>

Ok, we’ve taken Lou away and given him his blankie. Don’t worry, this happens around this time every year; he’ll be fine. We hope. At any rate, you’ve got lots of tough decisions to make this week, and our staff is here to make them a little easier for you. So let’s get to it and see which fantasy football players our analysts are higher or lower on.

Higher or Lower? Fantasy Football Players We’re Backing or Fading in Week 5

Check out our Premium Tools – Use Code “OptimusFall” for 25% OFF 4 Months!

Players We Are Higher On:

Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Consensus Rank: WR23

Evan’s Rank: WR15

The Chargers were straight-up embarrassed by the Giants last week. The entire team played poorly. Likewise, Keenan Allen failed to reach 60 receiving yards against a terrible Giants secondary. He also didn’t find the end zone. Despite the bad game, he has yet to receive fewer than seven targets in any game. The Commanders are a bottom-10 team in defending wide receivers so far this season. Averaging 29.6 fantasy points given up to wide receivers, the Commanders will struggle to defend Keenan Allen, who should have a nice bounce-back game. You can safely start him as a WR2 in your lineups.

Tory Horton, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Consensus Rank: WR55

Nate’s Rank: WR45

Okay, we’re really getting into the weeds with this one. I know WR45 is a backend flex type of play in any given week, but this isn’t any given week. Between injuries and bye weeks, fantasy rosters are beat up, and managers are looking for anything that can give them an advantage, and rookie WR Tory Horton could be that player.

While Horton has mostly served a limited role in the Seahawks’ offense, he has emerged as a deep threat, with an aDOT of 26.5 last week against Arizona, and 16.7 on the season. His volume hasn’t been eye-popping, with only 10 total targets over his first three NFL games. However, with those, he has six catches and two TDs.

We’re staring down a week where even backend flex players like Alec Pierce are out, and it isn’t pretty. While Horton’s floor is as low as they go, his ceiling is a 20-plus fantasy output against a Tampa Bay team that loves to turn things into a shootout. Horton isn’t a slam dunk, but this week, a warm body with any upside will do just fine if you’re in a pinch.    

Chris Rodriguez, RB, Washington Commanders

Consensus Rank: RB37

Lou’s Rank: RB27

Okay, this isn’t attractive at all, so don’t get it twisted; Rodriguez is not a must-start. He’s not. But we’re deep into the season now, and just like at last call, the borderline considerations get a lot more attractive. Don’t lie, we’ve all been there. It’s OK, you’re among friends here; you can admit it. We’re not judging. To be clear, we’re not judging the fact that it’s only Week 5 and you’re considering starting Chris Rodriguez. Same page, right?

The fact of the matter is, the Commanders know they don’t have a great answer among their stable of RBs at the moment. The Commanders have played Bill Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez, and Jeremy McNichols, all almost exactly one-third of the snaps each, since Austin Ekeler injured his Achilles. Over the last two games, Rodriguez has handled 70% of all redzone snaps for the Commanders and 100% of the redzone snaps in Week 4. So while none of the RBs will likely get a ton of volume, Rodriguez is most likely to get the volume when we, as fantasy players, care about it the most.

Players We Are Lower On:

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns

Consensus Rank: RB13

Evan’s Rank: RB17

I promise, I’m not being pedantic about this ranking. I think folks are a bit too high on the Browns’ offense with the quarterback change shifting from Joe Flacco to Dillon Gabriel. While the Vikings’ defense still doesn’t have Andrew Van Ginkel back, their defensive front line consists of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, along with Jonathan Greenard and Ivan Pace at linebacker. The Vikings suck at defending the pass, but when the defensive front blitzes the hell out of Dillon Gabriel, how does one expect the Browns to get anything consistent going on offense? It will be quite the challenge for the Browns on Sunday in London. If you have to start Judkins, at least you can count on him getting lead-back volume, which should be good enough to score FLEX-worthy points. Be ecstatic if he can fall into the end zone.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

Consensus Rank: WR16

Nate’s Rank: WR27

With Tyreek Hill at least done for 2025 with a brutal knee injury, Waddle will now assume the role as the WR1 in Miami. I understand the excitement surrounding the prospect of the former first-round pick being the guy in the Dolphins’ offense. 

You can be excited all you want, but this is still an offense led by QB Tua Tagovailoa, who is currently ranked 39th in overall QB grade, per PFF. That’s bad, and without Hill, it’s only going to get worse. Furthermore, after starting the season with a pass-forward approach, the Dolphins switched it up last week, throwing on only 44.64% of passing plays in the absence of their WR1.

Waddle heads into Week 5 as the PPR WR29, and while I’m giving him a slight bump from there, it’s not close to where consensus has him right now. This isn’t a “you need to sit him” situation. He’s still a mid-range WR3 right now, but expectations should be tempered, even with Hill done for the year. 

Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

Consensus Rank: WR14

Lou’s Rank: WR23

First off, the byes are hitting a little harder this week, so you’re probably still starting Sutton. Let’s just get that out of the way.

However, it’s time to stop treating Sutton like he’s the only option in this Denver passing game. Through four weeks, Sutton and Troy Franklin are tied for the lead in targets. In Week 4, Sutton, Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Evan Engram were all within two targets of each other. Last year, Sutton averaged eight targets/game. This year, he’s at 6.75. The Sean Payton Flattening – it’s happening!

“What is The Flattening,” you ask? I’ve said it time and time again: we cannot trust Sean Payton. This is exactly what I mean. We’re seeing this passing game get “flat” – the target leader has been different in three out of four games so far. We see this in Green Bay, Buffalo, and now Denver as well. The main cog can and will still have success, but it becomes much more difficult to predict how and when. That’s simply the world Sutton is living in now.

For more advice, head over to our Discord channel and ask our analysts! For breaking news and injury updates, follow Optimus Fantasy News on Bluesky!

By Published On: October 3rd, 2025

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