Week 5 marks the first round of bye weeks in the NFL. So if you stacked your teams with Chiefs and Panthers, you'll have to find fantasy points elsewhere. Thankfully, plenty of matchups are fantasy-friendly, but hopefully your rosters aren’t further hurt by the many injuries across the NFL. Without further ado, let’s get to the starts, fades, and sleepers. Best of luck in all your Week 5 matchups! And check out the rest of my weekly rankings here.
QUARTERBACKS
START
Jacoby Brissett (ARI) v. DET
The Stat: Detroit has allowed the most passing yards and passing touchdowns.
The Spot: A 54.5-point total means the Cardinals will have to throw to keep up.
The Risk: Brissett has had mixed fantasy production thus far this season.
FADE
Bo Nix (DEN) @ LAC
The Stat: Nix ranks 25th in QB rushing yards versus 11th in 2025 (fantasy upside capped while passing attack is a mess).
The Spot: The Chargers have allowed only one top-12 QB fantasy performance.
The Risk: Week 3 showed there's still a top-12 QB in there.
