Week 5 is where bye weeks start to bite. Kansas City and Carolina are off this week, so if you've been leaning on Chiefs or Panthers players, you'll need a replacement plan. The good news is the other 15 games are packed with fantasy upside, starting with Tampa Bay at Dallas on Thursday night. MyGameSim's NFL Start or Sit tool ranks every position using projected fantasy points from our game simulations.
Here are the top projected players at each spot for Week 5. These numbers come straight from our model, not consensus rankings, so a few of them might catch you off guard.
Quarterbacks
Josh Allen leads the QB board again at 24.4 projected fantasy points, this time on the road against the Rams on Monday night. On the other side of that game, Matthew Stafford projects for 23.2. That makes Bills at Rams one of the best shootout candidates of the week, and both quarterbacks are strong starts.
Dak Prescott (23.9) is right in the mix too. The Cowboys host Tampa Bay on Thursday, so you'll need to decide on him early. Jared Goff (22.4 at Arizona) rounds out a strong top four. The surprise name is Malik Willis at 21.1 for Miami against Cincinnati, which puts him firmly on the streaming radar. Trevor Lawrence (20.9) and Lamar Jackson (20.2) also clear 20 points. The full QB Start or Sit list goes deeper if you need a bye-week fill-in.
Running Backs
Jahmyr Gibbs posts the biggest projection on the entire board this week at 27.1 points at Arizona. The Lions show up all over these rankings, and Gibbs is the main reason. Bijan Robinson (25.5) is close behind him, hosting Baltimore on Sunday night. Those two are in a tier of their own.
James Cook III (21.4) and Kyren Williams (19.4) give Bills at Rams even more fantasy appeal. Bhayshul Tuten (19.2 vs. Philadelphia) and Jaylen Warren (19.2 vs. Indianapolis) are the names that stand out from consensus, and both are worth a look in your flex spot. Aaron Jones Sr. (18.0 at New Orleans) and Jonathan Taylor (17.2 at Pittsburgh) round out the top eight. With Chiefs and Panthers backs on bye, Braelon Allen (15.7 vs. Cleveland) is a solid pivot if you're short at the position. Check the RB projections for the full picture.
Wide Receivers
CeeDee Lamb tops the receiver board at 19.1 projected points against Tampa Bay on Thursday night. After a quieter matchup last week, our sims expect a big bounce-back game at home. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (18.0) is right behind him, hosting San Francisco in a division game that the Seahawks passing game should be able to attack.
Malik Washington is the biggest surprise on the board at 15.1 against Cincinnati. If Willis is under center for Miami, Washington is the receiver our sims like best. Chris Olave (14.8), Davante Adams (14.4), and Garrett Wilson (14.2) make up the next tier. Christian Watson, Drake London, Michael Wilson, and DeVonta Smith all land between 12.8 and 13.4. Every receiver is ranked on the WR Start or Sit page.
Tight Ends
George Kittle leads the TE board at 12.6 projected points at Seattle, more than three points clear of anyone else. If you have Kittle, start him without a second thought. With Travis Kelce on bye, plenty of managers will be hunting for a replacement this week.
Trey McBride (9.5 vs. Detroit), Isaiah Likely (9.4 at Washington), and Tyler Warren (9.2 at Pittsburgh) are bunched together just behind Kittle. Likely is the best streaming option on the list if you need a Kelce fill-in. Mark Andrews (8.6), Harold Fannin Jr. (7.8), and Brenton Strange (7.8) follow. Brock Bowers comes in at only 7.7 at New England, which is low for him, so temper your expectations. The full TE Start or Sit rankings go deeper.
Kickers and Defense
Jake Bates leads all kickers at 11.4 projected points at Arizona, followed by Matt Gay (10.9) and Will Reichard (10.8). On defense, Dallas is the top play at 19.0 points against Tampa Bay, and Detroit is right behind at 18.0. Buffalo and Minnesota both project for 15.0. If you stream defenses, the Vikings at New Orleans and the Chargers at home against Denver (14.0) are worth targeting.
Need help with a flex spot? The FLEX board puts running backs, receivers, and tight ends on one list so you can compare them directly.
Games to Watch
Thursday's Buccaneers and Cowboys game kicks off the week with Prescott, Lamb, and the top-ranked Dallas defense all in play, so set those lineups early. Philadelphia and Jacksonville open Sunday with an early-morning kickoff, so make sure DeVonta Smith, Trevor Lawrence, and Bhayshul Tuten are locked in before you go to bed Saturday. On Sunday night, Baltimore visits Atlanta with Bijan and Lamar both projecting well. Monday night's Bills and Rams game might be the best fantasy matchup of the week, with Allen, Stafford, Cook, Kyren Williams, and Adams all near the top of their positions.
How to use this
Our Start or Sit grades combine projected fantasy points with opposing defensive strength from the same simulations. Players with higher projections and softer matchups rise to the top. That doesn't mean you should bench a proven star for every surprise name, but when the model and your gut disagree, take a second look.
Free users can see the top of each position list. GameSim+ unlocks the full Week 5 Start or Sit board, plus detailed player projections for every game on the slate. Good luck this week.
