A quick-hit recap of what really mattered from Thursday through Sunday. We skip the obvious studs and instead focus on usage trends, injuries, and key shifts that actually impact your lineup decisions.

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday. 

We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start Saquon Barkley right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams for the coming week and beyond.

SEAHAWKS @ CARDINALS

• Zach Charbonnet returned to the lineup and handled 40% of Seattle’s 35 RB opportunities, compiling 44 scrimmage yards and a TD. Kenneth Walker had 110 scrimmage yards on his 60% of the work. Alongside superstar WR JSN, the Seahawks’ pair of RBs have featured on an efficient Seahawks’ offense to start the year. Both backs can be considered for fantasy lineups as we head into bye weeks.
• Cooper Kupp tied for the team lead with five targets, catching four passes for just 26 yards. He’s been operating as Seattle’s No. 2 receiving option through four games, catching 15 of 20 targets for 162 yards. Exciting rookie WR Tory Horton had two targets, catching one and almost coming down with the other for a highlight-reel TD catch. Horton has flashed in limited opportunities and could see his role expand as the season progresses.
• Trey Benson had 54 scoreless yards in his first opportunity taking over lead-back duties for Arizona, being afforded 13 of 17 RB opportunities (76%). Emari Demercado played in some obvious passing downs, handling four touches and catching the game-tying TD late in the fourth quarter. No need to panic on Benson, he will have some huge weeks ahead if he keeps handling three-quarters of the Cards’ RB work.

VIKINGS @ STEELERS

• Steelers RB Jaylen Warren was a surprising inactive in the early-morning Dublin game, likely a rude awakening for some fantasy managers as he seemed like a solid starting option based on his usage the first three weeks. Kenneth Gainwell made the start and handled a whopping 25 touches for 134 scrimmage yards and added a pair of rushing TDs.
• The Steelers have a Week 5 bye, and Warren’s status should be monitored ahead of Week 6.
• Jordan Addison made an impact in his season debut for Minnesota, catching half of his eight targets for 114 yards in a game Carson Wentz threw 46 passes, a pair of TDs, a pair of INTs, and took six sacks. It was the full Wentz experience on display in Ireland with the team playing from behind much of the game.
• Jordan Mason handled 16 of 18 RB carries and had three of 11 RB targets for 72 scrimmage yards in his worst possible game script, playing from behind for the final three quarters. Zavier Scott acted as their passing down back and had a 6-43-1 receiving line in their failed comeback attempt.

COMMANDERS @ FALCONS

• The Commanders rotated three running backs once again and had a similar rotation at wide receiver behind Deebo Samuel Sr. while Terry McLaurin missed this game with a quad injury.
• Commanders QB Jayden Daniels missed his second consecutive game with a knee injury and hopes to return for Week 5 against the Chargers.
• Michael Penix Jr. had a huge game to bounce back from last week’s dud, with all of Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts also getting in the mix. Atlanta has a bye next week before a Monday night showdown with the Bills.

CHARGERS @ GIANTS

• Omarion Hampton dominated in a great matchup in his first full game with the backfield to himself. Hampton played just under 90% of the team’s snaps and is a no-doubt RB1 going forward.
• Quentin Johnston maintained his position as the Chargers’ clear WR1. Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen are still heavily involved and will have better days ahead.
• Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart had a solid debut and got the victory, but his outlook going forward is questionable after the loss of WR Malik Nabers. It was reported that Nabers tore his ACL and is done for the season. Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton become the Giants top receiving options.
• Rookie RB Cam Skattebo played 75% of the Giants’ snaps and was given 27 opportunities with Tyrone Tracy Jr. out due to a shoulder injury. It is unclear how long Tracy will be out, but what is clear is that Skattebo is “the guy” until he gets back. He should be locked in as a weekly starter as long as Tracy is out, although he may be a decent “sell high” candidate as the offense’s outlook without Nabers could get dicey.

TITANS @ TEXANS

Your weekly roadmap to the wire. Each Tuesday, Tony Kneepkens highlights the top adds across positions — complete with FAAB recommendations and context to help you prioritize based on your league size and format.

These are the top players to consider adding from waivers this week. Unless otherwise noted, all players below are available in greater than 50% of Yahoo leagues (as of Sunday evening). Priorities and FAAB recommendations are meant to differentiate between some of the options available and are assuming 12-team, single-QB, fantasy formats.

It’s the second week in a row with a high-priority RB to consider adding from waivers and now we have an exciting young QB with a possible rushing-oriented fantasy profile to consider as well. There are several players who might be afforded more opportunities in the wake of injuries to star WRs Malik Nabers and Tyreek Hill, as well as several familiar RB names to consider as we head into the first week of byes.

Week 5 teams on bye: Bears, Falcons, Packers, Steelers

QB Pickup of the Week

Jaxson Dart, NYG, Week 5 at NO

• Dart added some life to the Giants’ offense in his first career start, passing for 111 yards and a TD and adding a fantasy-friendly 10-54-1 rushing line in the teams’ first victory of the season. New York, unfortunately, lost second-year superstar WR Malik Nabers for the season to a knee injury in the win.
• Medium-priority add. The team had already announced Dart as their starter for the rest of the season but it was encouraging to see him perform well and look like a difference-maker with his legs. He’s the best widely-available QB pickup for me this week and I have no problem plugging him into my lineup at the Saints, if necessary.
• 5 – 15% of FAAB.

Some additional lower-priority QBs to consider ::

• J.J. McCarthy (MIN) – He is no lock to play this week in a brutal matchup in Europe against the Browns, then the Vikings are on bye in Week 6. McCarthy has some rushing upside and incredible receiving options to pass to. Other than Dart, he’s my favorite widely available option if you’re looking for QB upside to cover a bye or play matchups later in the season.
• Bryce Young (CAR) – After Dart, Young would be the target for managers needing short-term QB help with home games against the generous Dolphins and Cowboys defenses coming up the next two weeks.

RB Pickups

Woody Marks, HOU, Week 5 at BAL

• Marks, a rookie fourth-round draft pick, had a breakout performance in Week 4 with 119 scrimmage yards. He had a rushing TD and caught another TD. He had more rushing attempts and targets last week than he had in the first three games combined and was afforded 22 of the teams’ 37 RB opportunities (59%) in their blowout win over the Titans. Veteran RB Nick Chubb has handled a pretty steady role all season, settling in with low-double-digit touches in four straight weeks. 
• High-priority add. Marks is an ascending rookie who has been one of the team’s few bright spots on offense this year. Woody may have already passed his veteran teammate on the depth chart. Even if Chubb maintains a slight majority of the work, it would seem logical for Marks to handle plenty of the valuable two-minute and receiving back snaps moving forward, with upside for more work than that if Chubb struggles or misses time.
• 20 – 40% of FAAB.

Blake Corum, LAR, Week 5 vs SF (TNF)

• Corum handled nine of 22 RB carries and half of the teams’ eight RB targets in their Week 4 win over the Colts. He has been afforded an increasing number of RB opportunities in each game of the season (2 > 5 > 8 > 13) as the team’s primary backup to starting RB Kyren Williams.
• Medium-priority add. Corum remains my favorite of the widely available backup/handcuff RB options to stash on benches. The team appears comfortable utilizing him in any game scenario and he would likely be afforded one of the best RB roles in the league if Williams were to miss any games.
• 10 – 20% of FAAB.

Ollie Gordon II, MIA, Week 5 at CAR

• Ollie has a legitimate role, including short-yardage and goal line situations, for the Dolphins to complement their star third-year RB DeVon Achane. He remains on waivers in the majority of leagues despite scoring a TD in Week 3 in a game he handled 43% of the teams’ RB carries.
• Medium-priority add. Miami has been pretty intentional about featuring another RB alongside Achane and Ollie looks like a natural complement. Gordon is a great bench stash for his combination of an existing role and contingent upside as a primary backup RB.
• 5 – 15% of FAAB.

Kendre Miller, NO, Week 5 vs NYG

• Miller turned a season-high 11 carries into 65 yards and a TD in the Saints’ loss to the Bills. The third-year back has seen his touches increase each game of the season and looked awesome at times this past week, most notably on his tackle-breaking 18-yard TD run.
• Medium-priority add. Despite playing in his third season, Miller is younger than a handful of RBs drafted in this year’s class (Harvey, Tuten, Skattebo, Marks, JCM, to name a handful). The young RB appears to be gaining the trust of his new coaching staff and fits what we’re looking for in a fantasy bench-stash. He has an existing role and huge contingent upside on a fast-paced, if low-scoring, Saints offense.
• 5 – 15% of FAAB.

Tyjae Spears, TEN, Week 5 at AZ

• Spears is set to begin practicing after his ankle sprain and could be activated from short-term IR as soon as this week. Tony Pollard has 68 of the team’s 73 RB carries this year for a 261-1 line and 3.8 yards per carry. 
• Low-to-medium priority add. Pollard is honestly performing admirably on an otherwise terrible offense but Spears will still be a welcome addition to a team starving for playmakers. He can be stashed in the hopes that Cam Ward and the passing offense start to find some success as the season progresses.
• 10% or less of FAAB.

Some additional lower-priority RB adds to consider ::

Each week, Juan Carlos Blanco spotlights 4–5 under-the-radar plays who combine DFS tournament upside with season-long streaming value. These matchup-driven picks are usually available in most leagues.

Each week, Streaming Sleepers will highlight at least five non-QB skill-position players and one team defense that currently have start or roster rates of 20% or less in season-long leagues but may be prudent options this week due to matchups and other circumstances, particularly in deeper formats. 

Additionally, the plays suggested here could be viable DFS large-field tournament options for the coming slate and are likely to carry modest ownership rates in that format as well.

Woody Marks, HOU at BAL – 15% start rate

Marks saw his snap share climb to a season-high 56% in the Week 4 laugher over the Titans, with game script affording him the extensive opportunity and the rookie fourth-round pick delivering handsomely. Marks posted 119 total yards and both a rushing and receiving TD on 21 touches.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans already stated he’s excited to see how much more work Marks can handle, and we certainly can’t ask for much better telegraphing as fantasy players. A road date with the Ravens would never have been a targetable spot before the season started, but to say that script has been flipped is an understatement. 

Not only do the losses of Nnanmdi Madubuike (IR, neck) and Roquan Smith (hamstring) brighten Marks’ outlook, but Travis Jones (knee) and Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) could be additional absentees in Baltimore’s front seven. Additionally, even Lamar Jackson (hamstring) being sidelined would help Marks’ cause indirectly, considering it exponentially ups the chances of Houston’s ground attack having a robust role.

Isaiah Bond, CLE vs. MIN – 0% roster rate

Bond is a sleeper in every sense of the word, as his current 0% roster rate helps corroborate. Yet, the rookie wideout may be primed for a solid workload in a Week 5 London matchup against the Vikings, as Cedric Tillman (hamstring) is now on injured reserve and Bond is primed for the No. 2 role for the foreseeable future.

Bond already posted a career/team-high 58 receiving yards on three catches in Week 4 against the Lions. The Texas product had also drawn four looks with Tillman healthy in Week 3 against the Packers, so despite his relative anonymity in a fantasy sense, he’s not exactly coming out of thin air into this starting opportunity. 

The Vikings have also given up 13.0 yards per reception to wide receivers and Bond averaged a stout 14.4 yards per reception on his 99 career college catches, a sample that included 10 TD grabs.

Wan’Dale Robinson, NYG vs. NO – 18% start rate

Xandamere breaks down the Thursday Night Football matchup with leverage angles and roster construction tips — the perfect way for fantasy players to start learning DFS through Showdown.

XANDAMERE’S SHOWDOWN SLANT

Time flies. It’s already Week 5, and we have the 49ers visiting the Rams to start us off. The 49ers are just crushed by injuries here: George Kittle is on IR, and all of Brock Purdy, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall were ruled out on Wednesday (which is why I was waiting to write this!). Oh, and on defense, Nick Bosa is out as well. Yikes. Because of that, the game total is all the way down to 45.5 (opened at 47.5) and the Rams are 7.5-point favorites. 

SAN FRANCISCO

We’ll start with what remains of the 49ers. Christian McCaffrey has probably the best overall role in football. Here’s a fun stat: if we only looked at CMC’s receiving work and pretended he wasn’t a running back, he would be a top-10 wide receiver. Lol. But here’s the problem: San Francisco may just be deciding to punt away this game. There are two ways this could go: if the game stays close and the 49ers think they might be able to pull off an upset, maybe they ride CMC, and he gets one of his 30-touch games with 9 targets. Or, they go down big early because they’re missing too many key pieces and decide there’s no reason to risk CMC’s health, and they just eat the loss and focus on getting healthy. I really don’t know which way it’s going to play out. CMC’s ceiling is sky-high in this one, and he probably has the best overall raw projection on the slate, but that projection comes with a lot more risk and fragility than normal. That could mean that RB2 Brian Robinson gets more work than normal, or it could mean that San Francisco goes all the way down the depth chart to give Isaac Guerendo some run if the game is truly hopeless. I think both Robinson and Guerendo can be included in player pools, though I would not play them together. And given this whole situation, there’s a fair argument that every roster should include one 49ers running back. If CMC has his full role, it’s going to be monstrous, whereas if Robinson or Guerendo get meaningfully larger roles, they just aren’t priced for it. 

Showdown Ownership Projections!

Ownership updates automatically

In the passing game, the OWS crew is super disappointed because we’ve been hoping to play Kendrick Bourne all year…and now it’s a Showdown when everyone will play him. Keep in mind, Bourne played with backup quarterback Mac Jones in New England, and that familiarity could help him. The San Francisco wide receivers should be Bourne, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, OWS fan favorite and bane of Xandamere’s DFS existence, Demarcus Robinson, and Skyy Moore. Inspiring, eh? This is a mess, and I don’t know what to make of it. Bourne is the most expensive at just $4,600, and everyone else gets cheaper from there. Bourne’s my favorite play of the group based on his depth chart position and that he’s played with Jones before, but this entire situation is super volatile.

We can guess at how snaps and routes will play out, but we’ve never seen this situation before, so good luck projecting target share. Just recognize that any projections for the 49ers passing game are making some wild-ass guesses, but those guesses drive ownership, and thus, there’s some value in simply going another direction. A couple of years ago, the 49ers had another similar situation with two backup WRs starting. One was projected really well, the other wasn’t, and while I cannot for the life of me recall their names, the guy who was projected really well did nothing and the guy who wasn’t projected well at all had a huge game of over 20 fantasy points – just going for the “what if it’s the other guy instead?” approach won some Showdown players a huge amount of money at miniscule ownership. And yes, I know one of our industrious readers is going to DM me on Discord and tell me who the two guys were. Finally, the 49ers may call up Russell Gage or Malik Turner to serve as their WR5, and if so, they can also be included in the merry-go-round of options.

Tight end Jake Tonges is the other guy who I’m highly confident will be on the field, as he’s already a backup, and while he isn’t a super talented pass catcher, he’s a very viable play here – I’d probably rank him 2nd after Bourne in median projection. TE2 Luke Farrell is also playable as a punt option. 

LOS ANGELES

Each Friday, Mike Johnson tackles lineup and trade dilemmas pulled from the OWS X and our Fantasy Football Discord channel. Real questions, real context, and actionable advice to guide you through the toughest calls of the week.

Some things in fantasy football are easy. We know we should start Puka Nacua and Bijan Robinson. We know we should bench the backup running back who is only on our roster in case of injury and the guy who was ruled out early in the week. A lot of the decisions are made for us. However, there are a lot of things that are not so simple. All of the “in between” situations are what can make the difference between a few wins and losses, and therefore it can be the difference between a successful season or a failed season. Every Friday, we are here to help!!

I’ll take questions each week in our #fantasy-football channel in our Discord from people looking for Start/Sit advice and give my thoughts. This article will feature a few of those questions and responses each Friday, so join our Discord to be a part of the conversation or ask questions of your own!!

Question 1 :: Start three…Nico Collins, Ja’Marr Chase, Quinten Johnston, Garrett Wilson? (Hansgruberkane)

Answer :: Oh wow, what a good problem to have!! I started with Collins and Wilson as my definite starts considering their roles in their offenses and the situations they find themselves in – Wilson against the league’s most generous defense and Nico against a Ravens defense decimated by injuries. That leaves Chase and Johnston for one spot. As much as I love Johnston’s spot this week and as bad as the Bengals offense has looked the last two weeks, I would still start Chase in this spot. He is simply too good, have to at least give him another week to get right.

The bigger thing here, and the reason I included this question in this week’s column was to highlight this situation for readers. The thing to NOT do here is think “wow, I have all this depth I should trade one of these guys!” Bye weeks are starting now and injuries can creep up quickly. You have a position of strength, don’t give it away.

Question 2 :: Full PPR, need a Flex: Keenan Allen, J.K. Dobbins or Woody Marks? (Ptaszynski)

Answer :: I would roll with Marks in that spot, despite the tendency for people to think you are “chasing points”. Dobbins had a great game Monday night against the Bengals, but the matchup is completely different this week in Philly on a short week. Allen is a “fine” option, but Marks can be a game changer. Baltimore’s defense has been horrible and Marks had a performance last week that coaches won’t be able to ignore. Don’t go a second straight week missing out on a big game from Marks, we don’t know how many we will get!

Question 3 :: Josh Downs, Marvin Mims Jr., Kavontae Turpin or Isaiah Bond in PPR? (patriots122436)

Every Saturday, MJohnson86 posts full positional rankings (QB, RB, WR, TE, DEF) to get you ready for Sunday’s slate. Built for 12-team, full-PPR formats — with insights that translate across most league settings.

The weekend is here and it’s time to get our lineups set before Sunday’s full slate of games. Each week, the Saturday edition of the Daily Dose will feature my rankings for all players who have yet to play a game this week. Obviously this will not include the Thursday games, but always feel free to hit me up in Discord or on X/Twitter if you have some tough decisions around guys who play on Thursday. 

Most of the leagues I play in are full-PPR, 12-team leagues and these rankings are designed for those settings – you may need to make some slight adjustments based on your own league settings.

QB :: 

1. Josh Allen
2. Jayden Daniels
3. Jalen Hurts
4. Patrick Mahomes
5. Justin Fields
6. Justin Herbert
7. Kyler Murray
8. Daniel Jones
9. Dak Prescott
10. Jared Goff
11. Drake Maye
12. Baker Mayfield
13. Bo Nix
14. Jaxson Dart
15. C.J. Stroud
16. Trevor Lawrence
17. Tua Tagovailoa
18. Jake Browning
19. Sam Darnold
20. Bryce Young
21. Cam Ward
22. Geno Smith

RB ::

1. Jonathan Taylor
2. Jahmyr Gibbs
3. De’Von Achane
4. Saquon Barkley
5. Omarion Hampton
6. James Cook
7. Breece Hall
8. Ashton Jeanty
9. Javonte Williams
10. Travis Etienne Jr.
11. Derrick Henry
12. Quinshon Judkins
13. Alvin Kamara
14. David Montgomery
15. Woody Marks
16. Cam Skattebo
17. Rico Dowdle
18. Chase Brown
19. Rachaad White
20. J.K. Dobbins
21. Kenneth Walker III
22. Jordan Mason
23. Tony Pollard
24. Rhamondre Stevenson
25. Michael Carter
26. Zach Charbonnet
27. Emari Demarcado
28. TreVeyon Henderson
29. Isiah Pacheco
30. RJ Harvey
31. Kendre Miller
32. Ollie Gordon II
33. Jacory Croskey-Merritt
34. Justice Hill
35. Kareem Hunt
36. Sean Tucker
37. Bhayshul Tuten
38. Chris Rodriguez Jr.

WR :: 

Mike Johnson (MJohnson86) has racked up nearly $500,000 in DFS profit as an NFL tournament player with success in all styles of contests.

Welcome back to my (Mjohnson86) Player Grid. The format will vary slightly from JM’s Player Grid, as we each see things slightly differently and play in slightly different contests, but should complement his thoughts and content very well for those looking to build their lineups for the week. The format of this article will vary slightly from my FanDuel Player Grid, which will be more direct in terms of which players I like. Enjoy!!

The Core

This is a list of players that stand out to me at each position from using my “Checking the Boxes” criteria outlined in my course you can find in our Marketplace. This list is a starting point, from which I build out lineups using game theory and roster construction concepts (which we will also touch on) with the mindset being to find the best plays with big ceilings. Low ownership is a bonus, but not a must. This section will focus primarily on three positions – running back, tight end, and defense – as the other two positions (quarterback and wide receiver) tend to have more dependent tendencies which I try to attack from other angles (which we will get into in the other sections). I like all of these plays on all sites unless otherwise noted:

Running Back ::

• Jahmyr Gibbs // David Montgomery – Detroit’s backfield is almost a “must” for me in every lineup. The matchup is incredibly solid, and the Lions have shown they will keep laying it on. I think you can even justify playing them together.
• Omarion Hampton – Absolute stud. The “matchup” isn’t great with Washington’s defense solid against the run, but Hampton can get there in a variety of ways and his talent and role are too much to ignore.
• Breece Hall – In a week with value all over the place, ceiling means something. We know Breece has the talent to post 35-point games and this matchup is too ripe to ignore. The absence of Braelon Allen raises his touchdown equity.
• De’Von Achane – Achane’s role is going to be huge and he is still one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL. Carolina’s run defense is better this year than it was in 2024, but it is still not one to avoid.
• Rico Dowdle – Dowdle is incredibly cheap for the likely massive role he is stepping into in an above-average matchup. Dowdle is trusted as a receiver and pass protector and head coach Dave Canales’ offenses have been churning out backfield production for the last couple of years.

For The MME Crowd ::

• Rachaad White – White’s role and history as a pass catcher make him relatively appealing. Only $4,700 with paths to racking up a few catches and falling into the end zone, an 18-to-22-point game isn’t hard to imagine.
• Jonathan Taylor – Early in the week, JT wasn’t someone I was thinking I would use this week. As value has continued to open up, however, his ability to drop a 30-point game is too much to leave out of my MME builds.
• Michael Carter – At only $4,000 and in a great matchup, Carter deserves consideration as the potential lead back for Arizona. I really like playing him with Kyler Murray, as the Cardinals could score four or five TDs this week and Carter appears set for the James Conner early-down role.

Tight End ::