Alright, fantasy managers, buckle up because Week 5 is already wild. Matthew Stafford is your absolute must-start quarterback, and get this: Jalen Hurts is hitting the bench in most one-quarterback leagues. It’s been a seriously rough start for a lot of the quarterbacks we all expected to crush it this season, and now everyone’s scrambling to find new starters.
The Quarterback Chaos Is Real, And Who’s Actually Delivering
The injury bug has been no joke, completely wrecking some top QBs early on. Caleb Williams has already missed multiple weeks with a hamstring, and Jayden Daniels has been out with an elbow injury, though he’s expected back in Week 5 against the Giants. We also lost Jaxson Dart for the season to a knee injury, but thankfully, he wasn’t one of the top guys drafted anyway. Looking at the original top-12 fantasy QBs like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Drake Maye, Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, Williams, Daniels, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford, and Brock Purdy, it’s a mixed bag. Allen (the No. 1 fantasy QB through Week 4), Purdy (No. 2), Prescott (No. 8), Jackson (No. 9), Burrow (No. 10), Lawrence (No. 11), and Hurts (No. 12) have all been “fine” so far. But now we gotta monitor Jackson, who’s expected to miss Week 5 due to an ankle injury, and Hurts is getting benched because of all the injuries in Philadelphia. Maye and Herbert? Total busts to start the season. Maye showed some life in Week 4 against Buffalo, but Herbert can’t be trusted at all, especially with even more injuries hitting the Chargers as they head into Week 5 against Denver.
Your Week 5 Playmakers (And Who To Bench)
This is where Stafford comes in. The dude is absolutely primed to crack the top-12 fantasy QBs real soon, and his Week 5 matchup against Buffalo is just chefs kiss. He’s my Start of the Week, no question. Expect him to totally dominate the Bills. On the flip side, we’ve got Hurts heading to the bench because of all the injury woes in Philly, and Herbert is just too risky to roll with given the Chargers’ injury report. Oh, and don’t forget Bryce Young and Patrick Mahomes are both on bye this week, making those QB decisions even tougher. If you’re looking for replacements because of injuries to guys like Williams or Jackson, or if you’re benching Hurts or Herbert, keep an eye on Jacoby Brissett, C.J. Stroud, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, and Jameis Winston. Brissett and Winston have sweet matchups in Week 5. Cousins and Rodgers are playing lights out this season. And Stroud? He’s been excellent, but only when Nico Collins is healthy. Seriously, the quarterback you drafted might not be the one taking you to the promised land this season.
Don’t Sleep On Goff!
Here’s another guy quietly putting up numbers: Jared Goff. He’s consistently hitting at least 20.4 points in every single game so far this season, which is just rock solid for fantasy. He’s projected for 24.5 points in Week 5 and ranks as the 3rd best QB. The dude’s got 1214 passing yards, 15 rushing yards, 9 TDs, and zero interceptions, averaging a crazy 26 fantasy points per game. He should have another fantastic outing in Week 5 playing at Arizona. The Cardinals are apparently the 29th worst defense against quarterbacks, which is a screaming siren for Goff.
This QB landscape is wild, man. With Mahomes and Young on bye, and guys like Jackson, Williams, Dart out, Week 5 is all about making those tough calls. Can Stafford deliver big for you? Will Goff keep up his hot streak? Time to set those lineups and find out!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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