Rob Waziak is here to provide a summary of his Week 5 Rest of Season Rankings Updates below:
Fantasy football rest-of-season (ROS) rankings provide a comprehensive overview of projected player performances for the season’s remaining games, helping guide you toward making informed decisions regarding trades, waiver wire transactions, and starting lineups.
You can find my full set of ROS rankings here—they're free for everyone!
Week 5 ROS rankings in draft board view
Here are some notes heading into Week 5:
Sam Darnold Rises, Anthony Richardson Falls in Rest-of-Season QB Rankings
Sam Darnold (QB13) is not only playing like the Comeback Player of the Year, but also that of the league’s Most Valuable Player, sitting with the 5th-best odds for the honors through Week 4
He hasn’t scored fewer than 15 fantasy points (FP) in his four starts this season, and ranks 4th among QBs in fantasy points per game (FPPG) among all QBs with four starts with 20.3, thanks to a league-leading 11 passing TDs.
QB FPPG through Week 4, 2024
Darnold will face a stingy Jets defense in Week 5 before the Vikings take their Week 6 bye, but projects for an easier-than-average ROS schedule beyond that.
Anthony Richardson (QB16) left the game early in the 2nd quarter in Week 4 after suffering a hip pointer. He is currently considered day-to-day with “oblique and abdominal strains” and has a shot to suit up in Week 5 on the road against a flailing Jaguars team that has allowed the most passing yards (282) and FPPG (22.1) on average to opposing QBs this season.
Whether he draws the Week 5 start or not, Richardson has a lot to improve on following his first four starts. According to Scott Barrett and Fantasy Points Data, Richardson ranks among the worst on catchable throw rate between 1-39 yards. If Richardson can’t go in Week 5, look for 2023’s AP Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco (QB38), to draw his first start of the season.
Kenneth Walker Surges Up The RB Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings
In his first game back after an oblique injury kept him sidelined for two games, Kenneth Walker (RB11) resumed lead-back duties for the Seahawks. He saw a 61% snap share, 75% rushing share, and 10% of target share which resulted in 3 TDs, an 8.5 Utilization Score, and 31.6 FPs in half-point per reception (0.5 PPR) scoring formats.
In Week 4, I mentioned how Zach Charbonnet (RB39) earned more early-down work after back-to-back top-12 RB weeks, but that definitely wasn’t the case. Walker looked every bit the part of a true RB1, especially considering his sustained usage in the passing game (5 targets on 32 routes) over Charbonnet.
Seahawks RB utilization, Week 4, 2024.
Thanks to an early-game fumble by Carson Steele (RB57), Kareem Hunt (RB36) made his Chiefs debut in Week 4 and like Walker, led his backfield in snap share (43%), rushing share (58%), and routes (32%). Hunt didn’t make much of a splash with his opportunity, but he looked spry in his first game back since the Browns Wild Card loss to the Texans last season.
Samaje Perine (RB69) commanded all 7 of the Chiefs two-minute offense snaps and all 12 long down and distance snaps, but Hunt’s usage could be a sign of better things to come. This becomes especially practical following the likely season-ending injury to Rashee Rice (WR116).
After walking out of Week 3 with an 8.7 Utilization Score as the PPR RB3, Chuba Hubbard (RB35) continued full steam ahead and finished Week 4 with an 8.9 Utilization Score as the RB7. Despite back-to-back top 10 RB weeks, people are still looking ahead and wondering when Jonathon Brooks (RB30) will take the field. Unfortunately, Week 5 will not be that week seeing as how the Panthers have yet to open the 21-day practice window for Brooks’ return. It will be challenging to gauge how to project either RB when they’re both healthy, especially if Hubbard continues to run hot.
Panthers RBs ROS rankings, Week 5, 2024.
One RB who is actually expected to resume practicing on Wednesday is Nick Chubb (RB33), who has spent over a year recovering from a devastating knee injury. Jerome Ford (RB45) hasn’t done much in Chubb’s absence this season, yielding just one top-10 week despite averaging 43.5 snaps per game.
It is expected that Ford will reassume passing-down duties upon Chubb’s return, but we should have a better understanding of the timeshare once both backs are active.
How High Does Nico Collins Rank in Rest-of-Season WR Rankings?
Nico Collins (WR5) has been absolutely dominant this season. Through four games, Collins is responsible for 17 plays of 15 or more yards, which is 8 more plays than what the next player had. He ranks 5th in the league in routes (157), 2nd in targets (42), and 2nd in end zone targets (8). He currently leads all WRs with a 9.8 Utilization Score and is the WR1 in zero- and half-PPR scoring formats.
Collins has done most of his damage against inferior defenses and will be properly tested in his next five games, most notably Week 5 against Buffalo and Week 9 against the New York Jets.
Nico Collins utilization stats through Week 4, 2024.
Christian Watson will be sidelined for 2-4 weeks and may be a candidate for IR after suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 4. Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs (WR58) will garner more attention in his absence, but Fantasy Life’s Dwain McFarland has his heart set on Dontayvion Wicks’s increased opportunity.
According to Dwain, “Wicks upgrades to low-end WR2 status and offers WR1 upside” while Watson’s out. All three Packers WRs will have a good chance for success in their next five games, with three games against teams with a bottom-12 defense versus WRs, and two games against teams that rank among the bottom 5.
WR strength of schedule
One of the biggest storylines heading into Week 5 is Davante Adams (WR26) informing the Raiders that he “preferred to be traded.” This muddies the waters from a ROS projections standpoint, but it’s fun to think about the possibilities. Adams has led the league in targets since 2020. Fantasy Life’s Ian Hartitz breaks down five ideal landing spots for Adams. My vote goes to catching passes from Jayden Daniels (QB4) and their 60+ offensive plays per game.
Upgrade Travis Kelce in Rest-of-Season Tight End Rankings
I’ve moved Travis Kelce (TE4) into the top 5 TEs. He sees a big bump following the unfortunate injury to Rice. Unless the Chiefs flirt with the idea of trading for Adams, the Chiefs offense should once again funnel through Kelce, who was already seeing a lot of work.
Utilization comparison, Weeks 1- 4, 2024; Travis Kelce vs. Rashee Rice.
Another TE moving into the top 5 is Jake Ferguson (TE5), who has posted favorable utilization in back-to-back weeks. This kind of consistency in such a depleted position is worth its weight in fantasy gold. Like what Kelce was doing before Rice’s injury, Ferguson is the 2nd option in the passing game. Dak Prescott (QB10) has offered his receivers 12 red zone targets and Ferguson has only seen one. Surely that rate is going up, right?
Speaking of depleted positions, Kyle Pitts (TE13) is finding a way to down the TE list. He posted a donut in Week 4 after failing to bring in any of his three targets and after yet another week of reduced utilization, Pitts is no more than the 4th pass option on a Falcons team that runs the 2nd fewest plays per game (53.75) and has the 2nd lowest time of possession (24.37 minutes) in the league this season.
Atlanta Falcons play style trends through Week 4, 2024
