With the Lions and Dolphins on bye, fantasy owners should still have almost all of their top backs available this week. Injuries are causing problems, as always, but Marlon Mack (ankle) is really the only “big” injury worry. A Sunday night matchup against Kansas City makes his situation even more difficult, as his owners will definitely want to start him if he’s available. Jordan Wilkins will be a popular waiver pickup this week if there’s any concern about Mack’s status. (Update: Early reports suggest Mack will be fine for Sunday night.)
WEEK 5 NON-PPR RANKINGS:Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
The potential returns of Tevin Coleman (ankle), Devin Singletary (hamstring), Damien Williams (knee) and Rashaad Penny (hamstring) could significantly alter the outlooks of their teams’ respective backfields. Coleman would turn San Francisco into even more of a mess (especially with a Monday night matchup against the Browns on tap), while Singletary might render everyone in Buffalo useless this week against the Titans. Williams would return to a great Sunday night matchup against the Colts, but LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams owners wouldn’t mind if he stayed away at least one more week. Chris Carson got back on track (read: didn’t lose a fumble) in Week 4, so it’s unlikely Penny would supplant him as lead back on Thursday night against the Rams, but even five fewer touches would limit Carson’s ceiling.
WEEK 5 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Of course, the most watched “committee” this week will be in the Chargers backfield, where the return of Melvin Gordon against the Broncos threatens the fantasy stud status of Austin Ekeler. It’s unclear how carries will be divvied up right away, but we expect Gordon to see slightly more work. Ekeler will still be valuable, especially in PPR leagues, but his upside certainly takes a hit.
WEEK 5:Top waiver pickups | FAAB planner | Trade values | Snap counts
As always, there’s a lot to unpack when it comes to running backs. No one predicted Jordan Howard’s three-TD Thursday night or Rex Burkhead getting one touch last week, but we’ll do our best to prepare you for the week ahead.
MORE WEEK 5 DFS: Stacks | Values | Lineup builder
Reminder: These rankings will be adjusted throughout week, so check back often for the latest updates and analysis!
WEEK 5 DFS LINEUPS:Y! cash | Y! GPP | FD cash | FD GPP | DK cash | DK GPP
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Week 5 Fantasy RB Rankings
These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues.
