NFL Player News

Austin was the Steelers’ primary returner in the team’s win over the Falcons. He was also the team’s second leading receiver with Van Jefferson also catching a pass for one yard. It is difficult to expect Austin or Jefferson to be fantasy relevant in Arthur Smith’s offense.

McCaffrey was second on the team in catches and tied for third on the team in targets but it certainly wasn’t a big day. Some of that had to do with the Commanders being up by multiple touchdowns for much of the game, but McCaffrey also isn’t seeing many targets deep down the field which caps his fantasy upside.

Allen is still looking for his breakout game as a member of the Bears. He appeared to be close to a spike week after seeing 11 targets in Week 1. That hype quickly faded after he missed two games with a heel injury. He has six catches on nine targets for 52 yards over the past two weeks combined. Despite the quiet fantasy outings, fantasy managers should hold the faith with Allen for at least one more week. Caleb Williams is getting better every week and Allen is still seeing enough targets to remain in the mix as a WR4. He will look to turn things around in the Bears’ Week 6 matchup with the Jaguars.

Brown was tied for 5th on the team in targets, but he made both of his count, including a 41-yard touchdown on a beautifully thrown fade in the back corner of the end zone. The big play was nice to see but Brown is still not seeing enough targets to make him worth rostering outside of the deepest fantasy leagues right now.

McLaurin got deep for a long would-be touchdown in the first half but Jayden Daniels sailed the pass over his head. McLaurin returned the favor in the second half by failing to haul in a fade in the back of the end zone. The coverage was good on McLaurin’s dropped touchdown, so it wasn’t a gimme but it was certainly a catch that he’s more than capable of making. This could have been a much bigger day for the 29-year-old but he remains a rock-solid WR2 with WR1 upside with Jayden Daniels under center.

He added minus-5 yards rushing if that wasn’t impressive enough for you. For a game where Nico Collins was mostly sidelined with a hamstring injury, this was a rough account for Dell. He wasn’t targeted deep and was mostly involved as a gadget guy on offense. If Collins is out for Week 6, it’s possible his route tree expands, but we’ve been making excuses for why you should believe Dell will do better than this for five weeks and it’s possible he just won’t at this point.

Odunze has now played three games with Keenan Allen active. He has received totals of 11, 10, and 40 yards in those games. His six targets in Week 5 were good for a 21 percent target share. That’s enough to keep him in the FLEX rankings for Week 6, but Allen’s presence in the lineup undoubtedly hurts Rome’s fantasy outlook. He will look to rebound in Chicago’s upcoming matchup with the Jaguars.

Two of Akins’ catches, including the touchdown, came on a meaningless drive late in the fourth quarter. so we wouldn’t read too much into his box score. The Browns will get David Njoku on the field more as his ankle continues to get better, but this offense isn’t capable of sustaining multiple receiving options right now.

Legette suffered a shoulder injury in the Panthers’ Week 5 loss to the Bears. He was listed as questionable to return in the second quarter but never made his way back onto the field. The rookie had one catch for eight yards before leaving. Carolina’s offense sputtered to a halt in Week 5 and isn’t guaranteed to bounce back next week. If healthy, Legette will be a boom/bust WR4 versus the Falcons.

Despite Nico Collins leaving early in the game, Diggs hardly dominated targets and didn’t deliver much more than a few one-on-one winners and holes in the zone. If Collins is unable to go next week, Diggs will probably be Houston’s leading wideout again. But that sure hasn’t accomplished as much as the inflated ADP this year would lead you to believe as the Houston offense has been stuck in neutral. Diggs is probably a WR2 at best against the Patriots in Week 6.

Njoku made his return to the field after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 1, but it’s unclear how healthy he was since he wasn’t given much to do. The Browns’ offense gained just 212 total yards and averaged three yards per pass against a vulnerable Commanders secondary. Njoku has the skills to be a TE1 for fantasy but with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, he will be a touchdown-dependent option going forward.