MIAMI, Oct. 1 (UPI) — Xavier Worthy and Allen Lazard are among my five must-have wide receivers for Week 5 of the fantasy football campaign.
CeeDee Lamb tops my Week 5 Top 50 rankings, listed below. Ja’Marr Chase, DK Metcalf, Justin Jefferson and Mike Evans also land inside the Top 5 in my ranking.
Jayden Reed, Marvin Harrison Jr., Nico Collins, Malik Nabers and Michael Pittman Jr. join these pass catchers in my Top 10. Pittman, Dontayvion Wicks and Tee Higgins join Worthy and Lazard in my five must-have plays.
Those rostering Davante Adams, Tank Dell, Malik Nabers and other injured players should monitor their status before plugging them into starting lineups.
Wide receivers for the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans are expected to be benched or waived as those teams serve Week 5 byes.
Players will also be removed from the rankings or adjusted based on injuries. My top free agent targets for Week 5 is available here.
Michael Pittman Jr.
Pittman probably doesn’t leave much of a starting lineup in the reshuffled leagues aside from his bye week or potential injuries, but I think he’ll be one of the main reasons his shareholders will be happy during the week 5. It is also a great daily fantasy game.
The Indianapolis Colts playmaker totaled a season-high 113 yards on six catches in a Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This week, Pittman and the Colts will face a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points and third-most receiving yards — 193.5 per game — to wide receivers through four weeks.
The Jaguars also just gave up 244 yards to Houston Texans receivers, including 151 yards and a score from Nico Collins, in Week 4. They allowed two Buffalo Bills receivers to score touchdowns in Week 3 and gave up 100-yard performances to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.
Look for Pittman, my #10 piece, to also provide elite WR1 production.
Xavier Digne
Worthy may be plugged in as a low-end WR1 this week when the Kansas City Chiefs host the New Orleans Saints. The Chiefs rookie found the end zone three times in his first four games, with two scores in Week 1 and another in Week 4.
Although Worthy didn’t receive many touches, he should see his workload increase due to the injury absence of Rashee Rice, who led the Chiefs with 29 targets.
I expect the rookie point guard to find the end zone at least once in Week 5. He is my No. 14 option.
Higgins T-shirt
Ja’Marr Chase might have provided more scoring streaks in a Week 4 win over the Carolina Panthers, but Higgins was the most targeted wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. Higgins drew 10 looks, compared to Chase’s six targets last week and should continue to earn opportunities for the Bengals’ offense, which appears to be gaining momentum.
This week, the Bengals will host the Baltimore Ravens in an important battle in the AFC North division. The Ravens have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points and eighth-most receiving yards to wide receivers through four weeks.
Higgins, who scored twice in his last game against the Ravens in 2023, should have plenty of opportunities to find the end zone again in what should be a high-scoring game Sunday in Cincinnati. He is my #15 option and can be plugged in as a high-end WR2.
Allen Lazard
Lazard is a solid low-end WR2/high-end WR3 option for Week 5. The New York Jets veteran has totaled at least 48 yards in three of four games and has scored three times in that span.
Lazard is a touchdown or bust play, but should see enough action to find the end zone for his fourth score of the season. The Jets will also face a Minnesota Vikings defense that has allowed a record 221.5 receiving yards per game and the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers so far this season.
Lazard is my piece #29.
Dontayvion Wicks
Wicks sits at No. 34 in my rankings and can be plugged in as a low-end WR3 if you need a streaming option. The Green Bay Packers are expected to play without Christian Watson this week, which should result in more targets for Wicks and their other pass catchers.
Wicks scored the third most points among wide receivers last week, when he caught 5 of 13 targets for 78 yards and two scores. That big target share came after he received just nine looks through the first three weeks of the season.
Wicks has already shown an ability to play in the red zone and should provide more antics in the end zone Sunday against a Los Angeles Rams defense that is tied for allowing the second-most touchdowns – 1.8 per game – to wide receivers for four weeks of 2024.
He’s worth a look if you’re in a league that requires three wide receivers to start.
Week 5 wide receiver rankings
1. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys at PIT
2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals vs. BAL
3. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks vs. NYG
4. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings vs. NYJ
5. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at ATL
6. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers at LAR
7. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals at SF
8. Nico Collins, Houston Texans vs. BUF
9. Malik Nabers, New York Giants at SEA
10. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts at JAX
11. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at ATL
12. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers vs. ARI
13. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets at MIN
14. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs vs. NO
15. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals vs. BAL
16. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins at NE
17. George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. DAL
18. Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers at CHI
19. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns at WAS
20. DJ Moore, Chicago Bears vs. CAR
21. Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints at KC
22. Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans vs. BUF
23. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens at CIN
24. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons vs. TB
25. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints at KC
26. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders vs. CLE
27. Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars vs. IND
28. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills at HOU
29. Allen Lazard, New York Jets at MIN
30. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers vs. ARI
31. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. IND
32. Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns at WAS
33. Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants at SEA
34. Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers at LAR
35. Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings vs. NYJ
36. Roméo Doubs, Green Bay Packers at LAR
37. Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers at CHI
38. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks vs. NYG
39. Jaylen Waddle, NE Miami Dolphins
40. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks vs. NYG
41. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos vs. LV
42. Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders at DEN
43. Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals at SF
44. Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams vs. GB
45. Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts at JAX
46. Tank Dell, Houston Texans vs. BUF
47. Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys at PIT
48. Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons vs. TB
49. Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers vs. ARI
50. Mike Williams, New York Jets at MIN
