NFL Power Rankings
NFL fantasy analyst Matt MacKay reveals his updated NFL power rankings, sharing his latest analysis on an integral player from each team, following a slew of big-time injuries that were announced on Tuesday morning. Pittsburgh and Green Bay are the lone teams on Bye in Week 6.
1. San Francisco 49ers
QB Brock Purdy – After five games, Brock Purdy is the QB5 in fantasy football. The second-year signal-caller has yet to throw an interception while lighting up a good Dallas defense for four touchdowns. Purdy also offers a bit of a floor with his rushing usage at the goal line, as he’s recorded two successful rushing touchdowns inside of the five-yard line this season. As long as Purdy stays healthy, the personnel surrounding him is talented enough to keep him locked into lineups as a solid QB1.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
WR A.J. Brown – After a slow start, A.J. Brown has recorded three consecutive games with at least 127 receiving yards and six receptions. Jalen Hurts has looked efficient from the pocket, showcasing a strong arm that takes advantage of the downfield windows that open against a run-centric Eagles offense. Brown’s ADP is finally paying off for fantasy managers, and he’s earning a 32 percent target share, which is an elite number. Keep Brown plugged into lineups as a bonafide WR1, even though there will be some down weeks here and there.
3. Detroit Lions
TE Sam LaPorta – Sam LaPorta is looking like the best tight end in fantasy football, even factoring in George Kittle’s three-touchdown outing in Week 5. LaPorta has scored three touchdowns in the last two weeks while earning a 20 percent target share. The scariest part is that LaPorta has zero end zone targets, yet he’s still churning out touchdowns on big-time throws downfield on play-action passes from Jared Goff. LaPorta is a top-five tight end in fantasy football rest of season.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
WR Rashee Rice – The Chiefs’ rookie wideout has a 13 percent target share and just scored his second touchdown of the season. The Chiefs’ wide receiving corps is wide open in terms of volume, so with Travis Kelce hobbled a bit, expect Rice’s role to continue growing into the season. Rice is a WR3 with mid-range WR2 upside at this time.
5. Miami Dolphins
RB Raheem Mostert – The injury to rookie running back De’Von Achane should open up more ceiling for Raheem Mostert, who has still been operating efficiently in Miami’s backfield. Mostert has a 43 percent rush share, inflated a bit from Achane’s absence in Week 1, but the return of Jeff Wilson Jr. off of IR shouldn’t be too intimidating for fantasy managers rostering Mostert. Mostert is averaging 19.5 fantasy points per game this season, and with how frequently the Dolphins’ offense is in the red zone, continue rolling Mostert out as a mid-range RB2 with low-end RB1 upside.
6. Seattle Seahawks
WR D.K. Metcalf – D.K. Metcalf may not have the highest target share in Seattle, but he’s earning the most air yards per game, averaging 75.2 this season. Metcalf dominates one-on-one matchups and has three end zone targets, so keep valuing Metcalf as a fringe WR1 rest of season.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
RB Travis Etienne Jr. – The Jaguars’ RB1 exploded against the Bills in Week 5, recording over 136 rushing yards, averaging 5.2 YPC and scoring two touchdowns as a ball carrier. Etienne is also getting targets, turning five of them into four receptions for an additional 48 yards in London. He’s averaging 16.6 fantasy points per game, which is the most on the Jaguars. The Tank Bigsby hype appears to have died down, so now that the backfield is fully Etienne’s, plus the quality play displayed by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Etienne is a low-end RB1 until further notice.
8. Buffalo Bills
WR Gabe Davis – The more we see Gabe Davis play this year, the more it shows us how injured he must’ve played in 2022. Davis is earning 16.6 air yards per reception, nearly doubling Stefon Diggs, despite remaining the clear-cut WR2 in the offense. A 15 percent target share isn’t great, but as long as Davis continues getting end zone targets, which he’s already earned four through five games, he’s a viable mid-range WR2 with low-end WR1 upside depending on the matchup.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR Chris Godwin – Fantasy managers got a glimmer of hope from Chris Godwin in Week 4, as he finally recorded over 58 receiving yards, finishing with eight receptions for 114 yards on 11 targets. This happened with Mike Evans exiting the game early, but even with Evans back in the lineup moving forward, Godwin’s rapport with Baker Mayfield should continue to grow. The touchdowns haven’t been there, but Godwin offers a solid floor as the Bucs’ slot receiver, so he’s a Flex option week-to-week, ranking as a WR3 with low-end WR1 upside.
10. New Orleans Saints
WR Chris Olave – Chris Olave has a 26.5 percent target share this season, but it’s only resulted in 10.1 fantasy points per game thus far. Michael Thomas is eating into his targets a bit, right behind Olave at a 24 percent target share, plus the return of Alvin Kamara has the Saints reverting to a run-centric identity to move the football effectively. Olave’s second-round ADP hasn’t paid off yet, and it could in the right matchup, but for now, he’s a low-end WR2 with fringe WR1 upside.
11. Los Angeles Chargers
TE Gerald Everett – Even with injuries to the Chargers’ skilled players, tight end Gerald Everett is not seeing as much volume as would be expected. Everett has seen above three targets in only one of four games Los Angeles has played, despite increased opportunities in the passing attack. Everett is nothing more than a TE2 in deeper leagues and should not be started in most PPR lineups.
12. Atlanta Falcons
WR Drake London – The Falcons’ second-year wideout, Drake London, is finally getting a steady workload in the passing attack, drawing 16 targets across the last two games played. London has six red zone targets and three end zone targets, along with two touchdowns so far, which is encouraging after watching his usage during Week 1. London is a viable low-end WR2 with WR1 upside moving forward.
13. Dallas Cowboys
WR CeeDee Lamb – CeeDee Lamb has been a victim of game script in multiple Dallas games this year. He’s an elite talent but the Dallas offense relies on its rushing attack, along with its aggressive defense, to win games. Lamb has had one elite outing this season, which came in a tough matchup against the Jets’ defense in Week 2, where he caught 11 of 13 targets for 143 yards. Other than that, he’s barely hitting ten points per game, while scoring just one touchdown. His first/second-round ADP is looking more and more costly by the day, but a better matchup is in store against the Chargers in Week 6. Lamb is a high-end WR2 with top-five upside entering the matchup against Los Angeles.
14. Cincinnati Bengals
WR Ja’Marr Chase – It was only a matter of time before we saw Ja’Marr Chase go ballistic. He did just that against Arizona in Week 5, catching 15 of 19 targets for 192 yards and three touchdowns. This was more than enough to compensate for a slow start, as Chase recorded 44.7 fantasy points. Chase gets the league’s best fantasy wide receiver matchup against Seattle in Week 6, so keep the Bengals’ star wideout locked into all fantasy lineups as an undisputed WR1.
15. Indianapolis Colts
RB Zack Moss – Fantasy managers expecting a big day from Jonathan Taylor in Week 5 were shocked by Zack Moss’ usage, handling 23 carries and turning them into 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a win over a tough Titans run defense. Moss has looked good in both games with Gardner Minshew under center, and due to Anthony Richardson’s latest injury keeping him out at least a month, Moss should continue to thrive in a run-centric Colts offense behind a good offensive line when given touches. It’s a difficult situation to assess, but for now, treat Moss as a mid-range RB2 with RB1 upside.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers
WR George Pickens – If there’s one quality offensive weapon in Pittsburgh, it’s second-year wideout, George Pickens. Pickens caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett in Week 5, turning what would’ve been a poor outing into a solid WR1 finish. Pickens has two games where he’s scored at least one touchdown and recorded 127 receiving yards, so he is a mid-range WR2 with WR1 upside, depending on the matchup.
17. Baltimore Ravens
QB Lamar Jackson – Lamar Jackson’s struggles against the Steelers continued in Week 5, but he didn’t get much help from his receivers, who dropped numerous passes that were right on target. Jackson was contained as a runner, managing six carries for 45 yards, but his rushing touchdown streak came to an abrupt end in Pittsburgh. He’s good for a bounce-back game in Week 6 against the Titans, whose defense got gashed by the Colts in Week 5, so keep Jackson in lineups as a sure-fire QB1.
18. New York Jets
RB Breece Hall – The first game Breece Hall was removed from his snap count limit, he recorded a massive rushing touchdown on the same field he tore his ACL a year ago. The Jets’ offense needs to run through Hall to open up the passing attack, so expect Hall to continue producing at a much higher rate, especially with a newly confident Zach Wilson under center. Dalvin Cook is no threat to Hall, who should be valued as a high-end RB2 against a tough Eagles run defense in Week 6.
19. Los Angeles Rams
WR Puka Nacua – The debate surrounding rookie wideout Puka Nacua’s usage with Cooper Kupp back in the lineup has been put to rest. Nacua is still a massive asset for fantasy managers, as he caught seven receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets, compared to the 12 targets Kupp earned and converted into eight receptions for 118 receiving yards in Week 5. Nacua is a fringe WR1 alongside Kupp in one of the league’s most pass-centric offenses, led by veteran gunslinger Matthew Stafford.
20. Cleveland Browns
WR Amari Cooper – Cleveland has dealt with key injuries to Nick Chubb and Deshaun Watson, limiting the offense’s potential, but Amari Cooper is still an elite player when he gets the opportunity. He’s averaging over 10 fantasy points per game, despite recording two games with under 40 total receiving yards and zero touchdowns. Cooper has only found the end zone once so far, but he has two games where he’s caught seven receptions for at least 90 yards, showcasing his upside. Treat Cooper as a firm WR2 with low-end WR1 upside.
21. Houston Texans
TE Dalton Schultz – Tight end has been extremely tough to field in fantasy football this year once again, so rolling Dalton Schultz into lineups doesn’t hurt much. The former Cowboys tight end just had his first big outing in Week 5 against Atlanta, catching seven passes on ten targets and turning them into 70 yards and a touchdown. He’s still fifth in fantasy points per game for the Texans, but with the elevated play of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, Schultz is a viable streaming option as a low-end TE1.
22. Tennessee Titans
WR DeAndre Hopkins – The big breakout game for DeAndre Hopkins finally happened in Week 5. The veteran wideout saw 11 targets, the most on the Titans, and wound up going 8-140 to finish with 18 fantasy points. Hopkins wasn’t drafted nearly as high as he’s gone in previous seasons, but fantasy managers finally saw some ROI from him in a plus-matchup. Another good fantasy wide receiver matchup against Baltimore in Week 6 should put Hopkins firmly into WR2 territory once again.
23. Las Vegas Raiders
WR Jakobi Meyers – Even missing a game due to concussion, Jakobi Meyers is averaging 14.5 fantasy points per game this season with Las Vegas. Meyers has scored three touchdowns, as many as star wideout Davante Adams while catching 69.4 percent of targets thrown to him. Meyers is a strong WR3 with WR2 upside moving forward in a top-heavy Raiders offense.
24. Washington Commanders
RB Brian Robinson Jr. – The game script forced Brian Robinson out of the RB1 role during Washington’s loss to Chicago in Week 5, but he’s still maintaining a 3/1 rushing share compared to Antonio Gibson. Gibson was effective as a pass-catching option out of the backfield for Sam Howell while they attempted to play catch-up, but Robinson should continue to see valuable red zone touches. Keep Robinson plugged into lineups as a mid-range RB2 with low-end RB1 upside.
25. Green Bay Packers
WR Christian Watson – The bad news for Christian Watson is that his quarterback is playing poorly. The good news is that he saw a ton of air yards in Monday’s loss to the Raiders, making Romeo Doubbs a mere afterthought during Watson’s second game back from a hamstring injury. The volume should be there for Watson, who is undoubtedly Green Bay’s WR1, so patience is required at this time. He’s a mid-range WR2 with WR1 upside depending on the matchup.
26. Chicago Bears
QB Justin Fields – Hopefully, fantasy managers held onto Justin Fields after a slow start. The third-year quarterback finally led the Bears to a dominant prime-time win in Week 5, throwing aggressively downfield to top wideout, D.J. Moore, linking up for three touchdowns and over 200 of Fields’ passing yards. His rushing upside makes Fields a weekly starter and a low-end QB1 with overall QB1 upside on a week-to-week basis.
27. Minnesota Vikings
WR Jordan Addison – Minnesota’s rookie wideout, Jordan Addison, was already averaging 10.5 fantasy points per game with Justin Jefferson fully healthy. Now that Jefferson’s hamstring injury has sidelined him for at least the next four weeks on IR, Addison is due to see a marginal spike in his target share. On the season, Addison is sitting at 14.6 percent target share, but it should be a heavy dose of him and T.J. Hockenson moving forward for a 1-4 Vikings team missing its star wideout.
28. Denver Broncos
RB Jaleel McLaughlin – It was the Jaleel McLaughlin breakout in Week 5, as the rookie running back logged an efficient nine carries for 68 yards, including three receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown on four targets. The Chiefs are a bottom-six fantasy running back matchup in Week 6, but McLaughlin’s ability to catch passes out of the backfield, totaling 3-4 targets in each of the last two games, will give him a floor high enough to play as a high-end RB3, low-end RB2 on a short week against Kansas City.
29. Arizona Cardinals
WR Marquise Brown – The Cardinals’ WR1 remains Marquise Brown, who caught his third touchdown of the season in Week 5. While he’s yet to log a 100-yard receiving game, Brown is sitting comfortably atop Arizona’s target share at 27.8 percent, functioning as the security blanket and top player for quarterback Josh Dobbs. This is good enough to put Brown into WR14 on the year and WR20 in fantasy points per game, so he’s been returning high value for any fantasy managers who drafted him in later rounds.
30. New York Giants
TE Darren Waller – The Giants finally turned to Darren Waller early and often in Week 5, bumping him up to a 21.7 percent target share to lead New York on the season, gaining 11 targets and turning them into eight receptions for 86 yards during their loss to Miami. Still, it’s been rough sledding for Waller, who had high expectations after the Giants traded for him this offseason, ranking eighth in fantasy points per game and total points this season. This is well below the top-three to top-five positional value assigned to Waller during fantasy drafts, so fantasy managers who bit are still looking for more from the versatile tight end.
31. New England Patriots
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – It’s been flat-out ugly for Rhamondre Stevenson in New England. The offense is in shambles, with no skilled player averaging more than 8.6 fantasy points per game. Stevenson is at 7.9 points per game, steadily declining in production since hitting 13.9 points in Week 2. He failed to catch a pass in Week 5, averaged 3.0 YPC, and hasn’t averaged more than 3.3 YPC in any game played this season. There could be some brighter days ahead though, as Stevenson gets three top-16 running back matchups in the next four games. For now, Stevenson is an RB3 with low-end RB2 upside.
32. Carolina Panthers
WR Adam Thielen – One of the more quiet productive seasons being played right now can be found in Carolina with Panthers’ wideout, Adam Thielen. He is 10th in fantasy points per game (15.8), seeing no fewer than eight targets since Week 2. Thielen has recorded two, 100-yard receiving games in the last three weeks while scoring three touchdowns during this stretch. After getting shut down in Week 1, Thielen is returning immense value as a late-round draft pick or recent waiver wire acquisition following his down game in Week 1, so he can be rolled into lineups as a mid-range WR2 with WR1 upside.
