Fantasy Football Week 5: Flex Rankings, Waiver-Wire Targets and Projections

Fantasy football managers may be doing more work to their rosters now than they were earlier in the season. Through four weeks, some key players have been dealing with injuries, landing quite a few big names on the injury report.

It's important for fantasy managers to not be caught off guard. They're constantly building depth by picking up worthwhile players from the waiver wire, as these moves could pay big dividends down the line.

Even though Week 4 isn't quite over (the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers face off Monday night), let's start looking ahead toward Week 5 to stay prepared.

Here are some early flex rankings for Week 5, followed by a look at several players who should be top waiver-wire targets this week.

1. Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry (at WAS)

2. Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb (vs. LAC)

3. Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp (vs. DAL)

4. New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley (at GB)

5. Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (at BAL)

6. Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (vs. SF)

7. Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (at DEN)

8. Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (vs. CHI)

9. Cincinnati Bengals RB Joe Mixon (at BAL)

10. Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (vs. CHI)

11. Buffalo Bills WR Stefon Diggs (vs. PIT)

12. Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (at NYJ)

13. Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams (at KC)

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans (vs. ATL)

15. Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (at CLE)

16. New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara (vs. SEA)

17. Jacksonville Jaguars RB James Robinson (vs. HOU)

18. Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown (at ARI)

19. Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins (at BAL)

20. Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle (at NYJ)

21. Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones (vs. NYG)

22. Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce (at JAX)

23. Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton (vs. IND)

24. San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel (at CAR)

25. New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave (vs. SEA)

Cordarrelle Patterson suited up for the Falcons' win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, but the running back wasn't quite as involved as usual. That's because he was dealing with a knee injury throughout the week. So he had only nine carries for 38 yards and a touchdown.

Instead, Atlanta went with a more balanced approach on the ground, giving 10 carries apiece to rookie Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley. Although Huntley got into the end zone, Allgeier had an impressive performance in his own right.

Allgeier ran for 84 yards and also had a 20-yard reception. Over the previous three weeks, he had only 60 total yards. But now that he's starting to have some success, he could get more work in future weeks, especially if Patterson is still banged up.

The Falcons have a tough Week 5 road matchup against the Buccaneers. But it could be worthwhile to pick up Allgeier now and save him for the right time to start him (which could be coming soon).

Week 5 projection: 44 total yards

The Steelers made a quarterback change on Sunday, benching veteran Mitchell Trubisky and turning over the offense to rookie Kenny Pickett. Although they still lost 24-20 to the Jets, they had enough success that Pickett should be the starter moving forward.

If that's the case, George Pickens could start putting up some better numbers. The rookie wide receiver had his first 100-yard game on Sunday, as he recorded six catches for 102 yards. Those were both season highs, as were his eight targets.

Pickett and Pickens are likely the future of Pittsburgh's offense. It's encouraging that they're already working together so well, and Pickens' fantasy value will go way up if Pickett continues to get playing time.

There's no reason for the Steelers to go back to Trubisky, as Pickett is the better option. So if he's under center in Week 5 against the Bills, Pickens should have another solid showing.

Week 5 projection: 62 yards and a touchdown

Corey Davis is an inconsistent fantasy performer because he's part of the same receiving corps as rookie Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore. It's never exactly clear who the Jets will lean on the most in a given week, making them all risky plays.

But in Week 4, quarterback Zach Wilson made his season debut after missing the first three games due to a knee injury. And just like last season, Wilson made sure to get the ball in Davis' hands quite frequently on Sunday.

Davis had five catches for 74 yards and a touchdown while getting targeted seven times in New York's win over Pittsburgh. That raises Davis' fantasy value a bit, as long as Wilson stays healthy and remains under center.

In Week 5, the Jets have a tough matchup against the Dolphins. But they could be passing quite a good bit (considering they're likely to be trailing), and that could lead to a high-volume day for Davis.

Week 5 projection: 88 yards