Fantasy Football Week 5 Wide Receiver Rankings

The 2025-26 NFL season is underway which means we are in the thick of fantasy football season! The fantasy landscape has already changed since the preseason due to breakout players and major injuries across the league. Bye weeks are starting to take place. This means that wide receivers  like Drake London and Rome Odunze will be out this week. It would be irresponsible to start a player with a rough matchup over a player with a more favorable one that is ranked or projected to perform similarly. Here are fantasy football Week 5 wide receiver rankings.

[Ratings are subject to change due to injury reports or possible move to Injured Reserve List]

[Check out the section below for details on players already rumored to possibly miss this week and how their replacement options rank for the week]

Key:

Must Start- a player who is in your lineup regardless of the matchup or most circumstances. They will likely finish near the top of the league in points that week and in most weeks.

Starting WR1- a player who makes fantasy owners comfortable starting week after week. Regardless of the matchup, this player has a high floor.

High WR2- a player who may not be likely to carry a lineup that week, but has the ability to have a breakout game and is teetering between WR1 and WR2 territory.

Starting WR2- a player who should be started in most lineups and should reach their point projection. This player is started because of their consistency and moderately high floor

Low WR2- a player who may not be a lock to start for a team every week, but will start more times than not. Their production may not be pretty or win a person their lineup but the production is consistent enough to make a fantasy owner comfortable starting them.

Flex- a player who could float around the territory of being benched, but is started due to the potential to play better than their point projection. However, this player has the potential to flop and cause a fantasy team to lose if he has a bad game.

Deeper League Flex- a player who has starting value in deeper leagues. There are enough reasons to leave this player on the bench, but their upside makes them an attractive option. Desperate times may call for a player like this to be inserted into starting lineups.

Upside Player- a player who is boom or bust. This player can exceed expectations in a given week or could flop and be the reason why someone lost their fantasy matchup.

Leave on the Bench- a player who should be avoided in all lineups that week. Many times this player could even be left on waivers.

Fantasy Football Week 5 Wide Receiver Rankings

Players that could miss this week’s game

WR4 Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Nico Collins was limited in practice on Wednesday with a knee injury. He was limited with the same injury early last week before playing against the Tennessee Titans. If Collins misses Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens Christian Kirk moves up to WR40 between Jerry Jeudy and Cooper Krupp. Xavier Hutchinson becomes WR62 between Alec Pierce and  Nick Westbrook-Ihkine.

Washington Commanders Wide Receivers: WR20 Deebo Samuel & WR23 Terry McLaurin

Deebo Samuel missed practice on Wednesday because of a heel injury. Terry McLaurin missed last week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons with a quad injury. If both Samuel and McLaurin miss Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers Luke McCaffrey moves up to WR34 between Wan’Dale Robinson and Troy Franklin.

If Samuel misses Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers and McLaurin is active McLaurin moves up to WR20 between Terairoa McMillan and Zay Flowers. McCaffrey moves up to WR56 between Jalen Coker and Kavonte Turpin.

If McLaurin misses Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers and Samuel is active McCaffrey moves up to WR56 between Jalen Coker and Kavonte Turpin.

WR37 Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans

Calvin Ridley missed practice on Wednesday with knee and elbow injuries. There is a chance he could miss this week’s game because of his injuries. If Ridley misses Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals Elic Ayomanor moves up to WR31 between Khalil Shakir and Tee Higgins. Tyler Lockett or Chimere Dike would fill Ridley’s role as the team’s second starting receiver.

WR55 Dyami Brown, Jacksonville Jaguars

Dyami Brown missed last week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers with a. shoulder injury. The expectation is that he will return this week. If Brown misses Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs Parker Washington moves up to WR55  between Josh Downs and Jalen Coker.

WR56 Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers

Jalen Coker could return this week from his preseason quad injury. He would make his season debut this week. If Coker misses Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins Xavier Legette moves up to WR56 between Dyami Brown and Kavonte Turpin.

WR57 Kavontae Turpin, Dallas Cowboys

Kavontae Turpin missed practice on Wednesday with a foot injury. There is a chance that this injury causing Turpin to miss this week’s game. If Turpin misses Week 5 against the New York Jets Ryan Flournoy slides in as Dallas’ third receiver in their offense.

WR58 Sterling Shepard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Sterling Shepard missed practice on Wednesday with a foot injury. There is a chance that Shepard misses this week’s game. If Shepard misses Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks Tez Johnson will have to step up as Tampa Bay’s third receiver in their offense.

WR62 Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

Alec Pierce missed last week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams with a concussion. He is expected to clear protocol and play this week. If Pierce misses Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders Adonai Mitchell moves up to WR62 between Marvin Mims Jr. and Nick-Westbrook-Ihkine.

Players that are currently not expected to play

Malik Nabers, New York Giants

Malik Nabers suffered a torn ACL last week against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was placed on Injured Reserve which ended his season. There is no direct replacement for Nabers in this offense. For the rest of the season expect Wan’Dale Robinson to lead the team in targets and for Darius Slayton to fill in as the team’s primary deep threat.

Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

Last week Tyreek Hill suffered a dislocated knee which also tore his ACL along with other ligaments in his knee. This ended Hill’s season and leaves a huge void in Miami’s offense. Jaylen Waddle becomes the clear number one receiver for the Dolphins. He now has an opportunity to breakout and emerge as the star receiver many thought he would be coming out of college. After Waddle expect Malik Washington and Nick Westbrook-Ihkine to line up on the opposite side of the field.

San Francisco 49ers Wide Receivers: Ricky Pearsall & Jauan Jennings

Both Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings have been ruled out for this week’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Pearsall is suffering from a knee injury. While Jennings is dealing with both ankle and ribs injuries. There is no clear top wide receiver for this offense while both of them are out. San Francisco will rely on veterans Kendrick Bourne, Demarcus Robinson, Skyy Moore, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to be primary targets for this offense this week and possibly going forward.

You can “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers like Chris Thomas