2024 Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings: WR

DK Metcalf crashes the top five, Diontae Johnson returns to the top 10, and Stefon Diggs seeks revenge against the Bills.

Other positions: Quarterback | Running Back | Tight End/Kickers/Defense

Week 5 Receivers

WR Notes: Nico Collins has been the league’s top target commander outside of Malik Nabers. He averaged 10 looks even with Tank Dell in the lineup for Weeks 2-3. Dell (chest) seems likely to return this week, but it’s going to be the Collins and Stefon Diggs show in a Diggs “revenge game” against the Bills. The Texans run a rather bloodless offense, but not even PFF Bobby Slowik will be able to deny Diggs, who is currently the WR11 by average PPR points, his just rewards vs. the Bills. … Ja’Marr Chase somehow still hasn’t reached eight targets in a game. That “lack of volume” could eventually knock him out of the top five, but the Ravens had been weirdly giving through the air until they faced the Bills’ star-less receiver corps. The Bengals will need Chase’s “explosives” as home underdogs. … DK Metcalf promises made, DK Metcalf promises kept. New Seahawks OC Ryan Grubb is following through on the hints that he would treat Metcalf like the true alpha he is. Only Collins and Nabers have more yardage with what used to be 25 percent of the year in the books.

I’m not going to fight Diontae Johnson city hall. Usage doesn’t get any better that what Johnson has had the past two weeks. Matchups do get better than the Bears, but we know enough about Johnson’s game to know that not even a rough game environment will prevent him from reaching 8-10 targets. … Marvin Harrison Jr. is living off touchdowns. He’s also a receiver where you would believe it if someone told you before the year he would live off touchdowns. Harrison Jr.’s floor is now well established and he’s working on the ceiling. … Chris Olave is inching closer and closer to an eruption game. The Chiefs are a poor matchup, but feeding Olave is going to be one of the Saints’ best bets on the road. … The 49ers are facing the Cardinals’ primarily zone-based pass defense this weekend. We suppose that means it will be a Deebo Samuel week and yet another “wait ‘til next Sunday” for Brandon Aiyuk. With the 49ers’ skill corps finally healthy-ish, Jauan Jennings is no longer more than a boom/bust WR3, though it’s fair to say we didn’t know he had the “boom” until a few weeks ago.

Is Matt LaFleur turning Jayden Reed into a PPR cash machine before our very eyes? On the one hand, I want to say we need to throw out the Packers’ entire Week 4 box score. They will not be falling behind 28-0 and dropping back nearly 60 times again. On the other, Reed has reached at least 89 yards in each of his past four Jordan Love starts, including 130 both times out in 2024. I’ve decided to under-think as opposed to overthink this one. … I won’t be quite as forgiving with Dontayvion Wicks, who probably left as much yardage on the field as he gained in Week 4. Still, it’s safe to say he has earned a WR3 looksee with Christian Watson (ankle) back on the shelf. … The desolation of Garrett Wilson seems set to continue in a matchup with a Vikings defense that is only allowing passing yards because it keeps forcing its opponents into hero-ball comeback game script. Potentially good for Wilson, though not a situation Aaron Rodgers thrived in last week. Rodgers is poised to take so many hits across the pond. We might get another Wilson dud as the Jets endure a brutal stretch of the schedule.

Brian Thomas Jr. is frankly popping as a WR1, so I don’t feel too rushed into jamming him into the top 20. That’s especially true since the Colts aren’t stopping anybody. Of course, Trevor Lawrence continues to get stopped by everybody. … Christian Kirk has been percolating, but I might get top-30 cold feet if Evan Engram finally returns to offer layup target competition. … Michael Pittman will be a top-20 option if Joe Flacco starts, and borderline top 36 if Anthony Richardson plays through his hip and oblique issues. Josh Downs, top 40 with Flacco. Outside top 60 with Richardson. … Amari Cooper keeps drawing eight-plus targets. Sunday, they will come against a Commanders defense silver plattering the most receiver fantasy points. … I wish it were as easy as saying you could just bench Tyreek Hill. Tyreek could post another miserable effort against the Patriots and you would still have to treat him as a WR2 for Week 6. The upside is just that high. Thankfully, the Pats might finally be the pass funnel to get Hill off the post-Tua Tagovailoa schneid.

The Ravens should finally have to pass against the Bengals, but I thought the same thing against the Bills. It’s hard to roll out Zay Flowers as a WR2 in these circumstances. … With Malik Nabers (concussion) a Week 5 long shot, Wan’Dale Robinson is going to back his Ford F-250 over the ATM. Let the PPR dollars rain down upon you. … I’m not sure even the new “big plays must be avoided at all costs” Chiefs can get around the fact that Xavier Worthy is simply going to have to see more looks during Rashee Rice’s absence. If Worthy is seeing more looks, even low-quality ones, someone of them are going to turn into big plays. … Jordan Addison looks ready to operate as the kind of WR3 who can have big days on limited target totals. Justin Jefferson is getting bracketed, and Addison has the ability to take advantage of the 1-on-1 looks rolling his way. … Keenan Allen (heel) didn’t seem particularly close to full health in Week 4. I don’t mind Rome Odunze as a WR3 punt vs. the Panthers’ soft defense. … Tutu Atwell is the only Rams worth a WR4 punt.