[h=1]Fantasy football flex rankings for Week 5[/h]Eric Karabell
ESPN PLUS
All weeks are interesting, really, but this one features a pair of key players in elite offenses returning from four-game suspensions. How will the New Orleans running game change, or the New England passing game? We find out soon, and I might be more optimistic than most.
See where all the running backs, wide receivers and tight ends rank as we reveal the latest edition of the PPR flex rankings, entering Week 5. Best of luck flexing!
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1. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints: Having an incredible season. The volume has to drop a bit now that he more company in the backfield, but do not expect him being awesome to follow.
2. Todd Gurley II, RB, Los Angeles Rams: Nothing wrong with him, of course, but Seattle, while missing plenty of key defenders, remains a sturdy defense.
3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys: Nursing some minor lower leg injuries, but still likely to flirt with 100 rushing yards.
4. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: Figures to have plenty of fun against the Raiders.
5. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints: Washington has been stingy against the pass, but Thomas is simply unstoppable.
6. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: I would still trade for him.
7. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons: Stop whining. He is on pace for more than 2,000 receiving yards. He remains dominant.
8. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
9. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers
10. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants: Eli Manning has four touchdown passes in four games. Unlike Julio Jones, Beckham does not have 502 receiving yards already.
11. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans
12. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings: He literally tops 100 receiving yards every week, and Philly's secondary has not played well.
13. A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
14. David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals: Better than the first week or two, but still not at all what was expected.
15. James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Enjoy it for two more games until Le'Veon Bell returns, but then keep him rostered. It is too obvious to say see what you can get in trade. Who is trading for him?
16. Sony Michel, RB, New England Patriots: Coming off the breakout game, and there should be more. A lot more.
17. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
18. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers: I knocked his quarterback down in the rankings, but Adams should be fine.
19. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings
20. Carlos Hyde, RB, Cleveland Browns: Top-10 running back last season, and off to a great start this year. He is not catching passes, either.
21. Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs: Might be the worst ranking he has this season, considering the tough matchup.
22. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
23. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns
24. Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions: Gets you six receptions each week, and enough yards. And he scores touchdowns.
25. T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Fournette needs a few weeks off and Yeldon has looked excellent in his stead.
26. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Oakland Raiders: Have to admit he does run as if he is still 26 years old.
27. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Not a lock to play after missing a few, but signs look good.
28. Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons: Same deal. If these important players sit, move the backups to these spots.
29. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
30. Brandin Cooks, WR, Los Angeles Rams
31. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams: Pick a Ram, any Ram. The way Jared Goff is throwing, there is no wrong answer here for the order.
32. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
33. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles: He looks on his way to more than 100 catches and more than 160 targets. Impressive.
34. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots: What rule is there that he has to be the top-ranked option at his position?
35. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Yes, I think we have to be concerned about his health and performance. The matchup is not good for running backs, either. Kirk Cousins will be throwing.
36. Mark Ingram II, RB, New Orleans Saints: Welcome back. You might think this ranking is far too generous, but Ingram finished last season sixth at the position in PPR scoring. He is rested, for sure.
37. Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans: Now he needs to show consistency. We know he is good.
38. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: Throwing on the Vikings appears to be easier than many expected.
39. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams
40. Chris Thompson, RB, Washington Redskins
41. Dion Lewis, RB, Tennessee Titans: Stick with this option. There will be good games to come, including this week.
42. Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens: His investors cringe whenever he fumbles.
43. Matt Breida, RB, San Francisco 49ers: The offense did not fall apart sans Jimmy G. Breida remains productive.
44. Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders
45. Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots: Welcome back! Could be a big target share coming right away.
46. Adrian Peterson, RB, Washington Redskins
47. Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions: Really should get plenty of touches each week. Fine, give LeGarrette Blount the ones inside the 2-yard line.
48. James White, RB, New England Patriots
49. Will Fuller V, WR, Houston Texans: Weekly touchdown maker but it is safe to say durability is not a strength. Make sure he is in the lineup first.
50. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos: This is the Denver receiver to roster first. Just roster each of them.
51. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions: This is the second Lions receiver to roster. Yep, I realize many disagree. Golladay is fantastic.
52. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons: Cannot keep up this touchdown rate, of course, but he is going to matter.
53. Jay Ajayi, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: He will get the short touchdown chances, but you might never know which games he will leave early in, too. He is a risk.
54. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers: This ranking predicates on him seeing more touches than normal. One has to think that time is nigh.
55. Phillip Lindsay, RB, Denver Broncos
56. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos
57. Royce Freeman, RB, Denver Broncos: Each Denver running back needs to be rostered. Lindsay seems like the one getting more opportunity, thus the better ranking.
58. Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
59. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks: Give him a chance to return to WR2 duties.
60. Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Detroit Lions
61. Jared Cook, TE, Oakland Raiders: Hard to believe he has become a top-five tight end, but the numbers, as they say, do not lie.
62. Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants: Not getting the targets, catches or yards of his high-profile teammate, but Shepard finds the end zone.
63. John Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens: He sure looks terrific and we hope he can stay on the field. Really alters the Ravens passing game.
64. Josh Gordon, WR, New England Patriots: I say it every week. If we only knew how many snaps he would get. One would presume better days are ahead.
65. Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta Falcons: This is probably not a timeshare if Freeman returns. Be prepared to utilize Coleman if he does not. They seem interchangeable to me.
66. Lamar Miller, RB, Houston Texans: Seems allergic to the end zone. Start to stash D'Onta Foreman.
67. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals: It cannot end like this.
68. Ryan Grant, WR, Indianapolis Colts: It seems like T.Y. Hilton is not going to play but obviously, if he does that alters Grant's hype.
69. Michael Crabtree, WR, Baltimore Ravens
70. Devin Funchess, WR, Carolina Panthers
71. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills: People are moving on, but McCoy can still matter. Not a great flex option until he shows it.
72. Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Bengals really ought to keep him involved even if Mixon returns. Bernard makes plays.
73. Nyheim Hines, RB, Indianapolis Colts: Hines makes plays, too. Have to think the Patriots are expecting it.
74. Keelan Cole, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: The defense has to be tested, but the offense should do what it wants against the Chiefs.
75. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
76. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks: Was concerned about his durability months ago, and so far, it remains one. Even when he suits up, he is more at risk to not finish the game than most.
77. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans: Hope you did not expect RB2 performance. I ranked Lewis better in the preseason, but I expected more from Henry.
78. Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets: We have thought he was the Jets running back to own in past seasons, too.
79. Quincy Enunwa, WR, New York Jets: Seems silly that they do not throw to Robby Anderson, does it not?
80. Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
81. Jimmy Graham, TE, Green Bay Packers
82. Jordan Reed, TE, Washington Redskins: Give him credit, as he has not missed a game yet.
83. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers: Give him credit, for he is performing like a top-10 tight end regardless of passer.
84. Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami Dolphins: Nice work, Dolphins. This should be a RB2, but he needs more than the eight rushing attempts he has over the past fortnight. Weird.
85. Javorius Allen, RB, Baltimore Ravens: Clearly has value in this offense.
86. Isaiah Crowell, RB, New York Jets
87. Dede Westbrook, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Sneaky play this weekend.
88. Geronimo Allison, WR, Green Bay Packers
89. Sammy Watkins, WR, Kansas City Chiefs: Tough matchup and he is hurt again. Rinse and repeat.
90. Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins: Liked this option but not for the past few weeks. Running out of patience.
91. Alfred Morris, RB, San Francisco 49ers
92. Jamaal Williams, RB, Green Bay Packers: So many Packers fans thought he would be a star. Hard to think that now.
93. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings
94. Eric Ebron, TE, Indianapolis Colts: Why could he not do this in Detroit? He had chances.
95. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
96. Latavius Murray, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Needs to be rostered in case Cook needs a few weeks off at some point.
97. Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: Needs to be more consistent.
98. Antonio Callaway, WR, Cleveland Browns
99. Chris Hogan, WR, New England Patriots
100. Frank Gore, RB, Miami Dolphins
Others: Duke Johnson Jr., RB, Cleveland Browns; Jordan Wilkins, RB, Indianapolis Colts; Jordy Nelson, WR, Oakland Raiders; Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington Redskins; Mohamed Sanu, WR, Atlanta Falcons; Mike Davis, RB, Seattle Seahawks; Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks; Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions; Corey Clement, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
ESPN PLUS
All weeks are interesting, really, but this one features a pair of key players in elite offenses returning from four-game suspensions. How will the New Orleans running game change, or the New England passing game? We find out soon, and I might be more optimistic than most.
See where all the running backs, wide receivers and tight ends rank as we reveal the latest edition of the PPR flex rankings, entering Week 5. Best of luck flexing!
<offer style="box-sizing: border-box;"></offer>
1. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints: Having an incredible season. The volume has to drop a bit now that he more company in the backfield, but do not expect him being awesome to follow.
2. Todd Gurley II, RB, Los Angeles Rams: Nothing wrong with him, of course, but Seattle, while missing plenty of key defenders, remains a sturdy defense.
3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys: Nursing some minor lower leg injuries, but still likely to flirt with 100 rushing yards.
4. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: Figures to have plenty of fun against the Raiders.
5. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints: Washington has been stingy against the pass, but Thomas is simply unstoppable.
6. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: I would still trade for him.
7. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons: Stop whining. He is on pace for more than 2,000 receiving yards. He remains dominant.
8. Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
9. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers
10. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants: Eli Manning has four touchdown passes in four games. Unlike Julio Jones, Beckham does not have 502 receiving yards already.
11. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans
12. Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings: He literally tops 100 receiving yards every week, and Philly's secondary has not played well.
13. A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
14. David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals: Better than the first week or two, but still not at all what was expected.
15. James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Enjoy it for two more games until Le'Veon Bell returns, but then keep him rostered. It is too obvious to say see what you can get in trade. Who is trading for him?
16. Sony Michel, RB, New England Patriots: Coming off the breakout game, and there should be more. A lot more.
17. Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
18. Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers: I knocked his quarterback down in the rankings, but Adams should be fine.
19. Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings
20. Carlos Hyde, RB, Cleveland Browns: Top-10 running back last season, and off to a great start this year. He is not catching passes, either.
21. Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs: Might be the worst ranking he has this season, considering the tough matchup.
22. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
23. Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns
24. Golden Tate, WR, Detroit Lions: Gets you six receptions each week, and enough yards. And he scores touchdowns.
25. T.J. Yeldon, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Fournette needs a few weeks off and Yeldon has looked excellent in his stead.
26. Marshawn Lynch, RB, Oakland Raiders: Have to admit he does run as if he is still 26 years old.
27. Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Not a lock to play after missing a few, but signs look good.
28. Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons: Same deal. If these important players sit, move the backups to these spots.
29. Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
30. Brandin Cooks, WR, Los Angeles Rams
31. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams: Pick a Ram, any Ram. The way Jared Goff is throwing, there is no wrong answer here for the order.
32. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
33. Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles: He looks on his way to more than 100 catches and more than 160 targets. Impressive.
34. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots: What rule is there that he has to be the top-ranked option at his position?
35. Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Yes, I think we have to be concerned about his health and performance. The matchup is not good for running backs, either. Kirk Cousins will be throwing.
36. Mark Ingram II, RB, New Orleans Saints: Welcome back. You might think this ranking is far too generous, but Ingram finished last season sixth at the position in PPR scoring. He is rested, for sure.
37. Corey Davis, WR, Tennessee Titans: Now he needs to show consistency. We know he is good.
38. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: Throwing on the Vikings appears to be easier than many expected.
39. Robert Woods, WR, Los Angeles Rams
40. Chris Thompson, RB, Washington Redskins
41. Dion Lewis, RB, Tennessee Titans: Stick with this option. There will be good games to come, including this week.
42. Alex Collins, RB, Baltimore Ravens: His investors cringe whenever he fumbles.
43. Matt Breida, RB, San Francisco 49ers: The offense did not fall apart sans Jimmy G. Breida remains productive.
44. Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders
45. Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots: Welcome back! Could be a big target share coming right away.
46. Adrian Peterson, RB, Washington Redskins
47. Kerryon Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions: Really should get plenty of touches each week. Fine, give LeGarrette Blount the ones inside the 2-yard line.
48. James White, RB, New England Patriots
49. Will Fuller V, WR, Houston Texans: Weekly touchdown maker but it is safe to say durability is not a strength. Make sure he is in the lineup first.
50. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos: This is the Denver receiver to roster first. Just roster each of them.
51. Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions: This is the second Lions receiver to roster. Yep, I realize many disagree. Golladay is fantastic.
52. Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons: Cannot keep up this touchdown rate, of course, but he is going to matter.
53. Jay Ajayi, RB, Philadelphia Eagles: He will get the short touchdown chances, but you might never know which games he will leave early in, too. He is a risk.
54. Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers: This ranking predicates on him seeing more touches than normal. One has to think that time is nigh.
55. Phillip Lindsay, RB, Denver Broncos
56. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos
57. Royce Freeman, RB, Denver Broncos: Each Denver running back needs to be rostered. Lindsay seems like the one getting more opportunity, thus the better ranking.
58. Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
59. Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks: Give him a chance to return to WR2 duties.
60. Marvin Jones Jr., WR, Detroit Lions
61. Jared Cook, TE, Oakland Raiders: Hard to believe he has become a top-five tight end, but the numbers, as they say, do not lie.
62. Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants: Not getting the targets, catches or yards of his high-profile teammate, but Shepard finds the end zone.
63. John Brown, WR, Baltimore Ravens: He sure looks terrific and we hope he can stay on the field. Really alters the Ravens passing game.
64. Josh Gordon, WR, New England Patriots: I say it every week. If we only knew how many snaps he would get. One would presume better days are ahead.
65. Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta Falcons: This is probably not a timeshare if Freeman returns. Be prepared to utilize Coleman if he does not. They seem interchangeable to me.
66. Lamar Miller, RB, Houston Texans: Seems allergic to the end zone. Start to stash D'Onta Foreman.
67. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals: It cannot end like this.
68. Ryan Grant, WR, Indianapolis Colts: It seems like T.Y. Hilton is not going to play but obviously, if he does that alters Grant's hype.
69. Michael Crabtree, WR, Baltimore Ravens
70. Devin Funchess, WR, Carolina Panthers
71. LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills: People are moving on, but McCoy can still matter. Not a great flex option until he shows it.
72. Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Bengals really ought to keep him involved even if Mixon returns. Bernard makes plays.
73. Nyheim Hines, RB, Indianapolis Colts: Hines makes plays, too. Have to think the Patriots are expecting it.
74. Keelan Cole, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: The defense has to be tested, but the offense should do what it wants against the Chiefs.
75. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
76. Chris Carson, RB, Seattle Seahawks: Was concerned about his durability months ago, and so far, it remains one. Even when he suits up, he is more at risk to not finish the game than most.
77. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans: Hope you did not expect RB2 performance. I ranked Lewis better in the preseason, but I expected more from Henry.
78. Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets: We have thought he was the Jets running back to own in past seasons, too.
79. Quincy Enunwa, WR, New York Jets: Seems silly that they do not throw to Robby Anderson, does it not?
80. Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
81. Jimmy Graham, TE, Green Bay Packers
82. Jordan Reed, TE, Washington Redskins: Give him credit, as he has not missed a game yet.
83. George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers: Give him credit, for he is performing like a top-10 tight end regardless of passer.
84. Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami Dolphins: Nice work, Dolphins. This should be a RB2, but he needs more than the eight rushing attempts he has over the past fortnight. Weird.
85. Javorius Allen, RB, Baltimore Ravens: Clearly has value in this offense.
86. Isaiah Crowell, RB, New York Jets
87. Dede Westbrook, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Sneaky play this weekend.
88. Geronimo Allison, WR, Green Bay Packers
89. Sammy Watkins, WR, Kansas City Chiefs: Tough matchup and he is hurt again. Rinse and repeat.
90. Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins: Liked this option but not for the past few weeks. Running out of patience.
91. Alfred Morris, RB, San Francisco 49ers
92. Jamaal Williams, RB, Green Bay Packers: So many Packers fans thought he would be a star. Hard to think that now.
93. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings
94. Eric Ebron, TE, Indianapolis Colts: Why could he not do this in Detroit? He had chances.
95. Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
96. Latavius Murray, RB, Minnesota Vikings: Needs to be rostered in case Cook needs a few weeks off at some point.
97. Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: Needs to be more consistent.
98. Antonio Callaway, WR, Cleveland Browns
99. Chris Hogan, WR, New England Patriots
100. Frank Gore, RB, Miami Dolphins
Others: Duke Johnson Jr., RB, Cleveland Browns; Jordan Wilkins, RB, Indianapolis Colts; Jordy Nelson, WR, Oakland Raiders; Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington Redskins; Mohamed Sanu, WR, Atlanta Falcons; Mike Davis, RB, Seattle Seahawks; Rashaad Penny, RB, Seattle Seahawks; Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions; Corey Clement, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
