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The injury bug has bitten several prominent wide receivers, including Justin Jefferson, Ladd McConkey, Terry McLaurin, and Jalen Coker. As a result, other wide receivers are stepping into larger roles, and some are finally gaining relevance. The fantasy rankings are shifting, and after analyzing extensive data, eight wide receivers stand out as potential starters for Week 5.
Data from FootballDB.com and Draftwithdoug.com provides the foundation for these recommendations, focusing on fantasy points allowed to wide receivers and defensive EPA stats.
Stefon Diggs
With Terry McLaurin expected to be out in Week 5, Stefon Diggs is projected to see about 35% of both targets and yards. Despite a subpar Week 4 performance, Diggs led the team in routes run, and his route rate should not be discounted, especially with Athan Kaliakmanis throwing the ball. Diggs remains the No. 1 pass-catcher, and Jayden Daniels' return in Week 5 could help maximize his ceiling.
Jordan Addison
Justin Jefferson will remain out through Week 5, elevating Jordan Addison to the No. 1 wide receiver role. Addison tied Jauan Jennings for the team lead in routes run in Week 4, drawing 6 targets (a 19% target share) and catching 67% of them for 52 yards. That came against a Dolphins defense that ranks 2nd in fantasy points allowed to the position. In Week 5, Minnesota faces a mid-tier Saints defense that allowed 45 points on Monday Night Football.
Tre' Harris
With Ladd McConkey expected to miss time, Tre' Harris is expected to step in as the WR1 for the Chargers. Although the role is technically split between Harris and Quentin Johnston, production shows Harris is the better player. On nearly the same number of routes, Harris has 7 more receptions, 101 more yards, a 25.1% higher catch rate, and 3 more red zone targets than Johnston. Without McConkey, Harris is projected to command just over 25% of the passing offense.
Carnell Tate
Carnell Tate ran some of the nastiest routes against the Giants, finishing with 9 targets, 6 receptions, and 58 receiving yards. The Titans rookie could have had 120+ receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. The Texans defense, which opposes Tate's Titans this Sunday, has been a head-scratcher. One of the best defenses in 2025 now ranks 31st in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers and 8th-worst in Defensive Pass EPA Allowed per Play. The sample size, four games deep, is large enough to deem it legitimately bad. Tate has about a 31% target share this season, or 8.0 per game, with a 69% catch rate and 12.2 yards per reception. Tate is as good as advertised; it is up to Cam Ward to make sure he gets fed, and he has done that well.
Rome Odunze
Maybe it's Caleb Williams? That may be partly the reason why Odunze had suffered through two games. Whether or not that's true, Odunze has 6 targets in each of his last two games, once with Case Keenum and once with Tyson Bagent. Odunze is a good player, averaging 16.6 yards per reception. He is in the top third of wide receivers in Yards per Route Run and 15th overall in EPA per Target. Even without Williams, the Bears are projected to score about 24 points per game, which accounts for nearly 225 passing yards per game.
DK Metcalf
Deemed good or bad, it doesn't matter. Metcalf is getting targeted, and his usage far exceeds that of any other Steeler pass-catcher. Metcalf is averaging about 13 more routes run per game than anyone else. He has 8 more targets than the next-best, and 13 more than the third-best. Metcalf averages 8.0 targets per game, and that is enough volume to ensure his start. Need a bonus to that argument? The Steelers have the Colts in Week 5. They rank 9th-worst in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.
Jameson Williams
Matchup, matchup, matchup. The Lions will score a lot of points each week. The more they can score, the better. In Week 5, the Lions get the Cardinals. They rank the worst in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. They are 31st in Defensive Pass EPA Allowed per Play.
Malik Washington
I loved Washington in Week 4 given his volume projection. He ended up with just 5 targets, but that was not due to a lack of target share. It was due to the very difficult matchup against the Vikings, which allowed only 17 total passing attempts. In total, Washington had a 30% target share, and each time he saw the ball, he caught it. Washington has a 28% target share on 12.9 yards per reception this season. Cincinnati ranks toward the middle of the NFL in all key metrics against wide receivers. In fact, the Bengals are projected to be without both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, which could make this a ballgame favoring the Dolphins.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News: Green Bay Packers and 3 Other Fantasy Football Week 5 Must-Sit Defenses Fantasy Football Injury Update: Saquon Barkley's Week 5 Status in Doubt Makes way for a Fantasy Sleeper Justin Herbert, Kirk Cousins, and 2 Other Must-Sit Fantasy Football Week 5 Quarterbacks Fantasy Football Rest Of Season Rankings: Tyreek Hill And Emanuel Wilson Shake Things Up This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Tre' Harris, Jameson Williams, and 6 More Fantasy Football Must-Start Wide Receivers in Week 5 .
Originally reported by yahoo.