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2025 fantasy football FLEX rankings - Week 5 start, sit FLEX rankings. Win more with our updated FLEX fantasy football rankings and tiers for Week 5.
If you need assistance setting your Week 5 fantasy football lineups, you have come to the right place. Use these Week 5 fantasy football FLEX rankings as your guide to decide between players with similar outlooks at different positions. Below, you will see where key RBs, WRs, and TEs like Wan'Dale Robinson, Woody Marks, Emari Demercado, Cam Skattebo, Keenan Allen, Michael Pittman Jr., and more stand for the fifth slate of the NFL season.
Our FLEX fantasy football rankings for Week 5 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.
Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!
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Week 5 Fantasy Football FLEX Rankings
Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings
Week 5 Fantasy Football FLEX Rankings Outlooks
Demarcus Robinson, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Demarcus Robinson is expected to slide into a starting role with Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle/ribs) out for Week 5. Robinson made his season debut in Week 4 after serving a three-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy in the offseason.
San Francisco eased Robinson into action with a 25% snap share, and he saw just two targets, catching one pass for 20 yards. Robinson should see more action this week, though his lack of conditioning might see him lose snaps to Skyy Moore or Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
It is worth noting that quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) will also be sidelined, with Mac Jones getting the start. As a projected WR5, it would be inadvisable to plug him into starting fantasy lineups, especially with the 49ers playing on Thursday, in the first game of the week.
Kendrick Bourne, San Francisco 49ers
In Week 5, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne will once again ascend to the top of the depth chart thanks to injuries to both Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle/ribs). Bourne started alongside Pearsall in Jennings' absence in Week 3, and came away with four catches and 38 yards on six targets.
Hardly the boom some were hoping for, but with Pearsall also sidelined this time around, Bourne could see more work. As in Week 3, Bourne's former Patriots teammate, quarterback Mac Jones, will take the place of Brock Purdy (toe).
It should be noted that their shared history didn't garner the receiver any special attention then, however. Bourne projects as a WR4 in Week 5, and with the 49ers playing on Thursday night, it is a risky bet to start the week with him occupying a starting WR slot in fantasy lineups.
Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (knee/elbow) did not practice on Wednesday. Ridley has struggled to start the 2025 season, catching just 10 of 24 targets for 141 yards with no touchdowns, ranking as the WR73 in PPR formats.
Head coach Brian Callahan revealed Ridley was battling through an in-game injury during last week's 26-0 loss to the Houston Texans, raising further concern about his availability.
If Ridley is sidelined in Week 5, rookie Elic Ayomanor is expected to see a significant uptick in usage against the Arizona Cardinals. Regardless of his injury status, Ridley's early-season struggles and difficult circumstances in the Titans offense make him a clear sit in fantasy lineups this week.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. Johnson is coming off his least productive game of the season in Week 4, catching just three passes for 28 yards. He now appears to be dealing with an ankle injury that he picked up during the loss against the Buffalo Bills, but he managed to play nearly 90% of the snaps.
If Johnson is unable to go in Week 5, Jack Stoll would step in as the Saints' starting tight end. The matchup is not ideal, as the New York Giants have surrendered the 10th-least fantasy points to tight ends this season. If Johnson suits up, he projects as a low-end TE1 option in Week 5, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on his practice participation.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding FLEX options like Wan'Dale Robinson, Woody Marks, Emari Demercado, Cam Skattebo, Keenan Allen, Michael Pittman. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 5 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 5 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 5 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 5 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
