Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 5? Brian Thomas Jr., Ricky Pearsall, Ladd McConkey, Chris Olave, Jakobi Meyers, DJ Moore, Tee Higgins, Xavier Worthy, Zach Charbonnet, Jameson Williams

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Who Should I Start for Week 5? Fantasy Football outlooks for Brian Thomas Jr., Ricky Pearsall, Ladd McConkey, Chris Olave, Jakobi Meyers, DJ Moore, Tee Higgins, Xavier Worthy, Zach Charbonnet, Jameson Williams.

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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Brian Thomas Jr., Ricky Pearsall, Ladd McConkey, Chris Olave, Jakobi Meyers, DJ Moore, Tee Higgins, Xavier Worthy, Zach Charbonnet, Jameson Williams. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5. 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.

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Fantasy Football Matchup Outlooks

Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 5:

Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) is listed as questionable to play in his team's Week 5 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan previously said that Pearsall suffered a "minor PCL" injury in Week 4. The 25-year-old has recorded 20 catches for 327 yards on 29 targets so far in 2025. San Francisco could also be missing wideout Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs) in Week 5.

If both Pearsall and Jennings are sidelined, wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson would both likely see a significant increase in both playing time and target share.

Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey experienced the worst game of his career during the team's 21-18 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday. He caught only one of six targets for 11 yards and dropped some critical passes.

After appearing reliable over the past three weeks, his struggles stood out in the tight loss. McConkey has consistently been behind Quentin Johnston and Keenan Allen in targets and yards as he tries to carve out a meaningful role in the offense. He now faces a favorable matchup against the Washington Commanders, who are allowing the sixth-most passing yards per game this year.

While the floor remains safe in PPR formats, managers should temper expectations until he demonstrates more consistency. He's best viewed as a WR4/FLEX dart throw in Week 5.

Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet rushed 12 times for 39 yards and a touchdown during Thursday's Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals. He also caught each of his two targets for a total of five receiving yards.

Charbonnet's rushing efficiency has dropped to a pitiful 2.46 yards per carry so far this season, but he has still managed to post double-digit fantasy points (PPR) in two of his three games by vulturing touchdowns from Kenneth Walker III. Going forward, Charbonnet must continue to contribute as a touchdown scorer or pass catcher in order to be a fantasy starter, as he doesn't get enough production from his rushing volume alone.

Walker is the running back to own in Seattle, while Charbonnet is a handcuff with RB3/flex appeal in deeper leagues. The Seahawks face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5.

Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams caught only two of his seven targets in Sunday's win over the Browns, and he has not topped two receptions in a game since the season opener. In speaking with reporters on Monday, head coach Dan Campbell addressed the connection between Williams and quarterback Jared Goff, saying, "We're just a little bit off."

Campbell was quick to downplay any issues of chemistry, saying the team will get back to the drawing board, and "Those guys are gonna be fine." Although Williams has caught only 10 balls on the season, his 21.4-yard average reception is among the highest in the league, so he has not been completely irrelevant for fantasy managers.

The Lions face the Bengals in Week 5, and Cincinnati has been one of the most favorable matchups for wide receivers through four weeks. With bye weeks starting around the NFL this week, Williams should make for a fine flex option.

Who Should I Start Tool

You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.

Week 5 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Brian Thomas Jr., Ricky Pearsall, Ladd McConkey, Chris Olave, Jakobi Meyers, DJ Moore, Tee Higgins, Xavier Worthy, Zach Charbonnet, Jameson Williams. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 5.

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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 circle), 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 5 for Brian Thomas Jr., Ricky Pearsall, Ladd McConkey, Chris Olave, Jakobi Meyers, DJ Moore, Tee Higgins, Xavier Worthy, Zach Charbonnet, Jameson Williams: