Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football Week 5? Sean Tucker, Bhayshul Tuten, Brian Robinson Jr., Kenneth Gainwell, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Ollie Gordon II, Keaton Mitchell, Will Shipley, DJ Giddens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker could have an opportunity for more work in Week 5 if star Bucky Irving ends up being ruled out. Tucker said that he's "always ready and prepared" when asked if he would be ready to take on a bigger role on Sunday.

Tucker has proven that to be true in the limited sample where he has gotten a decent number of touches. In a game against New Orleans last season that Rachaad White missed with injury, Tucker totaled 191 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, he has six career games with at least five carries. He's averaging over five yards per carry across those games.

White would be likely to handle the bulk of the work if Irving were to miss, but Tucker could mix in and steal some touches because he is the better runner. He's a decent stash ahead of Week 5 as more news trickles out.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten has been efficient on his touches throughout the first four weeks of his career. He has 21 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown while securing three of four targets for 40 yards and another touchdown.

The speedster has been among the best in the league at avoiding negative runs, but the explosive runs have not been there yet. He's served as the No. 2 back mostly to Travis Etienne Jr., while rookie LeQuint Allen has also mixed in here and there. Head coach Liam Coen has used him in creative ways in the red zone and also gave him a goal-line carry for a touchdown in Week 3.

The workload and snap share haven't increased significantly yet, but they will likely grow as the season progresses. With his big-play ability, he could be a league-winner down the stretch.

San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. still ranks second on the team's depth chart and is, in theory, their change-of-pace back to relieve Christian McCaffrey. The problem for Robinson is that the 49ers have shown little desire to get away from the superstar lately.

In the first two weeks of 2025, Robinson got in on nearly one quarter of San Francisco's snaps. However, in Week 3, his share plummeted to 9% and rebounded slightly to a 15% share in Week 4. On the season, Robinson has a total of 22 rushing attempts for 96 yards and has seen just three targets, catching two for two receiving yards.

Even with bye weeks underway, Robinson should not be considered a viable fantasy starter in Week 5, especially with the 49ers being featured on Thursday Night Football.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell was inserted into the No. 1 running back role when Jaylen Warren (knee) was a late scratch from Sunday's contest against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin. Gainwell tallied 99 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in the Steelers' 24-21 win over the Vikings.

He also caught all six of his targets for 35 yards and scored from one and four yards out. Gainwell has solidified himself as the team's clear-cut number two back, and will be a hot waiver-wire pickup this week if he wasn't already rostered.

With the Steelers heading into their Week 5 bye week, Warren may likely recover and return in Week 6 as the primary back for the Steelers; however, based on the way that Gainwell played on Sunday, it's likely he gets more involved down the stretch.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reports that the Washington Commanders are "very happy at the moment using a committee" in the backfield, but they "view (rookie running back) Jacory Croskey-Merritt as the most capable one of the three to emerge as an all-around threat."

Since veteran running back Austin Ekeler (Achilles) suffered an Achilles tear in Week 2, the Commanders have split backfield playing time fairly evenly between Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Jeremy McNichols. Overall, through his first four NFL games, Croskey-Merritt has recorded 172 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries to go along with three catches for 15 yards on five targets.

As long as all three Washington backs are sharing snaps, none profile as fantasy starters. However, it sounds as though Croskey-Merritt is the most likely Commanders running back to eventually seize a true lead role.