Week 5 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint (2026)

October 9, 2026

Who should I start or sit for fantasy football in Week 5 of the 2026 season? Ryan's potential fantasy football busts to avoid in Week 5 fantasy football lineups.

Four weeks into the NFL season, it's becoming easier to identify the bad matchups and fantasy football landmines. Last week, we were essentially nine-for-10 in selecting busts. As we have seen, a difficult matchup, a change in offensive philosophy, or an injury to a teammate can turn a reliable starter into a lineup bust.

This year's weekly bust list won't focus on the names you are likely not starting on your roster; we know players picked near the end of drafts belong on the bench in most cases. This is also not automatically a recommendation to sit a player. Look at the bust list as a way to manage expectations for players who might be on-the-fence decisions.

Below are my 10 fantasy football busts, or players who may disappoint, for Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season. Good luck this week, RotoBallers! May all your tough lineup decisions be correct.

Jonathan Taylor (RB, IND) @ Pittsburgh

A "bust" week for Jonathan Taylor will look different than a bust for most players. Taylor has the kind of workload that makes him difficult to bench, but Pittsburgh isn't exactly the best matchup you can find for running backs.

Through four weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers have allowed fewer than 400 rushing yards overall, and Taylor could find himself facing crowded running lanes throughout the afternoon.

The concern isn't necessarily about touches; we know he will have those. If the Colts struggle to sustain drives or create scoring opportunities, Taylor could finish with 70-80 rushing yards and no touchdowns. That's not what fantasy managers expect from a first-round running back

Quinshon Judkins (RB, CLE) @ New York Jets

Judkins is getting enough opportunities to be a reliable fantasy starter, and he finally broke out with a "big" game in Week 4 (96 total yards and a score. But through four weeks, he's averaging just 3.0 yards per carry and has finished as a top-24 fantasy running back only once.

Quinshon Judkins gives Cleveland the lead!

@PITvsCLE on Prime Video
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/tsQEzhDldc

— NFL (@NFL) October 2, 2026

Cleveland's offense hasn't been particularly explosive in the run game before last week, and Judkins has struggled to create much on his own. Unless he finds the end zone or gets heavily involved in the passing game like last week (6-for-43), another middling rushing performance is certainly possible.

He's still in the RB2/Flex conversation because of his workload, but I'm not particularly excited about his upside this week on the road.

David Montgomery (RB, HOU) @ Tennessee

This is do-or-die week for David Montgomery. If he can't succeed this week, you have permission to drop him.

Montgomery has barely been productive enough to remain in fantasy lineups, and I'm becoming increasingly concerned about the backfield split with Woody Marks and the lack of overall efficiency behind a putrid offensive line.

Houston has struggled massively in the running game, and Montgomery needs touchdowns to compensate for his limited receiving opportunities. Tennessee looks like a favorable matchup on paper, but that doesn't automatically mean Montgomery gets 100 yards behind this line.

If Woody Marks continues taking passing-down work and a meaningful portion of the goal-line opportunities, Montgomery could finish with 50-60 yards and another dud. He's a touchdown-dependent Flex option.

Zay Flowers (WR, BAL) @ Atlanta

I absolutely love Zay Flowers so far this year, but sometimes you have to be realistic. Flowers has the target volume to produce big fantasy numbers, but Baltimore's quarterback situation makes him difficult to trust this week.

Lamar Jackson suffered an ankle injury against Pittsburgh; he hasn't practiced at the time of writing, and any limitations could dramatically change how this offense operates.

Lamar Jackson Not Practicing Thursday

https://t.co/M3H39SSqZ4

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 8, 2026

Flowers can still get catches on shorter throws, but his ceiling becomes much less attractive if Baltimore can't create explosive passing plays. Atlanta also has enough offensive firepower to make this a competitive game. Flowers remains a WR2 consideration for sure, but I'm not counting on a top-10 performance.

Jaylen Waddle (WR, DEN) @ Los Angeles Chargers

Waddle has the talent to deliver a huge performance at any moment, but Denver's passing offense has enough moving parts to make his weekly production unpredictable. Courtland Sutton remains a major factor, and Bo Nix hasn't always been able to support multiple high-end fantasy receivers.

The Chargers have struggled to win games, but that doesn't necessarily make them an easy matchup for opposing receivers. Waddle needs either substantial target volume or a big play to deliver WR2 production. I'm concerned he finishes with something closer to four catches for 45 yards.

Christian Watson (WR, GB) vs. Chicago

Watson has been one of the more pleasant surprises at wide receiver this season, but I'm worried that won't continue against Chicago. Even with no run game and Matthew Golden ascending, I have doubts here.

The Bears have been excellent against opposing No. 1 receivers, holding them to just 16.4 fantasy points per game overall this year. That's sixth-best in the league through four weeks.

Watson's big-play ability makes him start-worthy, but he's also the kind of receiver who can disappear when those downfield opportunities aren't connecting. Green Bay may need to throw plenty against Chicago, so I'm hopeful they connect some of those to Watson.

George Kittle (TE, SF) @ Seattle

This is the prediction that worries me the most this week. It could blow up in my face. Kittle is always capable of turning five targets into 90 yards and a touchdown, especially with all of the injuries to the receiving corps and how well Brock Purdy is playing.

Seattle's defense should make things especially difficult in this NFC West showdown. They only allow six fantasy points per game to the tight end position this season.

With the Seahawks capable of putting pressure on Purdy, Kittle could spend additional time helping in protection or in blocking. He's still a starter, of course, but this might not be the 120-yard, one-touchdown game from Kittle.

Juwan Johnson (TE, NO) vs. Minnesota

Johnson has been one of the pleasant surprises at tight end this season, averaging 6.8 targets, 5.3 receptions, and 58 receiving yards per game. He's also scored three touchdowns through four weeks, giving fantasy managers a reliable starter at a position where that's hard to find.

But Minnesota is going to be very tough on him. The Vikings have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, and their aggressive defense could make life difficult for Tyler Shough and the New Orleans passing attack (more on that below).

Johnson's targets should keep him relevant, but we shouldn't count on him for a touchdown again. This feels like a week where he's more of a low-end TE1 than the top five player he's been so far.

Jalen Hurts (QB, PHI) @ Jacksonville (in London)

Is this even a bold call anymore? Are you expecting Jalen Hurts to succeed this week? Hurts has the rushing ability to save almost any fantasy performance, but Philadelphia's offensive injuries are becoming overwhelming.

Saquon Barkley's hamstring injury, DeVonta Smith missing practice all week, and now Lane Johnson's retirement and offensive line injuries create other complications for an offense that hasn't consistently looked dominant.

Center Drew Kendall (knee) appears to be absent for a second straight day at Eagles practice.

In this look, Jake Majors is at center and Willie Lampkin at left guard. https://t.co/Cl3nKcGEg1

— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) October 8, 2026

Jacksonville has been strong defensively, and the travel to the London matchup introduces another variable. Hurts can always score on the ground, but if the Eagles struggle to move the football, his passing production will likely be the reason again.  I'm not expecting a top-10 finish this week.

Tyler Shough (QB, NO) vs. Minnesota

Tyler Shough has shown enough in three brilliant games to become an interesting fantasy streaming option, but this matchup is a major problem. Minnesota enters Week 5 undefeated, and its defense has the ability to make life miserable for quarterbacks.

The Vikings can generate pressure and force quarterbacks into uncomfortable decisions, which could mean turnovers or stalled drives for New Orleans, especially with a suspect running game.

Shough will become a reliable fantasy option in the weeks ahead, but I don't want to test him against one of the NFL's toughest opponents unless I absolutely have to. Against a mediocre defense in Atlanta, Shough only managed 17 fantasy points after scoring at least 24 the previous three weeks.

More Potential Week 5 Busts

• Bo Nix (QB, DEN) at Los Angeles Chargers
• Carnell Tate (WR, TEN) vs. Houston
• Tony Pollard (RB, TEN) vs. Houston
• Kyle Pitts (TE, ATL) vs. Baltimore

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