RADIO
Danny Boily looks at fantasy football landmines, busts, and avoids for Week 5 of 2025. Given these fantasy situations, consider benching these players.
For the first time this season, your roster is feeling the squeeze as four teams take a much-needed rest during their byes, shrinking the available player pool and testing the depth you’ve worked hard to build. With fewer options on your bench, every single starting spot carries more weight, and a dud performance from a player you're counting on can be catastrophic for your matchup.
We’re here to help you navigate these treacherous waters by identifying the landmines. These are the established, brand-name players you’d typically start without hesitation, but who are walking into poor matchups, making them especially risky plays during a shallow bye week.
These aren't panic-button drops, but they are players whose matchups and underlying metrics are flashing bright red warning signs. If you have a viable pivot, this is the week to trust your research over their reputation.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Bo Nix, QB, vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Bo Nix has been a decent player for fantasy managers, performing as a steady, low-end QB1 through the first month. His current rank as the QB14 with an average of 19.21 fantasy points per game has made him a reliable starter for many.
However, a closer look at the numbers reveals a concerning trend for a player heading into a hostile environment. His 6.3 yards per attempt is pedestrian, indicating a dink-and-dunk offense that struggles to generate the explosive plays needed for a monster fantasy outing. Furthermore, the rushing upside that many drafted him for has yet to materialize, as he’s averaging a mere 3.1 yards per carry.
This week, Nix travels to Philadelphia to face the undefeated Eagles, a matchup that spells trouble. While the Eagles' pass rush has been quiet with only five sacks, their defense excels where it matters most for fantasy: preventing touchdowns. They have allowed only eight total touchdowns all season, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
Their real strength is in the red zone, where they boast the league's third-best defensive touchdown rate at an incredible 36.4%. For a quarterback like Nix, who relies on methodical drives, facing a defense that transforms into a brick wall inside the 20-yard line is a recipe for a fantasy dud. Expect drives to stall and for field goals to replace touchdowns, cratering his ceiling in Week 5.
Jordan Mason, RB, vs. Cleveland Browns
As the overall RB23, Jordan Mason has been a serviceable, if unexciting, fantasy asset. He’s handled a respectable 57.9% snap share and found the end zone twice, providing managers with a stable floor of around 11 points per game.
The glaring issue in his fantasy profile is his complete lack of involvement in the passing game. With only six receptions on the year, his value is almost entirely dependent on rushing yards and touchdowns. This one-dimensional usage makes him exceptionally vulnerable to a tough matchup.
This week, he doesn’t just have a tough matchup; he has a nightmare. The Cleveland Browns' run defense isn’t just good; it's a statistical black hole where fantasy points go to die. They are allowing a league-best 14.6 fantasy points per game to running backs and have surrendered only two rushing touchdowns all season.
Making matters worse, they are giving up a league-low 70.3 rushing yards per game. Mason’s path to fantasy production is completely blocked. He won’t get it done through the air, and the Browns' front seven is the single most difficult unit to run against in the NFL. He is the definition of a touchdown-or-bust play against a team that doesn't allow them.
Jordan Mason is in to extend the Vikings lead
CINvsMIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/rCMAfsVWPo
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Jaylen Waddle, WR, vs. Carolina Panthers
With Tyreek Hill sidelined for the year, the collective fantasy world anointed Jaylen Waddle as the Dolphins' undisputed alpha receiver. The logic was sound, but the on-field production has failed to match the narrative, leaving managers frustrated with a player who is currently the WR27.
Despite the opportunity, Waddle has commanded a meager 17.7% target share and is averaging just 5.8 targets per game. At first glance, a matchup against the Carolina Panthers seems like the perfect "get-right" spot for the former first-round pick.
Don’t be fooled. This is not the porous Panthers defense of years past. Carolina has quietly become one of the league’s most effective units at shutting down opposing wideouts, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to the position (23.23 per game). They’ve yielded only four passing touchdowns and rank in the top 10 in passing yards allowed.
Waddle’s fantasy value is tied to his big-play ability, but he's walking into a matchup against a secondary that specializes in preventing exactly that. Until he proves he can command a true No. 1 target share, you cannot trust him against a defense that is statistically strimg against receivers.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, vs. Cleveland Browns
Yes, another player facing the Browns. T.J. Hockenson is one of the most talented tight ends in the NFL, but talent can only overcome so much when a player's situation becomes untenable for fantasy production. His TE18 ranking and paltry 6.0 fantasy points per game tell the story.
The primary issue is that Carson Wentz is under center for a third straight week while rookie J.J. McCarthy remains sidelined. This quarterback downgrade has torpedoed Hockenson’s value, reducing his target share to just 14% and limiting him to one end zone target all year.
The Browns rank first in total yards allowed (222.5 per game) and fourth in passing yards allowed (152.3 per game). They have also been a top-10 unit against tight ends, allowing just 9.6 fantasy points per game to the position.
A backup quarterback, a minuscule target share, and a matchup against an elite defense that generates pressure and blankets coverage is a toxic cocktail for any pass-catcher. Hockenson's name recognition far outweighs his fantasy potential this week.
DeVonta Smith, FLEX, vs. Denver Broncos
It’s difficult to recommend benching a player as gifted as DeVonta Smith, but the reality of the 2025 season is that the entire Eagles passing attack is grounded. Smith’s ranking as the 93rd-best flex option is not a fluke; with just one touchdown and 158 yards, he has been virtually unplayable.
Even his teammate A.J. Brown could be considered a landmine, which speaks volumes about the state of this offense. Now, this struggling unit must contend with what has become a ferocious defense: the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos' defense is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. They lead the NFL with 15 sacks and have allowed a league-low two passing touchdowns through four games. Unsurprisingly, they rank as the fifth-toughest matchup for fantasy wide receivers. I’m sure superstar corner Pat Surtain II has something to do with that.
An offense that can't get the ball downfield is now facing a defense that doesn’t give the quarterback time to let routes develop. Smith is an elite talent, but he is trapped in a dysfunctional passing scheme against a defense that is firing on all cylinders. Keep him on your bench.
Hurts threw it up and DeVonta Smith was there ‼️
PHIvsKC on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/qRs1ko7XlM
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025
Final Thoughts
The arrival of bye weeks forces a shift in fantasy management from a weekly grind to a long-term strategic game. Sidestepping a landmine in Week 5 is a victory, but the truly dominant managers are already looking ahead to the inevitable roster crunches looming in Weeks 6 and 7.
Use this moment as an opportunity to conduct a forward-looking audit of your roster. Identify your future bye-week vulnerabilities now, and make the proactive waiver claim or trade offer that will save you from starting a desperation play down the road.
Thinking two weeks ahead is how you turn a good team into a championship contender. Stay proactive, leverage the data, and build a roster that can withstand not just one bad matchup, but the entire bye-week gauntlet.
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