Fantasy Football Rankings - Wide Receivers (WR) Week 5 Weekend Updates

October 4, 2025

Fantasy football rankings - updated wide receiver (WR) Week 5 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football PPR WR rankings.

It's time for another eventful slate of NFL action, and the fantasy football season is heating up in a hurry. We're back with our Week 5 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2025 to help you set winning lineups. Where do pass-catchers like Ladd McConkey, Michael Pittman Jr., Keenan Allen, Chris Godwin, Darius Slayton, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and more stand for the fifth slate of the NFL season? Navigate the rankings below to find out.

Our wide receiver fantasy football rankings for Week 5 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find key fantasy football outlooks from our RotoBaller staff, as well as the "Who to Start?" tool. Also, be sure to check our 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 Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football

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Week 5 Wide Receiver Rankings Outlooks

Deebo Samuel Sr., Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. has had an outstanding start to the season and his time in Washington. He's shouldered a big load for the Commanders' passing attack as they deal with multiple injuries. He leads the team in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Not to mention, he's been the best kick returner in football, averaging a league-best 36.8 yards per return.

Samuel will be leaned on heavily again in Week 5 as Washington will be without wide receivers Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) for the second straight game and Noah Brown (groin) for the third straight. The Washington offense also gets a big boost with star quarterback Jayden Daniels (knee) returning to the field in Week 5. It's a tougher matchup against a Chargers defense that has allowed the fourth fewest fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers, but Samuel still ranks as a borderline WR1 for Sunday.

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith has struggled through the first quarter of this season, tallying just one touchdown and 158 receiving yards thus far, and his journey won't get any easier in Week 5 as he lines up against the Broncos. What's especially worrying about Smith is that he was thrown to just twice in his most recent performance, which sets a new season-low for him after having three targets in the season opener. He has built a reputation as a boom-or-bust WR, and should be seen as a risky WR3 candidate against a Denver defense allowing 186 yards per game through the air.

A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown's fantasy managers were having flashbacks to the first two weeks of the season this past Sunday, as he put up another lackluster stat line despite getting plenty of looks. It's encouraging to see Brown get at least eight targets in each of his last three outings, but he's still only had one truly productive game.

His Week 5 matchup against the Broncos may prove difficult, as Denver allows the seventh-least amount of points to opposing fantasy WRs. Of course, there's star cornerback Patrick Surtain II to worry about as well. It's getting harder to start Brown each week, but as long as he keeps getting the bulk of targets, he should be in lineups. Consider him a fine WR2 this weekend.

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston is now firmly established as the team's top wideout entering Week 5, leading in targets, receiving yards, and touchdowns. The former first-round pick was one of the few bright spots in the team's first loss to the New York Giants, catching eight of 11 targets for 98 yards and his fourth touchdown of the season.

Johnston now faces a vulnerable Washington Commanders secondary in a prime home matchup. He is expected to draw coverage from CB Marshon Lattimore, but the Commanders' overall passing defense has been significantly exposed, ranking 27th in the NFL in passing yards allowed. RotoBaller upgrades Johnston to WR12 this week. Given his target volume and big-play ability, he is a borderline WR1 and a must-start in all formats.

Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen aims to turn volume into production in Week 5 against the Washington Commanders after catching just five passes for 37 yards against the New York Giants. Despite the underwhelming performance, the veteran had seven targets and will face a favorable matchup against Commanders cornerback Trey Amos.

The Commanders' secondary is one of the worst in the league, ranking 27th in passing yards allowed per game. RotoBaller moves Allen up to WR15 this week. He remains a borderline WR2 and a strong start in all formats, especially PPR leagues, due to the expected high passing volume. However, managers should monitor his performance over the next few weeks, as aging veterans often start the season productive but tend to decline as the season progresses.

Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey faces a crucial Week 5 matchup after a disappointing fantasy performance against the New York Giants, where he only caught one pass for 11 yards on six targets. Although McConkey is a vital part of the offense, leading the team with 160 routes run at a 93% route rate, his 59.3% catch rate and just one red-zone target in four games indicate limited scoring potential.

The Washington Commanders' weak secondary should present a favorable matchup for McConkey, especially against DB Mike Sainristil. While a rebound is likely, RotoBaller downgrades him to WR21. Managers should keep expectations realistic as McConkey is better viewed as a WR3/FLEX option for now.

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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding wide receiver options like Ladd McConkey, Michael Pittman Jr., Keenan Allen, Chris Godwin, Darius Slayton, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith. 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

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