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Fantasy football starts/sits for MNF, expert advice for all Chiefs vs. Jaguars Week 5 NFL matchups on Monday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Hollywood Brown, Travis Kelce, Brian Thomas, Isiah Pacheco, more.
Welcome to our Monday Night Football start/sit chart for Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. Below you will find our start/sit matchups chart for all players in the MNF game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars.
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Hollywood Brown, Isiah Pacheco, Brian Thomas and Brenton Strange. Which Chiefs and Jaguars players should you start or sit in Week 5?
We are here to help you set those winning lineups for Week 5, whether you're playing in season-long leagues or DFS contests. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 5, RotoBallers!
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Kansas City Chiefs Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating |
Game Matchup |
| Harrison Butker | Start | 114 | @ JAX |
| Patrick Mahomes | Start | 112.7 | @ JAX |
| Xavier Worthy, WR | Risky Start | 109.6 | @ JAX |
| Marquise Brown, WR | Risky Start | 109.2 | @ JAX |
| Tyquan Thornton, WR | Risky Start | 108.2 | @ JAX |
| Travis Kelce, TE | Risky Start | 108.2 | @ JAX |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR | Risky Start | 105.5 | @ JAX |
| Isiah Pacheco, RB | Risky Start | 102.9 | @ JAX |
| Kareem Hunt, RB | Risky Start | 102.1 | @ JAX |
| Noah Gray, TE | Sit | 101.1 | @ JAX |
| Nikko Remigio, WR | Sit | 97.1 | @ JAX |
| Brashard Smith, RB | Sit | 95.8 | @ JAX |
| Jalen Royals, WR | Sit | 92.4 | @ JAX |
| Jared Wiley, TE | Sit | 92.4 | @ JAX |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Sit | 92.2 | @ JAX |
| Gardner Minshew | Sit | 92.1 | @ JAX |
Brashard Smith, RB, Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Brashard Smith is gaining more trust in the coaching staff as he produces on the field. "He's willing to listen, very humble kid, and works hard," head coach Andy Reid said. It's become clear that the Chiefs are looking for more ways to use Smith to jumpstart their struggling backfield in 2025.
Although Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are still very much involved, Smith's rise is certainly bad news for them. The 22-year-old had four carries for nine yards and caught three of his four targets for 27 yards in the Week 4 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, seeing a season-high 19 offensive snaps in the process. While the production doesn't exactly jump off the page, Smith is a name worth watching in fantasy leagues.
If you're desperate for RB depth, he might even be worth a pickup off the waiver wire heading into the team's Week 5 tilt against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night in Week 5. Pacheco rushed seven times for 35 yards (5.0 yards per carry) and caught two passes for 13 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Pacheco finished second in carries and rushing yards in Week 4, but he's locked into a backfield committee with Kareem Hunt and Brashard Smith. Hunt finished last week's game with the most carries, and Smith's involvement in the offense has increased each week. Pacheco will have to contend with backfield competition and the Jaguars, who allow the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs.
The 26-year-old should continue handling RB2 duties this Monday night, but it will be interesting to see how the touches are divided. Pacheco is ranked RB35 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, putting him in the RB3/Flex conversation this week.
Jacksonville Jaguars Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating |
Game Matchup |
| Travis Etienne Jr., RB | Start | 115.7 | vs. KC |
| Brian Thomas Jr., WR | Start | 113.3 | vs. KC |
| Cam Little | Risky Start | 111.6 | vs. KC |
| Brenton Strange, TE | Risky Start | 107 | vs. KC |
| Trevor Lawrence | Risky Start | 107 | vs. KC |
| Travis Hunter, WR | Risky Start | 105.7 | vs. KC |
| Dyami Brown, WR | Risky Start | 104.7 | vs. KC |
| Parker Washington, WR | Risky Start | 104.5 | vs. KC |
| Bhayshul Tuten, RB | Risky Start | 102.5 | vs. KC |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Risky Start | 101 | vs. KC |
| LeQuint Allen Jr., RB | Sit | 99.3 | vs. KC |
| Hunter Long, TE | Sit | 96.7 | vs. KC |
| Tim Patrick, WR | Sit | 94.4 | vs. KC |
| Johnny Mundt, TE | Sit | 94.3 | vs. KC |
| Cody Schrader, RB | Sit | 94.1 | vs. KC |
Brian Thomas, WR, Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football and will look to use the primetime game as a jumping-off point for the offense. Fans had high hopes for the team's offense with head coach Liam Coen entering the fold, but so far it has underwhelmed, mainly due to the performances of wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
The second-year man will look to bounce back in a big way on national television, but that is something managers have been hoping for each of the past few weeks. BTJ was a force to be reckoned with last season, but in Week 5, fantasy managers may have to continue waiting for this year's reckoning in a tough matchup with the Chiefs' secondary.
Brenton Strange, TE, Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange pulled in 6-of-7 passes for 45 yards in his team's 26-21 win over the hosting San Francisco 49ers. Strange has been a reliable target as quarterback Trevor Lawrence has at the moment, recording exactly six receptions and seven targets in each of the previous two weeks.
The 24-year-old's receiving output leaves us wanting more, but he's easily pacing Jacksonville's TE room in snaps -- accruing 129 more than the next closest teammate. Moreover, he's leading the Jags in receptions (19) and yards (182). Strange and the team will get a true test next Monday night when they square off against the Kansas City Chiefs at home. For now, he's a high-end TE2 with PPR upside.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, Travis Kelce, Brenton Strange, Travis Hunter, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Isiah Pacheco, Bhayshul Tuten, Kareem Hunt, Brashard 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
Below are some popular Week 5 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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