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Should I start Travis Etienne, Rhamondre Stevenson, Zach Charbonnet for Week 5? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
The injuries are piling up, bye weeks are starting, and start/sit decisions are getting tougher each week. As we head into Week 5, fantasy managers might be having a hard time deciding which players they should be starting in a pivotal week. Here at RotoBaller, we will help make those decisions easier.
In this article, we will see if running backs Travis Etienne Jr., Rhamondre Stevenson, and Zach Charbonnet should be started in fantasy. All three running backs have shown some nice things through the first four weeks and could be solid starts in Week 5.
So, should fantasy managers start Etienne, Stevenson, and Charbonnet in Week 5? Let's dive in and find out.
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Should I Start Travis Etienne Jr. for Fantasy Football?
Etienne has been a reliable RB2 option for fantasy managers this year. He has finished as a top-22 running back in all four games and currently ranks third in rushing yards on the season. Last week, the Jaguars running back ran for 124 yards and one touchdown en route to a 19.5 PPR fantasy point day.
As a result, Etienne will be a high-end RB2 play in Week 5. Kansas City has allowed a top-12 running back in three straight games, which included Justice Hill running for 76 yards and one touchdown last week. The Chiefs have also allowed at least five catches to RBs in back-to-back contests, giving the Jaguars running back some receiving upside in this game.
12 running backs averaged 2.00 yards before contact and 2.50 yards after contact per attempt with a minimum of 15 rush attempts per @FantasyPtsData.
Man, I was way wrong on Travis Etienne.
-Trey Benson
-Jonathan Taylor
-Bijan Robinson
-RJ Harvey
-Omarion Hampton
-J.K. Dobbins… pic.twitter.com/KTJjWc57BK— Corbin (@corbin_young21) October 3, 2025
So, you are starting Etienne in almost all formats this week. He has dominated the backfield touches in Jacksonville and has rushed for over 100 yards in two of four games. The 26-year-old comes in as the RB15 in RotoBaller's rankings this week.
Should I Start Rhamondre Stevenson for Fantasy Football?
Even though Stevenson dealt with some fumbling issues in Week 3, he still saw the majority of running back snaps in this New England backfield last week. He played 57% of the team's offensive snaps to go with a 53% route rate. However, the Patriots running back only saw nine carries for 38 yards in that contest.
Therefore, the 27-year-old will be a riskier play this week against the Bills. Stevenson has totaled 10 touches or fewer in three of four games this season and has scored under six PPR fantasy points in all three of those contests. With TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson staying involved in the game plan, it's hard to trust Stevenson in most formats.
Drake Maye on Rhamondre Stevenson’s two fumbles:
“He’s one of our best players. There’s nothing he can do that will change my view of him as a player and a teammate … he’s had a great season and a great last week … He knows just as much anybody else, so just pump him up and be… pic.twitter.com/FMQ0eqx25S
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) September 21, 2025
The Bills have only let two running backs score above 13 PPR fantasy points against them this year, and they rank around league average in fantasy points allowed to the RB position. Therefore, there are better players to roll with in your flex in Week 5. He is ranked as the RB27 in RotoBaller's rankings this week.
Should I Start Zach Charbonnet for Fantasy Football?
Charbonnet returned last week from a one-game absence due to a foot injury and turned out to be a solid flex play against the Cardinals. He rushed 12 times for 39 yards and one touchdown while also catching two passes for five yards through the air. Those numbers helped the Seahawks running back finish with 12.4 PPR fantasy points.
Charbonnet powers his way into the endzone to extend @Seahawks lead 💪
SEAvsAZ on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8kMeEQnUi7— NFL (@NFL) September 26, 2025
Despite Charbonnet scoring over 10 PPR fantasy points in two of his three games this year, he will be a lower-end flex play in Week 5 against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay has had one of the best run defenses in the early going, holding Saquon Barkley (43 yards), Breece Hall (21 yards), and Bijan Robinson (24 yards) to subpar rushing days on the ground.
That makes Charbonnet harder to trust this weekend. The Buccaneers have allowed the fewest rushing yards to running backs, which makes him a touchdown-dependent fantasy option in Week 5. He will come in as the RB30 in RotoBaller's rankings for this week.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Travis Etienne Jr., Rhamondre Stevenson, and Zach Charbonnet. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5. 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.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Travis Etienne Jr., Rhamondre Stevenson, and Zach Charbonnet. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 5.
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 our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. 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 for Travis Etienne Jr., Rhamondre Stevenson, Zach Charbonnet compared to others:
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