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Who Should I Start for Week 5? Fantasy Football outlooks for Jacoby Brissett, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud, Kyler Murray, Drake Maye, Sam Darnold, Tyler Shough, Jalen Hurts.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Jacoby Brissett, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud, Kyler Murray, Drake Maye, Sam Darnold, Tyler Shough, and Jalen Hurts. However, don't worry; we are here to help you make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 5. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 5 of the 2026 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 5 Fantasy Football Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 5:
Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
After the Minnesota Vikings finally created some offensive momentum, quarterback Kyler Murray is a fringe QB1 when Minnesota takes on the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. The Vikings adapted last week, running more than 50 shotgun snaps -- their most since they hired Kevin O'Connell as head coach in 2022 -- and the changes clicked, as Murray completed 13 of his final 14 passes and established a rapport with tight end T.J. Hockenson. Additionally, top receiver Justin Jefferson (ankle) said that he aims to return against the Saints. The bigger issue this week could be protection.
Left guard Donovan Jackson (knee) is out for the season, left tackle Christian Darrisaw (concussion) was ruled out, and right tackle Brian O'Neill (knee) is questionable. The Saints, however, have been struggling, allowing points on half of opponents' possessions and ranking 30th against the run, which gives Murray an opening for his first big rushing game of the year. As RotoBaller's QB12 this week, Murray is a starting option in most formats.
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is a risky streaming option in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco is currently the No. 7 team against opposing quarterbacks in fantasy. Granted, this team has not exactly run the gauntlet of quarterbacks over the last three weeks. However, San Francisco's defense has played well for the most part this season.
Raheem Morris is coaching this unit perfectly, and Darnold does not project to have a massive game. Darnold did not surpass 200 passing yards or throw a touchdown pass in either of his matchups with San Francisco during the 2025 regular season. This feels like a game in which Seattle will attempt to lean on its running game and defense, resulting in a lower-scoring affair.
The 49ers are a dangerous team, but the Mike Macdonald-led Seahawks have had their number over the last two seasons. However, there is a world in which this game turns into a shootout, in which case Darnold could hold fantasy value. It is a risky proposition for fantasy managers, but consider Darnold a borderline top 15 option in Week 5.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had a difficult outing in a 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4. He posted season-lows in completions (12), passing yards (93) and completion percentage (44.4%). And most unfortunately for Philadelphia, the Eagles had a 20-10 lead with just over four minutes left to play, yet lost the game to L.A. Hurts and the Eagles will look to bounce back against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5 in London.
The Jaguars boast the No. 2 scoring defense in the NFL (13.3 points per game allowed) and the No. 3 rushing defense (74.3 yards per game allowed). Jacksonville is also the best team in the league in turnover differential (plus-six), is tied for the most interceptions (six) and is tied for second in total takeaways (eight). Where the Jacksonville defense has struggled, however, is passing yards allowed, with 280.3 yards allowed per game, which ranks second to last in the NFL.
According to Pro Football Reference, Jacksonville is allowing 14.3 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks (tied for eighth-best in the NFL). The Philadelphia offense is dealing with multiple injuries, including to running backs Saquon Barkley (hamstring) and Tank Bigsby (abdomen), and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring), and will be short-handed against the Jaguars. Hurts will need to use his arm and his legs effectively to assure the Eagles don't lose for the third consecutive week.
In 2026, Hurts has completed 68 out of 114 passes (59.6%) for 713 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. He has added 105 rushing yards and an additional score. Hurts ranks as RotoBaller's No. 18 quarterback for Week 5 and is projected to score 15.7 fantasy points. It isn't the easiest matchup against Jacksonville, but Hurts should still be started in most formats.
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been surprisingly great for fantasy purposes over the past two weeks and will look to keep rolling at home against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on the weather in Pittsburgh, as heavy rain is possible, but this is a matchup worth targeting, with the Colts surrendering the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks through four weeks.
While wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) will be inactive on Sunday, he hasn't made much of an impact so far this season, and Rodgers has still found plenty of fantasy success. Indianapolis is giving up explosive plays at a high rate, and with DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson making plays downfield in recent weeks, Rodgers could be primed for a standout performance. The veteran profiles as a solid streaming option and a mid-range QB2 in superflex formats.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is still trying to get his team its first victory of the season, and he is in a good spot to post solid stats this week against the Titans in Tennessee. With the run game often bogging down, Stroud has had to throw more this season, averaging 37.8 attempts per game with over 30 pass attempts in three of his four games. He has five touchdowns and no interceptions this season, while averaging 285.2 passing yards per contest.
The Titans have allowed four passing touchdowns in four weeks to opposing QBs and an average of 220.5 passing yards per game. Last week, Lamar Jackson looked excellent against them in the first half before leaving with an injury.
The Titans have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to QBs this season, but in a desperation game, Stroud is the No. 14 QB in RotoBaller's rankings for Week 5, making him a fringe starter in single-quarterback leagues and a very strong QB2 in dual-QB formats.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 5 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jacoby Brissett, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud, Kyler Murray, Drake Maye, Sam Darnold, Tyler Shough, Jalen Hurts. 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 that 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 circle), 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 (2026)? 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 5 for Jacoby Brissett, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud, Kyler Murray, Drake Maye, Sam Darnold, Tyler Shough, Jalen Hurts.
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