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Who Should I Start for Week 5? Fantasy Football outlooks for Rachaad White, Tony Pollard, Kenneth Walker, Sean Tucker, Ja'Marr Chase, Keenan Allen, Calvin Ridley, Tyjae Spears, Luke McCaffrey, Cooper Kupp.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 5 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Rachaad White, Tony Pollard, Kenneth Walker, Tyjae Spears, Ja'Marr Chase, Keenan Allen, Calvin Ridley, Sean Tucker, Luke McCaffrey, Cooper Kupp. 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 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.
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Fantasy Football Matchup 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:
Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White will move into the lead back role for Sunday's Week 5 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. The Bucs will be without Bucky Irving (foot) for at least Sunday's game, but possibly longer.
That being said, White will get a chance to make an impact after a slow start to the season. Through four games, White has rushed the ball 23 times for 108 yards with one touchdown while hauling in eight receptions for an additional 34 yards through the air.
At times, White has shown the ability to be a capable dual-threat back. He'll get a favorable matchup against the Seattle defense this weekend. White should see enough touches to be able to provide flex value for Week 5.
Tony Pollard, RB, Titans
Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard has seen a fairly heavy workload through the first four games of the season. Pollard has carried the ball 14 times or more every game, but he could see his workload decrease going forward.
Fellow back Tyjae Spears (ankle) is currently questionable for the Week 5 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Spears has been out all season long, but appears to be almost ready to go. Pollard will likely see less carries once Spears returns. Until then, Pollard figures to remain the workhorse back in Tennessee.
Pollard has rushed for 60 yards or more in three of his first four games of the season. The status of Spears could shift his value, but for now Pollard has flex appeal for Week 5.
Kenneth Walker, RB, Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III will look to continue his efficient running in Week 5. Walker will have a tough task ahead of him as the Seahawks will host a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team allowing less than three yards per carry to opposing running backs.
Additionally, the Seahawks are deploying a running back committee with Walker and Zach Charbonnet. Both players are taking opportunities from the other. Walker's saving grace is his pass-catching and big-play ability. He is not receiving goal line opportunities, which suggests that he will need to score between the 20s.
You may feel compelled to start Walker in Week 5, but he is not a smash play by any means. However, he provides a decent fantasy floor this week and can be deployed as a low-end RB2.
Keenan Allen, WR, 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.
Sean Tucker, RB, Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker figures to see involvement in the backfield this weekend. The Bucs are going to be without Bucky Irving (foot) for this Sunday's Week 5 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
That being said, Rachaad White will move into the lead back role with Tucker likely taking over as the backup. Through four games, Tucker has only rushed the ball once and has mainly been on special teams all season long.
Tucker could be worth stashing in case Irving misses multiple weeks. However, Tucker isn't a recommended streaming option for Week 5. White will likely see a majority of the carries while the Bucs probably go with a pass-heavy approach on offense.
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 - Rachaad White, Tony Pollard, Kenneth Walker, Tyjae Spears, Ja'Marr Chase, Keenan Allen, Calvin Ridley, Sean Tucker, Luke McCaffrey, Cooper Kupp. 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 (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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 5 for Rachaad White, Tony Pollard, Kenneth Walker, Tyjae Spears, Ja'Marr Chase, Keenan Allen, Calvin Ridley, Sean Tucker, Luke McCaffrey, Cooper Kupp:
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