ClutchPoints
The first month of the 2025 NFL season is now in the books, and many fantasy football managers are already down in the dumps entering Week 5. For many fantasy football players, it is officially time to get desperate, particularly with the quarterback position.
Whether due to the arrival of bye weeks or unfavorable matchups, Week 5 is a fascinating field to navigate. Those lucky enough to leave the draft with Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes or Baker Mayfield are unharmed, but the majority of the field is still searching for options.
With Lamar Jackson on track to miss multiple weeks, there is even more competition in the fantasy football quarterback market. J.J. McCarthy, Brock Purdy and Joe Burrow join him on the Week 5 injury report.
Managers who turned to the waiver wire early should have already picked up the early surprises, including Daniel Jones and potentially even Justin Fields. Small leagues aside, there should be no more league-winning options available, but a few might be worth picking up for Week 5.
Whether you are in an eight-team league or a 16-team moshpit, several fantasy football managers are already getting desperate with their quarterbacks. Do not expect any of these players to drop a 40-point bomb, but there are still potential game-saving options on the board.
NFL bye weeks are officially here, leaving four teams out of commission in Week 5. The Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons are the first four teams to receive a break. They take their quarterbacks with them, removing Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, Aaron Rodgers and Michael Penix Jr. from the weekly fantasy landscape.
Week 5 also presents difficult matchups for several routine starters, namely Jalen Hurts and Matthew Stafford. Hurts leads a low-volume Philadelphia Eagles passing attack into a matchup with the Denver Broncos’ elite secondary, while Stafford’s Los Angeles Rams face a stingy San Francisco 49ers defense.
Expectations for Hawaiian southpaws Tua Tagovailoa and Dillon Gabriel should also be tempered for the week. Neither has been worthy of a weekly start, but both face difficult matchups on the road. Gabriel, in particular, has one week to prepare for his first career start against a tough defense in Europe.
Hurts and Stafford are still better than anyone left in free agency, but they might be worth sitting for a week if one of the following options is available.
C.J. Stroud has had a horrendous first month, but he seems to be finally settling in. Reports suggested that the third-year quarterback had a difficult time adjusting to the Houston Texans’ new offense under first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caserio, but he is finally turning the corner.
As a result, Stroud had his best game of the year in Week 4, throwing 233 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was sacked twice, but at this point, that is practically a win for the Texans’ offensive line.
Although most of...
