Week 5 of the 2025 fantasy soccer season featured a variety of large performances and a handful of disappointing ones.
Who have been the large winners and losers?
Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft provide their analyses.
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Rating winners | Rating losers |
Greatest accidents and what’s subsequent
1. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts: One other week, one other three-touchdown, 30-plus PPR fantasy level efficiency for Taylor, who has abruptly moved into second place at his place (121.3) behind Christian McCaffrey (123.9) for the season. Taylor scored 31.6 factors in his newest dominant effort, this one towards the Las Vegas Raiders, regardless of his not touching the soccer over the ultimate 17 minutes of the sport. Put apart his previous harm questions, as he’s operating about in addition to anybody at present and is a locked-in RB1. — Cockcroft
2. Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers: With Chuba Hubbard down (calf), Dowdle took benefit of the optimistic matchup vs. Miami, scoring a career-high 32.4 factors. Dowdle noticed heavy run recreation utilization, carrying the ball 23 instances for 202 yards and a rating, plus he added 28 yards receiving on three catches. With open daylight to assault versus the Dolphins entrance, racked up six rushes of 10 or extra yards. Explosive. If Hubbard remains to be out for the Week 6 recreation versus Dallas, Hubbard suits as a stable RB2, and he’s at present out there in over 60% of ESPN leagues. — Bowen
3. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams: Williams’ enhance in receiving utilization pushed his whole to a season-high 31.1 factors within the Thursday evening loss to the 49ers. Williams caught eight of 10 targets right here for 66 yards, plus he added two landing grabs. Williams did lead the crew in speeding with 65 yards on 14 carries (4.6 YPC), whereas backup Blake Corum noticed only one speeding try. With a Week 6 matchup versus a banged-up Ravens protection, Corum will stay an upper-tier RB2. — Bowen
4. Dak Prescott, QB, and Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys’ offense was buzzing as soon as once more towards the mightily struggling New York Jets, scoring 37 factors to present them a league-leading three video games totaling no less than that many. Prescott performed an enormous half, throwing 4 passing touchdowns and scoring 28.28 fantasy factors, to position himself no less than among the many prime 4 at his place for the season (pending Sunday and Monday evening outcomes). Williams caught one in all them and including a speeding rating of his personal, for a season-best 26.9 PPR fantasy factors that represented his third 20-point efficiency of 2025. The Cowboys’ defensive woes have resulted in Prescott incessantly airing issues out — his 195 passing makes an attempt are simply the league’s most — which appears unlikely to alter within the coming weeks. Count on extra large scores from each in Weeks 6 and seven towards the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders, groups which have additionally struggled defensively. — Cockcroft
5. Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys: These aforementioned Cowboys defensive struggles, coupled with the absence of star large receiver CeeDee Lamb, has ramped up Ferguson’s utilization within the passing recreation. He scored a career-best 23.9 PPR fantasy factors whereas tying for the crew lead in targets (9), giving him a decent end-leading 48 of the latter for the season. Whereas Lamb might be able to return from his ankle harm for Week 6, Ferguson ought to nonetheless be closely concerned sufficient to be a top-five possibility at his place. — Cockcroft
6. Matthew Stafford, RB, Los Angeles Rams: He orchestrated a late-game rally to tie, solely to see his Rams lose a heartbreaker in time beyond regulation, 26-23, on Thursday evening. Stafford’s fantasy managers have been happy nonetheless, as he scored 25.56 fantasy factors after totaling 27.40 the week earlier than. He’s making wonderful use of his prime two large receivers, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, in addition to operating again Kyren Williams within the passing recreation, and will once more be a fantasy QB1 in Week 6 towards a Baltimore Ravens protection that has allowed 4 passing touchdowns to every of its previous two opponents. — Cockcroft
7. Mac Jones, QB, San Francisco 49ers: On quick week, with a number of backups enjoying vital roles within the 49ers move recreation, a beat-up Jones scored 22.18 factors within the Thursday evening win over the Rams. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan schemed up Jones off play-action and used the fast recreation to get the ball out on this one. Jones, who accomplished 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards, averaged 6.0 air yards per try, with Kendrick Bourne (10-142) main the crew in receiving, whereas Christian McCaffrey and Jake Tonges caught touchdowns. With no return date set for beginning quarterback Brock Purdy (toe), Jones (out there in over 95% of ESPN leagues), might be in-line to start out once more in Week 6 at Tampa. — Bowen
8. C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans: He scored 28.76 fantasy factors, his first recreation above 20 since Week 4 of final season, and totaled 4 passing touchdowns in a dismantling of the reeling Baltimore Ravens protection. The efficiency spoke as a lot to Stroud’s personal successes — he accomplished 9-of-10 passes to fit receivers for 119 yards and two scores — because it did the matchup itself. The Ravens have now seen three completely different quarterbacks prime 27 factors towards them (Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes), which is price tucking away for future opponents Matthew Stafford (Week 6), Caleb Williams (Week 8) and Tua Tagovailoa (Week 9). Stroud and the Texans, in the meantime, now head into their bye week. — Cockcroft
9. Darren Waller, TE, Miami Dolphins: After scoring 17.7 factors in his first recreation of the season final week, Waller was productive once more in Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. With a rise in snaps and routes run (26), Waller had 18.7 factors in Carolina, catching all 5 of his targets for 78 yards and a landing. Waller has now scored no less than a landing in every of his two video games performed, and he can nonetheless stretch the seams out within the area. With Tyreek Hill out for the season, Waller’s function as a middle-of-the-field possibility ought to stay regular within the Miami offense. Waller (out there in over 50% of ESPN leagues) ought to be a prime waiver add forward of the Week 6 matchup versus the Chargers. — Bowen
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