Editor's note: The Broncos-Patriots game has been officially rescheduled for next week and those players will not be counted toward your Week 5 fantasy matchups.
With Broncos-Patriots and Bills-Titans rescheduled for Monday and Tuesday, respectively, this week presents fantasy managers with more fluid start/sit decisions.
As I said last week, COVID-19 postponements make these decisions extremely complex yet simple.
They're simple in that they're binary — these players will either play before Tuesday as planned and will count toward your Week 5 matchups on platforms like ESPN and Yahoo, or they won't, and you risk taking a zero. It's complex in the sense we have to weigh risk against reward.
If I have a sit/start decision that involves Bills or Titans players that is even remotely close, I would lean toward not playing them. But ultimately, it's on you to manage your own risk management — no expert (including myself) can project or predict the outcome(s) here.
To help answer your questions, I've outlined the latest version of my Week 5 fantasy football rankings into tiers so you can better visualize the drop-off in expected production at each position. Note that these are as of Saturday night and final inactives could still impact certain players, so be sure to check my updated rankings before making your final decisions.
Note: Players who played on Thursday are denoted with an asterisk.
[Get Real-Time Week 5 Fantasy Rankings Until Kickoff]
Week 5 Fantasy Tiers
QUARTERBACKS
Tier 1
Russell Wilson (vs. MIN)
Patrick Mahomes (vs. LV)
Dak Prescott (vs. NYG)
Lamar Jackson (vs. CIN)
Tier 2
Josh Allen (@ TEN)
Deshaun Watson (vs. JAX)
Kyler Murray (@ NYJ)
Tier 3
Teddy Bridgewater (@ ATL)
Matt Ryan (vs. CAR)
Tier 4
Gardner Minshew (@ HOU)
Daniel Jones (@ DAL)
Drew Brees (vs. LAC)
Ben Roethlisberger (vs. PHI)
Jared Goff (@ WAS)
Kirk Cousins (@ SEA)
Tom Brady (@ CHI)*
Tier 5
Joe Burrow (@ BAL)
Jimmy Garoppolo (vs. MIA)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (@ SF)
Justin Herbert (@ NO)
Derek Carr (@ KC)
Jarrett Stidham (vs. DEN)
Ryan Tannehill (vs. BUF)
Tier 6
Philip Rivers (@ CLE)
Baker Mayfield (vs. IND)
Carson Wentz (@ PIT)
Nick Foles (vs. TB)*
Kyle Allen (vs. LAR)
Joe Flacco (vs. ARI)
Tier 7
Brett Rypien (@ NE)
*Drew Lock could start, but avoid the situation if you can
RUNNING BACKS
Tier 1
Alvin Kamara (vs. LAC)
Ezekiel Elliott (vs. NYG)
Tier 2
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (vs. LV)
Tier 3
Dalvin Cook (@ SEA)
Derrick Henry (vs. BUF)
Tier 4
Mike Davis (@ ATL)
Kareem Hunt (vs. IND)
Josh Jacobs (@ KC)
James Robinson (@ HOU)
Tier 5
Chris Carson (vs. MIN)
Ronald Jones II (@ CHI)*
Jonathan Taylor (@ CLE)
David Johnson (vs. JAX)
Devin Singletary (@ TEN)
James Conner (vs. PHI)
Tier 6
Joe Mixon (@ BAL)
Miles Sanders (@ PIT)
Todd Gurley (vs. CAR)
David Montgomery (vs. TB)*
Kenyan Drake (@ NYJ)
Tier 7
Melvin Gordon (@ NE)
Raheem Mostert (vs. MIA)
Antonio Gibson (vs. LAR)
Joshua Kelley (@ NO)
Tier 8
Devonta Freeman (@ DAL)
Myles Gaskin (@ SF)
Tier 9
Damien Harris (vs. DEN)
Mark Ingram (vs. CIN)
Le'Veon Bell (vs. ARI)
Rex Burkhead (vs. DEN)
Jerick McKinnon (vs. MIA)
Latavius Murray (vs. LAC)
Darrell Henderson (@ WAS)
James White (vs. DEN)
Malcolm Brown (@ WAS)
Tier 10
Nyheim Hines (@ CLE)
Justin Jackson (@ NO)
J.K. Dobbins (vs. CIN)
Chase Edmonds (@ NYJ)
Tier 11
Ke'Shawn Vaughn (@ CHI)*
Alexander Mattison (@ SEA)
Brian Hill (vs. CAR)
D'Ernest Johnson (vs. IND)
J.D. McKissic (vs. LAR)
Frank Gore (vs. ARI)
Duke Johnson Jr. (vs. JAX)
Gus Edwards (vs. CIN)
WIDE RECEIVERS
Tier 1
DeAndre Hopkins (@ NYJ)
Adam Thielen (@ SEA)
Tyler Lockett (vs. MIN)
Calvin Ridley (vs. CAR)
Tyreek Hill (vs. LV)
Tier 2
D.K. Metcalf (vs. MIN)
Keenan Allen (@ NO)
Amari Cooper (vs. NYG)
Stefon Diggs (@ TEN)
Robby Anderson (@ ATL)
Allen Robinson (vs. TB)*
Tier 3
Terry McLaurin (vs. LAR)
Mike Evans (@ CHI)*
Robert Woods (@ WAS)
D.J. Moore (@ ATL)
Cooper Kupp (@ WAS)
Will Fuller V (vs. JAX)
Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. IND)
D.J. Chark (@ HOU)
Tier 4
Julian Edelman (vs. DEN)
Justin Jefferson (@ SEA)
Michael Thomas (vs. LAC)
CeeDee Lamb (vs. NYG)
DeVante Parker (@ SF)
Tier 5
Tyler Boyd (@ BAL)
Juju Smith-Schuster (vs. PHI)
Jamison Crowder (vs. ARI)
Diontae Johnson (vs. PHI)
Marquise Brown (vs. CIN)
Jerry Jeudy (@ NE)
Darius Slayton (@ DAL)
A.J. Brown (vs. BUF)
Russell Gage (vs. CAR)
Golden Tate (@ DAL)
T.Y. Hilton (@ CLE)
Tier 6
Sammy Watkins (vs. LV)
John Brown (@ TEN)
Brandin Cooks (vs. JAX)
Brandon Aiyuk (vs. MIA)
N'Keal Harry (vs. DEN)
Jarvis Landry (vs. IND)
Tee Higgins (@ BAL)
Zach Pascal (@ CLE)
Scott Miller (@ CHI)*
Michael Gallup (vs. NYG)
Hunter Renfrow (@ KC)
Curtis Samuel (@ ATL)
Laviska Shenault (@ HOU)
Tier 7
Greg Ward Jr. (@ PIT)
Randall Cobb (vs. JAX)
Olamide Zaccheaus (vs. CAR)
Kalif Raymond (vs. BUF)
Tre'Quan Smith (vs. LAC)
Deebo Samuel (vs. MIA)
Keelan Cole (@ HOU)
A.J. Green (@ BAL)
Emmanuel Sanders (vs. LAC)
Henry Ruggs (@ KC)
Tim Patrick (@ NE)
Damiere Byrd (vs. DEN)
Tier 8
Mecole Hardman (vs. LV)
Jeff Smith (vs. ARI)
Cole Beasley (@ TEN)
Preston Williams (@ SF)
Isaiah Ford (@ SF)
Mike Williams (@ NO)
Dontrelle Inman (vs. LAR)
Christian Kirk (@ NYJ)
Darnell Mooney (vs. TB)*
James Washington (vs. PHI)
TIGHT ENDS
Tier 1
George Kittle (vs. MIA)
Travis Kelce (vs. LV)
Tier 2
Darren Waller (@ KC)
Tier 3
Mark Andrews (vs. CIN)
Zach Ertz (@ PIT)
Hunter Henry (@ NO)
Jonnu Smith (vs. BUF)
Tier 4
Evan Engram (@ DAL)
Tier 5
Hayden Hurst (vs. CAR)
Tyler Higbee (@ WAS)
Tier 6
Mike Gesicki (@ SF)
Dalton Schultz (vs. NYG)
Rob Gronkowski (@ CHI)*
Eric Ebron (vs. PHI)
Greg Olsen (vs. MIN)
Tier 7
Logan Thomas (vs. LAR)
Austin Hooper (vs. IND)
Jared Cook (vs. LAC)
Chris Herndon (vs. ARI)
Jimmy Graham (vs. TB)*
Drew Sample (@ BAL)
Jordan Akins (vs. JAX)
Tier 8
Ian Thomas (@ ATL)
Darren Fells (vs. JAX)
Tyler Eifert (@ HOU)
Trey Burton (@ CLE)
Cameron Brate (@ CHI)*
Anthony Firkser (vs. BUF)
Mo Alie-Cox (@ CLE)
Dan Arnold (@ NYJ)
Kyle Rudolph (@ SEA)
KICKERS
Tier 1
Harrison Butker (vs. LV)
Justin Tucker (vs. CIN)
Jason Myers (vs. MIN)
Greg Zuerlein (vs. NYG)
Tier 2
Ka'imi Fairbairn (vs. JAX)
Robbie Gould (vs. MIA)
Wil Lutz (vs. LAC)
Nick Folk (vs. DEN)
Tier 3
Younghoe Koo (vs. CAR)
Joey Slye (@ ATL)
Tyler Bass (@ TEN)
Zane Gonzalez (@ NYJ)
Sam Sloman (@ WAS)
Tier 4
Chris Boswell (vs. PHI)
Steven Hauschka (@ HOU)
Dan Bailey (@ SEA)
Rodrigo Blankenship (@ CLE)
Ryan Succop (@ CHI)*
Michael Badgley (@ NO)
Cody Parkey (vs. IND)
Graham Gano (@ DAL)
Stephen Gostkowski (vs. BUF)
Daniel Carlson (@ KC)
Tier 5
Jason Sanders (@ SF)
Dustin Hopkins (vs. LAR)
Randy Bullock (@ BAL)
Cairo Santos (vs. TB)*
Sam Ficken (vs. ARI)
Jake Elliott (@ PIT)
Brandon McManus (@ NE)
DEFENSES
Tier 1
Baltimore Ravens (vs. CIN)
Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. PHI)
New England Patriots (vs. DEN)
San Francisco 49ers (vs. MIA)
Los Angeles Rams (@ WAS)
Tier 2
Arizona Cardinals (@ NYJ)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@ CHI)*
Tier 3
New Orleans Saints (vs. LAC)
Dallas Cowboys (vs. NYG)
Indianapolis Colts (@ CLE)
Buffalo Bills (@ TEN)
Tier 4
Kansas City Chiefs (vs. LV)
Houston Texans (vs. JAX)
Seattle Seahawks (vs. MIN)
Cleveland Browns (vs. IND)
Atlanta Falcons (vs. CAR)
Tennessee Titans (vs. BUF)
Tier 5
New York Jets (vs. ARI)
Philadelphia Eagles (@ PIT)
Chicago Bears (vs. TB)*
Denver Broncos (@ NE)
Carolina Panthers (@ ATL)
Jacksonville Jaguars (@ HOU)
Washington Football Team (vs. LAR)
Tier 6
Miami Dolphins (@ SF)
New York Giants (@ DAL)
Minnesota Vikings (@ SEA)
Los Angeles Chargers (@ NO)
Cincinnati Bengals (@ BAL)
Tier 7
Las Vegas Raiders (@ KC)
