As we head into Week 5 of the NFL season, we can get a clear sense of which players are shining for our fantasy teams, and then, of course, the duds that ruin it for the rest of the bunch. Usually, the best performances come out of nowhere from players you wouldn’t expect. Last week, Darius Cooper put his name on the map with his 2-TD performance against the Rams.
This week, there were a lot of players who appeared out of nowhere and domminated, and then there were the duds of the week. Let’s take a look at the Week 5 Boom and Bust fantasy performances.
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots: Boom
It hasn’t been easy for New England Patriots QB Drake Maye to start the season. Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks was a 3-INT game nightmare on opening night, then going on an early-season slump, throwing a 1:6 TD-INT ratio. As of recently, Maye has picked up the slack as he’s been looking like the QB that the Patriots envisioned when they drafted him 3rd overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
After winning AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 4, he played a key role in the Patriots’ upset win over their division rival, the Buffalo Bills. He had a breakout performance in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Maye threw for 374 yards with 4 TDs and no INTs, added 29 rushing yards and a rushing TD, and finished with 39.46 PPR points.
Maye delivered one of the best performances of his career, playing mistake-free ball and adding elite efficiency. He threw for 374 yards on 34 attempts, averaging 11 yards per attempt. Maye benefited from improved Patriots pass protection, as he was sacked only once against the Raiders. This was just the day that Drake Maye needed, as he nearly had a perfect day with a 150.9 passer rating.
Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Boom
Jaylen Warren delivered one of the best performances of his career against the Indianapolis Colts, compiling 188 total yards from scrimmage and adding 2 long TDs. In the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 34-22 win over the Colts, Warren rushed 15 times for 101 yards and a 50-yard TD, and caught all 6 of his targets for 87 yards and an 80-yard TD, for 36.8 PPR points.
This was a historic day for Warren, as he became the first Steelers player to record both a receiving TD of at least 50 yards and a rushing TD of at least 50 yards in the same game, according to SportsnetPittsburgh.com. With Rico Dowle out, Warren had more opportunities to get extra reps on offense and take on a heavier workload. If anything, this performance could mean that Warren is capable of being the main back in Pittsburgh. His big plays today is what helped fantasy managers win their matchups.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers: Boom
The Green Bay Packers have had a rough start to the season, but in Week 5 against the Chicago Bears, they delivered one of their best team performances in a 31-7 win. Christian Watson had himself a day for the Packers and contributed mightily in the victory, as he caught 6 of his 8 targets for 143 yards and 2 TD’s, resulting in 32.3 PPR points.
Watson, a serious vertical threat, did massive damage to the Bears’ secondary as he and Jordan Love connected for a 42-yard TD and a 53-yard TD, delivering high-yardage explosive plays that helped fantasy managers tremendously. Watson tied the team lead in receptions (6) and led the Packers offense in targets (8) and receiving yards (143), proving he is Jordan Love’s favorite target when he needs a big play.
Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals: Bust
Michael Wilson has the potential to be a great WR1 for the Arizona Cardinals, as we’ve seen when he’s up for the challenge. Now that Marvin Harrison Jr. has been traded to the Houston Texans, Wilson is now the Cardinals’ bona fide WR1. This Sunday wasn’t his best performance in his first week as the official WR1, as he finished with 4 receptions for 30 yards on 7 targets, for 7.28 PPR points.
The Cardinals offense did little today, as they were shut down in a 45-21 blowout loss to the Detroit Lions. The Lions’ front seven was in the Cardinals’ backfield nonstop as Brissett was hit 12 times and sacked 5 times. Wilson averaged only 7.5 yards per catch and didn’t reach the end zone. He almost scored a passing TD on an end-around trick play on the Cardinals’ opening drive, but his receiver, Jacoby Brissett, stopped two yards shy of the end zone.
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals: Bust
Chase Brown is one of the league’s most productive backs, but in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, he failed to meet his weekly standards. Brown only rushed 13 times for just 39 yards and lost a key fumble, reuslting in 7 PPR Points.
Samaje Perine also out-carried Brown 14-to-13 for 68 yards and scored a red-zone receiving TD. It’s something to watch, as Perine has been more involved in the offense than usual. The running game wasn’t a factor for much of the game, as Joe Burrow led the Bengals’ passing attack. According to Yahoo Sports, the Bengals’ ground game has been disappointing to start the season. Through the first four weeks, they ranked #27 in the NFL in rush yards per carry and rush yards per game coming into Sunday.
Brown is still a great running back, and hopefully he gets it going soon; just Sunday wasn’t his best day.
Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints: Bust
Tyler Shough has been a productive fantasy QB so far this year, but in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings, it was his worst performance of the season. Shough completed 16 of 25 passes for 96 yards, failed to record a single pass longer than 16 yards, and 2 INT’s, resulting in -0.16 PPR points.
According to Sports Illustrated, much of the blame for his poor performance falls on the Vikings’ defense, which made Shough’s day rough. Vikings Defensive coordinator Brian Flores dialed up blitz packages that deceived Shough and the offensive line, disrupting the passing game. Both of Shough’s interceptions came on long-yardage plays, both to Vikings CB Byron Murphy Jr. on 2nd-and-26 and 3rd-and-12.
It was a rough day for the Saints, but they will look to rebound next week against the New York Giants.
