Fantasy football managers know that every lineup decision can make or break a week, and choosing the right players to start or sit is where championships are won. With the 2025 NFL season underway, matchups, stats, and trends are more important than ever. From favorable matchups and scoring trends to players you should avoid in tough spots, my weekly positional start and sit guide is built to give you an edge.
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Quarterbacks to Start
Drake Maye NE
Drake Maye has been one of the most consistent fantasy football quarterbacks through the first month of the season, and Week 5 gives him another chance to shine. The Bills have given up the most rushing yards to quarterbacks this year, with Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, and Spencer Rattler all posting at least 4.9 fantasy points on the ground alone. Maye’s legs have been a difference-maker, producing two rushing scores and multiple games with 30-plus rushing yards, giving him a strong floor in tough matchups. He’s also averaging over 23 fantasy points per game since Week 2, showcasing both his ceiling and consistency. Maye also ranks within the top 10 in EPA per play this year. While Buffalo has been stingy against quarterbacks through the air, Maye’s dual-threat ability neutralizes that edge.
Maye already proved he can hang with the Bills last year, scoring 17.4 fantasy points as a rookie in Week 16, and his development since then makes him even more dangerous. He has thrown multiple touchdowns in three straight games and hasn’t dipped below 15 points in any outing this season. His rushing ability should keep him fantasy-relevant even if the passing game stalls at times, and his volume will be pushed higher trying to keep pace with Josh Allen. The matchup may look tough on paper, but his blend of mobility and efficiency makes him a clear top-10 fantasy option. If you’ve been riding the Maye hype train, there’s no reason to hop off now. He remains a confident start in Week 5.
Justin Herbert LAC
Justin Herbert has cooled off after a blazing start, but this week sets up perfectly for him to bounce back. Washington has been a defense to target recently, giving up at least 20 fantasy points to three straight quarterbacks, all of whom threw for 289+ yards and multiple scores. Herbert’s struggles the last two weeks were not because of volume decreases, as the Chargers are still throwing much more than they did in 2023. He still has one of the league’s best skill groups with three strong wideouts and a versatile running back, which makes him dangerous in potential shootout scripts. With the Commanders surrendering nearly 300 passing yards per game over their last three outings, Herbert is set up for a rebound at home.
Volume and efficiency point toward Herbert reclaiming QB1 status this week. Despite back-to-back sub-15-point games, Washington ranks bottom 10 in pressure rate, which should help him find rhythm behind an offensive line that has struggled against elite fronts. Jayden Daniels is back, and the Chargers will need to keep their foot on the gas, increasing Herbert’s ceiling. Given his talent, supporting cast, and matchup metrics, fantasy managers should confidently put Herbert back in lineups. He’s a strong start candidate in Week 5 with top-eight upside.
Dak Prescott DAL
Dak Prescott is coming off a monster performance against Green Bay with 31 fantasy points, and even without CeeDee Lamb (ankle), he remains firmly on the fantasy radar. The Jets look like a tough matchup at first glance, but their secondary has slipped significantly this season. They’ve given up the ninth-highest yards per attempt, eighth-most passing touchdowns, and fourth-highest passer rating to opposing quarterbacks. Prescott has been thriving despite injuries to his receiving corps, averaging 44 attempts per game over his last three contests. With George Pickens and Jake Ferguson stepping up, the Cowboys have enough firepower to challenge this Jets defense.
Prescott’s advanced metrics suggest his big Week 4 was no fluke. He ranks third in passing yards per game, ninth in completion percentage over expected, and second in catchable target rate among qualifying quarterbacks. Even when pressured, his accuracy has been excellent, and he should benefit this week from facing a Jets pass rush that ranks eighth-lowest in pressure rate. He has already delivered top-five finishes in two of his last three games, showing his ceiling is among the best in fantasy football. While Lamb’s absence lowers his floor slightly, Prescott’s volume and efficiency give him a strong path to another QB1 finish. He should remain a locked-in start for fantasy managers in Week 5.
Quarterbacks to Sit
Bo Nix DEN
Bo Nix delivered a fantasy breakout with 25.7 points against Cincinnati last week, but that matchup was as favorable as it gets. Now he draws the Eagles, a defense that has kept names like Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, and Matthew Stafford in check. Mayfield is the only quarterback to top 200 yards against Philadelphia this season, and Nix averaged just 178 passing yards in his first three games before his Bengals blow-up. His efficiency metrics also paint a troubling picture: he ranks bottom-tier in yards per attempt, completion percentage over expected, and catchable target rate while carrying one of the highest turnover-worthy throw rates in the league. This is not the kind of profile you want to trust against an elite defense.
Philadelphia has been one of the toughest matchups for opposing passers, allowing the eighth-fewest yards per attempt, seventh-lowest passer rating, and top-five marks in success rate per dropback. Nix has already been volatile, with two QB1 finishes and two outside the top-15, showing how matchup-dependent he is. Without a reliable track record of volume or efficiency, betting on him to succeed in this spot is risky. Unless you’re in a Superflex or two-quarterback league, he’s better left on the bench this week. Fantasy managers should consider Nix a clear sit in Week 5.
Trevor Lawrence JAC
The Jaguars may be winning games, but Trevor Lawrence has not been winning over fantasy managers. In three Jacksonville victories this year, he has scored 13.7 points or fewer, showing that team success hasn’t translated into reliable fantasy production. His only notable outing came against a weak Cincinnati defense, while he has struggled against better units. On the season, Lawrence ranks 31st in fantasy points per game and has only one top-12 finish, with every other week landing him outside the top-20. Kansas City looms as another tough matchup, which has allowed just a combined 29.6 fantasy points across the last three weeks. That defensive stretch highlights why Lawrence is best avoided this weekend.
Kansas City’s defense is giving up the tenth-lowest passer rating and fifth-fewest passing touchdowns, making it unlikely that Lawrence delivers the kind of ceiling you’d need to justify starting him. Even if the Jaguars are playing from behind, he hasn’t shown the ability to capitalize on negative game scripts. Fantasy managers should keep Lawrence out of lineups in Week 5, making him a strong sit.
Tua Tagovailoa MIA
Tua Tagovailoa has been a frustrating fantasy quarterback to trust, and Week 5 looks like another tough hill to climb. He has one of the lowest average depth of targets in the league (6.2 yards) and ranks outside the top-20 in yards per attempt, passer rating, and highly accurate throw rate. Nearly 60% of his passing yards come after the catch, meaning he relies heavily on playmakers rather than pushing the ball downfield himself. This week, he’ll be without Tyreek Hill, leaving a major void in Miami’s passing attack. While Carolina’s defense isn’t elite, they have held quarterbacks to the eighth-lowest passer rating and fifth-fewest passing touchdowns this year, making efficiency hard to come by.
Historically, Tagovailoa has had success against Carolina, throwing for 262 yards and three scores in 2023, but circumstances are much different now. He has failed to post strong fantasy totals in most of the season’s first month, and opposing quarterbacks have averaged fewer than 15 fantasy points per game against the Panthers since last year. Even with weapons like Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane, Tua’s conservative style and matchup limitations cap his ceiling. This isn’t the spot to bank on a big bounce-back. Fantasy managers should treat him as a low-end option at best, preferably a sit in Week 5.
