There is at least one more fantasy football team than usual interested in the QB streamers this week, as Justin Herbert is on bye, and with Geno Smith/Deshaun Watson also having the week off, the pool is thinner. Who should you be looking at as you begin to prepare for Week 5?
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Top QB Streamers for Week 5
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (vs. Panthers)
At this point, QB streamers should be checking to see where the Detroit Lions play a week in advance to give themselves the ability to acquire Goff’s services free of charge.
If no one in your league was looking ahead, he’s back at home this week and with extended time to prep for a vulnerable Carolina Panthers defense. What more could you ask for?
A year after Goff posted a 23:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio in front of the Detroit faithful, his top two games this season have come in the Lions’ two home games.
Jared Goff & Amon-Ra St. Brown (24-yd TD)
St. Brown had 7.6 yards of separation from the nearest defender when the pass arrived. Tune in to @TNFPrimeVision w/@NextGenStats for a deeper look into Thursday Night Football 📽️
📱: https://t.co/1OMRlplD2C pic.twitter.com/zAyjV9DcbL
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 29, 2023
Do we see any reason that won’t continue? With David Montgomery back to stabilize this run game, the Lions project for a big Week 5, and Goff is a top-12 QB as a result.
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (at Raiders)
It wasn’t a clean performance from Jordan Love against the Lions on Thursday, but courtesy of a touchdown run, he produced his fourth straight game north of 17.5 fantasy points.
Don’t get me wrong, he has plenty of flaws, though he has proven capable of taking the yards on the ground when given them and has been anything but shy in terms of challenging defenses down the field. The latter is the part I’m buying this week against an iffy secondary, with Christian Watson theoretically a step closer to full strength.
MORE: Fantasy News Tracker
Love – noun: strong affection for another arising out of personal ties.
With the floor being established through the first month, this matchup gives fantasy managers that warm feeling inside for Jordan this week.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (at Falcons)
That’s now three straight games with over 20 fantasy points, and while it isn’t the most sustainable of production profiles, the team is putting him in a position to get the benefit of volume.
Over the past two weeks, his 36 completions have picked up 586 yards and four scores. In the two weeks prior to that, he threw 91 passes. That means that, in all four weeks this season, he’s either had crazy volume or crazy efficiency. To be honest, I don’t care which of those outcomes he trends closer to. With time, either can be effective for our purposes.
He gets to play on the fast track of Mercedes-Benz Stadium this weekend (a boost in his per-completion value, given the playmaking potential of his two primary receivers) against a team that has a weird practice week as they return from London. Is he a top-12 guy? No, but you could do worse, and if you’re streaming the position, he gives you access to a reasonable floor that few free agents do.
QB Rankings for Week 5
1. Patrick Mahomes | KC (at MIN)
2. Josh Allen | BUF (vs. JAX)
3. Jalen Hurts | PHI (at LAR)
4. Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (vs. NYG)
5. Kirk Cousins | MIN (vs. KC)
6. Anthony Richardson | IND
7. Lamar Jackson | BAL (at PIT)
8. Trevor Lawrence | JAX (at BUF)
9. Jared Goff | DET (vs. CAR)
10. Justin Fields | CHI (at WAS)
11. Joe Burrow | CIN (at ARI)
12. Jordan Love | GB (at LV)
13. Brock Purdy | SF (vs. DAL)
14. Daniel Jones | NYG (at MIA)
15. C.J. Stroud | HOU (at ATL)
16. Russell Wilson | DEN (vs. NYJ)
17. Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. PHI)
18. Sam Howell | WAS (vs. CHI)
19. Joshua Dobbs | ARI (vs. CIN)
20. Dak Prescott | DAL (at SF)