X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 5

Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Adam Koffler's fantasy football risers, fallers, sleepers, and busts heading into Week 5 of 2024. He identifies players at RB, WR, TE with rising fantasy values.

Week 4 of the 2024 season is in the books. That means another week of cold, hard data to analyze. We’ll try not to overreact, but instead, use logic and reasoning as the foundation for our decision-making in the weeks ahead.

Each week, we’ll take a look back at the previous week to see if our risers and fallers are still rising or still falling. Heading into Week 4, our biggest risers were Diontae Johnson, Dallas Goedert, Jauan Jennings, Aaron Jones, and Rome Odunze. Our biggest fallers were Mark Andrews, D'Andre Swift, Calvin Ridley, and Javonte Williams. Johnson, Goedert, and Jones crushed in Week 5. Swift did as well, so he went from one of the biggest fallers last week to one of the biggest risers this week. Andrews, unfortunately, continues to disappoint fantasy managers, while Odunze came back down to earth with the return of Keenan Allen.

Now that we’ve recapped the previous week’s risers and fallers, let’s take a look at some of the biggest risers and fallers heading into Week 5.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Week 5 Fantasy Football Risers

Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers

All offseason long, we wondered how the Packers wide receiver room would shake out. Heading into Week 4, it was very spread out amongst four guys and a tight end (Tucker Kraft). But with Christian Watson suffering a high ankle sprain on Sunday, the room has been consolidated.

Wicks led all Packers pass-catchers with 13 targets in Week 4. He turned those targets into five catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. His ability to earn targets is no fluke. He’s done it time and time again when on the field the last two seasons:

As Dwain mentioned, there’s a good chance Wicks is the best receiver in Green Bay. Now, while Watson is out for a few weeks, he’ll have a chance to prove that consistently. 

The Packers also have some very favorable matchups on the horizon. They’ll face the Rams, Cardinals, Texans, Jaguars, and Lions in the next five weeks. Each of those teams has allowed at least 20 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers this season. If Wicks is available on your league’s waiver wire, make him a priority.

Jordan Whittington, Los Angeles Rams

Whittington played just 38% of the snaps in Week 3 after Cooper Kupp suffered an ankle injury in Week 2. But HC Sean McVay saw enough in Week 3 to give Whittington a full-time role in Week 4. And the rookie wideout made the most of that opportunity, catching six balls for 62 yards on a team-high eight targets.

The Rams have just one more game before their Week 6 bye, but Kupp and Puka Nacua are no guarantee to return in Week 7. Even when Kupp returns (seemingly before Nacua), Whittington could still hold onto his full-time role given his recent production. The Rams continue hitting on late-round wide receivers in the draft (Puka, fifth round, Whittington, sixth round). This guy is good.

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

We don't know the extent of Rashee Rice's knee injury, but we do know he'll be out for the foreseeable future. That means more of the Travis Kelce we've become accustomed to. For the time being, he won't have to compete with a target hog like Rice.

In Week 4, he posted a line of 7-89-0 on nine targets. His nine targets were good for a 32% target share, which was by far a season high. His previous season-high was just a 14.8% target share in Week 1. Kelce also had an elite route participation rate of 94% in Week 4 without Rice.

He may be a declining player at the age of 34, but the Chiefs might have no choice but to run him into the ground. He did it last week and he did it last season in the playoffs when he averaged 89 yards on 9.3 targets per game. Kelce goes from being a bust to being one of, if not the most, valuable tight end in the league once again.

Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers

Like his teammate Wicks, Reed is skyrocketing up the rest-of-season rankings with Watson set to miss at least a few weeks. He played on a season-high 78% of the snaps in Week 4 and set a new career-high with 139 receiving yards. That’s the second time this season Reed has gone over 100 receiving yards. He did so just once in his rookie season.

Wicks might get a couple more targets per game than Reed, but don’t be surprised if the latter puts up more fantasy points. Heading into Week 4, Reed ranked first among receivers in target separation (3.07), fourth in yards per route run (3.46), and first in fantasy points per route run (0.89) (data via PlayerProfiler).

He was cooking before the Watson injury. Now, he should feast with even more opportunities heading his way.

Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers

Per PlayerProfiler, Legette was averaging just a 58% route participation rate heading into Week 4. But in his first full game without Adam Thielen, he posted an 88% route participation rate. That led to six catches for 66 yards and his first career NFL touchdown on a season-high 10 targets.

With Thielen out for at least the next three games, Legette has a chance to put up some pretty gaudy numbers alongside Diontae Johnson so long as Andy Dalton is under center. Outside of Johnson, the only other competition for targets is Jonathan Mingo, Tommy Tremble, and running back Chuba Hubbard.

Legette isn't just a riser in the short-term, either, while Thielen is out. If the Panthers continue losing ball games, one of Johnson or Thielen could very well be on the move ahead of the November 5 trade deadline. Now is your chance to trade for (or pick up) an ascending rookie in an offense that is going to be throwing the ball a lot in most games.

Other Risers: Xavier Worthy, Tre Tucker, Josh Downs, Chase Brown, Wan'Dale Robinson, Bucky Irving

 

Week 5 Fantasy Football Fallers

Carson Steele, Kansas City Chiefs

Steele went from one of the hottest waiver-wire pickups to waiver-wire fodder in two weeks. In Week 3, he totaled 72 yards on the ground on 17 carries on a 62% snap share. Then in Week 4, he was essentially benched for Kareem Hunt. Hunt led the way with 14 carries to just two for Steele.

Steele did fumble for the second time in three games in Week 4, but that’s the kind of thing that’ll get you a seat on the bench if you’re not engrained as the starter.


Head coach Andy Reid remained confident in Steele after the game, but it’s hard to imagine Hunt doesn’t continue to remain heavily involved after looking pretty spry in his first game back. Not only that, but it’s obvious coach Reid trusts Hunt in all situations.

With Clyde Edwards-Helaire also set to return as early as Week 5, Steele can be confidently dropped in most leagues for a higher-upside stash.

Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears

Odunze has now played two games with Keenan Allen and two games without him. In the games without him, the rookie wideout is averaging four catches for 72.5 yards on eight targets per game. In the two games with him, Odunze is averaging just one catch for 10.5 yards on 3.5 targets per game. 

Odunze’s snap share has also taken a hit with Keenan Allen on the field (77% vs. 97%). It’s a small sample size, but it doesn’t appear Caleb Williams and this Shane Waldron-run offense is capable of supporting three wide receivers consistently. 

Williams is also struggling to make throws down the field. That hurts Odunze, who’s averaging 16.6 yards per catch this season and has caught just 43% of his targets this season.

Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Etienne played a season-low 52% of the snaps in Week 4 as he battled through a shoulder injury. Unfortunately for Etienne's fantasy managers, that injury paved the way for Tank Bigsby, who had seven carries for 90 yards against the Texans.

It's been night and day for Bigsby this season. He's now averaging 8.2 yards per carry on the season vs. just 2.6 yards per carry in his rookie year. Bigsby's new role in the offense has eaten into Etienne's workload. His route participation has now fallen every week this season, down to just 40% in Week 4. It might not seem like a lot, but Bigsby's 14.3% route participation rate in Week 4 was a new career-high.

As long as Tank continues to produce with his touches, he's going to continue to earn more work. This will especially be the case if Etienne's struggles remain. Through four games, he's averaging just 3.13 yards created per touch (41st among running backs) and has a juke rate of just 13.3% (49th among running backs), per PlayerProfiler. Meanwhile, Bigsby is creating 3.86 yards per touch and has a juke rate of 28.6%.

Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals

Despite 17.8 PPR points in Week 4, Moss is considered a faller for the first time this season. So, why is that? Well, he had just a 51% RB opportunity share this past week and that percentage has fallen each week (76%, 76%, 64%, 51%).

Chase Brown finally broke through in Week 4 with 23.2 fantasy points on 17 total touches. He looked really good:

Moss will still play. He continues to dominate the passing-down work (28 snaps for Moss vs. two for Brown). However, it appears that his share of the RB opportunities is starting to dwindle due to how well Brown is running the football.

Moss is still startable for the time being as long as Brown struggles in pass protection. However, if Brown gets up to speed in that aspect of the game, he's going to eventually pass Moss in playing time and opportunities.

Other Fallers: Bijan Robinson, Jalen Nailor, Tyler Johnson, Mike Gesicki, Rachaad White, De'Von Achane



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Travis Hunter

Jaguars Plan To Start Travis Hunter In The Receiver Room
Garrett Crochet

Dealt Second Loss
Detroit Lions

Lions Pick Up Aidan Hutchinson's Fifth-Year Option
Jameson Williams

Lions Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Rhett Lowder

To Throw A Bullpen Session On Saturday
Aidan Miller

Showing Well At Double-A Of Late
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
J.J. Wetherholt

Absent From Lineup All Week
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Jac Caglianone

Roams Right Field At Double-A On Thursday
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
Sebastian Walcott

Smacks Second Home Run Of 2025
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Kenley Jansen

Records His Sixth Save Of The Season
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Miguel Vargas

Homers Against The Twins On Thursday
Hunter Goodman

Delivers In Game 1 On Thursday With Two Hits
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Christopher Morel

Home Run Seals Victory For Rays
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Zach Neto

Hits Go-Ahead Home Run On Thursday
Yandy Díaz

Yandy Diaz Tallies Three Hits In Win Against Arizona
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Pete Fairbanks

Picks Up Fourth Save On Thursday
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Picks Up Save On Thursday
Corbin Burnes

Picks Up Eight Strikeouts In Thursday's Start
MacKenzie Gore

Strikes Out Eight In Loss On Thursday
Cade Povich

Picks Up Win On Thursday
Bobby Witt Jr.

Scores Three Runs, Steals A Base On Thursday
Alex Bregman

Homers In Loss To Seattle
Mike Yastrzemski

Homers, Drives In Two On Thursday
Salvador Perez

Notches Four Doubles, Four RBI In Thursday's Doubleheader
Jameson Williams

Lions Didn't Entertain Trade Offers For Jameson Williams
Qadir Ismail

Raiders Sign Qadir Ismail
New York Giants

Giants Plan To Exercise Kayvon Thibodeaux's Fifth-Year Option
Russell Wilson

Will Be Giants Starting Quarterback
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Close Out The First Round With Josh Simmons
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Trade Up One Spot In First Round To Select Jihaad Campbell
Buffalo Bills

Bills Address Secondary And Take Maxwell Hairston With 30th Overall Pick
NFL

Eagles, Chiefs Swap First-Round Picks
Washington Commanders

Josh Conerly Jr. Goes At No. 29 Overall To Commanders
Jaxson Dart

Giants Trade Up For Jaxson Dart At No. 25
Detroit Lions

Tyleik Williams Taken By Lions At No. 28 Overall
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Go With Malaki Starks At No. 27 Overall In NFL Draft
Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Takes Donovan Jackson No. 24 Overall
NFL

Rams Trade The 26th Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To The Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Trade Back Into First Round To Draft James Pearce Jr. At No. 26 Overall
Matthew Golden

Selected No. 23 Overall By Green Bay
NFL

Texans Trade The 25th Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To The Giants
Omarion Hampton

Taken No. 22 Overall By Chargers
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Isaiah Stewart

Remains Out For Game 3
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Linus Ullmark

Attempts To Overcome Playoff Struggles Thursday
Anthony Cirelli

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Logan Thompson

Comes Up Big In Game 2
Connor McMichael

Strikes Twice In Wednesday's Win
Anze Kopitar

Tallies Four Points In Game 2 Victory
Adrian Kempe

Notches Two Goals, Two Assists In Wednesday's Win
Tyler Seguin

Gives Stars Series Lead With Overtime Winner
Tyler Herro

Scores Game-High 33 Points In Wednesday's Loss
Donovan Mitchell

Fires In 30 Points In Game 2 Win
Paolo Banchero

Notches 32 Points In Game 2 Loss
Jaylen Brown

Posts 36-Point Double-Double Wednesday
Jalen Green

Erupts For 38 Points In Game 2 Victory
Brandin Podziemski

Limited To 14 Minutes Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Set For MRI Thursday
Brandin Podziemski

Upgraded To Available
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Michael Porter Jr.

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Davion Mitchell

Moves Into Starting Lineup Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Al Horford

Starts Game 2
Michael Porter Jr.

Practices On Wednesday
Jayson Tatum

Out On Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

May Miss Another Game Thursday
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF