Week 5 Players I Hate in Fantasy Football

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Purdy might be the NFL MVP over the first month, but you don’t get far going against the Seattle Seahawks. Only the Minnesota Vikings have yielded fewer fantasy points to QBs than the defending champs in 2026, and in three matchups versus Seattle a year ago, Purdy averaged 181 yards, 0.67 TDs, and 1.33 INTs per game. You should strongly consider your alternatives before committing to Purdy in your Week 5 lineup.

Others I Don’t Like

• Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints: Speaking of those Vikings, Shough must face Brian Flores’ attacking defense on a short week minus his top back. Watching him against the Atlanta Falcons’ pass rush on Monday night was worrisome.
• Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: Hurts has really struggled to move the football the last two weeks, and a stout Jacksonville Jaguars defense is unlikely to make things better.
• Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns: While Watson’s solid play has anchored Cleveland’s 3-1 start, the New York Jets have been among the five toughest defenses on QBs this season, giving up just 206 yards and 1.3 TDs per game.

Running Backs

Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

At this point, it looks like Lamar Jackson (ankle) will miss Sunday night’s clash with Atlanta. That should allow the Falcons to focus their energy on stopping Henry. Atlanta has been one of the top groups when it comes to limiting opposing backs to open the season, though take that with a grain of salt as they haven’t faced an RB of Henry’s caliber—in fact, their last two opponents were missing their lead back. Still, there are reasons to worry about Henry in this one.

Others I Don’t Like

• Cam Skattebo, New York Giants: Skattebo is uninvolved in the passing game and has ceded more touches than expected to Najee Harris. Combine that with a matchup against the Washington Commanders, which defend the run far more effectively than the pass, and he’s more of a flex.
• Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys: Teams haven’t had much success running on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers thus far as they rank fifth in fantasy points allowed to RBs.
• Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints: Don’t be fooled by Kamara’s fantasy output for Week 4 as it was heavily skewed by a couple of short touchdowns. The Vikings have been almost as stingy to running backs as they have been to QBs.

Wide Receivers

Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

With Daniel Jones currently riding the struggle bus and the receiver room thinned by injuries, there isn’t a lot to like about Indy’s aerial attack. The Pittsburgh Steelers, meanwhile, rank ninth in fantasy points surrendered to receivers. On top of that, the Colts played in England this past Sunday, while Pittsburgh last took the field on Oct. 1. It’s hard to see many ups for Downs here.

Others I Don’t Like

• Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers: No team has allowed fewer yards to receivers than Seattle, which is holding WRs as a position group to under 100 per game. With Evans nursing a rib injury, I’d be nervous about using him in Week 5.
• Denzel Boston, Cleveland Browns: Boston has been the best of Cleveland’s receivers in 2026, but the Jets have done a nice job in limiting wideouts, ranking eighth in fantasy points allowed.
• Romeo Doubs, New England Patriots: After scoring twice in Week 4, Doubs might be in line for a spot in your Week 5 lineup. To which I respond: The Las Vegas Raiders have only allowed 36 catches and two scores to receivers this season. Caveat emptor.

Tight Ends

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

Ever since opening 2026 with a 5-130-0 effort, Kincaid has seen his numbers dip, cratering with last week’s 1-7-0 line against New England. No team has given up fewer receiving yards to tight ends than the Los Angeles Rams this year, with LA surrendering just 21 per game—that despite facing George Kittle, Isaiah Likely, and Evan Engram. That doesn’t bode well for Kincaid’s chances of rebounding this Monday.

Others I Don’t Like

• Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers can’t be benched, but the Pats have allowed the fewest fantasy points to TEs. While Mayer has quietly crept into the conversation for a lineup spot, this isn’t the week to try him.
• Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers: Chicago has allowed a combined 13-139-0 line to tight ends this season. Despite scoring in Week 4, Kraft also dropped a touchdown and hasn’t played to his pre-injury standards.

Defensive Teams

• Seattle Seahawks: Purdy hasn’t been sacked this season, and San Francisco has turned the ball over just twice. It’s tough to accrue much value that way, even for an elite defense.
• Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles have scuffled recently, while only two teams have fewer turnovers than Jacksonville.
• Baltimore Ravens: Atlanta’s offense is sizzling right now, and injuries on Baltimore’s offense could lead to the Ravens’ defense spending a lot of time on the field.