Depth Chart Watch: Fallout From Week 5

This has been a boom or bust fantasy season so far, and a hard one to put your finger on at times. Running back has been a bit of a mess, as usual, but how many of us have sat Tevin Coleman for more than one big game? Unreal – that's what it feels like when he produces against basically any defense with precious few touches, and yet he keeps doing it. Many of us have suffered through the volatile tendencies of guys like A.J. Green and Amari Cooper, guys we expected more consistency out of. Picking guys off the wire has been hit or miss, too, with few Jordan Howard types out there.

Still, we must navigate the depth charts and the wire as always. Unless you have no one to drop (and there's always someone to drop unless you're in a super-shallow league), you're working the wire like the rest of us, so let's take a look at this week's movement on the depth charts. Cameron Meredith is perhaps the unexpected highlight of the week after his breakout performance for Chicago, but can that continue? Kenneth Dixon fetched a high price on many a waiver wire in anticipation of his debut, but a quiet game has fantasy owners already wondering if they wasted their dollars. Sometimes, patience can be hard to exercise, but all you can do in situations like that is watch and wait – and read on.

QUARTERBACK

Arizona Cardinals

Carson Palmer (concussion) ended up being ruled out of the Thursday game after getting his bell thoroughly rung the prior weekend, leaving Drew Stanton to post a rather unusual stat line. Stanton completed only 11 of 28 passes for 124 yards, but he found Larry Fitzgerald for two touchdowns and didn't turn the ball over, which was enough to pull out a win.

Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton was unable to suit up for Monday night's game thanks to his concussion, leaving Derek Anderson to start. He didn't do a whole lot with the opportunity – sure, Anderson completed 18 of 28 passes for 278 yards, but he didn't throw a single touchdown pass, got intercepted twice, and lost a fumble. With an enticing matchup coming up against the Saints, Carolina surely can't wait to have Newton back, but there's no definite word on his status for Week 6 yet.

Cleveland Browns

It's a good time to be an Indians fan – isn't that right, Browns fans? Yes, football's most unfortunate franchise fell to 0-5 thanks to a trouncing by New England on Sunday, and Cody Kessler came down with an injury to his ribs, forcing journeyman Charlie Whitehurst into action. In the category of good news (?), Josh McCown (collarbone) will return to practice this week, while Kessler's injury isn't considered serious. It sounds like Kessler will draw another start in Week 6 while McCown continues recovering, but we'll see how practice goes.

Chicago Bears

Brian Hoyer posted a monster game Sunday, completing 33 of 43 passes for 397 yards and two scores – his third straight game with at least 300 yards and exactly two touchdowns. Another soft matchup is on tap in the Jags, and the coaching staff continues to make highly understandable noises about Hoyer remaining the starter even after Jay Cutler (thumb) returns.

Denver Broncos

Trevor Siemian (shoulder) didn't justify the Broncos' pre-Week 5 optimism, as he was unable to go, leaving Paxton Lynch to draw his first career start. Lynch wasn't bad, but wasn't good either – he went 23-for-35 for 223 yards, a touchdown and a pick. He also fumbled twice, but was fortunate to have Denver players fall on the ball both times. Siemian's injury is supposed to be fairly minor and to his non-throwing shoulder, so he could come back to play in Week 6.

San Francisco 49ers

Speculation is running rampant once again about the possibility of a quarterback change in the Bay Area. With the Niners having fallen to 1-4, Blaine Gabbert may be at the end of an inaccurate run as their signal caller – he got intercepted twice Thursday, although fantasy owners desperate enough to roll him out (like me in a two-QB league) were happy to benefit from his 70 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Colin Kaepernick awaits; it'd certainly be interesting from a variety of perspectives to see him thrust back into the starting role, but we're still waiting for an official decision.

RUNNING BACK

Atlanta Falcons

So, I guess that sickle-cell issue wasn't bothering Tevin Coleman that much; all he did Sunday was average 5.2 YPC on his six carries and rip off an easily team-leading 132 yards (and a touchdown) on four receptions against perhaps the NFL's best defense. Devonta Freeman enjoyed his time at altitude too, dominating the rushing opportunities (23 of 'em) and notching a total of 123 yards with a touchdown.

Baltimore Ravens

Kenneth Dixon's NFL debut didn't quite play out like a Cinderella story – he carried three times for a net loss of a yard, but at least his six-yard reception left him in positive territory. Terrance West, meanwhile, scorched the Redskins for 95 yards on just 11 carries, although his six-yard loss in the passing game and lack of a touchdown limited his fantasy appeal. It's looking more and more likely that West will cling to that No. 1 role in the aftermath of Justin Forsett's benching and then release.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers bumped up against a softer run defense Monday night than they did the prior week, and with Newton not playing, we saw our biggest dose yet of Cameron Artis-Payne. He certainly got the job done, rushing 18 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Fozzy Whittaker, meanwhile, touched the ball only six times and gained 54 total yards. Jonathan Stewart (hamstring) got out there for pregame drills Monday and could be approaching a return. If that transpires, CAP will likely head back to a bench role even after this big effort.

Cincinnati Bengals

Jeremy Hill departed Sunday's game with a shoulder injury, and Giovani Bernard did well with what workload there was available – he rushed nine times for 50 yards and caught all six of his targets for another 46. That said, Hill's injury is being downplayed; he's expected to practice starting Wednesday and get right back out there against the Pats in Week 6.

Detroit Lions

Theo Riddick got the job done for fantasy owners in Week 5, scoring through the air twice (among six catches) to go with 11 carries for 49 yards. Zach Zenner didn't exactly excel in the big-back role, running seven times for nine whole yards. Word is that the Lions are working out the newly available Forsett as they look for some more depth.

Green Bay Packers

Eddie Lacy came down with an ankle injury Sunday, leading to extra work for James Starks, who didn't make much of his 12 carries (33 yards). It sounds like Lacy is firmly in the questionable category for this week, making Starks a potentially appealing fantasy pickup despite his inefficiency this year. Look out for the Packers to potentially sign another rusher, as those two are really the only ones they've got.

Kansas City Chiefs

Look for Jamaal Charles to seize a bigger chunk of the workload with the Chiefs now past their bye, having allowed his knee some extra time to heal up. Spencer Ware will surely stay involved, though.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins gave Jay Ajayi something resembling a starter's workload in Week 5, as he rushed 13 times while no other back did so more than twice. He averaged just 3.2 YPC, but did save his fantasy day with a four-yard touchdown. Kenyan Drake was basically useless behind him, while Damien Williams broke off a 58-yarder in the receiving game, but didn't touch the ball much otherwise. Arian Foster's hamstring is still holding him out, and it's still unclear when he'll be set to return.

Minnesota Vikings

After a big Week 4, Jerick McKinnon's fantasy owners were excited for Week 5, only to see him get stuffed over and over by the Texans, rushing 20 times for only 36 yards. Ugly. Meanwhile, Matt Asiata was productive for fantasy purposes (if not in general), carrying 14 times for 55 yards and a touchdown, plus 46 yards through the air. The important thing, though, is that the Vikes are good, so both of these guys will continue getting plenty of touches.

New York Giants

Rashad Jennings' thumb sprain kept him out again in Week 5, leading to a carry split mostly between Bobby Rainey and Orleans Darkwa, two guys Giants fans probably weren't counting on rooting for in the first half of the season. The only (mildly) interesting production among this crew came from Rainey, who caught all six of his pass targets for 52 yards. Rookie Paul Perkins touched the ball only three times despite showing his electric playmaking ability the prior week.

Oakland Raiders

Well, I said this would be a fantasy value-destroying time share until someone got hurt, and someone did – Latavius Murray came down with turf toe and didn't play in Week 5. DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard didn't do much in the running game while nearly evenly splitting 17 carries, while guy-you've-never-heard-of Jamize Olawale stole six rushes from them and scored a one-yard touchdown. However, Richard excelled in the receiving game, gathering six of seven targets for 66 yards. Washington was active through the air too, catching five for 29 on six targets of his own. The Raiders are looking to get Murray back this week, but this is a mess for fantasy purposes either way. That said, the Raiders will certainly face softer run defenses than San Diego's in the future.

Philadelphia Eagles

Ryan Mathews got back out there in Week 5 and seized top RB duties back for himself, leading the team in rushing attempts (11) while notching 75 total yards (33 through the air) and a receiving touchdown – as well as a lost fumble, which coach Doug Pederson said should have been ruled a dead ball. Accordingly, Wendell Smallwood played only one snap on offense. Darren Sproles actually out-rushed Mathews (45 yards on five carries), but was uncharacteristically quiet in the receiving game (23 yards on four catches) and actually saw fewer targets than his counterpart.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No Doug Martin (hamstring), no Charles Sims (placed on injured reserve with a knee issue), no problem. Jacquizz Rodgers took the ball 30 times and ground out 101 yards against the Panthers on Monday night, adding another 28 on five catches. That said, the Bucs are on bye this week and it'd be no surprise if Martin were healthy enough to play thereafter.

WIDE RECEIVER

Buffalo Bills

The Bills just scored 30 points despite their wide receivers – as a unit – accounting for 43 yards on five catches. The less said about this crew, the better. But hey, Marquise Goodwin caught a five-yard touchdown, so I guess that sort of proves that he's not just a burner.

Chicago Bears

Kevin White's Week 4 ankle injury landed him on IR, leading to undrafted second-year man Cameron Meredith taking a step up the depth chart – and then a leap into the awareness of fantasy owners, as he led the team in targets (12), catches (nine) and receiving yardage (130), though he also lost a fumble. That was twice as many targets as Alshon Jeffery (but don't expect that to become a regular occurrence) and three more than Eddie Royal (which could certainly be the case moving forward). Meredith may be the priority pickup for the week if you're needy at wideout.

Dallas Cowboys

Dez Bryant (knee) was out again Sunday, so the Cowboys mostly scorched the Bengals on the ground with Ezekiel Elliott, but Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley were both quite efficient, catching all their targets – five for 70 for Williams, four for 53 and a score for Beasley. Brice Butler was much quieter this time. Dez's status for Week 6 remains unclear, but considering the optimism about him prior to Week 5, he shouldn't be out much longer. That said, Jerry Jones said Tuesday morning that his star wideout won't be rushed back.

Minnesota Vikings

With Stefon Diggs (groin) out, the Vikings needed their other receivers to step up in Week 5, and they did – Adam Thielen exploded for seven catches, 127 yards and a touchdown, while Cordarrelle Patterson scored a touchdown of his own. Patterson's arguably looked better this season than ever before, although he's still on the fringes of fantasy relevance at the moment. Diggs' status moving forward remains murky.

New York Jets

Eric Decker (shoulder) sat again Sunday, but Quincy Enunwa didn't really benefit – he managed a modest 51 yards on four catches (seven targets). Meanwhile, Brandon Marshall was a target machine (15, of which he caught eight for 114 yards) in the losing effort against Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Sammie Coates produced a monster game in Week 5, catching six of his 11 targets (tying Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell in looks from Big Ben) for 139 yards and two scores, including a 72-yard scorching of the Jets' D less than five minutes into the game. Crucially, Coates' other TD came from just five yards out, showing that the Steelers are getting comfortable with using him in all situations. Meanwhile, Markus Wheaton was barely involved (two catches for 19 yards on three targets).

San Diego Chargers

This is one of those situations that make people like me question the nature of our existence. A week after both Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin were patently useless while Dontrelle Inman went crazy, the reverse happened – Williams and Benjamin each gained 117 yards (with Benjamin's 11 targets leading the team and easily beating Williams' five, although it was 'Rell who got into the end zone) while Inman caught just a lone three-yard pass from Philip Rivers. It's clear that pretty much every wideout here is a boom-or-bust option, although Williams has generally offered at least a decent floor.

San Francisco 49ers

I didn't pay Jeremy Kerley much mind after he put together a productive Week 4, but after a big Week 5, it merits mentioning that this guy – who couldn't even serve particularly well as the Jets' No. 3 or 4 wideout – has emerged as the top target in SF. However, Kaepernick might have different preferences if he takes over under center.

TIGHT END

Cincinnati Bengals

After missing four weeks with an ankle injury, Tyler Eifert added a back injury that kept him out in Week 5, leaving us with another mediocre week of C.J. Uzomah (who caught a career-high five passes while making his fifth start, but gained a modest 43 yards). Eifert's still not expected to be out for the long haul, but it's unclear whether he'll be able to return this week.

Cleveland Browns

Gary Barnidge, last year's breakout tight end, has had a decent yet quiet season so far, but delivered his highest yardage total (76) against the Pats on Sunday. Unfortunately, he also hurt his ankle badly enough that he needed post-game X-rays, so his status moving forward merits watching. Enormous (6-foot-7, 266 pounds) rookie Connor Hamlett caught his first NFL pass target for a 17-yard touchdown Sunday, and he's the one who'd stand to benefit in case of a Barnidge absence.

Detroit Lions

With Eric Ebron (knee) out for Week 5, no Lions tight end was targeted at all. Ebron's Week 6 status remains unclear.

New England Patriots

If you just knew that Tom Brady's return would bring Rob Gronkowski's with it… you were right. Gronk grabbed five balls for 109 yards to celebrate his reunion with Brady, but he was actually dwarfed by the fantasy production of Martellus Bennett, who went into the end zone for three touchdowns to go with his 67 yards on six catches. Bennett actually narrowly out-targeted Gronk, 8-7.

New York Jets

Austin Seferian-Jenkins dressed in green and white for the first time in Week 5 and posted the biggest line by a Jets tight end through five weeks: two catches for 17 yards. He wasn't used on a lot of snaps, though, as the Jets have mostly been using the position for blocking. It remains unclear whether that'll evolve as the season progresses.

Philadelphia Eagles

Zach Ertz (collarbone) made a quiet return to the field in Week 5, catching all three of his targets for 37 yards. Trey Burton stuck around to steal a couple targets from him, but bigger things should be expected from Ertz moving forward now that he's proven his health.

San Diego Chargers

Antonio Gates (hamstring) got back for Week 5, but there was plenty enough TE action to go around – Hunter Henry excelled again with three grabs for 74 yards and a touchdown, while Gates scored a TD of his own to go with four catches for 30 yards (and a lost fumble, his first since 2013). Despite being limited to 18 plays upon his return, Gates actually drew more targets than Henry, 5-4.