Fantasy Football Week 5 RB rankings: Sleepers, bye week replacements, and more

Modified Oct 02, 2023 18:09 GMT

Running backs are consistently among the most important fantasy football players during each NFL season. This position can often make or break an entire fantasy roster, so they are traditionally the most targeted players in the first few rounds of every fantasy draft. Starting the right running backs in lineups each week is crucial to finding victories consistently.

Week 5 of the 2023 fantasy football season offers a new challenge for the first time this year when finalizing lineup decisions. This is the first of the NFL bye weeks for this season, so not all players will be available in fantasy football for the first time this year. Bye weeks can test the depth of a fantasy roster, making the waiver wire even more important than ever.

Four teams will be on their byes in Week 5, including the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Seattle Seahawks. This list is particularly significant in fantasy football for the always important running back position. All four teams feature running backs that are often staples in many fantasy lineups.

Per the bye weeks, these running backs will be unavailable in Week 5 lineups:

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

Austin Ekeler
Joshua Kelley
Kenneth Walker
Zach Charbonnet
Rachaad White
Jerome Ford
Kareem Hunt

Managers with any of these running backs on their fantasy rosters will need to use replacements for their starting lineups. They can be found on their bench, the waiver wire, and the trade market. The following list gives five running backs that make for excellent Week 5 targets, playing in favorable matchups and showing enough positive output to be elevated into most starting lineups in fantasy football.

Before replacing these players in fantasy football lineups, make sure to consult the Start/Sit Optimizer first.

Fantasy Football Week 5 RB sleepers

Khalil Herbert

Many fantasy managers targeted Khalil Herbert as a potential sleeper late in their drafts this year. He showed a ton of potential in his few opportunities at extended touches last year but was mostly serving as a backup for David Montgomery, a true workhorse. With Montgomery departing for the Detroit Lions, Herbert was elevated to the Chicago Bears' RB1.

The Bears featured an unclear target distribution in their relatively deep backfield, making Herbert a risky pick, but the upside was there to make him a strong sleeper target. After a disappointing first three games of the 2023 fantasy football season, he exploded in Week 4 for 22 touches with 122 total yards and a touchdown. His breakout performance is just in time for all of the byes in Week 5, making him an ideal lineup replacement.

Also Read: Khalil Herbert fantasy outlook

De'Von Achane

The biggest breakout star two weeks ago in Week 3 was De'Von Achane, with an epic performance that included four touchdowns for the Miami Dolphins. He finished as the overall RB1 in fantasy football despite entering the week with just two touches all year. He backed that up with another top-five finish in fantasy leagues last week despite only receiving 11 touches.

Achane has officially proven that he can produce massive fantasy scores even if he doesn't receive a large workload. He served as the RB2 for the Dolphins behind Raheem Mostert in the last two weeks but still finished as a top 5 running back in both. His elite explosiveness and blazing speed make Achane a high-upside option in Week 5 lineups.

Breece Hall

Breece Hall was one of the most polarizing fantasy football running backs during the draft this season year. His incredible performances for the New York Jets in 2022 gave him a high ceiling, but his major injury and the addition of Dalvin Cook also made him a riskier pick than most other options. His results through four games of the 2023 NFL season confirm this dilemma.

Hall has finished among the top 20 running backs twice in four games this year but also outside the top 50 running backs in the other two games. This makes him a gamble in most weeks, but in Week 5, he should be a solid choice due to the bye weeks and his favorable matchup. The Denver Broncos are currently allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs by a wide margin, with second place allowing ten fewer points per game.

Also Read: Breece Hall fantasy projection

Brian Robinson

While Brian Robinson currently ranks as the RB12 during the 2023 fantasy football season, he's still being slept on in many leagues. He shouldn't, as his volume proves that he's the featured running back for the Washington Commanders, surpassing Antonio Gibson. Robinson is averaging 17 touches per game through four weeks, compiling three top-15 finishes along the way.

Further improving Robinon's outlook in Week 5 is an enticing matchup with the Chicago Bears. They are one of only two teams allowing more than 30 total fantasy points per week to opposing running backs. It's time to stop sleeping on Robinson, as all fantasy managers should be looking to get him in their lineups wherever possible.

Jahmyr Gibbs

While Jahmyr Gibbs hasn't been the fantasy superstar that managers were hoping for when they drafted him in the first few rounds this year, he has still posted relatively solid numbers. He has finished among the top 25 running backs in three of the four weeks this year despite taking a back seat to David Montgomery. He has also done so without scoring a touchdown, further brightening his outlook going forward.

The Carolina Panthers are currently allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, so there's no reason to believe that both Gibbs and Montgomery can have big days. The Detroit Lions have shown a commitment to the rushing game, including running it more than 40 times last week. There seems to be enough backfield work for both to thrive, so it's way too early for managers to start giving up Gibbs' elite skillset.

Managers looking to acquire any of these bye week replacements should refer to the fantasy football trade analyzer first.