Depth Chart Watch: Fallout From Week 5

If the first five weeks of the season have taught us anything so far, it's something that we should have known already: In the NFL, opportunity is everything. Would we be sitting here with Devonta Freeman running away with the MVP award 29 percent of the way through the season if not for Tevin Coleman's injury? Would James Jones (Aaron Rodgers' leading receiver) or Chris Johnson (Arizona's leading rusher) even be in the league if not for Jordy Nelson's preseason ACL tear and Andre Ellington's early knee issues? Would Chris Thompson be such a big part of the Redskins' offense if not for Matt Jones putting the ball on the ground at the goal line in Week 3? The answer to all these rhetorical questions is, "Probably not." That in mind, let's take a look at the latest opportunities for players to move up the depth charts.

Arizona RB: This was a good week to own a Cardinals rusher. Andre Ellington (knee) barely touched the ball in his return, but he took one of his three carries 63 yards to the house, putting the icing on a blowout of the Lions. Chris Johnson ran the ball the most and he was quite effective once again, turning only 11 carries into 103 yards. His owners couldn't have been happy, though, to see David Johnson snake two short touchdowns among his three carries. It looks like, health permitting, this trio is going to gradually fall into sharply defined roles: Chris the lead back, David the goal-line back, and Ellington the passing-down specialist.

Arizona WR: After he made his presence felt for the first time in Week 4, we were looking for continued progress by Michael Floyd in Week 5, and we didn't get it. He caught only one of his three targets for 15 yards, and although we can include the qualifier that Carson Palmer only aired it out 14 times on the day, that didn't stop John Brown and Larry Fitzgerald from having highly fantasy-relevant games. Floyd continues to fail at making inroads on the No. 2 role.

Atlanta RB: This may be the last time in a while that I discuss the Falcons backfield, as Tevin Coleman returned to all of two carries in Week 5 while Devonta Freeman rolled up nearly 200 total yards in another enormous game. Freeman is the clear No. 1 here moving forward, a full-time featured back.

Atlanta WR: Leonard Hankerson suffered a rib injury early in Sunday's game, but Roddy White didn't exactly excel in his absence, catching two passes for 23 yards as the complement to Julio Jones. Monitor Hankerson's injury with an eye on potentially snagging Roddy from the waiver wire, where many owners have deposited him in the midst of his atrocious start to the season. Hey, Matt Ryan needs to throw the ball to someone besides Jones and Freeman.

Baltimore WR: Steve Smith's back fractures let Kamar Aiken and Marlon Brown occupy lead roles Sunday, but it didn't come out pretty. Aiken led the Ravens in receiving with 78 yards, but was only able to collect four of his nine targets (not that he's necessarily to blame for that). Brown caught one pass for no yards. Breshad Perriman (knee) remains a question mark, with his return date still up in the air.

Buffalo RB: No LeSean McCoy (hamstring) and no Karlos Williams (concussion) meant that Dan Herron and Anthony Dixon were the top backs for Buffalo in Week 5, and neither of them showed a whole lot. The Bills' best rusher by far was the quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, who managed the supremely rare feat of leading the team in rushing yardage and passing yardage while also catching a pass.

Buffalo WR: Without Sammy Watkins (calf) for the third time in five weeks to open the year, the Buffalo pass game was quiet in Tennessee. Chris Hogan delivered the only fantasy-relevant game, catching three balls for 52 yards and a touchdown, and he was the one who threw the pass that Taylor caught for four yards. Marquise Goodwin turned in a quiet 24, while Percy Harvin failed to catch any of his four targets and lost a yard on the ground, giving him a negative fantasy total.

Chicago WR: Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) again failed to play in Week 5 and Eddie Royal (hamstring) was out too, but the increasingly healthy-looking Jay Cutler was able to coax a good game out of Marquess Wilson (eight targets, six catches, 85 yards and a score). Undrafted rookie Cameron Meredith was the only other wide receiver of note, catching all four balls tossed his way for 52 yards. At a powerfully built 6-foot-3, Meredith's still a little raw as a converted quarterback, but he's only failed to reel in three of his 10 targets so far this year. It wouldn't be a surprise to see his role continue increasing.

Cincinnati RB: After last week's three-touchdown explosion by Jeremy Hill, this week saw him gain 25 total yards with no touchdowns – yet another dud in what's been a disappointing season overall. Giovani Bernard took a significant majority of the touches (15 carries to Hill's eight) and rolled up 101 total yards against the solid Seattle defense. Hill looks like he's going to be a wholly TD-dependent option moving forward.

Cleveland RB: Duke Johnson came into Week 5 dealing with an ankle injury, but it didn't stop him from again being a major factor in the passing game, as he collected six catches for 55 yards. He again wasn't effective on the ground, though – after nine carries for 22, he's now 0-for-5 on clearing 4.0 YPC in game action this season. Even Isaiah Crowell's managed to do that twice, though his 49-yard ground effort fell a little short Sunday. Crowell also made his presence known through the air, with a 22-yard touchdown among his two receptions.

Cleveland TE: Just as a final note on this situation: You guys, Gary Barnidge is for real, at least while Josh McCown's throwing the ball for the Browns. Don't let him sit on your wire any longer – your leaguemates certainly won't after he exploded for 139 yards and a touchdown in Week 5.

Dallas QB: Brandon Weeden has been something less than smokin' for the Cowboys since replacing Tony Romo (collarbone), and after Sunday's home blowout loss to the Patriots, speculation's running rampant that Matt Cassel will take over following the Week 6 bye. Look out for updates next week.

Dallas RB: With Lance Dunbar (knee) indeed done for the year, Joseph Randle took on something sort of like a featured back's role in Week 5, rushing 15 times for 60 yards and catching four passes for 13. However, despite carrying only five times, Darren McFadden saw a ton of use in the pass game – he caught nine of 10 targets for 62 yards through the air, and it seems likely that the Cowboys' running backs and tight ends will continue receiving a lot of looks while Tony remains out.

Denver RB: In a game the Broncos somehow won despite having neither a passing game nor a running game, C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman produced near-identically useless stat lines. Anderson got four more carries (11), which he turned into 22 yards; Hillman had 21, and neither of them made a splash as a receiver. I'm willing to bet one or the other of this duo seizes the reins to some degree against Cleveland in Week 6.

Detroit RB: Joique Bell's lingering ankle issues kept him out in Week 5, and they might hold him out well beyond that. In his absence, Ameer Abdullah was expected to step up, but he stumbled badly Sunday, carrying six times for 17 yards before being benched after he put the ball on the ground twice. That opened up space for a PPR masterpiece by Theo Riddick, who led the team in catches with 10, gaining 53 and a touchdown through the air. On the ground end of things, preseason darling Zach Zenner carried 10 times for 30 yards, which isn't bad, considering the opponent and game situation. Zenner merits a pickup in deeper formats.

Detroit WR: Again and again on Sunday, Matt Stafford (and then Dan Orlovsky) went back to the well with Golden Tate, targeting him 18 times – that's 11 more than Calvin Johnson, who had a pretty quiet 67-yard effort on five catches. What kind of massive game could Tate put up with a target count like that? Eight catches, 74 yards and a lost fumble. I have no official confirmation of this, but it may well be the worst fantasy effort in the history of the world by someone targeted at least 15 times in a game. However, it's worth noting that Detroit's schedule, so brutal early on, gets easier from here, starting with a home tilt against the Bears' unimpressive defense in Week 6, not to mention Kansas City's generous pass D in Week 8. There's a chance to buy low here.

Green Bay WR: In a low-volume week for the Packers' wideouts (thank TE Richard Rodgers and RB James Starks for taking up nearly half of Aaron Rodgers' pass attempts), James Jones managed to strike again – he only caught two passes on three targets, but one was a 65-yard touchdown. Ty Montgomery, too, found the end zone to go with a career-best 59 yards, while Randall Cobb – despite leading this corps with six targets – managed a quiet three catches for 23 yards.

Houston QB: Somehow, the Texans started Ryan Mallett again Thursday after yanking him in Week 4, and after continued terrible results, they turned back to Brian Hoyer. For his part, Hoyer delivered a monstrous effort, completing 24 of 31 passes for 312 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He's been named as the starter in Week 6, and unless he gets hurt, it'd be surprising to see Hoyer cede the job to Mallett again this year.

Houston RB: Arian Foster's still getting his sea legs under him – sure, he delivered his first 100-plus-yard game of the season Thursday, but only 41 of that came on his 19 rushing attempts. That's a 2.2 YPC. But nine catches for 77 will do the trick. This backfield is fully his again despite a scary period in the second quarter, when he left the game for concussion testing that fortunately came back negative.

Houston WR: Jaelen Strong made his NFL debut Thursday after sitting out four games as a healthy scratch, and he made an instant impact, catching both passes thrown his way – an 11-yard touchdown and a 42-yard touchdown on a Hail Mary. Nate Washington (hamstring) and Cecil Shorts (shoulder) were both out, leaving room for contributions from receivers not named DeAndre Hopkins, who was spectacular as usual. Keith Mumphery, a fifth-round pick in this year's draft, got the start over Strong, but delivered just four catches on eight targets for 23 yards despite playing nearly twice as many snaps as his fellow rookie.

Indianapolis QB: Andrew Luck (shoulder) again failed to suit up in Week 5, and Matt Hasselbeck was again surprisingly competent while leading the Colts to a win in his absence. Luck is almost guaranteed to return for Week 6, and it seems likely that he would have played last week if not for the game having been on Thursday.

Indianapolis WR: We should have seen this coming: Andre Johnson woke up against his old team Thursday, burning the Texans for two touchdowns to go with 77 yards on six catches. It seems highly unlikely that Johnson will often marginalize Donte Moncrief like that moving forward, though – at least, not when the Colts are playing teams other than Houston. Meanwhile, T.Y. Hilton did his usual thing, leading the team in targets and receiving yards.

Jacksonville RB: T.J. Yeldon scored his first NFL touchdown Sunday, but he also injured his groin and had to leave the game. If he isn't able to play in Week 6, this will be a chaotic situation, as Denard Robinson (knee) appears unlikely to return for that game, leaving the Jags with some combination of depth backs Bernard Pierce and Toby Gerhart.

Jacksonville TE: Julius Thomas (hand) made his return in Week 5, but was quiet despite Blake Bortles' huge day, catching just two balls for 20 yards. Expect more production moving forward as he gets into the swing of things in his new digs.

Kansas City RB: Jamaal Charles owners suffered from flashbacks to 2011 on Sunday, as Charles exited the game with what currently appears to be a torn ACL. Charcandrick West got the majority of the carries in relief, and he and Knile Davis are expected to split the work moving forward. While you've got to push your chips in on claims for West wherever he's available as the guy who appears to be the more immediate successor, there's no guarantee that he'll be thrust into a featured role; this could be more of a timeshare than you might wish, and it's worth noting that Andy Reid isn't above simply abandoning his running game.

Minnesota WR: Charles Johnson (ribs) is hoping to return to the field for the Vikes in Week 6, but he hasn't been very productive so far, so he'll probably just serve to muddle an already unappealing receiver mix here.

New England RB: LeGarrette Blount took a two-thirds majority of the carries Sunday, producing 74 yards on 13 rushes, but that hardly left Dion Lewis out in the cold, as he gained 34 yards on just six scampers of his own while leading the team in targets (11) and catches (eight), which he turned into another 59 and a touchdown. This is more or less the look we should expect from the Pats' running game moving forward – as much as we can expect anything where Bill Belichick is involved.

New Orleans WR: Willie Snead emerged at the forefront in Week 5, leading the Saints in targets (11), catches (six) and yardage (141). Brandin Cooks was a little more useful for fantasy purposes because he finally had a breakout game with 107 yards and a touchdown, but Snead has clearly earned the trust of Drew Brees and has become a must-own receiver. Marques Colston had just three catches for 36 yards.

New York Giants RB: After not using Shane Vereen at all in the Week 4 passing offense, the Giants featured him plenty in Week 5, and they were rewarded with eight catches on eight targets for 86 yards and a score. Add in Vereen's 24 rush yards, and you've got his first 100-yard game of the year. Rashad Jennings left little space for Andre Williams as the early-down guy here, as Jennings carried 11 times for 46 yards to Williams' three for no yards, but it's still hard to count on Jennings as more than a bye-week filler.

New York Giants WR: Eli Manning threw the ball up 54 times Sunday, creating plenty of fantasy utility among Giants pass-catchers, particularly for PPR formats. Obviously, Odell Beckham got his, but he also suffered a hamstring "tweak" – something of a concern for a guy who has a history of hamstring issues. You know who thrived, though? Dwayne Harris! He had his second consecutive solid week, catching six of eight targets for 72 yards while Rueben Randle lingered behind at five catches (six targets) for 42 before also picking up a hamstring injury that knocked him from the game. Like Beckham, he downplayed it to reporters, but it's worth monitoring nonetheless.

Philadelphia RB: Hey, that high-volume Chip Kelly offense finally showed up! DeMarco Murray had his most productive game as an Eagle on Sunday, turning 20 rushes into 83 rushing yards (and a touchdown) and seven catches into another 37 receiving yards. Ryan Mathews produced behind him, turning only eight carries into 73 yards plus a touchdown and managing to catch all three of his targets for an additional 23. Darren Sproles, though, got marginalized again (five carries and just one catch).

Philadelphia WR: Who's that atop the receiving chart for the Eagles in Week 5? Not Jordan Matthews. Not Nelson Agholor. Not even Riley Cooper. No, it's Josh Huff, who doubled his season catch total with four receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown. Matthews was relatively quiet (44 yards) for the third consecutive week, and it seems like his confidence is down right now in the midst of a drop-filled campaign.

Pittsburgh WR: Martavis Bryant was supposed to return from his suspension Monday night, but he picked up a knee injury in practice and appears highly unlikely to play. That'll leave Markus Wheaton and Darrius Heyward-Bey to continue serving as dual second fiddles to Antonio Brown.

San Diego WR: Steve Johnson (hamstring) won't play Monday night, but Malcom Floyd (concussion) sounds like he will. Still, Dontrelle Inman should see a reasonable amount of action again after playing well last week.

San Diego TE: Antonio Gates is back from his suspension for Monday night's game, pushing the sometimes-useful Ladarius Green back to a reserve role.

Seattle RB: With no Marshawn Lynch (hamstring) again and a limited, possibly Social Security-eligible Fred Jackson (ankle) unable to do much at this point in his career, Thomas Rawls took on a 23-carry load and busted out 169 yards and a touchdown. That's a 7.3 YPC, and Rawls is now at 5.6 on the young season. However, the man they call Beast Mode is expected back next week; in fact, he was reportedly healthy enough to play in Week 5, with the team taking a cautious approach to avoid an aggravation of his injury.

Tampa Bay RB: Doug Martin carried his Week 4 momentum over into Week 5, showing the Jags his best Devonta Freeman impression by ripping off three total touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) to go with 158 total yards. But that didn't mean marginalization for Charles Sims, who led the Bucs with 85 receiving yards on four catches to go along with another 51 on the ground. Martin carried 24 times to Sims' 12, which is a reasonable ratio to expect moving forward.

Tampa Bay WR: After awakening in Week 4, Vincent Jackson went back to sleep in Week 5 (three targets, one catch, 14 yards), although it was a low-volume day for the Bucs passing game on the whole, with Jameis Winston throwing the ball just 19 times. Mike Evans (three catches for 41) led the team with five targets, but still hasn't produced a play longer than 21 yards through the season's first five weeks.

Tennessee RB: A nearly even three-way split in carries yielded essentially no production on the ground for the Titans in Week 5, with Dexter McCluster (eight carries), Bishop Sankey (seven) and Antonio Andrews (seven) combining to put up 22 carries for 49 yards. That's 17 extra carries to gain two more yards than Marcus Mariota did on Sunday. Andrews and Sankey also each caught three balls, with Andrews' 45 yards good for the team receiving lead in this one. This muddled situation promises to leave all the rushers involved with inconsistent and unimpressive fantasy production.

Washington RB: Matt Jones retains a narrow edge on this role, but the running game is a disaster here after Jones and Alfred Morris combined to rush 19 times for 35 yards Sunday. Jones had 11 of those carries, and he scored a short touchdown, so at least this wasn't a total disaster week for him. Chris Thompson picked up 15 on his three carries and was a factor in PPR leagues thanks to his six receptions (albeit for a modest 33 yards), and though Thompson hardly has the build of a No. 1 back, it seems likely that he's going to see his role continue increasing, as Jones and Morris have turned in very spotty play.

Washington WR: Jamison Crowder led the 'Skins receiving game again in Week 5, catching all eight balls thrown his way for 87 yards; while Pierre Garcon had just as many targets, he reeled in only three of his. If you, like me, debated picking up Crowder this week, but ultimately left him out on the wire, you're likely to be kicking yourself, as he's going to cost you a few FAAB bucks now. DeSean Jackson (hamstring) remains sidelined and doesn't sound overwhelmingly likely to play next week; even if he does, Jackson's not typically a high-volume guy, so there'll be room for Crowder to continue contributing.

Washington TE: Jordan Reed (concussion) was not able to go Sunday, and while Derek Carrier caught Kirk Cousins' only score of the game, it was accompanied by a modest 27 yards. It's hard to see Carrier as much of a fantasy factor moving forward even if Reed is forced to miss additional time.