- Start Justin Fields: He faces the Dallas Cowboys, who have allowed every quarterback they have faced this season (Jalen Hurts, Russell Wilson, Caleb Williams, and Jordan Love) to score at least 24 fantasy points against them.
- Sit Kenneth Walker: He gets a tough matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who held Bijan Robinson to just 2.0 yards per carry, Saquon Barkley to 2.3 yards per carry, and Breece Hall to just 2.3 yards per carry.
- Unlock your edge with PFF+: Access Premium Stats, dominate fantasy with in-season tools and projections and make smarter bets with the new PFF Player Prop Tool.
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Are you struggling to set your Week 4 fantasy lineups? Maybe I can help… Below you can find my top fire (boom) and ice (bust) players at each position for Week 5. I also include my sleeper of the week at each position in case you are in a deeper league or in need of a replacement for an ice player.
Don’t miss my Fire and Ice chart at the bottom of this page. There, I have listed out all of my fire, good, sleeper and ice plays for Week 5 of the 2025 fantasy football season.
Quarterbacks
Fire QB Start of the Week: Justin Fields (vs. DAL)
Fields was my fire pick in Week 4, and I am sticking with him here in Week 5.
He is the QB7 in PPG at 20.2, despite having a massive four-point dud performance in one of his three games played. In the other two weeks played, he has scored 29.5 points and 27 points. He gets the Dallas Cowboys this week, and they have allowed every quarterback they have faced this season (Jalen Hurts, Russell Wilson, Caleb Williams, and Jordan Love) to score at least 24 fantasy points against them.
Sleeper QB of the Week: Bryce Young (at MIA)
Listen, Bryce Young has stunk this year; I get it. However, he is playing for his job this week, and he couldn’t ask for a better matchup at home. The Miami Dolphins have allowed a league-high 26.5 fantasy points per game to QBs this season, as Daniel Jones, Drake Maye and Justin Fields all scored 26 or more fantasy points against them. It is a risk to start Young, but at least we have evidence that Young is capable of a good fantasy week, as he put a string of productive games together to finish the 2024 season and had a 21.3 point performance in Week 2 against the Cardinals.
Ice QB Start of the Week: Dak Prescott (at NYJ)
I wiffed on my low ranking for Dak Prescott last week; he was amazing, but I am not ready to buy into the idea that he will be a weekly good fantasy start in 2025, especially as long as CeeDee Lamb is sidelined. The New York Jets defense is not good, but that hasn’t turned into many fantasy points for opposing quarterbacks, outside of Aaron Rodgers’ four-touchdown day in Week 1. Baker Mayfield (17.7 points), Tua Tagovailoa (15.7) and Josh Allen (11.8) were all held in check in their matchup against the Jets in 2025.
Plus, this game is on the road, and Prescott often performs at a much higher level at home. This season, he has scored just 12 and eight fantasy points in his two away games, while last season, he averaged a mere 14.1 fantasy points per game on the road. Even in his fantastic 2023 season, Prescott averaged just 16 fantasy points on the road compared to 25 at home. Don’t fall into the trap of chasing last week’s points for Prescott.
Running Backs
Fire RB Start of the Week: Breece Hall (vs. DAL)
Two New York Jets players as a fire pick for Week 5? … that makes me uneasy. However, with the combination of the matchup and his expected increased workload, there is no reason Breece Hall shouldn’t have a fantastic fantasy outing this weekend. With teammate Braelon Allen headed to injured reserve (IR) with a sprained MCL, Hall’s workload should be much more stable, at least for the next month, especially in the red zone, where Allen was dominating snaps.
In the two games with at least 15 touches this season, Hall has recorded 145 and 111 scrimmage yards. He has yet to score a touchdown on the season, but those should come with an increased workload in the red zone. The Dallas Cowboys have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to the running back position this season.
Sleeper RB of the Week: Woody Marks (at BAL)
Marks outsnapped Nick Chubb for the first time in Week 4, playing on a career-high 57% of the Houston Texans’ offensive snaps in the game. Marks thrived as the Texans’ lead back, putting up 119 yards and two touchdowns on 21 touches last week. Through the first four weeks of the season, Marks is averaging 6.4 yards per touch, while Chubb is struggling at just 4.2 yards per touch. Marks gets a great matchup this Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, who have allowed the most fantasy points per game to the running back position this season, thanks to a defensive line decimated by injury.
Ice RB Start of the Week: Kenneth Walker III (vs. TB)
After a Week 1 blunder, Walker has been a solid fantasy producer over the last three weeks. However, he is still stuck in a split backfield with Zach Charbonnet, sharing far too many snaps, touches and touchdowns. Now he gets a tough matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay held Bijan Robinson to just 2.0 yards per carry, Saquon Barkley to 2.3 yards per carry, and Breece Hall to just 2.3 yards per carry. Robinson and Barkley ended up having a good days against the Buccaneers because of production as a receiver … but Walker has just six receptions through four games. Walker isn’t a must-sit, but I am expecting a disappointing performance for him this week, especially if he doesn’t find the end zone.
Wide Receivers
Fire WR Start of the Week: Quentin Johnston (vs WAS)
Johnston is the WR4 in fantasy points behind just Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Rome Odunze. I know we are all just waiting for the shoe to drop, but I don’t think that is happening in this matchup against the Washington Commanders. They have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points and fifth-most yards per reception to wide receivers this season.
Johnston has at least 70 receiving yards in all four games this season, with one-plus touchdown in three of four games. Johnston, Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are the only players who have had 70-plus receiving yards in each of the first four weeks. He leads the Chargers in targets, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Sleeper WR Start of the Week: Darius Slayton (at NO)
Jaxson Dart was impressive in his first NFL start, but he needs a new top target with Malik Nabers out for the season due to a torn ACL. Darius Slayton led the Giants with 44 receiving yards in Week 4, while making up 40% of Dart’s 111 passing yards in the game. The New Orleans Saints have allowed 13.7 yards per reception and five touchdowns to wide receivers this season, both ranking in the top seven in the NFL.
Ice WR Starts of the Week: Zay Flowers (vs HOU)
After a monster Week 1 performance when he scored 28.1 points, Flowers has averaged just 10.9 fantasy points over his last three games. Flowers will likely be catching passes from Cooper Rush this Sunday, as Lamar Jackson is expected to miss time with a hamstring injury. Flowers saw five targets from Rush in Week 4, but averaged just 5.3 yards per reception with him as the passer. The Houston Texans have a great pass defense, and Puka Nacua is the only wide receiver who has scored 13+ fantasy points against them this season.
Tight Ends
Fire TE Start of the Week: Dalton Kincaid (vs NE)
Kincaid has scored the sixth most fantasy points at the tight end position through the first four weeks of the season. Kincaid has caught a touchdown in three of four games this year, while coming down with at least four receptions in three of four as well. Kincaid’s three touchdowns are tied for the most among tight ends this season. The New England Patriots allowed Carolina Panthers’ tight ends Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans to each score a touchdown last weekend.
Sleeper TE of the Week: Darren Waller (at CAR)
Week 4 was Darren Waller’s first time on an NFL field in nearly two years, and he immediately came out and scored two touchdowns. The Miami Dolphins are in desperate need of more pass catchers, not only due to the lack of talent in the tight end room, but also now with Tyreek Hill out for the season. Waller played on just 27.6% of Miami’s offensive snaps and had just three receptions for 27 yards in the game, but he should see his targets and snaps increase as he improves his conditioning. Waller gets a nice matchup in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers, who have allowed the third most fantasy points to tight ends since the start of the 2024 season.
Ice TE Start of the Week: Dallas Goedert (vs DEN)
Goedert has scored double-digit fantasy points in all three games he played this season, but most of his points have come on the back of touchdowns. He has fewer than 45 receiving yards in all three games. The Denver Broncos have yet to allow a tight end to score a touchdown this season, while Tyler Warren was the only tight end to put up 50-plus yards against them this year.
Fire & Ice Fantasy Football Plays
Here, I categorize every relevant fantasy player into five different buckets: (1) fire starts (best starts of the week); (2) thumbs up (good starts); (3) Risky players with upside (sleepers); (4) Ice starts (predicting bad performance from good player); (5) Stop (must sits).
Note: If a player/defense is not listed, I am not considering starting them in Week 5. I did not include 49ers/Rams players as they will have already played by the time this article is published.
