Fantasy football Week 5 PPR Cheat Sheet: Dave Richard weighs tough calls on Justin Herbert and Ollie Gordon

Jared Goff draws a favorable Week 5 matchup, while Ollie Gordon, Woody Marks and T.J. Hockenson present tough lineup decisions Oct 8, 2026 at 3:28 pm ET • 4 min read Imagn Images Imagn Images Your Fantasy football season can turn on one lineup decision, and Week 5 is shaping up to be another tough week for managers trying to separate the must-starts from the potential busts. Injuries are forcing some notable names to the bench, unexpected contributors are emerging as legitimate starting options, and favorable matchups could make the difference between a win and a frustrating loss.Four weeks into the season, Fantasy managers have a better understanding of which players they can trust, but that doesn't mean the decisions are getting any easier. Can you afford to bench Jalen Hurts or Justin Herbert? Should you trust a waiver-wire addition over the player you drafted to be your weekly starter? And which matchups offer the best opportunities to capitalize in Week 5?That's where Dave Richard's Week 5 PPR cheat sheet comes in. With detailed matchup analysis and confidence scores for every relevant player, you'll have the information you need to navigate those difficult start/sit decisions and give yourself the best chance to come away with a victory.What do the numbers mean? All weekly analysis, from data points to matchup outlooks to game-flow predictions, is represented as a number on a 1-10 confidence scale. The higher the number next to a player's name, the more confident I am that you should start him. The numbers are not projections but confidence scores to help you pick who to start. All relevant players for this week are listed, so if you do not see a player's name, do not start him. To find a specific player, use your search function (CTRL-F on PCs and Command-F on Macs). If neither is an option, or if you're on a mobile device, you can search by typing the name in the URL bar or scrolling down by game. If you're still unsure, just send Dave a note (@DaveRichard), and he will take a look, time permitting. Remember to use the #AskFFT hashtag!If you're reading this on Sunday, please refer to CBS Sports' weekly rankings, which are updated in real-time.Ready to get off on the right foot? Here's how to approach every play for this week in every PPR league. BuccaneersCowboysJalon Daniels4.5Dak Prescott8.6Bucky Irving6.52Javonte Williams8.05Kenneth Gainwell4.48CeeDee Lamb9.4Sean Tucker2.15George Pickens7.45Emeka Egbuka5.88Ryan Flournoy3.85Chris Godwin5.44Jake Ferguson5.22Ted Hurst3.52Cowboys DST6.5Cade Otton3.55Buccaneers DST2.8 EaglesJaguarsJalen Hurts4.2Trevor Lawrence7.6Will Shipley5.46Bhayshul Tuten7.08Dameon Pierce3.5Chris Rodriguez Jr.4.3Dontayvion Wicks6.1Parker Washington7.48Darius Cooper5.0Jakobi Meyers5.2Makai Lemon4.84Brian Thomas Jr.5.16Zach Ertz2.4Brenton Strange3.98Eagles DST3.2Jaguars DST8.2 BearsPackersTyson Bagent3.9Jordan Love5.9D'Andre Swift7.1MarShawn Lloyd4.45Kyle Monangai5.68Kaleb Johnson3.38Rome Odunze6.68Christian Watson7.78Luther Burden III6.54Matthew Golden7.25Kalif Raymond5.58Tucker Kraft6.62Colston Loveland5.24Packers DST4.5Bears DST7.6 BengalsDolphinsJoe Burrow8.5Malik Willis3.3Chase Brown8.1Ollie Gordon5.9Tee Higgins8.2Jaylen Wright2.05Dohnte Meyers5.92Malik Washington4.86Mitchell Tinsley3.92Chris Bell3.7Mike Gesicki6.08Greg Dulcich3.32Bengals DST8.0Dolphins DST3.0 RaidersPatriotsKirk Cousins6.2Drake Maye6.3Ashton Jeanty7.2Rhamondre Stevenson6.75Mike Washington Jr.2.2TreVeyon Henderson4.58Tre Tucker5.3Romeo Doubs6.34Cody White2.98Demario Douglas3.42Brock Bowers7.62Efton Chism III3.4Michael Mayer4.75Hunter Henry4.6Raiders DST6.4Patriots DST5.4 VikingsSaintsKyler Murray4.0Tyler Shough6.4Aaron Jones7.6Alvin Kamara5.55Jordan Addison6.56Kendre Miller2.85Jauan Jennings2.75Chris Olave9.3T.J. Hockenson6.4Devaughn Vele6.46Vikings DST7.0Juwan Johnson6.82Saints DST3.7 BrownsJetsDeshaun Watson5.6Geno Smith4.1Quinshon Judkins6.95Braelon Allen6.38Raheim Sanders2.18Garrett Wilson7.28Denzel Boston6.48Isaiah Williams3.2KC Concepcion5.26Kenyon Sadiq4.82Jerry Jeudy2.82Jets DST4.0Harold Fannin Jr.6.32Browns DST7.8 ColtsSteelersDaniel Jones3.7Aaron Rodgers6.0Jonathan Taylor8.6Jaylen Warren7.85Josh Downs6.36DK Metcalf6.92Laquon Treadwell2.7Roman Wilson6.3Tyler Warren6.6Pat Freiermuth4.88Colts DST5.0Darnell Washington2.9Steelers DST7.4 TexansTitansC.J. Stroud6.1Cam Ward3.1Woody Marks5.7Tony Pollard5.64David Montgomery5.48Tyjae Spears3.68Nico Collins9.1Carnell Tate6.5Jaylin Noel3.82Wan'Dale Robinson3.9Dalton Schultz4.72Titans DST4.6Texans DST8.4 GiantsCommandersJameis Winston6.6Jayden Daniels6.5Cam Skattebo6.88Jacory Croskey-Merritt5.08Najee Harris2.02Austin Ekeler4.42Malik Nabers7.18Stefon Diggs6.98Darnell Mooney3.72Antonio Williams5.42Malachi Fields3.48Chigoziem Okonkwo3.45Isaiah Likely6.85Commanders DST3.8Giants DST5.7 BroncosChargersBo Nix5.7Justin Herbert4.3RJ Harvey5.85Omarion Hampton5.6J.K. Dobbins4.4Keaton Mitchell4.8Jaylen Waddle7.05Kimani Vidal3.76Courtland Sutton6.28Tre Harris6.18Evan Engram3.3Quentin Johnston5.28Broncos DST7.7Oronde Gadsden II2.92Chargers DST3.7 LionsCardinalsJared Goff9.0Jacoby Brissett6.7Jahmyr Gibbs10.0Jeremiyah Love 5.66Amon-Ra St. Brown8.3Tyler Allgeier4.52Jameson Williams7.3Michael Wilson7.15Isaac TeSlaa3.95Marvin Harrison Jr.4.35Sam LaPorta7.55Trey McBride7.7Lions DST4.4Cardinals DST1.6 49ersSeahawksBrock Purdy7.5Sam Darnold5.4Christian McCaffrey8.5Emanuel Wilson6.8Kaelon Black2.12Jaxon Smith-Njigba9.8Mike Evans6.7Rashid Shaheed3.64Deebo Samuel6.58Cooper Kupp3.62George Kittle7.12AJ Barner3.7849ers DST4.9Seahawks DST6.6 RavensFalconsTyler Huntley3.0Michael Penix Jr.4.4Derrick Henry7.98Bijan Robinson9.7Justice Hill2.35Brian Robinson Jr.3.58Zay Flowers7.58Drake London8.15Rashod Bateman3.66Kyle Pitts5.1Chris Moore2.65Falcons DST6.2Mark Andrews5.5Ravens DST5.6 BillsRamsJosh Allen9.2Matthew Stafford9.1James Cook8.42Kyren Williams8.35Ty Johnson2.72Blake Corum3.6Khalil Shakir6.44Puka Nacua9.5Keon Coleman6.42Davante Adams7.22Dalton Kincaid6.78Tyler Higbee5.52Dawson Knox2.88Rams DST4.1Bills DST3.2