NOTE: These player rankings track a player’s value for the remainder of the season and are intended to be used as a tool, not necessarily a definitive guide to player valuation. The scoring system is performance PPR.

There is no exact science behind season-long rankings, considering all of the variables and situational uncertainties at work. Defensive teams have been added but will not have analysis.

QUARTERBACKS

Rk	Mv	Player	Team	Bye
1		Patrick Mahomes	KC	12
2		Deshaun Watson	HOU	10
3	5	Lamar Jackson	BAL	8
4		Aaron Rodgers	GB	11
5	3	Matt Ryan	ATL	9
6		Carson Wentz	PHI	10
7		Tom Brady	NE	10
8		Baker Mayfield	CLE	7
9		Dak Prescott	DAL	8
10		Jared Goff	LAR	9
11		Russell Wilson	SEA	11
12		Kyler Murray	ARI	12
13	15	Jameis Winston	TB	7
14		Philip Rivers	LAC	12
15	17	Jacoby Brissett	IND	6
16	19	Josh Allen	BUF	6
17		M. Stafford	DET	5
18	12	Cam Newton	CAR	7
19	25	Daniel Jones	NYG	11
20		Jimmy Garoppolo	SF	4
21	18	Kirk Cousins	MIN	12
22	26	Gardner Minshew	JAC	10
23		Derek Carr	OAK	6
24		Drew Brees	NO	9
25	20	Andy Dalton	CIN	9
26	27	Mason Rudolph	PIT	7
27	29	Marcus Mariota	TEN	11
28	32	Kyle Allen	CAR	7
29		Joe Flacco	DEN	10
30	24	M. Trubisky	CHI	6
31	33	Josh Rosen	MIA	5
32		Teddy Bridgewater	NO	9
33		Sam Darnold	NYJ	4
34		Dwayne Haskins	WAS	10
35		Case Keenum	WAS	10
36	NR	Chase Daniel	CHI	6
37		R. Fitzpatrick	MIA	5
38		Nick Foles	JAC	10
39		Ryan Tannehill	TEN	11
40		Eli Manning	NYG	11

QUARTERBACK MOVEMENT

Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears

It sounds like Trubisky’s Week 4 shoulder injury isn’t as bad as initially feared, and word is he’ll be back “sooner than later.” Still, I can’t have been the only one to watch Chase Daniel step in and efficiently direct that offense against one of the NFL’s tougher D’s. I don’t think the Bears are going to push Trubisky to return too quickly, and I’m using that to drop him. As for Daniel, he’s an efficient game manager and holds no real fantasy appeal.

Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

During a recent conversation with a colleague, he used the perfect term to describe Winston when he called him a “compiler.” In other words, somebody that’ll have overall QB1 numbers at season’s end but not someone you can simply plug into your lineup every week. I’m moving him up a couple of spots, because I think he’ll play in more shootouts. Just be ready to take the good with the bad.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Whatever you think of Newton’s YouTube video, the important part was his admission that he was more seriously hurt than he led on, and with Kyle Allen leading Carolina to a second straight win I doubt Ron Rivera is anxious to mess with success. As such, Allen, who has already been named the Week 5 starter, goes up and Newton goes down.

Others of note

I’m bumping Lamar Jackson up again. He’s consistently putting up numbers, and I’m getting tempted to move him ahead of Deshaun Watson, who continues to get pummeled … Josh Allen is basically a poor man’s Jackson, and I’m adjusting him upward despite suffering a concussion in Week 4 … Daniel Jones was solid again, though after facing Tampa and Washington he still has plenty to prove, starting in Week 5 against the Vikings … Speaking of Minnesota, Kirk Cousins and that offense were abysmal yesterday. They want to run, and it appears that when they’re forced to pass it doesn’t work out. That’s a rough combo for a fantasy quarterback … Washington is in free fall, and I don’t know if feeding Dwayne Haskins to the wolves will serve them in the long (or short) term. I’m not sure they can go back to Case Keenum, though, which could mean Colt McCoy in Week 5.

RUNNING BACKS

Rk	Mv	Player	Team	Bye
1		C. McCaffrey	CAR	7
2		Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	8
3		Dalvin Cook	MIN	12
4		Alvin Kamara	NO	9
5		Nick Chubb	CLE	7
6		Le’Veon Bell	NYJ	4
7		Aaron Jones	GB	11
8	13	Mark Ingram II	BAL	8
9		James Conner	PIT	7
10		David Johnson	ARI	12
11	7	Todd Gurley II	LAR	9
12	18	Derrick Henry	TEN	11
13		Josh Jacobs	OAK	6
14	16	L. Fournette	JAC	10
15	6	Joe Mixon	CIN	9
16	12	Marlon Mack	IND	6
17		Chris Carson	SEA	11
18		Kerryon Johnson	DET	5
19		Devonta Freeman	ATL	9
20	26	M. Gordon III	LAC	12
21		D. Montgomery	CHI	6
22	19	Sony Michel	NE	10
23		James White	NE	10
24		Phillip Lindsay	DEN	10
25	21	Austin Ekeler	LAC	12
26	24	Duke Johnson	HOU	10
27		Damien Williams	KC	12
28		Matt Breida	SF	4
29		Carlos Hyde	HOU	10
30	35	LeSean McCoy	KC	12
31		Saquon Barkley	NYG	11
32	30	D. Singletary	BUF	6
33	29	Miles Sanders	PHI	10
34		Royce Freeman	DEN	10
35	32	Peyton Barber	TB	7
36	52	Wayne Gallman	NYG	11
37	40	Ronald Jones II	TB	7
38		Tarik Cohen	CHI	6
39		Latavius Murray	NO	9
40	43	Jordan Howard	PHI	10
41		Raheem Mostert	SF	4
42	36	Kenyan Drake	MIA	5
43	48	Jaylen Samuels	PIT	7
44		A. Mattison	MIN	12
45		Frank Gore	BUF	6
46		Chris Thompson	WAS	10
47		Malcolm Brown	LAR	9
48		Kareem Hunt	CLE	7
49	39	Rashaad Penny	SEA	11
50		Jamaal Williams	GB	11
51	56	Nyheim Hines	IND	6
52		Tevin Coleman	SF	4
53	50	Adrian Peterson	WAS	10
54		Justice Hill	BAL	8
55		Tony Pollard	DAL	8
56	NR	Darrel Williams	KC	12
57		Ito Smith	ATL	9
58		Kalen Ballage	MIA	5
59		D. Henderson	LAR	9
60		Dion Lewis	TEN	11
61		Jeff Wilson	SF	4
62		Jalen Richard	OAK	6
63		Derrius Guice	WAS	10
64		Darren Sproles	PHI	10
65		Ty Montgomery	NYJ	4
66		Giovani Bernard	CIN	9
67	54	Justin Jackson	LAC	12
68		Rex Burkhead	NE	10
69		R. Armstead	JAC	10
70		T.J. Yeldon	BUF	6
71		Ty Johnson	DET	5
72		Chase Edmonds	ARI	12
73		Mike Davis	CHI	6
74		Jordan Scarlett	CAR	7

RUNNING BACK MOVEMENT

Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers

After abruptly ending his holdout last week, Gordon moves up the rankings while Austin Ekeler moves down slightly. The Chargers don’t have as many weapons as in recent years, especially with Hunter Henry and Mike Williams banged up, so I expect Ekeler to retain a significant role. As for Gordon, he was one of the NFL’s best backs, and though it may take a couple weeks to get up to speed I don’t see any reason why that wouldn’t continue. Meanwhile, an injured Justin Jackson takes a tumble.

Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

It was encouraging to see Gurley finally get involved in the pass game, and he did score twice during the upset loss to Tampa Bay. There’s only so many ways to spin five carries, however, and while I do expect Gurley’s role to increase as the season wears on I felt it was time to move him out of the top 10.

Others of note

I keep circling back to the same thought when it comes to the Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill (when healthy) are the team’s only surefire weekly contributors. Without a three-down back, Andy Reid is going to alternate LeSean McCoy, Damien Williams (again, when healthy) and apparently Darrel Williams in the red zone. It’s a mess… Wayne Gallman looked good in his first start, albeit against the ‘Skins, and he moves up significantly as a result … I moved Jordan Howard up and Miles Sanders down to bring them closer together. That offense simply isn’t designed to have a primary back … Color me intrigued with what Pittsburgh showed Monday night with the Jaylen Samuels/James Conner wildcat and jet sweeps. I’m not sure it’s sustainable, but it looks like Samuels will have a bigger role.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Rk	Mv	Player	Team	Bye
1		DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	10
2		Julio Jones	ATL	9
3		Davante Adams	GB	11
4		Michael Thomas	NO	9
5		O. Beckham Jr.	CLE	7
6		Mike Evans	TB	7
7		Keenan Allen	LAC	12
8	11	Cooper Kupp	LAR	9
9		Amari Cooper	DAL	8
10	8	J. Smith-Schuster	PIT	7
11		Chris Godwin	TB	7
12	10	Adam Thielen	MIN	12
13	9	Brandin Cooks	LAR	9
14		Kenny Golladay	DET	5
15		Julian Edelman	NE	10
16	22	T.Y. Hilton	IND	6
17		Tyler Lockett	SEA	11
18		Robert Woods	LAR	9
19		Tyreek Hill	KC	12
20		Tyler Boyd	CIN	9
21	19	DJ Moore	CAR	7
22		S. Shepard	NYG	11
23		Josh Gordon	NE	10
24	21	Stefon Diggs	MIN	12
25	24	L. Fitzgerald	ARI	12
26	25	Calvin Ridley	ATL	9
27		Marquise Brown	BAL	8
28	23	Mike Williams	LAC	12
29	28	A. Robinson II	CHI	6
30		Tyrell Williams	OAK	6
31	38	Alshon Jeffery	PHI	10
32	29	Sammy Watkins	KC	12
33		Robby Anderson	NYJ	4
34	44	John Brown	BUF	6
35		Jarvis Landry	CLE	7
36	41	Terry McLaurin	WAS	10
37		Christian Kirk	ARI	12
38		E. Sanders	DEN	10
39	49	DJ Chark Jr.	JAC	10
40		Will Fuller V	HOU	10
41		Curtis Samuel	CAR	7
42	46	John Ross	CIN	9
43	47	C. Sutton	DEN	10
44	33	A.J. Green	CIN	9
45		Corey Davis	TEN	11
46	39	Dede Westbrook	JAC	10
47		M. Valdes-Scantling	GB	11
48		DeSean Jackson	PHI	10
49	52	DK Metcalf	SEA	11
50		Michael Gallup	DAL	8
51	55	M. Jones Jr.	DET	5
52		Jamison Crowder	NYJ	4
53	77	A.J. Brown	TEN	11
54		Deebo Samuel	SF	4
55	58	Mecole Hardman	KC	12
56		Kenny Stills	HOU	10
57		Golden Tate	NYG	11
58	64	DeVante Parker	MIA	5
59	78	Diontae Johnson	PIT	7
60	68	Mohamed Sanu	ATL	9
61	73	Demarcus Robinson	KC	12
62		P. Dorsett II	NE	10
63	71	Trey Quinn	WAS	10
64		Tre’Quan Smith	NO	9
65	NR	Cole Beasley	BUF	6
66		KeeSean Johnson	ARI	12
67		Dante Pettis	SF	4
68		G. Allison	GB	11
69	NR	Antonio Callaway	CLE	7
70		Hunter Renfrow	OAK	6
71	76	Taylor Gabriel	CHI	6
72		Randall Cobb	DAL	8
73	65	P. Richardson Jr.	WAS	10
74	50	Nelson Agholor	PHI	10
75		Chris Conley	JAC	10
76	57	J. Washington	PIT	7
77		Danny Amendola	DET	5
78	63	Anthony Miller	CHI	6
79		Adam Humphries	TEN	11
80		Willie Snead IV	BAL	8
81		Keke Coutee	HOU	10
82		Zay Jones	BUF	6
83		Donte Moncrief	PIT	7
84		Albert Wilson	MIA	5
85		Ted Ginn Jr.	NO	9
86		M. Goodwin	SF	4
87		Miles Boykin	BAL	8
88		B. Perriman	TB	7
89		D. Hamilton	DEN	10
90	72	Rashard Higgins	CLE	7
91		P. Williams	MIA	5
92		Andy Isabella	ARI	12
93		Jalen Hurd	SF	4
94		D. Thomas	NYJ	10
95		Devin Funchess	IND	6
96		Antonio Brown	FA	—

WIDE RECEIVER MOVEMENT

Minnesota Vikings

If you didn’t see the game, you might think Stefon Diggs’ seven-catch, 108-yard performance against the Bears was a step in the right direction. It wasn’t. The Vikings couldn’t move the ball until a 92-yard drive late in the fourth. Until then, Diggs and Adam Thielen, who finished with six yards receiving, hadn’t done anything. You can’t dispute the talent of Minnesota’s top wideouts, but after a month of underwhelming results I feel compelled to drop them both.

A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Amid word that Green continues to recover from preseason ankle surgery and speculation that, if the season continues to go downhill, the Bengals might not rush his return; it’s time to drop the perennial Pro Bowler in the rankings. Of course, if he were to be traded …

Others of note

Davante Adams was having a huge game before sustaining a toe injury. Right now he’s considered day to day by the team, and earlier reports suggested he wouldn’t miss significant time. Unless the outlook changes to multiple weeks I’m keeping him where he is … T.Y. Hilton missed Week 4 with a quad, but he wasn’t rule out beforehand so I don’t see the injury being a major issue. I’d had him ranked a little low waiting for a clearer picture … Like Adams, Jarvis Landry was in the midst of his best game when he got concussed. He might miss Week 5, but those kinds of injuries don’t typically last … A balky hamstring kept Terry McLaurin out on Sunday. Without him, Washington’s passing game was a train wreck. I like everything about McLaurin except the QB situation, so he gets a bump … I don’t trust the Titans’ passing attack at all, but if you score four touchdowns in four games (read: A.J. Brown) you need to be owned and at least considered for a spot each week … With Alshon Jeffery back, Nelson Agholor had essentially no role. He’s probably safe to drop … Taylor Gabriel didn’t play in Week 4, and Javon Wims caught more balls than Anthony Miller. At this point Allen Robinson is the only Bears receiver worth owning … Cole Beasley has been targeted 23 times over the past two games. He’s possible volume depth in PPR formats right now … PSA: Antonio Callaway returns from suspension this week. Keep an eye on him, especially if Landry has to sit.

TIGHT ENDS

Rk	Mv	Player	Team
1		Travis Kelce	KC
2		Zach Ertz	PHI
3		Evan Engram	NYG
4		George Kittle	SF
5	6	Austin Hooper	ATL
6	8	Darren Waller	OAK
7		Mark Andrews	BAL
8		Delanie Walker	TEN
9		Greg Olsen	CAR
10	16	Will Dissly	SEA
11	7	Vance McDonald	PIT
12		O.J. Howard	TB
13		Jared Cook	NO
14		T.J. Hockenson	DET
15		Hunter Henry	LAC
16		Eric Ebron	IND
17		Jimmy Graham	GB
18	19	Jason Witten	DAL
19		Trey Burton	CHI
20		Jack Doyle	IND
21		Tyler Eifert	CIN
22	20	Kyle Rudolph	MIN
23		Vernon Davis	WAS
24	29	Cameron Brate	TB
25		Mike Gesicki	MIA
26		Dallas Goedert	PHI
27		Chris Herndon	NYJ
28		Noah Fant	DEN
29		Jordan Akins	HOU
30	38	Nick Vannett	PIT
31		Gerald Everett	LAR
32		Jordan Reed	WAS
33		David Njoku	CLE
34		Demetrius Harris	CLE
35		Matt LaCosse	NE
36		Hayden Hurst	BAL
37		Jonnu Smith	TEN
38		Tyler Higbee	LAR
39		C.J. Uzomah	CIN

TIGHT END MOVEMENT

Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks

Over the last three weeks, Dissly has 18 receptions (on 20 targets), 169 yards and four TDs. He flashed before getting hurt last season, and with the trade of Nick Vannett he’s the clear No. 1 tight end target in the Emerald City. Dissly should be owned in all formats and is on the cusp of weekly TE1 status.

Others of note

As mentioned, Vannett was traded to Pittsburgh with Vance McDonald ailing. McDonald was inactive Monday night as he works his way back from a shoulder injury, and Vannett caught a pair of passes in an offense that operated extensively through the backs. I’m not sure when McDonald will return, or what his role will be when he does, but I’m moving him down the board … Darren Waller is the top target in Oakland. He might catch 100-plus balls, and eventually some of them will be for TDs. He’s well on his way to top-five status.

DEFENSE

Rk	Mv	Team	Team	Bye
1		Bears	CHI	6
2	3	Patriots	NE	10
3		Rams	LAR	9
4		Ravens	BAL	8
5		Vikings	MIN	12
6		Chargers	LAC	12
7		Packers	GB	11
8	11	Bills	BUF	9
9		Texans	HOU	10
10		Jaguars	JAC	10
11		Eagles	PHI	10
12	7	Cowboys	DAL	8
13	16	Browns	CLE	7
14		Seahawks	SEA	11
15		Saints	NO	9
16		Chiefs	KC	12
17	20	Lions	DET	9
18		Steelers	PIT	6
19		Titans	TEN	11
20		49ers	SF	4
21		Panthers	CAR	6
22	17	Broncos	DEN	10
23		Colts	IND	6
24	28	Buccaneers	TB	7
25		Falcons	ATL	5
26		Jets	NYJ	4
27		Cardinals	ARI	5
28		Raiders	OAK	11
29		Bengals	CIN	12
30		Giants	NYG	7
31	29	Redskins	WAS	10
32		Dolphins	MIA	7