2025 Running Backs Impress, 2024 Quarterbacks have Dominated and 2026 Wide Receivers are Leading the Way

Week 5 marks the official start of BYE weeks and the unofficial start to rebuild season. This is when your league mates will be itching to trade, the waiver wire becomes more bare than ever and the appeal of those 2026 picks starts to skyrocket. In this week's edition of the Rookie Big Board:

• 12 early season adjustments that change the way we should view every AFC offense, including an explanation of why Drake Maye and Cam Ward have had very different starts to the season.
• 5 players to target on your dynasty waiver wire
• 24 devy risers from college football Week 5, including a few under the radar prospects

I will refer to my rankings throughout this article. You can check them out and get personalized advice on your roster here.

12 Adjustments We Need to Make

1 key takeaway from every AFC offense after 4 weeks of NFL action

Four weeks of NFL action gives us a strong sample size to reevaluate preseason perceptions. Last week, we covered NFC teams-now we're onto the AFC. I've picked one trend/player/schematic element from each team that is not playing on MNF. Each insight offers us a chance to adjust our expectations of that offense, and the full fantasy football landscape, for the rest of the season.

Baltimore Ravens

Zay Flowers is on pace for a career year. Flowers is averaging 7.7 targets/game, up from 6.8 targets last season. He is averaging an additional 14 yards/game from 2024, is up 2.1 yards/reception over his career average and is up 0.47 yards/route run over his career average. He is the 7th highest graded WR, per PFF. The touchdowns haven't come yet, but when they do his value should see a nice bump.

Buffalo Bills

James Cook is officially a workhorse back. Cook is averaging 21.7 touches/game while maintaining an impressive 5.3 yards/carry. Last season he finished as RB8 overall while averaging 14.9 touches/game. Add in that he is running behind the top run blocking offensive line, per PFF, and it is easy to see him holding onto his current status as the overall RB2. You can't overpay for him on a contender.

Cleveland Browns

Quinshon Judkins has sidelined both Dylan Sampson and Jerome Ford. Judkins played on 24 snaps in Week 4, while Sampson and Ford combined for 3 snaps. Judkins is averaging 4.8 yards/carry and has 2 touchdowns on 49 carries since his Week 2 debut. I anticipated that Judkins would be the lead back, but I did not expect him to be a full-on workhorse. Game script may have something to do with this, but his backfield mates are unplayable until further notice.

Houston Texans

Woody Marks is set to be the RB1. Marks rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries while catching 4 of his 5 targets for 50 yards in the Texans' first win of the season. If Marks averages 20+ touches moving forward, we can expect his to be a steady RB2 on the season. Not bad for a player you could have drafted in the fourth round of rookie drafts. This week will be your last chance to realistically buy Marks for less than an early 2026 second round pick.

Indianapolis Colts

Michael Pittman Jr. is back on track. He has caught 72% of his 29 targets through the first four games of the season. That is an increase of 7.3% from last season, a huge difference. Pittman caught 72% of his targets in 2024 when he finished as the WR13 and caught 71% of his targets in 2023 when he finished as WR20. Pittman his career high is 6 touchdowns in a single season-he already has 3 in 2025.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Travis Etienne now costs a first round pick. Liam Coen's new running back was being swapped for third round picks all off season. Now he is averaging 98 yards/game, and leads relevant rushers with 6.1 yards/carry. He is fourth in the league in yards/contact and has 10 runs of 10+ yards. If you swatted away the low ball offers this offseason, it is time to reap your rewards.

Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes is pushing the ball downfield. Mahomes has thrown 13.4% of his passes 20+ yards downfield this season. That is up from 7.9% in 2024. His big time throw rate is up to 4.7%, from 2.9% and his aDOT is at a career high 8.6. The return of Xavier Worthy last week and Rashee Rice next month should only feed into this advantageous trend for Mahomes managers. He is QB3 so far, up from his QB8 performance in 2023 and QB12 finish in 2024.

Las Vegas Raiders

Ashton Jeanty will be just fine. Jeanty broke through this week, rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown while scoring on both of his targets against the Bears this week. He is doing a lot with very little in Las Vegas. Jeanty's 275 yards after contact is second in the league, only to Jonathan Taylor. His long run of 64 yards is the 5th biggest single play for a running back through the first month. His 10 explosive runs (10+ yards) is tied with Travis Etienne and James Cook for first in the league. He is doing all of this behind PFF's 26th graded offensive line.

Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert has thrown 53% of his passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, that is up from 42% last season-a significant year to year change. Herbert is second to only Jalen Hurts, who has thrown 55% of his passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. This has been a huge benefit to Omarion Hampton, who has caught 14 of 16 targets, including 11 of 12 in just the last two weeks.

New England Patriots

Drake Maye leads the league with a 74% completion rate. He has done this while throwing for 8 yards/attempt, 8th highest in the league. Maye has paired his passing success with 98 rushing yards (9th best) and 2 rushing touchdowns. Through the first month of season, he leads a 2024 QB class that looks great: Maye is QB4, Caleb Williams is QB6 and Jayden Daniels is QB7 in points/game.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Aaron Rodgers aDOT of 5.2 is the lowest in the league. Next closest is Kyler Murray, at 6.4. He has thrown 69.5% of his passes within 9 yards of the line of scrimmage. Don't expect that to change soon-his turnover worthy play rate within 9 yards is 0%, but it balloons up to 12.5% in the intermediate field and 15.4% in the deep field. Calvin Austin's aDOT of 14 leads the Steelers, but is good for just 40th amongst WRs. DK Metcalf's aDOT is 7.7, 145th amongst WRs and down from 14.3 last season.

Tennessee Titans

Cam Ward ranks last in the league in completion rate under pressure. Ward has completed just 35.6% of his attempts under pressure, an issue which is compounded by frequency of pressure he faces. He has been pressured 58 times through three games, the second most in the league, and has been sacked a league-leading 17 times. These are not ideal conditions for the rookie to be developing in. I am not signficantly downgrading Ward in my rankings but I am approaching him with more a long-term view than I had intially planned.

Saving Your Squad:

5 players available in at least 65% of leagues who can improve your lineup.

Editors note: if you have played in a Rookie Big Board league over the past six seasons you know Becks. He has brought home over a half dozen championships and built a few perennial powerhouses. A key piece of that success is his ability to scour the waiver wire to find value. He will be providing weekly targets that are rostered in 35% or less of leagues on Sleeper. These are his picks and they are all RBB approved.

Last week’s cover boy Emari Demercado had himself quite the night on Thursday, tying the game for the Cardinals in the closing minute and finishing with over 10 PPR points. More importantly, he seems to be coach Jonathan Gannon’s top RB choice for the hurry-up offense. If the Cardinals are trailing, he should play a decent amount. With week 4 behind us, we’re almost a quarter of the way through the fantasy season. It’s time to lock in. Let’s look ahead to week 5.

1. Cooper Rush, QB (9% rostered) - Lamar Jackson left Sunday’s game vs. the Chiefs with a hamstring injury. Harbaugh said Jackson, a tough competitor, would have gone back into the game if he was able. This signals that the injury could be more serious than it initially appeared. If Lamar misses any time, it would be Cooper Rush starting in his place for the Ravens. Rush filled in for Dak Prescott for part of last year and had 5 weekly finishes inside the top 20 at QB.
2. Olamide Zaccheaus, WR (28%) - We (“we” being the fantasy community) want Luther Burden to be a starting WR, and at some point he will be. At least for now though, that role is occupied by Zaccheaus. He has seen 4 or more targets in every game thus far this season and caught a season-high 5 passes on Sunday against the Raiders. Until Burden gets his shot, Olamide can be useful in a pinch.
3. Kendrick Bourne, WR (23%) - The injury carousel continues to spin for the 49ers WR room. Both Jauan Jennings (rib) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) left Sunday’s game with injuries and both are in danger of missing time. Bourne has played at least 60% of the snaps for San Francisco over the past 2 weeks, totaling 55 receiving yards in that span. He should see some additional volume if temporarily elevated to the WR1 or WR2 role.
4. Raheem Mostert, RB (35%) - Week 4 saw a shakeup in the Las Vegas RB room. Mostert, who was inactive for the first 3 weeks, was elevated to the RB2 role ahead of Zamir White and delivered 62 rushing yards while spelling Jeanty (who had a monster 3 TD game). Though past his prime, Raheem is only 2 years removed from scoring 21 TDs and finishing as the RB5.
5. Jamari Thrash, WR (16%) - WR injuries hit the Browns this week, as both Cedric Tillman and DeAndre Carter are expected to miss time. This opens the door for the young Thrash to audition for a starting job. A certified RBB “my guy” from the 2024 class, Matt Hicks noted in his film review: “Thrash is a twitchy athlete who has an array of tools he uses to beat defenders. He separates right off the line of scrimmage with a sharp release and speed. Thrash doesn’t have the biggest catch radius but has reliable hands and will catch everything thrown on target.”

Devy Stock Report: Week 5 Risers

Under the radar risers and the Oregon Offense impresses

• Oregon QB Dante Moore is a big winner this week. He completed 29 of 39 attempts for 248 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions against a tough Penn State defense. He also ran the ball 10 times for 35 yards. This was Moore's first real test as a starting QB and he showed first round NFL Draft potential.
• Oregon WR Dakorien Moore caught 7 receptions for 89 yards against Penn State. The true freshman will continue to climb the ranking after showing off his hands, separation ability and athleticism on a big stage.

• Florida State WR Duce Robinson caught 9 balls for 147 yards and a touchdown. He had a second, game-tying touchdown called back. Robinson is a former top devy tight end who has had a major value rebound at a new position and on a new coast.
• Arizona State RB Raleek Brown ran for 134 yards on 21 carries and caught another 9 balls for 50 yards in a close victory against TCU. Brown was one of my favorite freshman when he was at USC. Now, he is a key piece of the Arizona State rushing and pass attack.
• Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson caught 8 balls for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns. Another week of validation for those who have had Tyson pegged as a first round NFL Draft projection.
• Houston TE Tanner Koziol caught 6 receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown in the Cougar's overtime victory against Oregon State. The 6-7, 240 playmaker who transferred from Ball State is playing his way into a Day 2 projection.
• Mississippi State RB Fluff Bothwell ran for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns on 12 carries against a tough Tennessee front seven. Bothwell is a South Alabama transfer who is proving he can produce against SEC defenses.
• Tennessee WR Mike Matthews caught 6 balls for 117 yards (19.7 YPR) against Mississippi State. Matthews was in the same recruiting tier as Ryan Williams and Cam Coleman heading into last season. He has not had as quick of an impact but the former 5 star now has 270 yards, 2 touchdowns and 22 receptions through the first 5 games of his sophomore season.
• Alabama QB Ty Simpson threw for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions against Georgia. It wasn't the cleanest game, but it is a big statement for Simpson's ability to execute the Crimson Tide offense and helps his value level out after some early season panic.
• Georgia RB Chauncey Bowens ran for 119 yards and a touchdown against Alabama. Bowens looked explosive and physical running against future NFL starters. The freshman will jump up in this week's rankings update.
• Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt had 6 receptions for 132 yards and 1 touchdown against Iowa. He had 56% of the Hoosiers passing attack in a challenging game for their offense. He now has 388 yards and 6 touchdowns on 30 receptions.
• Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers caught 6 balls for 68 yards and a touchdown against Utah State. The athletic pass catcher now has 301 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 receptions through the Commodores' first five games.
• USC WR Makai Lemon caught 11 balls for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns against Illinois. Lemon now projects as a sure-fire top 50 NFL Draft pick.
• Notre Dame QB CJ Carr completed 22 of 30 passing attempts for 354 yards and 4 touchdowns against Arkansas. Carr had some help from RB Jeremiah Love, who caught two of his touchdowns, but also showed off his arm talent and ability to push the ball downfield.
• Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis threw for 249 yards, 2 touchdowns 1 interception is the Scarlet Knight's close loss to Minnesota. Kaliakmanis is starting to get a little draft buzz after starting the season with a 67% completion rate, 1,399 yards, 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
• Kansas WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr. caught 5 passes for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns. That is 42.8 yards/reception! Henderson has to be playing his way onto the Senior Bowl radar.
• Kansas State RB Dylan Edwards ran for 166 yards and 1 touchdown against UCF. This was Edwards' return to the field after suffering an early game injury in the Wildcats' first game of the season.
• North Texas RB Caleb Hawkins ran for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns against South Alabama. He also caught 2 balls for 78 yards and a touchdown. Hawkins is a true freshman who is sure to be targeted by power 4 offenses after starting the season with 307 rushing yards, 120 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns on 50 touches.
• Texas A&M WR Kevin Concepcion had 7 receptions for 113 yards against Auburn. The NC State transfer now has 340 yards and 3 touchdowns on 20 receptions over the Aggie's first four games.
• Auburn WR Eric Singleton Jr. hauled in 5 balls for 56 yards against Texas A&M. Singleton Jr. is leading the Tigers with 27 recweptions-10 more than anyone else and 265 receiving yards. He is an under the radar lock to be a Day 2 NFL Draft selection for me.
• Duke QB Darien Mensah completed 22 of 28 attempts for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns in a dominant performance against Syracuse. Mensah has now completed 69% of his attempts for 1,573 yards and 13 touchdowns, 2 interceptions through his first 5 games in the ACC.
• Louisville WR Chris Bell caught 10 receptions for 135 yards and 1 touchdown against Pitt. Bell is in the Day 2 conversation for the 2026 NFL Draft.
• Toledo WR Junior Vandeross III caught 9 receptions for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns against Akron. Despite his name, Junior is eligible for the 2026 Senior Bowl and I would not be surprised if we see him in Mobile.