Fields, Williams among 5 must-start fantasy football quarterbacks for Week 5

MIAMI, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Justin Fields and Caleb Williams are among my five must-start fantasy football quarterbacks for Week 5.

Lamar Jackson leads my Top 20 quarterback rankings, which are below. Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels are among my other Top 5 plays. Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Geno Smith and Fields round out my Top 10.

My Week 5 running back and wide receiver rankings remain available for your preparation. My free-agent targets article is available here.

Anthony Richardson stock owners should continue to monitor his injury status before placing the Indianapolis Colts quarterback in starting lineups. My positional rankings will continue to be updated for developments, including injuries.

Smith, Aaron Rodgers and Trevor Lawrence join Fields and Williams as my must-start options. Several streaming options also can be found within my rankings.

Each of my must-start options land inside the Top 14 of my quarterback rankings. Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff, Will Levis and Justin Herbert should be removed from lineups, as their teams have Week 5 byes.

Geno Smith

Smith threw for a career-high 395 yards in the Seattle Seahawks' Week 4 loss to the Detroit Lions. He also threw for 289 yards in Week 3 and for 327 yards in Week 2.

The veteran quarterback is set to face the New York Giants in Week 5. The Giants have yet to allow more than 226 passing yards in a game this season, but did surrender two passing scores in three of their first four games.

Look for Smith to eclipse 250 passing yards and to throw at least two scores in this matchup. He is my No. 9 option for Week 5.

Justin Fields

Fields is my No. 10 option for Week 5. The Pittsburgh Steelers playmaker led all quarterbacks in fantasy points in Week 4, when he totaled 312 passing yards, a passing score, 55 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

This week, the Steelers will face the Dallas Cowboys, who allowed 281 passing yards from Daniel Jones in Week 4 and 87 rushing yards from Lamar Jackson in Week 3.

I expect Fields to provide at least 200 passing yards, another passing score and more than 50 rushing yards in this matchup. He has the ability to provide high-end QB1 production on a weekly basis.

Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers is a low-end QB1 play in Week 5, when his New York Jets take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in London. Rodgers totaled more than 500 passing yards over the last two weeks. He also threw two passing touchdowns in each of his starts in Week 2 and Week 3.

This week, he will face a defense that just surrendered 389 yards and four touchdowns to Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love. The Vikings also allowed a league-high 297 passing yards per game to quarterbacks through four weeks.

I expect Rodgers to throw for 300 yards in this matchup. He could end the week as a Top 5 option if he accounts for more than two scores.

Trevor Lawrence

Lawrence failed to throw for 200 yards in three of his first four starts of 2024, but registered his first multiple touchdown performance in Week 4. This week, the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback will face an Colts defense that allowed the third-most fantasy points and sixth-most passing yards to quarterbacks so far this season.

That stretch included Fields' monster Week 4 performance and should be extended by a stellar Lawrence showing. Look for the Jaguars quarterback to eclipse 200 yards for the second time this season. He also should get several scoring opportunities in this AFC South division matchup.

Lawrence is my No. 13 option and can be plugged in as a low-end streamer.

Caleb Williams

This Chicago Bears rookie should only be in fantasy football lineups for teams desperate for a starting option because of bad matchups, bye weeks or injuries.

Williams is my No. 14 option because I believe he can find the end zone multiple times in a home matchup against the Carolina Panthers, who allowed multiple touchdown tosses in every game this season. The Panthers also allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to the position.

Williams went off for 363 passing yards and two scores in Week 3, but managed just 157 passing yards in Week 4. I expect his production to fall somewhere between those performances, with at least 225 passing yards and multiple scores for the Bears on Sunday in Chicago.

Week 5 fantasy football quarterback rankings

1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens at CIN

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills at HOU

3. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at ATL

4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals vs. BAL

5. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders vs. CLE

6. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers vs. ARI

7. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. NO

8. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers at LAR

9. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks vs. NYG

10. Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. DAL

11. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans vs. BUF

12. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets at MIN

13. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. IND

14. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears vs. CAR

15. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts at JAX

16. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys at PIT

17. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings vs. NYJ

18. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons vs. TB

19. Daniel Jones, New York Giants at SEA

20. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals at SF