Fantasy Football: Week 5 Wide Receiver Rankings

MIAMI, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Whether you are 4-0 or 0-4 there is always something to play for in fantasy football.

That means the decisions still matter of who to sit, start, add, or drop every week. At wide receiver, the pickings are becoming slimmer as bye weeks come and go. This week, studs like Allen Robinson, Jeremy Maclin, Doug Baldwin, Willie Snead, and Brandin Cooks are shelved due to bye weeks. With other studs not living up to their potential, it might be time to pull the trigger on a trade or bench a stud for a waiver wire acquisition.

Here are my top 50 wide receivers this week. You can also view my add/drops for the week and more positional rankings in the links below.

TOP SHELF

This has feast written all over it. Pittsburgh Steelers All-World wide receiver Antonio Brown is primed for a dominating performance against the New York Jets. This season the Jets have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Brown is coming off of back-to-back stud performances and benefits from the return of running back Le'Veon Bell. Look for Brown to embarrass Darrelle Revis here. Even if Cam Newton doesn't play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I expect Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to showcase his skill set in Week 5. The Buccaneers are allowing the most fantasy points per game and most touchdowns to wide receivers this season. Week 3's bagel by Benjamin now looks like a mirage, as it came against the vaunted Minnesota Vikings secondary. Benjamin scored touchdowns in the other three games and has four on the season.

SNEAKY PLAYS

Part of Carson Wentz's rookie surge has been the reemergence of Jordan Matthews. Matthews offers a huge target for Wentz and is an explosive downfield threat. I love him this week against the Detroit Lions. Through four games, the Lions have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Matthews is a good bet to score in this one and is a WR1 in deeper leagues in Week 5. San Diego Chargers wide receiver Travis Benjamin gets a great match up in Week 5 against the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are even worse at covering wide receivers this season, allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to the position. Benjamin has at least four receptions in each game so far, but I see this as his chance for a breakout play with his game-breaking speed.

LONGSHOTS

John Brown's productivity could hinge on if Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer is able to play on Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers. If Palmer does play, I expect Brown to have another big day. In Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams, Brown had 10 receptions for 144 yards. But the bigger story is that he received 16 targets in the loss. Brown is surely coming on right now and it's just in time for the Cardinals, who need somebody to step up and produce. Before last Sunday, Brown had eight total receptions. I don't expect another 16 targets, but I do think Brown remains heavily involved in the Cardinals passing game. He is a WR3 this week. Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe disappointed many fantasy football team owners last week when he had just two catches for 15 yards, despite getting seven targets. Early on in the season, Sharpe looked like a breakout candidate, but now he might be a drop candidate. If you are desperate and hoping for a home run, he still gives you a decent shot against the reeling Miami Dolphins. Through four weeks, the Dolphins have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. This week's match up against Miami and next week's slant against the Cleveland Browns are Sharpe's last hopes at fantasy football relevance.