Zay Flowers among 4 must-start Week 5 fantasy football wide receivers

Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Zay Flowers is among my must-start wide receivers for Week 5 of the fantasy football season.

If you need more options for your roster, check out my top add/drops before your waiver wire opens. My Week 5 rankings for quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends also are available and updated for Sunday's games.

Tyreek Hill, Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, A.J Brown and Stefon Diggs lead my Top 50 Week 5 wide receiver rankings, which are listed below. CeeDee Lamb, Chris Olave, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp and Calvin Ridley round out my Top 10.

Players from Thursday's Chicago Bears-Washington Commanders game were removed from my rankings.

All of my must-start options rank inside the Top 24 in my rankings, meaning they should all be started in leagues that include at least 12 teams.

Wide receivers from the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be benched or dropped as those teams serve Week 5 byes.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (L) is a WR2 in Week 5. File Photo by David Tulis/UPI

Zay Flowers

Flowers has yet to reach the end zone, but logged 10 targets in two of his first four career appearances for the Baltimore Ravens.

Flowers totaled 244 yards in those games. I expect the Ravens pass catcher to secure at least 10 catches for 80 yards on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers allowed the second-most fantasy points, tied for allowing the most touchdowns and surrendered the fourth-most receiving yards to wide receivers so far this season.

Flowers, my No. 17 play, can be plugged in as a low-end WR2.

Puka Nacua

Through four weeks, NFL teams threw to wide receivers against the Philadelphia Eagles more than any other defense, targeting the position 108 times.

Nacua, who leads the NFL with 52 targets, should see a ton of looks in Week 5 when his Los Angeles Rams face that Eagles secondary, despite the return of teammate Cooper Kupp.

The Eagles allowed the fourth-most fantasy points and tied for allowing the most touchdown catches (6) to wide receivers through four weeks.

The Rams rookie, who received at least 10 targets in three of four games, erupted for 163 yards and a score on nine catches in Week 4. I still expect the Nacua to log at least eight catches for 80 yards in this matchup.

Nacua, who is the No. 5 wide receiver in fantasy football so far this season, is my No. 21 option this week. He is a great WR2 play, but could again produce WR1 statistics.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (R) can be plugged in as a WR3 in Week 5. File Photo by Jon Robichaud/UPI

Rashee Rice

Rice is a bit more of a boom-or-bust play, but I think his Week 5 matchup warrants a streaming start as a WR3.

The Kansas City Chiefs rookie was targeted at least five times in three of four games. He received 12 looks and made eight catches for 91 yards in his last two appearances.

This week, the Chiefs will face the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings tied for allowing the most catches and surrendered the third-most fantasy points and receiving yards through four games. I expect this matchup to be very high scoring, with Rice earning a season-high in targets. He should turn those opportunities into at least eight catches.

Rice is a long-shot play, who could work into WR2 territory if he catches one of the multiple touchdown passes I expect Patrick Mahomes to throw against the Vikings.

Week 5 fantasy football wide receiver rankings

1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins vs. NYG

2. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals at ARI

3. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings vs. KC

4. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles at LAR

5. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills vs. JAX

6. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys at SF

7. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints at NE

8. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders vs. GB

9. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams vs. PHI

10. Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars at BUF

11. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers vs. DAL

12. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles at LAR

13. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets at DEN

14. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins vs. NYG

15. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts vs. TEN

16. Nico Collins, Houston Texans at ATL

17. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens at PIT

18. George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. BAL

19. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers vs. DAL

20. Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers at DET

21. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams vs. PHI

22. Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs at MIN

23. Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals at ARI

24. DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans at IND

25. Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders vs. GB

26. Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals vs. CIN

27. Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos vs. NYJ

28. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons vs. HOU

29. Gabe Davis, Buffalo Bills vs. JAX

30. Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers at LV

31. Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers at LV

32. Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings vs. KC

33. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints at NE

34. D.J. Chark Jr., Carolina Panthers at DET

35. Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys at SF

36. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos vs. NYJ

37. Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints at NE

38. Tutu Atwell, Los Angeles Rams vs. PHI

39. Tank Dell, Houston Texans at ATL

40. Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals vs. CIN

41. Darius Slayton, New York Giants at MIA

42. Josh Reynolds, Detroit Lions vs. CAR

43. Allen Lazard, New York Jets at DEN

44. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers at LV

45. Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants at MIA

46. Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions vs. CAR

47. Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers at DET

48. K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings vs. KC

49. Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys at SF

50. Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots vs. NO