FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast
Episode: 6 Must-Start Players for Week 5 | The Primer (Ep. 1749)
Date: October 3, 2025
Hosts: Seth Wilcock & Derek Brown ("D-Bro")
Episode Overview
This week’s “The Primer” episode arms fantasy football managers with six sleeper starts for Week 5—one at each primary position—with a heavy focus on players outside the top consensus rankings (ECR). Host Seth Wilcock and analyst Derek Brown, fighting through illness in a “flu game” moment, spotlight off-the-radar options poised for strong fantasy performances due to matchups, opportunity, and recent trends. The episode cuts through fantasy noise to focus on actionable insight for those navigating injuries, byes, and waiver wire chaos.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Quarterback: Jackson Dart (QB14 in ECR)
- [03:03] Derek Brown: "Surprisingly, I don't understand why people don't like him enough, man. But Jackson Dart, QB14 baby. He was just the QB11 in fantasy last week and really did this without throwing the ball much at all… he has a wonderful matchup this week. Seth, he gets the freaking Saints… I'm telling you, you gotta consider starting this guy if you got guys out on bye weeks... The Saints have given up the sixth highest yards per attempt and the third most passing touchdowns."
- Rationale: Rushing utility and a soft matchup yield strong upside. Saints defense beaten badly by mobile QBs.
- [03:52] Seth Wilcock: "That's good for fantasy, right?… against the saints in week one, Kyler Murray… 7 for 38 on the ground… last week Josh Allen… 7 for 45 and a rushing touchdown… matchup is right for Jackson Dart."
2. Running Backs
a) Rhamondre Stevenson (NE, RB27 in ECR)
- [04:28] Derek Brown: "I was really high on Trayon Henderson last week… but Mike Vrabel and company said guess what? We don't care that Radre fumbled. We're still going to be making the lead back. ... Ramandre is still the lead back… 14th in explosive run rate and he's sixth best in missed tackles force per attempt."
- [05:49] Seth: "The Bills have allowed a top 10 mark in rushing yards this season to opposing running backs… Patriots want to keep pace or keep the ball out of Josh Allen's hands, they're going to feed Randre this week."
- Notable stat: Bills’ run defense is leaky, giving up the second most rushing yards per game.
b) Michael Carter (ARI, RB40 in ECR)
- [06:47] Derek Brown: "Whenever Trey Benson went on the ir, people are like, oh, it's Amari D. Mercado. Oh, it's Michael Carter… I think it's the Carter backfield because we've seen this before… Michael Carter drew two starts last year… averaged 18 touches and 70 total yards. He was RB20 and RB11… Tennessee Titans give it up to running backs… fifth most rushing yards per game and the fourth highest explosive run rate."
- [08:27] Notable Quote: "He let it slip while he was getting interviewed and he was like, I've gone from practice squad to starting."
- [08:50] Seth: "If you did [pick him up], you have a potential plug and play this week against the Titans. It's a smash spot for you."
3. Wide Receivers
a) Cooper Kupp (SEA, notable drop in value but Week 5 FLEX play)
- [10:06] D-Bro: "I'm not telling people to believe in Cooper cup for the entirety of the season… but I think that this week could be a very good week for Cooper cup… Tampa Bay does really well… stop the run. Seattle is going to be forced to chuck the ball… Cooper cup is going to have a really nice day."
- [11:44] Seth: "He hasn't been bad at yak… top 20 right now in the league for yards after the catch."
- [12:24] D-Bro: "Sam Darnold quietly is playing really, really good football… If Sam Darnold plays good this week, Cooper cup is going to be an extremely strong flex."
b) Darius Slayton (NYG, big opportunity post-injury)
- [13:38] D-Bro: "With Malik [Neighbors] going out, Darius Slayton is going to step forward… In the two games Malik Neighbors missed last year… Darius Slayton got a 29% target share… He finished WR7 and WR31 in weekly scoring in those two games… going to have a fantastic day against the same secondary that's giving up the second most PPR points per target to perimeter wide receivers."
- [15:22] Seth: "He leads the Giants in receiving yards almost every single year… he is back."
- [16:05] D-Bro: "They need to infuse Jackson dart with confidence and we gotta throw the ball… It's a good opportunity… the upcoming schedule for the Giants is rough… going to have to rely on Jackson dart… and his arm. They're going to do that. They need to get the chemistry going between Jackson Dart and Darius Slayton."
4. Tight End: Mason Taylor (NYJ, emerging second option)
- [17:29] D-Bro: "I've been talking about him in the waiver wire article for the last few weeks and we finally saw it happen. Seth. Mason Taylor broke out this last week… 25.9% target share. He had 2.5 yards per route run and a 33.3% first reach here… They've needed a second option to step up in the jets passing attack and finally we have it… I mean I've got him ranked as a, as a tight end one this week."
- [19:08] Seth: "He's 90% of the route participation in the jets offense. That's fourth among tight ends. Also air yard share here, 12th best among the position at 14.6%."
- [19:49] D-Bro: "Dallas blown coverages, players playing bad. Like they don't have any answers on defense and I think they're going to have any answers. So like Mason Taylor, like if you picked him up off of waivers, kudos if you're starting him this week."
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
"This is kind of like my flu game… I've literally been chugging cough and cold medicine the entire week… but I couldn't get away from the keyboard. Had to give people the intel and trying to get people wins in fantasy this week."
— Derek Brown, [01:06] -
"RB40 is laughably low. If Michael Carter is that guy… against this type of run defense."
— Derek Brown, [08:27] -
"If you did [pick Michael Carter up], you have a potential plug and play this week against the Titans. It's a smash spot for you."
— Seth Wilcock, [08:50] -
"If Sam Darnold plays good this week, Cooper cup is going to be an extremely strong flex."
— Derek Brown, [12:24] -
"He leads the Giants in receiving yards almost every single year… he is back."
— Seth Wilcock, [15:22] -
"Mason Taylor broke out this last week… 25.9% target share… finally we have it… Mason Taylor is the second option in the jets passing attack."
— Derek Brown, [17:29]
Timestamps For Important Segments
- [03:03] - Jackson Dart as a sleeper QB
- [04:28] - Rhamondre Stevenson’s case as the lead RB in NE
- [06:47] - Michael Carter, plug-and-play potential in Arizona
- [10:06] - Cooper Kupp’s specific FLEX appeal for Week 5
- [13:38] - Darius Slayton’s expanded role after Malik Neighbors injury
- [17:29] - Mason Taylor breaking out as the Jets’ TE
Conclusion & Takeaways
Actionable Week 5 Starts
Seth and Derek provide managers with direct, evidence-backed reasons to consider Rhamondre Stevenson, Michael Carter, Cooper Kupp, Darius Slayton, Mason Taylor, and especially sleeper QB Jackson Dart for lineups struggling with bye weeks or injuries. Each pick is grounded in data, matchup analysis, and context from coaching signals or depth chart clarity.
The Big Picture:
Don’t simply trust ECR—factor matchup, recent opportunity shifts, and talent when making Week 5 lineup decisions. As D-Bro summarizes, “If you picked him up off waivers, kudos if you’re starting him this week,” reinforcing the importance of being proactive and flexible in fantasy football.
Quick Reference: "Must-Start" Six for Week 5
- QB: Jackson Dart (vs. Saints)
- RB: Rhamondre Stevenson (vs. Bills)
- RB: Michael Carter (vs. Titans)
- WR: Cooper Kupp (vs. Buccaneers)
- WR: Darius Slayton (vs. Saints)
- TE: Mason Taylor (vs. Cowboys)
For a full breakdown and expanded analysis for all six recommended starts, check out the episode on the FantasyPros YouTube channel or audio feed.
Hosts: Seth Wilcock & Derek Brown
Episode: The Primer - Week 5
Date: October 3, 2025