Top Scoring Players on Fantasy Football (Week 5)

Well, Fantasy Football people, we have made it. Five weeks have passed, meaning that in standard leagues, the regular season is at the 1/3 mark. While the actual NFL regular season is 18 weeks long, a standard Fantasy Football regular season is 15 weeks long. A 15 week season, followed by the Semifinals in Week 16, and the championship and other consolation games in Week 17. Some custom leagues actually do use the entire regular season and crown champions on Week 18, but in a standard Fantasy Football league, it's a 15 week regular season, the Semis (Week 16), and then the championship (Week 17).

Where you are at this point in the season will definitely determine your chances of getting into the playoffs and going on to win the whole thing. But I'll discuss that later. Let's talk about the players who showed out the most in Week 5:

QB: Kirk Cousins

Fantasy scoring for QBs goes like this: 1 point per every 25 passing yards (or 0.04 points per passing yard), and passing touchdowns are 4 points each. Interceptions are usually a 1 point deduction, and lost fumbles are a 2 point deduction. The honor for Week 5 went to Kirk Cousins, who set the bar on Thursday Night Football, and it was not surpassed (not even by Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow). Cousins threw for 509 yards (20.36 points), 4 touchdowns (16 points), and a pick (1 point deduction), for a grand total of 35.36 fantasy points! I guarantee you, the fantasy players who started him definitely liked that!

RB: Tank Bigsby

You know, I remember hearing someone say that Tank Bigsby does need to be used more often, and well, it looks like it worked out for the Jags. Fantasy scoring for running backs goes like this: 1 point per 10 rushing yards, and touchdowns are 6 points. Receiving scoring rules also apply; 1 point per 10 receiving yards, and touchdowns are 6 points, and there's also PPR (Points Per Reception). Regarding Bigsby, he ran for 101 yards (10.1 points) and 2 touchdowns (12 points), and had one 28 yard reception (3.8 points), totally 25.9 points overall. I don't think Travis Etienne, Jr. had that many fantasy points in a game this season. Wow!

WR: Ja'Marr Chase

Oh boy! Thanks to Lamar Jackson and this man, Ja'Marr Chase, I actually blew out an undefeated team on Fantasy! Scoring for WRs goes like this: PPR is applied, and most leagues award a full point per reception. Also, it's 1 point for every 10 receiving yards, and touchdowns are 6 points each. Ja'Marr Chase dominated the WR position in Week 5! 10 receptions (10 points), 193 yards (19.3 points), and two touchdowns (12 points). A whopping 41.3 fantasy points on Week 5. What a performance!!

TE: Tucker Kraft

For the second straight week, Tucker Kraft took the lead for tight ends. As a Packers fan, I can't help but be giddy; we have a TE who is outplaying Travis Kelce! Of course, scoring for TEs is the same for WRs, and regarding Kraft, he had 4 receptions (4 points) for 88 yards (8.8 points), and two touchdowns (12 points), for a grand total of 24.8 points. I don't think Kelce has cracked 20 points in a game all season. I could be wrong, but I don't think he has. This is just amazing!

K: Younghoe Koo

If Justin Tucker is the league's best kicker, then Younghoe (pronounced "Young-hey") Koo has to be right behind him. Scoring for kickers goes like this: extra points are 1 point, of course. Regarding field goals, those under 40 yards are worth 3 points, 40-49 yard FGs are worth 4 points, and those 50 yards or longer are worth 5 points. On TNF, Koo made 3 PATs (3 points), a 40 yarder (4 points), and two 50 yarders (10 points), for a total of 17 fantasy points. Koo had 20 fantasy points in Week 4, so yeah, he has been showing out big time this season.

DEF: New York Giants

Here's how scoring for team defenses goes. Regarding scoring defenses, a shutout is 10 points, giving up 1-6 points is 7 points, giving up 7-13 points is 4 points, giving up 14-20 points is 1 point, giving up 21-27 points is no points, giving up 28-34 point is a 1 point deduction, and giving up at least 35 points is a 4 point deduction. Elsewhere, sacks are 1 point, interceptions are 2 points, safeties are 2 points, fumble recoveries are 2 points, blocked kicks are 2 points, and touchdowns are 6 points. In an absolutely shocking development, the New York Giants defense had the most points in Week 5. They had 7 sacks (7 points), a fumble recovery (2 points), blocked a field goal (2 points) that led to a TD (6 points), and gave up 14 points (1 point), resulting in a total of 18 fantasy points.

As I said, I started Chase in one league. I also had Koo in a few others, and I picked up Kraft to make up for the fact that Dallas Goedert was on a bye that week. So yeah, I was able to reap the benefits in Week 5. As I stated before, 1/3 of the Fantasy Football regular season is over in normal leagues. Here's how it goes regarding standings.

If you're 4-1 or even unbeaten (5-0) at this point, stay the course. You are on a great track to the playoffs at Christmas time and possibly a championship by New Year's. If you're 3-2 or 2-3 at this point, well, you're in decent shape, depending on how the league looks. You might need a good free agent pick up, or you may be one good trade away from moving to the top of the standings. If you're 1-4 or, God forbid, 0-5 at this point, you're in a bit of trouble, but even then, the season's not over. If you're still within about one or two games of a playoff position, get to making those pickups and try to make some deals. As for myself, I'm in eight leagues, I'm 4-1 in four of them. I'm also in first place in four of them, but oddly, out of the four leagues I'm leading, I'm 4-1 in three of them. I'm actually in first place at 3-2 in one league.

The next five weeks will definitely determine the contenders from the pretenders in Fantasy Football. All I have to say is, "Good luck!"