Fantasy Football Week 5 Quarterback Late-Game Who Should I Start? Kyler Murray, Jayden Daniels, and More
Comparing Kyler Murray to three quarterbacks that he has been matched up with often on the FantasySP Who Should I Start? tool.
Leading up to the late games on Sunday, fantasy owners are still trying to make their final lineup decisions; it goes down to the last minute every week. Even when left to just those later games, there are still a lot of useful fantasy quarterbacks who owners are considering.
Arizona's Kyler Murray has been one of the most popular names coming up, as he has been all over our FantasySP start/sit tool this weekend. Let's look at Murray and three quarterbacks who he has been compared to often on the start/sit tool.
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Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals vs. Tennessee Titans
Murray is always relevant in fantasy football because of how he runs the ball. He has averaged close to 40 yards per game on the ground in his career while scoring 31 touchdowns; Murray has over 500 career fantasy points just from running.
His passing is more hit-or-miss, as Murray's career numbers point toward someone who is very average throwing the ball (and might push the fringe of slightly below average). It hasn't been pretty this season: 185.5 passing yards per game on just 5.7 per attempt. He has added 37 rushing yards per game, but Murray needs to play better for this team to have a real chance to make a run.
The matchup against Tennessee this week is a mostly positive one. The Titans had a stout defense the past few years, but they have fallen backward a little in 2025. Tennessee has allowed the 10th-most yards per pass attempt but the eighth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks.
A closer look shows that the Titans are better in fantasy because they have given up fewer than 50 total rushing yards to QBs and no touchdowns on the ground. Quarterbacks have been good but not great when throwing the ball against the Titans.
That points against Murray, who does a lot of work with his legs. If he can't rack up fantasy points by running, there might not be a lot there for the Arizona QB this week, making him a middling play.
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders @ Los Angeles Chargers
Daniels missed the past two games with a knee injury, but he returns here against a tough Chargers team that has allowed the second-fewest yards per pass attempt. Quarterback running in another story, though.
The Chargers have allowed at least 20 rushing yards to the opposing QB in all four of their games, with an average of 41 yards and two total touchdowns. That's why LA is so good against the pass but just in the middle in fantasy points given up to quarterbacks.
Daniels is up to his top-tier fantasy level because he runs the ball so well. He ran for nearly 900 yards last season with six touchdowns and averaged 42.5 rushing yards in the first two weeks of this season before going down hurt.
The injury might limit him a bit, but if Daniels is on the field, I'm assuming that he's ready to go and will be doing everything, including running the ball. With a matchup that will allow for fantasy points in that department, Daniels is at least in the middle this week despite LA's tough defense.
Advice: Start Jayden Daniels over Kyler Murray because Daniels is just such a good fantasy player and has multiple ways to score points.
Drake Maye, New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills
The Bills have allowed the fewest yards per pass attempt, though they sit in the middle in terms of fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. Stopping the run game has been a big issue for Buffalo, and that extends to the QB, where they have been gashed this season:
- Week 1 vs. Lamar Jackson: 6 attempts, 70 yards, and a touchdown
- Week 2 @ Justin Fields/Tyrod Taylor: 8 attempts, 70 yards
- Week 3 vs. Tua Tagovailoa: 2 attempts, 10 yards
- Week 4 vs. Spencer Rattler: 6 attempts, 49 yards
The Bills have allowed the third-most yards per rush attempt to all players, with running backs, quarterbacks, and even receivers finding success on the ground. This is going to benefit Maye.
Some guys who run the ball often aren't good at throwing the ball. The top fantasy quarterbacks, like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, do both at such a high level that they could often be close to fantasy starters with just one aspect, let alone excelling at both.
Maye can get closer to the latter group and move into top fantasy territory one day. He's not there yet, but Maye can throw and run the ball and could develop into a top player: he's averaging close to 250 passing yards and 25 rushing yards per game with seven passing touchdowns, two interceptions, and two more scores on the ground.
That all has Maye as QB4 on the season, maybe a peek at the top fantasy quarterback some are expecting. The running is real, and Buffalo has given it up often, but the tough matchup throwing the ball makes this a little bit tougher outlook.
Advice: Start Drake Maye over Kyler Murray. Maye has been better and he is a better passer of the football. If the running is going to be there, Maye has an advantage in every area.
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Seattle Seahawks
Mayfield has persevered through injuries all around him, losing multiple wide receivers and offensive linemen both before the season and early in 2025. Through it all, he ranks as QB8, averaging 20 fantasy points per game.
The Seahawks offer a tougher test, allowing the sixth-fewest yards per pass attempt and ninth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Seattle has good players at all three levels of the defense (including plenty of talent in the secondary) and makes everything tough.
Mayfield had a few quieter games in tougher matchups against the Falcons and Texans, and while he was near 300 yards last week against the Eagles, it took him 40 attempts to get there, just 7.2 per attempt. He has played well, but Mayfield is also compromised by his current surroundings.
Advice: Start Baker Mayfield over Kyler Murray. Even with the issues, Mayfield is a better fantasy player than Murray and has found a way to overcome. Mayfield even runs close to as much as Murray does these days, negating that possible advantage for the Arizona QB.
