Breakout or Fluke? Analyzing Standout Fantasy Football Performances from Week 5: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Sam Darnold and More

After looking at some fantasy football players and their panic meters, let's dive into the breakout or fluke series after week 5.

We'll go over some surprising fantasy performances from week 5 and determine if they were breakout showings or flukes. We'll look at two quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends.

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Running Backs

Rico Dowdle and Jacory Croskey-Merritt are the two running backs we'll discuss this week.

Dowdle was the lead Carolina back with Chuba Hubbard out with an injury. All Dowdle did was finish with the top fantasy score for week 5.

He rushed for 206 yards and a score on 23 carries, while catching three of his four targets for an additional 28 yards.

Obviously, Dowdle will only remain a big-time fantasy asset for as long as he has the starting role, or in other words, as long as Hubbard is banged up or out. Dowdle is a big waiver wire add as a result of his big week 5 showing, and not knowing the long-term health of Hubbard, I think Dowdle should get to 100% owned.

I wouldn't expect these kinds of showings for every game Dowdle serves as the lead Carolina back, but I do see him serving as a standard league starting back in the meantime.

He has some trade value for those desperate for running back help. He's most valuable in deeper leagues. If Dowdle is available in my league, I'm definitely adding him for the time being.

This breakout showing could also help him get to a different team if someone is desperate for running back help, and the Panthers fall out of contention. That's something for down the road, but makes him worth rostering for a bit.

Croskey-Merritt had 111 rushing yards and two scores on 14 carries, while adding 39 receiving yards on two catches and targets.

It was his breakout game in the NFL, and now he looks like the No. 1 back for Washington finally. He needs to be scooped up in any league he isn't already rostered in.

JCM definitely has some trade value, and that goes for all leagues. I see him as someone who is here to stay, so if I rostered him, I'd keep doing so. However, teams with a stable of running backs could look to sell high on JCM and his potential upside.

He should be a good starting fantasy option for the rest of the season, so it's a worthwhile investment. Do it now before his value grows any more.

Tight Ends

AJ Barner and Theo Johnson are the two tight ends worth discussing after week 5.

Barner had a monster fantasy showing on Sunday, catching all seven of his targets for 53 yards and two scores.

He was expected to lose his starting role to rookie Elijah Arroyo, but Barner has quietly emerged as a good fantasy option. After this showing, his fantasy value is definitely up.

I don't expect him to keep delivering those statlines every game, but on a Seattle offense without a locked-in No. 3 pass catcher, Barner could be a sneaky good fantasy option the remainder of the season.

He's a waiver wire option going into week 6, and has his most trade value in deeper leagues. It's a good time to sell high, as he likely won't outproduce his week 5 numbers going forward, but his value could still rise if he solidifies himself in the Seattle offense.

I'd be willing to add Barner, especially in deeper leagues where a tight end is needed. He won't cost too much, but he could be a really helpful fantasy asset for the rest of the season.

Johnson finished with just 33 yards on six catches and seven targets, but scored twice to deliver a monster fantasy score.

He has looked solid over the past couple weeks, but touchdowns are also propping his fantasy value a ton right now. That makes now a perfect time to sell high on Johnson.

Unfortunately, his trade value is mostly in deeper leagues. Desperate standard league owners could be willing to trade for him though, so he's worth throwing on the trade block.

Johnson is worth adding and at least stashing for a couple weeks in case he remains a decent fantasy asset. I see him more as a deep-league option, and not consistent enough for standard league starts every week, but we'll see if he can prove me wrong.

Wide Receivers

Stefon Diggs and DeVonta Smith are the two wide receivers we will discuss today.

Diggs went for 146 yards on 10 catches and 12 targets in week 5. He was also good in week 4, so it appears like he's here to stay.

Diggs has a chance to remain as the Patriots' No. 1 wideout all season, so I'd be all for adding Diggs, regardless of the league type. Sure, his fantasy value has risen greatly over the past two weeks, but if he remains the team's top option, which I believe he will, then Diggs will be a good investment.

He's not going to cost an arm and a leg, but he could solidify your WR position and give you a good weekly starting option the rest of the season. He's worth pursuing, and should be near the top of the list of wideouts to acquire after week 5.

His performances might not always be as good as the past two weeks, but the chance of him replicating this success is high enough to pursue him, at least in my eyes.

Smith went for 114 yards on eight receptions and 10 targets.

I talked about his teammate A.J. Brown in the panic meter story, so it's not surprising that Smith had a good showing.

As much as I like Smith, I think now is the perfect time to sell high on him. He's the team's No. 2 receiver for a reason, but you can probably get a No. 1 receiver in return for him. That alone makes it worthwhile to at least throw his name on the trade block.

I don't see Smith being this good of a fantasy asset every week, so now is the time to capitalize on his big game.

Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud and Sam Darnold are the quarterbacks I want to talk about today.

Stroud was 23-of-27 passing for 244 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing once for an additional 30 yards.

He was stellar in a great matchup against the Ravens, and has looked good over the past couple weeks after a slow start to the season, and a down 2024. 

Fantasy owners are now hoping that there's more big performances coming after the team's bye week (this week), and he's on the rise as a fantasy asset as a result.

Stroud has a higher trade value in deeper leagues, but is gaining traction in standard leagues now. I'd be happy to stash him through his bye week in case he keeps rolling after his bye week.

I still believe in Stroud, so I'd be happy to acquire him in a deeper league. At worst, he's a weekly starting option, even when his results aren't as positive as they were in week 5.

If your QB spot is unsettled in a standard league, acquiring Stroud is also a worthwhile move in my eyes. He was a top-end fantasy QB as a rookie, and has looked more like that guy over the past couple weeks. If he keeps that up the rest of the season, he could change your fantasy fortunes.

Darnold was 28-of-34 passing for 341 yards, four touchdowns and one pick, while adding nothing as a runner.

Like in the case with Stroud, Darnold isn't likely to keep those kinds of numbers up every week, but he's been a good fantasy asset most of this season, and has really been quite underrated.

He's worth an add, not just for streaming purposes, but for possibly the rest of the season. Obviously, his fantasy results going forward will determine how many leagues he's owned and started in, but for now, I think he deserves more fantasy love.

So while I don't see his week 5 numbers staying, I do think Darnold could remain a solid fantasy asset, so he is worth acquiring, whether that's in a trade or a waiver wire pickup.