Leaders of the Pack Week 5 2026

by Dennis Michelsen

Total Fantasy Football points and even Points per Game can be deceiving. In Fantasy Football, we want to know not only who the hot players are early in the season, but also who has been productive over a longer period. My rankings utilize four separate indexes that are explained below to give a rating for each player. Let’s look at who the leaders of the pack are in Fantasy Football after week five. 

MVP Index Explained

Every week in Fantasy Football, a player’s statistics can have three possible outcomes. They can help your team win by having a huge points week. They can cause your team to lose with a very low-scoring week. They can keep your team in contention by performing above the historic median output. The MVP Index aims to combine these three outcomes into one easy-to-understand number. While the historic median for Fantasy Football points differs by position, using the same expected performance level for RB, WR, and TE gives us a score to compare while making Flex starting decisions all season. 

MVP26 Explained

This index uses the same formula as the MVP Index above, but uses only this season's data. All games played are used to give a true value on each player as if they started them for every game this year in Fantasy Football. 

Upside Index Explained

While consistency matters in Fantasy Football, weekly upside consistency matters even more. The UPSIDE INDEX calculates a player’s best 1/3rd of his games over the past 2 seasons plus the current season. This extended database gives us a better sense of a player’s long-term form, not just a few data points from the current season. Each week, the data weights the current season more heavily. 

GOOD Index Explained

In the NFL, young players often struggle early in their careers. While the MVP Index does a solid job of keeping up with players' latest developments, the GOOD Index counts only their best games over the past 2 seasons plus the current season. This index values rookie and second-year players lower because they have fewer total games to post a high GOOD Index, but it rewards players who stay healthy and productive over a longer time frame. 

Scoring System Used

Regular 1-point-per-reception scoring is used without a TE premium applied. Players get 1 point for every 10 rushing or receiving yards and 1 point for every 25 passing yards. TDs count 6 points, including passing TDs. 

Leaders of the Pack at QB

20 Point Games Week One: 13

30+ Point Games Week One: 2

Perfect MVP26 Scores After 5 Weeks: 0

MVP26>120: 7

MVP26>100: 13 

MVP26>80: 16

MVP26>60: 20

1. Josh Allen: Put on his Superman cape to beat the Rams on MNF  

2. Joe Burrow: Another solid effort for Joe Cool  

3. Jared Goff (+1): Defense needs the Bye week to regroup

4. Lamar Jackson (-1): BAL needs him back ASAP

5. Patrick Mahomes: Pass receiving group a question mark coming out of Bye week  

6. Brock Purdy: Evans is his new favorite target 

7. Jayden Daniels (+2) 100-yard rushing day on an off track

8. Matthew Stafford (+2) Why did the Rams settle for a 46-yard FG in OT with Stafford on a roll? 

9. Jalen Hurts (-2) The Eagles could be falling apart

10. Dak Prescott (-2) How did the Cowboys get beat last week? 

11. Baker Mayfield (+1) Could miss another couple of weeks

12. Caleb Williams (-1) Should be back this week

13. Drake Maye (NEW): Two great weeks in a row put him in the Top 15 again

14. Bo Nix: Broncos could have a problem; Nix OK but not elite and due for a new contract

15. Bryce Young (NEW): The first four weeks, he played like he was 6/6

Leaders of the Pack at RB

10 Point Games Week One: 28

20+ Point Games Week One: 5

Perfect MVP26 Scores After 5 Weeks: 1

MVP26>120: 12

MVP26>100: 15 

MVP26>80: 16

MVP26>60: 19

1. Bijan Robinson: Everyone got the top 2 RBs correct this season

2. Jahmyr Gibbs: His team managers will miss him on his bye week  

3. Derrick Henry: Playing even better than last season 

4. Jonathan Taylor (+1): Big tier drop after the top 3

5. Christian McCaffrey (-1): Managing his volume a little more this season

6. Kylen Williams: When the game is on the line, Kyren is usually on the field  

7. James Cook: Fumble issue this season could land him in the doghouse   

8. Ken Walker: The only “Perfect RB” using my MVP26 index

9. Chase Brown: Lowest MVP26 rating in the top 14 

10. Bucky Irving (+4): Even had a great day with a backup QB

11. Chubba Hubbard: 5th best RB this season using my MVP26 Index 

12. D’Andre Swift (-2): Injuries starting to add up; could miss a game soon

13. Javonte Williams (-1): Stats don’t always look pretty, but he gets the job done

14. Ashton Jeanty (-1): Hasn’t been the same RB since the ankle injury

15. Saquon Barkley: Eagles are a mess, and injuries are slowing him down too

16. Breece Hall (+2) Sidelined for maybe one more week

17. Aaron Jones (+2) One of only 15 RBs with an MVP26 Index of 100 or higher

18. Jaylen Warren (+4) Injury to Dowdle opened door to higher volume

19. Alvin Kamara (-2) Might not be able to stay healthy and in the lineup 

20. Rhamondre Stevenson (+4) Injury to Henderson opens the door for him this week

21. David Montgomery (-1) Injuries and a bad O-Line is not a great combo platter 

22. Emmanuel Wilson (+1) When he gets 20 or more touches, he produces Top 10 results

23. Cam Skattebo (-2) Two below-median weeks in a row is not a great sign

24. RJ Harvey (-8) Injury could limit his production for a while

25. Kyle Monangai (+3) Badly needed in that Bears offense

26. Rico Dowdle (+1) Not sure if volume returns when he returns to action

27. Quinshon Judkins (+3) Four of his five games have been below median, and now injury concerns

28. Tony Pollard (+6) Titans offense is a mess right now

29. Omarion Hampton (-4) Poor performances and now losing volume too

30. Ollie Gordon (+5) Stepped up big time in Achane’s absence

31. TreyVeon Henderson (-+2) Injury will put him on the shelf for a few weeks

32. Brian Robinson (+-3) Vultures the occasional TD but unreliable volume

33. Rachaad White (-1) Injury concerns going forward

34. Bhayshul Tuten (NEW) Volume split hurting his upside

35. JK Dobbins (NEW) Should get more volume this week 

Leaders of the Pack at WR

10 Point Games Week One: 36

20+ Point Games Week One: 10

Perfect MVP26 Scores After 5 Weeks: 0

MVP26>120: 11 

MVP26>100: 13

MVP26>80: 20

MVP26>60: 27

1. Puka Nacua: 17 catches on 24 targets was a huge volume even by Nacua standards  

2. Jaxson Smith Njigba: Injury is a concern on the short week

3. Amon Ra St Brown: Death, taxes, and Sun God in top 3 at WR  

4. Ja’Marr Chase (+1) Injuries have been the only thing to slow him down 

5. Cee Dee Lamb (-1) Early exit hurts his managers, who now must hold their breath on the injury situation 

6. Davante Adams (+1) No TD regression as feared

7. Nico Collins (-1) Finally gets a new sidekick to limit his double-teams

8. Zay Flowers: Injuries have been the only thing to slow him down so far 

9. Malik Nabers (+5) Back-to-back 20+ PPR Point games

10. Chris Olave: Had a rare bad week last week 

11. Mike Evans (+4) Becoming Purdy’s favorite target 

12. Drake London (-1) Injury to Penix is a big concern

13. Justin Jefferson (-1) Solid game returning from injury

14. Garret Wilson (-1) Focal point of offense with Breece Hall sidelined

15. George Pickens (+1) If Lamb misses time, his stock rises quickly

16. Tee Higgins (-7) Bye Week came at the right time for the Bengals

17. DJ Moore: Injury situation uncertain going forward 

18. DeVonta Smith: Was missed last week 

19. Jameson Williams (+3) Back-to-back 15+ point games with LaPorta on the field was encouraging

20. Stefon Diggs (-1) Injury issues slowing him down

21. Christian Watson (+4) When healthy, he is one of the most dynamic WRs in the game

22. Terry McLaurin (+4) Not sure he is close to 100% right now

23. Rashee Rice: Injuries are a huge issue for the KC WR Room 

24. Tetairoa McMillan (-3) When Coker is not on the field, he has been insanely great

25. Ladd McConkey (-5) Chargers offense is a mess

26. DK Metcalf (+1) Seems to be the proverbial round peg fitting in square hole  

27. Wan Dale Robinson (+1) Answer to which Titans WR to own was NEITHER

28. Deebo Samuel (-4) Injury issue is a big concern moving forward

29. Parker Washington (+9) The most dynamic WR on the Jags

30. Jakobi Meyers: Still has a nose for finding the endzone 

31. Mike Wilson (-2) Weird drop-off in production without Harrison in lineup 

32. Courtland Sutton (-1) Not a single game with double-digit production so far

33. Denzel Boston (+1) Four of his first five career starts have been at or above the median

34. Khalil Shakir (+6) Big-play WR who lacks consistent volume

35. Brian Thomas (-3) Should be the next WR to be traded

36. Emeka Egbuka (NEW) Could be a rising star when Baker returns 

37. Jaylen Waddle (-4) Broncos’ offense is a mess right now

38. Matthew Golden (NEW) Four of his first five games in double digits exceeds last season already

39. Jordan Addison (-2) Bye Week came at the right time for the Vikings 

40. Chris Godwin: Could he be playing himself back into form?   

Leaders of the Pack at TE

10 Point Games Week One: 15

20+ Point Games Week One: 5

Perfect MVP26 Scores After 5 Weeks: 1

MVP26>120: 2

MVP26>100: 4

MVP26>80: 6

MVP26>60: 8

1. Trey McBride: Top 2 TEs in a league of their own  

2. Brock Bowers: Only perfect TE left using my MVP26 Index

3. George Kittle: Hasn’t lost a step yet 

4. Travis Kelce: Old man could see even more volume with WR injuries   

5. Sam LaPorta: Three games over 15 points already matches last season   

6. Dallas Goedert (NEW) came back from injury in great form

7. Tyler Warren (+3) If Colts’ offense was better, he would be in Top 3

8. Juwan Johnson (-1) Had a rare, bad game and lost playing time to Fant

9. Harold Fannin (-3) Browns’ offense sometimes snoozes

10. Pat Freiermuth (+5) Becoming Rodgers' favorite target 

11. Tucker Kraft (-2) Volume picked up and now so is production

12. Darren Waller (-1) TD-dependent in Fake Football

13. Hunter Henry (+1) Maye has looked great the last 2 weeks

14. Mark Andrews (-6) Has dropped too many balls this season

15. Mike Gesecki (-3) A big part of the offense in the red zone

Conclusion   

Five weeks are on the board, and we are starting to see the changes slowing down and the tiers starting to form. In a typical season, 6 or 7 QBs finish with an MVP Index over 100, and after five weeks, 13 QBs are at that level. At RB, we usually see 12-13 players over 100, and this year we have 15. WRs usually have 10-11 players over 100, and so far, 13 WRs have exceeded that mark. We usually see only 1-2 TEs with an MVP Index over 100, and this season we have 4 off to that great of a start. Good luck this week with your Fantasy Football lineups.