Baltimore’s five-week stumble has jolted the NFL’s 2025 narrative. A 1-4 start with Lamar Jackson sidelined by a hamstring and Derrick Henry aging into a high-volume workload has left the Ravens exposed as an aging, top-heavy roster with limited depth. The offense has looked predictably run-first and wonky when Jackson isn’t Superman, while the defense has been decimated by injuries, producing blowout losses and a fragile run D.

Hopkins flashed early but has cooled, and even the splashy addition of Jaire Alexander hasn’t halted the slide. The coaching staff has endured the stress of depleted personnel, with questions about durability, playmaking balance, and how to survive without multiple cornerstone pieces. Baltimore’s playoff odds have slipped from bright hopes to must-tidy-up-now territory, especially after a string of losses to contenders like Buffalo, Detroit, Kansas City, and Houston.

Fantasy takeaway centers on the Jackson-Henry core and how secondary receivers step up when the offense is forced to improvise. Flowers and Andrews could see upticks if Jackson returns, while Hopkins’ late-career efficiency will define his value in a severely unsettled passing game. On defense, the injury wave begs for smarter scheming and smarter line play if Baltimore hopes to climb back into the race.

Week 5 knocked several fantasy managers off balance as a slate of players underperformed across QB, RB, WR, and TE. Cooper Rush and Geno Smith delivered subpar showings, while rookies and veterans at RB and WR struggled to produce consistent fantasy value. The piece flags which names are still trustable moving forward and which quantities might rebound against softer matchups in Week 6.

Targets for bounce-back potential span multiple positions, with explanations on how volume, opponent, and in-game role could shift expectations. The analysis also surfaces late-stage obvious fades and identifies sleepers who flashed upside despite disappointing Week 5 totals.

Week 5 fantasy football holds strong TE intrigue. Dallas Goedert’s knee clearance puts him firmly in the TE1 mix for Philadelphia against Denver, while Taysom Hill’s PUP-by-activation status keeps him on the radar for a potential gadget-rush week for New Orleans. Darren Waller showed immediate impact in Miami with multi-score upside, Sam LaPorta draws a favorable Bengals matchup, and David Njoku’s London tilt versus Minnesota makes him a safer low-end option. The rest of the listed tight ends—Kincaid, Schultz, Johnson, Ertz, Andrews, Engram—are part of the broader Week 5 start/sit dialogue, with the RotoBaller tool guiding optimal decisions.

Overall, expect a mix of clear starters and high-variance plays. The Who Should I Start tool remains the fastest route to compare up to four players and tailor lineups to scoring formats and byes, helping managers navigate injury news, snap counts, and matchup strength in a fluid Week 5 slate.