Fantasy football Week 5 fallout: Rhamondre Stevenson, Woody Marks rise as Chase Brown's struggles continue

Rhamondre Stevenson and Woody Marks gain Fantasy momentum, while Chase Brown struggles and Chicago's passing game sputters

Oct 12, 2026 at 3:34 pm ET • 3 min read

Know what was nice about Week 5? Not a lot of bad weather, and not a lot of field goals. Eleven teams put up at least 26 points, and plenty of big-time Fantasy studs came through. 

Our daily Fantasy Football Today podcast includes a must-watch Sunday night livestream every single week when the late afternoon games end. It's our chance to react to what happened across the league and give an initial prognosis on what will happen moving forward. It's a great place to celebrate ... or commiserate. 

So while there are far more than two winners and two losers from this week's games, here are the two winners and two losers I gave on our show. Please keep in mind: I never share "winners" who are obvious studs (like Jahmyr Gibbs), and I never share "losers" who are obvious bench guys (like what Bo Nix has become). 

Week 5 Fantasy Winners

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson

He started in 48% of leagues, a number that will rise quickly with TreVeyon Henderson sidelined for who knows how long. Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 4.9 yards per carry, caught three passes and scored one touchdown. He remains New England's back for passing downs and goal‑line plays as long as he keeps the ball -- and that'll be the case even when Henderson plays. A big reason to keep Stevenson in high regard is his upcoming seven-game schedule. After a bye week, Stevenson will play the Jets, Bears, Dolphins, Packers, Lions, Chargers and Bills. This schedule is fantasy-friendly. Stevenson should perform as a reliable RB2 with some RB1 potential.

Texans RB Woody Marks

Like Stevenson, Marks took advantage of the opportunities created by the injury to his teammate. With David Montgomery sidelined with a groin injury, Marks handled almost every single RB snap and gave the Texans something they haven't had much of this year: rushing efficiency! Sure, the opponent had something to do with that, and the Texans' upcoming schedule has plenty of tough matchups in it. But after back-to-back weeks with short-yardage touchdowns and a big workload this past game, it's clear the Texans coaching staff sees something in Marks. That trust should yield the lion's share of touches in the Texans offense even when Montgomery comes back. You'll probably find yourself starting Marks in Week 5 as a low-end option, even against a difficult matchup against the Jaguars, who now have held opposing RBs to a slim, trim 2.5 yards per rush.

Week 5 Fantasy Losers

Chicago Bears passing offense

Weeks 3 and 4 were majestic collaborations of great scheme, talent and timing. Week 5 was a mess. And while the return of Caleb Williams will mean good things for Chicago's scoring overall, it's Williams' off-script, feast-or-famine play style that sent his pass-catchers' numbers into a tailspin for their first two games. Plays designed for, say, Colston Loveland see the ball go to someone else. Poor Rome Odunze had just six targets from Williams in two games -- which is two more than Loveland! It's going to be difficult to trust any Bears pass-catchers, including Luther Burden III, given not only Williams' return but also their sorry play at Green Bay.

Bengals RB Chase Brown

It is time to lower expectations for Chase Brown. He has scored 12 or more PPR points in one of his last four games and has not scored a touchdown in that period. His snap rate against the Dolphins was 60%, and he wasn't even the leading rusher for Cincinnati -- Samaje Perine had one more carry! While Brown got away with a great PPR day last week due to heavy target volume, this matchup against Miami was supposed to be the game where he exploded for huge numbers. Instead, he managed just 39 yards on 13 carries (with a long run of seven yards) with very little room to work. For now, the hope is that the Bengals use their bye week to revamp the run game, but that may not mean they'll put everything on Brown's shoulders. Cincy's schedule ahead isn't particularly favorable, either. If you buy low, expect No. 2 RB results and hope to be pleasantly surprised.