Quarterback
MVP: Marcus Mariota (Titans)
Apparently all Marcus Mariota needed to turn things around was to face a team that is in more turmoil than his Titans. Mariota was a fantasy goldmine against the dysfunctional Dolphins this week, picking up 163 YDS and 3 TD's through the air and an additional 60 YDS and a TD on the ground. It remains unclear whether he's truly overcome his early-season struggles or this was merely a fluke strong performance against a weak defense, but Mariota is worth keeping around as a QB2 in 12+ team leagues.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady (Patriots), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)
LVP: Eli Manning (Giants)
Going into Week 5, it seemed like Eli Manning had been handed a gift from the football gods. He was facing a Packers team that was ranked 28th in the league against the pass and was without both of their starting corners (Sam Shields and Damarious Randall). Unfortunately for Manning's fantasy owners, he didn't take advantage of this enticing matchup. The combination of an excellent pass-rushing performance from the Packers front 7 and a healthy amount of missed throws led to yet another very subpar performance (199 YD/1 TD/1 FUM) from Manning. The inevitability of performances like this one are the downside of owning Manning, but his ability to go off at anytime makes him very difficult to get rid of.
Dishonorable Mentions: Joe Flacco (Ravens), Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Jameis Winston (Buccaneers)
Running Back
MVP: David Johnson (Cardinals)
With the delightful Drew Stanton filling in for the concussed Carson Palmer under center, the Cardinals offense ran through David Johnson in Week 5. The sophomore running back demonstrated his 2-way prowess by gouging the weak 49ers defense for 185 total yards (157 rushing, 28 receiving) and 2 TD on 30 touches. Johnson is one of the few highly-drafted RB's to live up to their elite billing so far this season and he should continue to be an integral part of the Cardinals offense as they try to crawl back to the top of the NFC West after a rough 2-3 start.
Honorable Mentions: Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys), Jordan Howard (Bears), Tevin Coleman (Falcons)
LVP: Lamar Miller (Texans)
Lamar Miller continued his early-season woes in the Texans Week 5 tilt with the undefeated Vikings. While the Vikings early 24-0 lead limited his opportunities (he had 9 touches on the day), his 24 total yards (20 rushing, 4 receiving) is still wildly disappointing for a guy who is being utilized as an RB1 in approximately 50-60% of leagues. With just 453 total yards and 0 TD's through the first 5 games of the year, Miller has proven to be a monumental letdown for owners that used a late 1st/early 2nd round pick on him.
Dishonorable Mentions: C.J. Anderson (Broncos), Jerick McKinnon (Vikings), Matt Forte (Jets)
Wide Receiver
MVP: T.Y. Hilton (Colts)
Late-game heroics have once again elevated T.Y. Hilton to the top of the weekly wide receiver list. A game-winning 35-yard TD grab was the cherry on top for Hilton's impressive 10 reception/171-yard performance against the Bears on Sunday afternoon. Hilton is the only consistent playmaker the Colts have on offense right now, which means Andrew Luck will force an obscene amount of throws his way each and every week regardless of matchup.
Honorable Mentions: Sammie Coates (Steelers), Amari Cooper (Raiders), Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals)
LVP: Jarvis Landry (Dolphins)
Jarvis Landry's weak performance this past Sunday against the Titans is just a case of tough luck. Landry reeled in all 3 of the targets sent his way in the game, but Ryan Tannehill bizarrely threw just 18 passes on the day as the Dolphins got manhandled by the Titans at home. This is the 1st game of the season in which Landry got less than 10 targets and 55 receiving yards (he finished this game with 28), so it's probable that he'll return to his WR2/3 form against the Steelers in Week 6.
Dishonorable Mentions: Julio Jones (Falcons), John Brown (Cardinals), Julian Edelman (Patriots)
Tight End
MVP: Martellus Bennett (Patriots)
Despite Rob Gronkowski putting up his Gronk-caliber performance (5 REC, 109 YDS) of the season this week, Martellus Bennett still managed to steal the show. The Black Unicorn (6 REC/67 YDS) was a frequent flyer in the endzone on Sunday as he caught all 3 of Tom Brady's TD passes in the Patriots blowout win over the Browns. Even with Gronkowski starting to look like himself again, Bennett can still be used as a TE1 in most matchups.
Honorable Mentions: Greg Olsen (Panthers), Delanie Walker (Titans), Dwayne Allen (Colts)
LVP: Kyle Rudolph (Vikings)
The up-and-down play of Kyle Rudolph continued in Week 5. Rudolph followed-up back-to-back excellent performances against the Panthers and Giants in which he netted 125 YDS and 2 TD's on 12 receptions with a 2 REC/15 yard-stinker against the Texans. Despite his inconsistency, Rudolph's pivotal role in the Vikings passing game makes a low-end TE1 with a mid-range ceiling moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Cameron Brate (Buccaneers), Zach Ertz (Eagles), Jason Witten (Cowboys)
Defense
MVP: Buffalo Bills
It took far longer than expected, but the Bills defense is starting to look like the bully Rex Ryan and his defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman promised it would be when they arrived in Buffalo prior to last season. The Bills did surrender 19 points to the Rams below average offense, but their 4 sacks, 3 takeaways (2 interceptions and a fumble recovery) and touchdown more than made up for that middling points allowed total. The Bills have been among the elite fantasy defenses so far in 2016 and if they're somehow still available in your league, you need to pounce on them immediately.
Honorable Mentions: Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots
LVP: Carolina Panthers
In real life, the Panthers defense fared pretty decently in Week 5 considering the injuries that are currently plaguing their defensive line and secondary. However from a fantasy prescriptive, they were thoroughly underwhelming. The Panthers failed to generate a takeaway against a Buccaneers offense that 2nd in the league in turnovers going into this game and only picked up 2 sacks to offset the 17 points they allowed. Until the Panthers get some of their currently dinged-up players back on field, they should only be considered an emergency option in fantasy.
Dishonorable Mentions: Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos
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