2024 NFL Power Rankings Entering Week 5

Week 4 is in the books, so it's time to check in our NFL Power Rankings -- which are powered by numberFire's nERD-based rankings.

Heading into Week 5, there are only two teams that remain undefeated: the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings.

Sam Darnold has been a happy surprise and the Vikings tout the first-ranked adjusted defense. It's shaping up to be a very fun year for Minnesota fans. Kansas City's offense has been ravaged by injuries. Marquise Brown is expected to miss the regular season, Isiah Pacheco is out on the injured reserve, and now, Rashee Rice is feared to have torn his ACL after a tough collision over the weekend. Our Skyler Carlin's got you covered on the fantasy football fallout of Rice's injury. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Chiefs work the trade market, and it's hard to get too up and arms about these injuries when you're 4-0.

The highest risers of the week include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (moved up eight spots) and Washington Commanders (up eight spots). The Arizona Cardinals (down seven spots) and Philadelphia Eagles (down seven spots) are among our biggest drops.

We've got some exciting matchups in store for Week 5, though the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and Eagles will all have a bye.

Where does everything stand leading into the NFL's fifth week? Let's dive in.

All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 5)

Teams Ranked 32nd to 23rd

Andy Dalton has helped the Carolina Panthers (1-3) become fantasy-relevant, but a 28th-ranked defense still has them firmly on our bully radar.

The New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, and Jacksonville Jaguars are some of the other teams that just can't buy anything. The Pats' defense saves them from abject embarrassment, but it's borderline torture to watch that offense attempt to work down the field. Speaking of heinous offenses, the Miami Dolphins stink. Despite weapons that could suggest otherwise, the Fins are toast without Tua Tagovailoa. They've scored just 15 points through six quarters since Tua went down with a head injury and are averaging the fewest Net Expected Points (NEP) added per play in 2024. Football sickos are in for a treat this Sunday as Miami visits New England for a game that has a 35.5-point over/under.

The Las Vegas Raiders (2-2) are an interesting team in an interesting position. They've toed the line between bad and average with a win over the Baltimore Ravens and a loss against Carolina this season. With AFC teams such as the Jags and Dolphins off to bad starts that they might not be able to come back from, there's room for an underdog AFC team to leap onto our playoff radar. Gardner Minshew nearly achieved a Wild Card spot last season, but the perpetual Davante Adams saga has carried into this season. There's been plenty of drama surrounding the Raiders and Adams, and trade buzz is already popping up. Thus, backing the Raiders is a path I don't want to go down despite some unforeseen flexibility in the AFC. numberFire hands them a 14.5% playoff chance, so their +310 playoff odds (24.4% implied probability) don't show value.

Teams Ranked 22nd to 13th

The Dallas Cowboys (2-2) and Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) continue to lose steam with more underwhelming than should be quarterback play. More importantly, Philly's adjusted defense ranks 27th while Dallas' ranks 24th. The Cowboys have a brutal upcoming schedule: at Pittsburgh Steelers, vs Lions, at San Francisco 49ers, at Atlanta Falcons, vs. Eagles, vs. Houston Texans. The Birds have a more soft impending schedule but A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith's injury statuses are unclear -- plus the defense is more than capable of burning them.

The NFC East has long been a battle between Dallas and Philadelphia, but with both groups showing plenty of vulnerabilities, should we consider the Commanders (3-1) to steal the division? It's hard to fix Washington's defense, one that currently ranks dead last, but a first-ranked offense outweighs that to some degree. Jayden Daniels has been astonishing, and four of their next five games are against teams that currently rank in the bottom half of our power rankings. Considering their upcoming soft schedule, as well as the circumstances that could prevent Dallas and/or Philly from bouncing back soon, I want to buy into the Commanders now if I am to ever do so.

Washington's +290 division odds imply a 25.6% probability, but numberFire gives them a 31.5% chance to win the NFC East.

Week 4 offered an evergreen story: Joe Flacco. Flacco subbed in for the Indianapolis Colts after Anthony Richardson went down with an injury. He eventually led the team to a 27-24 victory, handing Pittsburgh their first loss of the season. Richardson's injury is reported to not be serious, so we probably won't see much of Flacco, but it's good to know he can still be thrust under center and compete. The Colts are one of those teams that could grab a Wild Card spot in the face of poor play from other AFC teams. numberFire hands them a 49.5% playoff chance, but their +138 odds imply only a 42.0% probability.

Teams Ranked 12th to 1st

The Buffalo Bills-Baltimore Ravens showdown on Sunday Night Football saw Buffalo come back down to earth while Baltimore was looking like a championship team. Despite a 35-10 beating, the Bills still own our top spot in the power rankings after a scorching-hot start to the season. With Rice potentially out for the season in Kansas City, the AFC is shaping up to be a total bout between these three teams.

Over in the NFC, the Lions (3-1) and Seattle Seahawks (3-1) brought some entertainment to Monday Night Football. Detroit's offense is impossible to not fall in love with, and we saw the best of it last night in their 42-29 victory over the 'Hawks. But Seattle's defense was ravaged in that one, so a highlight night was expected from the Lions. The Seahawks entered Week 4 with the league's top-ranked adjusted defense and any hits on that mark can be partially blamed on their depleted roster. With Geno Smith's offense firing on more cylinders than ever before, this is a team that has the fixings to make a deep playoff run.

There's been a lot of speculation surrounding the severity of Christian McCaffrey's Achilles injury, and every new report looks worse than the last. The Niners are a contender with or without him, but they are undoubtedly a far less threatening foe without CMC. Add in the struggles in Dallas and Philly, and the NFC seems pretty up for grabs. I'll take what Seattle has shown us and consider them in the Super Bowl market while their odds are still long. numberFire gives them a 3.3% Super Bowl chance, but their +3200 Super Bowl odds imply a slightly lower 3.0% probability.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.