Fantasy Football: 4 Things We Learned From Week 5

Chris Hogan Is a Fantasy WR1

Chris Hogan might not be a one-for-one replacement for the injured Julian Edelman, but Hogan has established himself as a top-tier fantasy wide receiver n Edelman's absence. Heading into the Monday night game, Hogan is currently the overall WR5 in 0.5-point PPR fantasy leagues.

Last year, Hogan was a boom-or-bust fantasy option on a Patriots team that was missing Rob Gronkowski. So how did we get here?

Hogan has transformed into an elite red-zone receiver. His 10 red zone targets are the second-most in the league, and his 4 touchdowns are also tied for the second-most in the league at the wide receiver position.

Hogan isn't dominating his team's target share like other elite fantasy wide receivers. His 19 percent share of the Pats' offense pales in comparison to the target share of other elite fantasy receivers.

But not all targets are created equally, and targets from Tom Brady -- especially red-zone looks -- are very valuable. Hogan is doing his best impression of Jordy Nelson and Dez Bryant by being an efficient wide receiver between the 20s and an elite red zone threat.

The best part of all of this is that Hogan may be easier to acquire than Jordy or Dez, because he lacks the history of past production and the name brand the other top receivers have. It's worth reaching out to Hogan owners in your fantasy leagues to see if they value him correctly.