Drake Maye's 18.5-point third quarter carries him to the top of Week 5

Drake Maye needed one quarter to take Week 5. The Patriots quarterback scored 18.5 PPR points in the third quarter against the Raiders, the biggest single quarter any player put up all week, and finished with 39.5 points, the most of anyone.

Maye's second half did the damage

He didn't lead the Sunday early window for long stretches. Jaylen Warren got to 17.0 points almost immediately and sat at 20.4 at halftime, with Maye still climbing behind him. Then came the third quarter, and Maye went past him. His fifth touchdown of the day, counting the one on the ground, put him at 39.5. Warren finished second in the window at 36.8 on 101 rushing yards, six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown each way, including an 80-yard catch.

For fantasy managers, Maye's day was the rare quarterback ceiling game built on efficiency. He missed only eight throws.

Two chases fall 1.8 short

Gibbs made the first run at Maye in the Sunday late window. After Mike Evans opened with 10.0, Gibbs scored 18.0 points in the second quarter alone and rolled to 37.7 in Detroit's 45–21 win at Arizona: 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, plus five catches for 56 yards. His quarterback came along for the ride. Jared Goff threw three touchdowns and ran for another, finishing 12th at 28.9.

Nacua made the last run. He opened Monday night with 6.4, trailed Cook's 13.2 at halftime, then scored 11.1 in the third quarter to reach 20.2. A touchdown pushed him to 33.1 and fourth place, and he kept catching passes until he hit 37.7. His final line: 17 catches on 24 targets for 138 yards. In PPR scoring, that volume is a weekly winner more often than not. Here it tied for second.

The early leaders hold on

The week started with Bucky Irving. Williams opened Thursday night with 10.4 points and led at halftime, but Irving scored 14.7 in the third quarter and finished at 31.5 in Tampa Bay's 24–16 win at Dallas. He ran for 165 yards on 21 carries, with a 72-yard long, and scored once on the ground and once through the air. George Pickens posted 28.0 for the Cowboys in the loss.

In London, Parker Washington opened with 13.8 and sat at 16.4 through a quiet third quarter before finishing at 30.4: six catches, 124 yards, two touchdowns in a 19–17 win over Philadelphia. That number turned out to be the exact line for the top 10.

Sunday night never threatened the board. Henry scored 10.0 in the third quarter and Tyler Huntley scored again in overtime, finishing at 24.0 to lead the window. Maye stayed safe.

A deep week at the top

Ten players reached 30 points, and 35 cleared 20. The depth showed up at every position. Isaiah Likely was the top tight end and fifth overall at 32.4, with 11 catches and two touchdowns in the Giants' 27–27 tie at Washington. Malik Nabers drew 20 targets in the same game and finished 11th at 29.1. On the other side, Jayden Daniels threw no touchdowns but ran for 103 yards and two scores to finish at 32.3, level with Christian Watson, who turned six catches into 143 yards and two touchdowns against Chicago.

In a week this crowded, Maye's 39.5 stood alone at the top, and it came down to the 18.5 points he scored in one quarter.

The top 10

1. Drake Maye (QB, NE) — 39.5
2. Puka Nacua (WR, LAR) — 37.7
3. Jahmyr Gibbs (RB, DET) — 37.7
4. Jaylen Warren (RB, PIT) — 36.8
5. Isaiah Likely (TE, NYG) — 32.4
6. Christian Watson (WR, GB) — 32.3
7. Jayden Daniels (QB, WAS) — 32.3
8. Josh Allen (QB, BUF) — 31.5
9. Bucky Irving (RB, TB) — 31.5
10. Parker Washington (WR, JAX) — 30.4