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• RBs Rod Smith and Brian Hill make their first ascents: Both have a 70.0-plus mark this season.
• TE Cody Latimer continues to perform: The XFL leads in contested receptions and enjoyed his best game to date in Week 5, totaling 124 yards and scoring eight catches.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Week 6 of the XFL is here, with the Seattle Sea Dragons and Orlando Guardians opening the roster on Saturday. Here are PFF’s top-rated players over the five-week stretch.
For more stats and advanced stats for the 2023 XFL season, check out PFF Premium Statistics.
Click here for previous weeks:
Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
arlington traitor
While Horton has been touted as the XFL’s top running back in four weeks, he’s faltered on that front this past week. Instead, it was his pass blocking that shined in the Renegades’ struggling offense. His 87.0 pass block rating in the game is tied for the highest marks of the week among guards.
Barnes, like Horton, continued his dominance of the Renegades leaderboard. Only 4.5 percent of his runs were scored negative (fourth-best), while 27.3 percent of his runs were positive (fifth-best).
How did TJ Barnes feel after being fired? ? ? ? @XFL2023 | @XFLRenegades pic.twitter.com/RoSTsCpM8a
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 20, 2023
dc defender
After taking just six snaps in DC’s Week 5 win, King barely qualified for the snap count threshold for the entire season. But, at this point, he can hit a fast break and score. He has now found the end zone all five weeks — both through the air and on the ground. He did get his first bad result of the season in Week 5 due to a small sample size and two-point attempts being intercepted.
Against St. Louis, Mintz topped the defensive charts for the first time after facing five quarterback pressures, including two sacks. His 11 pressures this season rank in the top 10 among XFL edge defenders.
D’Eriq King: 0/1 passing; 2 for 9 yards and a TD (5th rushing TD this season) pic.twitter.com/0ngoJ842xA
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) March 19, 2023
houston tough guy
Borghi returned in Week 5 after missing the previous game due to injury. It was a largely unproductive rush that took just six attempts and the former Washington State standout produced 12 yards and scored on six carries. He made his mark in the air, though, catching all five targets for 21 yards and forcing a season-high three tackles for loss.
John Daka’s lackluster performance against the Sea Dragons opened the door for Beckett, who has had a solid season all season, to claim the top spot. Beckett is the highest-rated linebacker in the XFL after posting his third 80.0 game grade of the season last week. He missed just two tackles and was top 10 in interceptions (11), the tackles that cost the offense.
.@max_borghi scored 6 points! @XFLRoughnecks | #XFL2023 pic.twitter.com/MUUSkTWVuL
— XFL (@XFL2023) March 17, 2023
las vegas vipers
A new crop of running backs began to emerge at the top of the XFL standings, and Smith was among them. He posted a season-high 81.2 points in Week 5, forced two tackles for loss and found the touchdown zone twice on 18 carries.
Taumoepenu, a former sixth-round pick for the Denver Broncos, had three sacks in Week 5 and beat his blocker in two others. Tackle turnovers (seven) continued to plague him, as did poor run defense performance (42.0 grade), but as a pass rusher, he certainly delivered. His 91.7 pass rush rating ranks second among all XFL defenders.
Cross Chop/Club at @PitaTaumoepenu by @XFLVipers. Have a pass rush plan! #passrush #XFL2023 pic.twitter.com/KJETSXglXx
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) March 20, 2023
orlando guardians
Latimer is the only player to have played for his team in all five iterations of this article. Week 5 was his best yet. The Guardians’ offense finally broke through, with Latimer totaling 124 yards and eight catches. Aside from his touchdown, his best performance was a contested 31-yard catch from the sideline in the fourth quarter.
Through Week 5, Plummer’s 3.3 percent tackle turnover rate was second among XFL linebackers, and his 12 stops were tied for fifth. After posting a game grade above 70.0 for the fourth time in five games, Plummer has established himself as one of the most consistent defenders in the XFL — especially as a blocker and a run defender.
Top 5 matches for this weekend’s @XFL2023 game? ? ? ? ? ? ?
As an owner, building this league of opportunity and unlocking the dreams of players is not only incredibly satisfying, but a complete journey for me. Thank you for your great support! Enjoy this weekend of racing! @ESPN @ABC
#54 pic.twitter.com/RtqJ3MrdRk— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) March 22, 2023
san antonio brahma
The two top players from Brahmas Week 4 will return in Week 5. Levao didn’t pressure any quarterbacks in 42 pass interceptions against Arlington and posted season-high grades in both run defense ratings (76.6) and overall scoring (81.5).
Barcoo is one of the few players who can post a 46.5 game grade and still rank among the best in the XFL at his position; he’s had a great year. He had three catches for 43 yards on six targets this past week and hasn’t recorded a pass interception all season. Still, his seven breakups overall rank first among cornerbacks.
Seattle Sea Dragons
Pearson, arguably the most consistent receiver in the XFL to date, made his season debut here. He leads the league in receiving yards (430) despite just one touchdown reception and has yet to record a game with fewer than 75 yards. He also leads all XFL pass catchers with 46 targets and 197 yards after reception.
Skipper nearly replicated his Week 4 performance in Week 5, with two sacks, a forced fumble and a 75.0-plus overall grade. He’s also four of the XFL’s tight end defenders to hit more than 100 tackles and not miss a tackle.
.@tuzarskipper has been here all season to train quarterbacks and loose balls
He brought back our mid-season honors for QB Nightmare?????
TUZAR is too strong @XFLSeaDragons pic.twitter.com/gGkazik4Zq
— Matty Fresh (@MattyFreshTV) March 23, 2023
st louis warhawks
Hill, a fifth-round pick for the Atlanta Falcons in 2017, has rushed for 250 yards on just 48 carries this season. He combined that with 110 receiving yards and 11 catches for one of the most productive backs in the XFL. He’s the only running back in the league with 15 tackles for loss and five receptions on the ground.
Feeney has two game grades above 90.0 and two times under 51.0 this season, and while Week 5 belongs to the latter, his passing ability is undeniable. The former sixth-round pick added three more quarterback pressures and stopped his season scoring totals as the XFL’s fourth-highest-ranked edge defender.
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