Start’Em Sit’Em Week 5
It’s now Week 5 of the 2015 regular season, and as bye weeks begin to take their toll on fantasy football owners, it has become essential to recognize which bench players or waiver-wire pickups are ready to thrive in a starting role.
Given the fact that the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and Carolina Panthers will all be watching Sunday’s games at home this week, there are several productive fantasy contributors that will unfortunately have to sit in Week 5. Running backs Adrian Peterson and Chris Ivory have likely been top-performers in any given fantasy lineup, as the two rank among the top-ten fantasy running backs through four weeks. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is another starter that will remain out of everyone’s lineup come Sunday, but luckily there are a few quarterbacks that are likely resting their arms on the waiver wire that could fill in admirably in Week 5.
At the wide receiver position, Miami Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry could need replacing in some PPR leagues, but there aren’t many receivers on any of the four teams that will significantly missed this week.
Joe Philbin will likely be resting this week as well… Too soon?
As for a player exceeding expectations through the first four weeks, Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman is currently averaging over 6.3 yards a touch and has accumulated six touchdowns in the last two weeks.
Randall Cobb and Julio Jones fell back down to Earth in a way, as the two combined for just nine receptions for 82 yards and zero touchdowns in Week 4, but this is no reason either of the two star receivers to be sitting as the season presses on.
With a pressing amount of questions surrounding your lineup in Week 5, here is a look at this weeks start’em/sit’em.
QUARTERBACKS
Peyton Manning
Broncos at Raiders
Given the amount of injuries and overall poor play the Oakland Raiders’ secondary have endured throughout the first four weeks, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is an obvious start in Week 5. Despite already throwing five interceptions on the season, Manning still has the brain power and weapons surrounding him to outplay a Raiders’ pass defense that has allowed at least two touchdowns and 269 passing yards in each of their first four games.
Oakland could also be playing without one of their best defensive backs, as T.J. Carrie’s status for Week 5 remains undetermined after leaving Sunday’s game with a chest injury. Manning should have no problem dissecting Oakland’s depleted secondary whether or not Carrie suits up, but his absence will only heighten his production.
Eli Manning
San Francisco at New York
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has yet to put up substantially high numbers in any given week, as he has been limited to under 300 total passing yards in all four of his performances, but his Week 5 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night sets the stage for a different story.
San Francisco is ranked among the ten worst NFL defenses when it comes to total offensive yards allowed, while defensive backs Tramaine Brock and Kenneth Acker have been the leading contributors to a secondary that has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete an average of 69 percent of their passes. The two should struggle to contain both Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle on the outside, and in turn, Manning will likely finish the game with a solid stat line.
Sam Bradford
New Orleans at Philly
While he seemingly struggled early in the season, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford was finally able to turn it on against a respectable Washington Redskins defense. Bradford threw for 270 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles’ Week 5 loss in Washington.
Now going up against a very inconsistent New Orleans Saints defense, Bradford should look to build on his strong performance in Week 4 in order to both show continuity within the offense and to possibly get the Eagles their second win of the season. New Orleans has allowed quarterbacks to combine for over 600 yards and five touchdowns in each of their two road games this season.
**Check out all our Quarterback projections for week 5 here
Matthew Stafford
Arizona vs. Detroit
In back-to-back weeks Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has struggled to get things going against tough defenses in the NFL, as he was limited to under 10 fantasy points against both Denver and Seattle. With the Arizona Cardinals coming into town this week, expect him to experience similar struggles, for Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu will likely cause too much trouble for Stafford to find any rhythm in an already struggling Lions offense.
Derek Carr
Denver at Oakland
After throwing for over 300 yards and at least two touchdowns in back-to-back games, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr faced another favorable matchup in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, but the sophomore stud simply didn’t live up to the hype. Carr finished the game with just 196 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
Now facing off against an outstanding Denver Broncos defense, Carr will surely be limited. Given the talent Denver has in their secondary and their veteran pass-rushers within their front seven, Carr will unquestionably struggle to find timing within his offense, and in turn, his production will falter.
RUNNING BACKS
Justin Forsett
Cleveland at Baltimore
Although he had many fantasy owners believing he was a bust due to his subpar performances through the first three weeks, in Week 4 Ravens running back Justin Forsett was finally able to make strides towards becoming relevant in 2015. While he wasn’t able to punch it into the end zone, Forsett still carried the load for Baltimore’s offense with 27 carries for 150 yards.
With an often abused Cleveland defense next on the list for the Ravens, expect Forsett to push to look consistent against the Browns poor run defense. According to NFL.com, the Browns are allowing opposing teams to average over 140 rushing yards a game so far this season.
T.J. Yeldon
Jacksonville at Tampa
While there aren’t many positive aspects of the Jacksonville Jaguars offense, rookie running back T.J. Yeldon has served as one of the team’s only bright spot in 2015. After having little to no impact with the Jaguars in weeks 1-3, Yeldon sprinted onto the radar of fantasy football owners everywhere with his 105-yard performance on 22 carries.
With little to build around on the offensive side of the ball, Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olsen will likely look to him to mirror that type of production moving forward, as a heavy dose of Yeldon should relieve a lot of the pressure off second-year quarterback Blake Bortles.
If the Jaguars can stick to a run-heavy game plan in Week 5, expect Yeldon to run all over Tampa Bay’s run defense. The Buccaneers have allowed opposing teams to rush over 100 yards in each of their first four games.
Latavius Murray
Denver at Oakland
Although I don’t believe the Raiders have lost confidence in Latavius Murray’s ability to carry the football after is underwhelming performance in Chicago, his apparent struggles against a what was believed to be poor Bears run defense did remind fantasy owners that Murray has still yet to prove that he can be a consistent fantasy producer. With one costly fumble and less than 60 all purpose yards, Murray had just three points in Week 4.
Free agent addition Roy Helu Jr. emerged as a competent back with the ball in his hands in wake of Murray’s poor play, as he averaged over four yards a carry on the ground and caught a four-yard touchdown pass in Oakland’s loss to Chicago. Though his impact wasn’t enough for him to push Murray out of the starting lineup, I wouldn’t be surprised if Helu Jr. began to take a few carries away from Murray in route of becoming a bigger part of that Raider offense.
With that being said, a potential drop in Murray’s touches should contribute to a lower amount of production, but he is primarily on the sit list this week due to the Raiders matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall have begun the season as top-tier run defenders, while the return of defensive end Derek Wolfe should also have a considerable effect on the Broncos run defense.
Denver is currently the No.4 ranked defense in the NFL, as they are allowing just a little over 90 yards a game this season.
**Check out all our Running Backs projections for week 5 here
Ameer Abdullah
Arizona at Detroit
Given the amount of hype rookie running back Ameer Abdullah received during the preseason, many expected the young back to lead a powerful Lions rushing attack in 2015, but this simply hasn’t been the case. The Lions are averaging less than 50 rushing yards a game so far this season, while Abdullah has carried the ball 34 times for just 115 yards in four games.
Though his fantasy production can earn a significant increase if he breaks off a big play, it’s still unlikely Abdullah starts making things happen against the Arizona Cardinals’ defense. With an already limited amount of touches within the Lions offense, Abdullah will have limited opportunities to make plays against the Cardinals stout run defense.
Melvin Gordon
Pittsburgh at San Diego
While the rookie running back has teased fantasy owners with his big-play potential, Melvin Gordon has still yet to prove that he can find success outside of a running back committee. Without experience as San Diego’s workhorse back, Gordon cannot be trusted to pay dividends in the starting lineup in Week 5, especially against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Although the Steelers did allow Forsett and company to gash them for over 180 yards on the ground on Thursday, Pittsburgh is still ranked among the top-three teams is limiting opposing running backs to minimal fantasy production.
After missing two games with a shoulder injury, inside linebacker Ryan Shazier is scheduled to make his return against San Diego, which should only improve the Steeler’s run defense.
WIDE RECIEVERS
Demaryius Thomas
Denver at Oakland
Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has recently been overshadowed by fellow teammate Emmanuel Sanders throughout recent weeks, but Denver’s next matchup should allow nearly any Denver receiver to come out on top come Sunday.
As mentioned before, the Broncos are taking on an Oakland Raiders defense that has knowingly struggled to cover nearly any receiver (or tight end) throughout the first four weeks. With Manning at the helm, this makes Thomas an obvious start in Week 5.
Larry Fitzgerald
Arizona vs. Detroit
When matched up against poor passing defenses like Chicago and San Francisco, Carson Palmer’s favorite target Larry Fitzgerald has proven he can still be substantial contributor to any given fantasy football team. Now with the winless Detroit Lions next on schedule for Arizona, look for Palmer to lean on Fitzgerald heavily, as the Lions’ pass defense is allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete an astonishing 78 percent of their passes on the season. Given that Fitzgerald is the most-targeted receiver on Arizona, I wouldn’t be surprised if he brings in double-digit receptions for 100+ plus yards.
**Check out all our wide receiver projections for week 5 here
Jeremy Maclin
Chicago at Kansas City
Though it’s difficult to predict that any Chiefs wide receiver will have a noteworthy day given the lack of production that position group has had with them in the past, quarterback Alex Smith has come to realize how good Jeremy Maclin really is over the last two weeks. After having just nine receptions in Weeks 1 and 2, Maclin has been targeted over 10 times in each of the last two games, which has led to him having 19 receptions for nearly 300 yards and a touchdown.
Smith still isn’t performing consistently enough to allow Maclin to be considered a must-start every week, but a matchup at home against the Chicago Bears should give Smith every opportunity to get the ball into Maclin’s hands early and often.
Michael Crabtree
Denver at Oakland
For those who benefited from quality production from Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree in their win over Baltimore, it’s safe to say that he has proven to be inconsistent in the following weeks. Other than his 17 point performance in Week 2, Crabtree has combined for just 14 fantasy points in the three other games he has participated in.
Considering his matchup against the Denver Broncos this week, Crabtree should see little action going up against corners like Aqib Talib and Chirs Harris Jr. Though some might believe he could benefit from being behind for a majority of the game, Crabtree will likely see a lot his targets go to Amari Cooper rather than himself when the game gets out of hand.
Golden Tate
Arizona at Detroit
With just four targets in Detroit’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, Golden Tate finished the game with just three receptions for 29 yards. Tate’s substandard performance on Monday night somewhat sums up the amount of impact he has had this season, as he has just 18 receptions for 190 yards in four games. Without a substantial role in Detroit’s struggling offense, Tate has yet to earn over 80 receiving yards in a game nor has he made his way into the end zone.
Although Tate will likely start making more of an impact offensively as the season progresses, his coming out party will have to be postponed for at least another week. The Arizona Cardinals defense is playing too well right now for someone with such a small role in the offense as Tate to have a successful outing.
TIGHT ENDS
Owen Daniels
Denver at Oakland
The formula for who to start at tight end is simple. Whichever tight end is playing the Oakland Raiders will likely finish the day with 100+ receiving yards and a touchdown.
Although Owen Daniels sees few targets in comparison to Manning’s other receivers, expect him to see an increased amount of targets in the red zone and on third down, two situations in the game where Oakland loves to watch a big tight end make a nice play.
Look for Greg Olsen owners to hop on Daniels as a hot waiver-wire pickup this week due to the Carolina Panthers having a bye this week.
**Check out all our Tight End projections for week 5 here
Jimmy Graham
Seattle at Cincinnati
Former fantasy football stud Jimmy Graham has had an up and down season when it comes to production with his new team in Seattle, and unfortunately for Graham owners this is likely another down week for the big guy.
Given that Cincinnati is allowing an average of just 3.8 fantasy points to the tight end through four weeks, it simply doesn’t make sense to play Graham on the road in Week 5. The Bengals have also not allowed a single passing touchdown to a tight end since Week 7 of the 2014 season, via ESPN.com.
Austin Gayle | Start’Em Sit’Em Week 5 - Gridiron Experts