RADIO
Is the NFC East the best conference in the NFL?
It’s certainly looking that way. The Eagles are 5-0. The Cowboys, with their backup quarterback starting four games, are 4-1 and have beaten both the 2021 Super Bowl teams. Even the second-worst team in the division, the New York Giants, is 4-1, although they played a bunch of middling teams like the Titans, the Panthers, the Bears, and the 2022 Green Bay Packers. Yeah, Daniel Jones is winning more games with no receivers and an elite running game than Aaron Rodgers is with the same.
For IDP managers, the NFC East is producing quality fantasy starters too. Eagles CB led IDP in scoring Sunday with 10 tackles and a pick. Micah Parsons got back to his elite level in Week 5, making two sacks and forcing a fumble in the Cowboys' beating of the Rams. Washington defensive lineman Montez Sweat made two sacks too in the Commanders’ loss to the Titans. Philly has been getting after opposing QBs too. A couple of Cowboys who might be available in your league could be good waiver wire adds for Week 6.
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Frankie Luvu, LB, Carolina Panthers
Rostered in ~52% of MFL Leagues
Frankie Luvu took over as the primary every-down linebacker in Carolina, and he is dominating in fantasy and real life (although he is still not wearing the green dot, Luvu is outsnapping Shaq Thompson by ~13%.) According to PFF, he has the fourth-highest run-stop rate in the league, just ahead of Roquan Smith and Bobby Wagner (although Wagner has a higher rate of stopping fans from trespassing). He was the No. 3 LB in RotoBaller Standard scoring and a top-six LB in most other scoring systems before missing this week with a shoulder injury, but he is expected to be back next week and is still a must-add.
I mentioned him in my Week 3 waiver wire column, but he's still available in about half of MFL leagues and 80% of Sleeper leagues. He should be rostered and started in 100% of the leagues. Luvu is not a deep league add. He is a top-six LB now and for the rest of the season.
Talanoa Hufanga, S, San Francisco 49ers
Rostered in ~76% of MFL Leagues, but just 33% of Sleeper Leagues
The 49ers' second-year sensation continues his electric breakout season. He is making impact plays every single week. He has now recorded two games with an interception, four games with a tackle for a loss, and four games with pass defense. He also added his first sack of the season in Week 5.
He has an instinct for sensing what is going to happen, illustrated perfectly on his pick-six in Week 4, in which he anticipated a screen pass and jumped the route. He also puts in the work to hone it. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said that he’s extremely engaged with the coaches and even talking to retired greats.
He’s a top-five DB in Rotoballer’s IDP scoring system. While his ownership rate in NFL leagues has risen to 76%, he is still available in about 66% of Sleeper-hosted leagues. What happens sometimes is young players have a big week and get dismissed as being one-week wonders and even after it continues for multiple weeks, they still go unnoticed for a few weeks longer than they should in casual leagues.
Dorance Armstrong, DE, Dallas Cowboys
Rostered in ~35% of MFL Leagues
Armstrong’s sack of Matthew Stafford in Week 5 makes it three of the last four games the 25-year-old has recorded one or two sacks. He forced a fumble on the sack, which Demarcus Lawrence picked up and returned for a touchdown.
Donovan Wilson, S, Dallas Cowboys
Rostered in ~60% of MFL Leagues
Wilson was looking like he could be an IDP stud in 2021 after his breakout in 2020. That year, he led all safeties with 3.5 sacks, despite playing just 69% of the snaps in 14 games. He was expected to be a starter in 2021, but then he got injured, then he got injured again, and during those games he missed, Jayron Kearse had his own breakout, so Wilson didn’t get much playing time behind Kearse.
This time, Kearse got hurt and missed the early part of the season. Kearse was back in Week 5, but Wilson still got playing time and led the Cowboys in combined tackles with six.
Nate Hobbs, CB, Las Vegas Raiders
Rostered in ~47% of Leagues
A cornerback who can make plays in the backfield, Hobbs has made three tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble in Vegas' first four games. He has a big matchup in Week 5 against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. It comes after this writing.
Blake Martinez, LB, Las Vegas Raiders
Rostered in ~47% of Leagues
Another player I will be looking forward to seeing on Monday night is the Raiders' new LB Blake Martinez, who was amongst the league leaders in tackles in 2020 but then missed most of 2021 with an injury. Expected to be a good value in 2022, he was unexpectedly released by the Giants before Week 1. Now he reunites with the former Giants defensive coordinator. Monitor how many snaps he gets vs other Vegas LBs and how well he performs.
Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Los Angeles Chargers
Rostered in ~23% of MFL Leagues
The Chargers' second-year CB has a 50% higher rate of pass breakups per snap than he did in his rookie year. His coverage grade has improved, and he is allowing fewer completions and fewer yards per completion than last year. He is getting his hands on passes thrown his way, but he has only made one interception so far.
Other Week 5 Breakouts
Detroit S DeShon Elliot continues to make tackles, making 10 this week, to add to an interception of the Pats' third-string QB. Chicago CB Jaylon Jones made nine tackles and forced a fumble, but he just came out of nowhere, with only three tackles in his best previous game. Cleveland CB Denzel Ward has long been a good NFL CB but might now be a good fantasy CB too. His streak of games with pass defenses extends to three.
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