RADIO
Can we just take a minute to appreciate how amazing sports are? I know I’m not alone in stating that sometimes I get so caught up in worrying about fantasy lineups and performances that I forget to just step back and enjoy how incredible sports can be.
Between the baseball playoffs, the mass hysteria that was college football and some shockers and thrillers in the NFL, the natural drama that was the weekend in sports was great to watch.
With Bob Ryan of Boston Globe and ESPN fame, I genuinely feel bad for people who do not watch or follow sports. They’re missing out on some truly amazing feats of late. Fantasy sports allow us to become an indirect part of the action without the athletes themselves even aware of our existence.
There isn’t much fantasy to be had in October baseball or college football (although I’m sure if you dig deep enough you can find something), but it’s weekends like this past one that remind us there are actual games being played in reality. Sunday’s NFL slate yielded some serious thrillers that should be appreciated outside of fantasy sports. I hope you took a moment to realize just how awesome is the sports world in which we're living in 2014.
Fantasy Football Impact Players: Week 5 NFL Recap
Now that my sentimental sidetrack is out of the way, let’s get down to business. If you were worried about Demaryius Thomas not being Demaryius Thomas this year, your concerns should be eviscerated thanks to his massive 226-yard, two-touchdown day against the Cardinals. A lot of that was due to Peyton Manning throwing for a whopping career-high 479 yards, a feat which all but ensured that both Thomas and Manning would be the two highest scorers of the week.
It’s safe to say that taking Peyton Manning in the first round has been justified, especially when you look at the carnage that has been the running back position this year. The old-school strategy of loading up on running backs early and often is as good as dead. It’s still pretty early to get into draft strategy for 2015, but don’t be surprised if the consensus among rankers has running back dwindling down to just five or six guys in the top 10-12.
Speaking of running backs, it was nice to see Eddie Lacy finally pull himself together against an abysmal Minnesota Vikings team. If you owned a Green Bay Packer, you were pretty satisfied after Thursday night’s rout of the Vikings. This could be a sign of things to come for Lacy, as he ran with power and efficiency, but then again, every single Thursday night game thus far has been completely one-sided.
Last week, I suggested that you stay the course with Lacy unless someone still wanted to give you full value for him, and I think that still holds true. I’m not ready to proclaim that Lacy is right back to being the top-six back that we expected him to be on draft day, but I’m also not bailing after just one good game. Weather the storm and see how it plays out after another week or two.
Injured Fantasy Football Players: Week 5 NFL Recap
The last thing we've got to touch on before delving into the games is the dreaded injury bug. Several key fantasy players left games with a variety of injuries, some more severe than others. The biggest star to get banged up was Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, who left the game with a sprained shoulder. Fortunately, the Saints have a Week 6 bye, so you’re probably not going to miss Graham as he tried to heal up in time for Week 7.
And back to the dreaded running back position, a slew of RBs were dinged up on Sunday. Montee Ball, Rashad Jennings, Donald Brown and Zac Stacy all exited their respective contests. Ball is expected to miss two-to-three weeks with a groin injury, so Ronnie Hillman automatically becomes a must-add. Any starting running back on the Denver Broncos has tremendous value, regardless of who he is. It could be you or me out there, and I’d still say we’re worth rostering.
It’s unclear how long Jennings will be out, but Andre Williams is the backup you want to own on the Giants. Brandon Oliver will be the hot pickup this week after Donald Brown suffered a concussion in San Diego’s annihilation of the New York Jets. Let’s not get too crazy though-- Oliver probably isn't a long-term solution. He might win you a week or two, depending on how long Brown is out (if at all ), but don’t forget that Ryan Mathews will eventually return. The Chargers were never going to have one clear-cut three-down back, but rather a group of guys contributing equally.
Zac Stacy left the Rams near-comeback against the Eagles with a calf injury, but he's expected to be ready for Week 6. There were a few other random injuries at other positions, but we’ll hit on those as we roll through the games.
Vikings @ Packers
We already touched on the Packers; if you owned any, chances are you started them and you’re satisfied with what you got. Not much else to analyze there. As for the Vikings, Christian Ponder’s number one target in this game was the grass on the field. He couldn't make a single significant play, and Matt Asiata coughing up the football didn't help either.
The Vikings were an offensive wasteland on Thursday, but getting Teddy Bridgewater back next week should help. And if you own Cordarrelle Patterson, it’s time to leave him sitting on the bench until the Vikings start figuring out more ways to get him the ball.
Buccaneers @ Saints
It's the second game on the list, and we’re already at one of Sunday’s thrillers. This game shocked most people with the way the Buccaneers refused to lose in New Orleans. Fortunately for those of us who took the Saints in our elimination pools (whew), the Saints managed to squeak out the win in overtime on the heels of an 18-yard touchdown run by Khiry Robinson. New Orleans has always utilized multiple backs, as evidenced by Robinson and Pierre Thomas both getting significant work and capitalizing on their opportunities.
Once Mark Ingram returns, however, all three backs will start to eat away at each others touches, which will make starting any one of them fairly risky. Drew Brees hurt you by throwing three picks in this game, but his final line of two touchdowns and 371 yards is good enough. I’d be a little concerned if I were a Brees owner, though, and I'd consider selling him for the right price. He’s always been inconsistent on the road, and seeing him struggle at home against Tampa Bay is worrisome.
Doug Martin isn't very good anymore; we've already established this and there's no need to beat that dead horse. It was nice to see Vincent Jackson put up some big numbers with Mike Evans on the sidelines. Mike Glennon established a good rapport with Jackson last year, so I'd expect that to continue once Lovie Smith commits to Glennon as their starter (which he should). Glennon almost led back-to-back comeback victories for the Bucs, and Lovie might be stubborn, but he ain't stupid.
Steelers @ Jacksonville
In another case of “start ‘em if you got ‘em,” the Steelers offense was semi-disappointing in this tasty matchup. Luckily, Antonio Brown is still Antonio Brown. He’s going to end up battling Jordy Nelson for the top fantasy WR spot when all is said done. Le'veon Bell had a nice game here, but he didn’t find the endzone. Still, with how bad running backs have been, take your 82 yards and be happy.
The Jacksonville offense is still terrible. Blake Bortles might have a promising career ahead of him, but he can't do it all by himself. Both Marqise Lee and Cecil Shorts missed this game, leaving Bortles with Allen Hurns and a bunch of mediocre-at-best running backs. You can’t be starting any Jaguar unless you absolutely have to.
Bills @ Lions
Detroit kicker Alex Henery ended up missing three would-be game-winning field goals in another one of Sunday’s exciting finishes. The Bills won this game with Kyle Orton under center who, if you ask me, did enough not to have Bills fans wishing E.J. Manuel would be the starter again. Another week, another victory for Team Fred Jackson over Team C.J. Spiller. This is another dead horse I won’t be beating anymore, but I will toot my own horn for continuing to be right on this topic. (Toot, Toot.)
Orton was able to get Sammy Watkins the ball seven times for 87 yards, which is a step in the right direction for Watkins. If there’s one thing Orton is better at than Manuel, it’s getting his number one receiver the ball. As for the Lions, Calvin Johnson reinjured his ankle in this game ,which could force the Lions to rest him for a week or two. That said, he’s Calvin freakin’ Johnson. If he’s active, you’re starting him, and that’s that. If he’s out, however, Golden Tate is easily a top-15 receiver.
Joique Bell missed this game, which had many expecting a big game out of Reggie Bush, but that did not materialize. Time to bail on Bush if you can, though I doubt you can get much for him at this point.
Browns @ Titans
The Cleveland Browns set two (yes, two) records on Sunday. The Browns managed to put together the biggest comeback by a road team in regular season history, and they scored 21 points in their first four games for the first time since 1969. Brian Hoyer for MVP? Not so much. But Ben Tate was placed right back into the starting role after returning from injury and ran for 123 yards. With injuries always a concern for Tate, I wouldn't cut Terrance West or Isaiah Crowell if you can afford the roster spot, but if you need to pick up someone to start or find someone better on waivers I don’t have an issue with it. The Browns receivers are all over the place-- Jordan Cameron is the only pass catcher worth starting on a weekly basis.
So much for Bishop Sankey time, huh? A lot of people expected the committee to end with Sankey’s coming out party against the Browns but Tennesee refuses to give up on Shonn Greene. Again, Sankey is the more talented back, and if given the workload he should thrive, but until then you can’t start him with any confidence. Jake Locker got hurt (again) in this game, which could be the reason the Titans lost. Kendall Wright ended the day with two touchdowns, but Justin Hunter had the most receiving yards with 99. There are a lot of weapons in the Tennessee offense, so some weeks it’ll be Hunter, some it’ll be Wright, some it’ll be Nate Washington, and some it’ll be tight end Delanie Walker. You've just got to roll with the punches there.
Ravens @ Colts
As soon as I decide to buy into Steve Smith, he puts up a dud. That said, I’m not worried about his productivity in the long term. He’s firmly Batlimore’s new number one receiver. Tight end Owen Daniels, however, had a nice game here, with five receptions for 70 yards. Daniels is worth an add for teams struggling at the tight end position. All three running backs saw about equal work out of the backfield, but Justin Forsett was the one active in the passing game, notching seven receptions. This is a three-headed monster that I'd prefer to avoid if possible.
Ahmad Bradshaw continues to outrun Trent Richardson in the Colts offense, and I don’t expect that to change any time soon. Both T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne had decent games here, but it was Dwayne Allen who caught Andrew Luck’s sole touchdown pass in this game.
Oh well, I guess. Allen and Coby Fleener kind of cancel each other out, so there’s not much to look for in Indy’s tight end game. Luck is going to end the year as a top-three fantasy quarterback and should be a lock as a keeper, assuming you drafted him at good value.
Bears @ Panthers
The Chicago Bears completely blew this game despite Matt Forte’s massive performance with 166 total yards on 17 rushing attempts and 12 receptions. If you were fortunate enough to end up with Forte as your first-round running back, you were one of the very few lucky ones. Brandon Marshall is presumed to be fully healthy but it was Alshon Jeffery who caught Jay Cutler’s lone touchdown pass. The Bears remain one of the most versatile offenses in the league, so don’t sweat it on Marshall-- he’ll be fine.
I’m not ready to claim that Cam Newton is back, since he just isn’t running the ball anymore. This could be a temporary precaution, given that Cam started the year banged-up, but until we see it, we’re going to have to temper our season-long expectations for him. Hopefully, once he finds his stride, they’ll open up the offense some more and let him use his legs.
Greg Olsen had a huge day here with 72 yards and two touchdowns, much to the chagrin of Kelvin Benjamin owners. Benjamin remains a top-20 receiver for the year, so you can’t worry about the one bad game too much. I should have titled this week’s recap “Dead Horses,” because I’m going to reiterate something else you've been hearing since July: AVOID THE CAROLINA RUNNING BACKS AT ALL COSTS.
Texans @ Cowboys
Is it me, or was this “Texas Showdown” way overhyped? This game was boring, pretty much up until the very end, even with Arian Foster putting up monster numbers with 157 yards and two touchdowns. I think it’s safe to say he’s healthy. That said, Alfred Blue remains a must-own, since Foster has never exactly stayed healthy for long.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is frustrating to watch but he did manage to get the ball to both DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson a total of 11 times. The Texans clearly came out looking to run the ball, and with good reason. And speaking of running the ball, DeMarco Murray received a crazy 36 touches in this game, which is troublesome. I’m absolutely selling high on Murray right now if I can, as I don’t think his health will hold up either. He’s having an amazing season, no question, but sometimes you've got to know when to cash in your chips before you lose them all.
Falcons @ Giants
Julio Jones is ridiculous. It’s plausible he’s the most talented receiver in the league based on pure athletic ability. Some of the plays he makes on a weekly basis are just insane. He had 105 yards in this game, but Matt Ryan’s sole passing touchdown went to Antone Smith. Get him while you still can, because this guy has incredible speed that continues to be overlooked thanks to the other three backs on the team. Steven Jackson, Devonta Freeman and Jacquizz Rodgers all get touches within the Atlanta offense but Antone Smith is worth an add, especially with all this running back chaos.
We already touched on the Giants run game with Andre Williams filling in for the injured Rashad Jennings, but I will add this: Williams is the only other guy they have, so I fully expect top-15 production out of him in Jennings's absence. Speaking of “get him while you still can,” how about Odell Beckham, Jr? he’s another must-add right now as the Giants ease him into the offense. He is going to be a hot commodity in keeper formats and his presence will eat away at Victor Cruz’s targets.
Rams @ Eagles
The Eagles almost blew this game, but it was a somewhat reassuring to see LeSean McCoy get 24 rushing attempts for 81 yards…except he fumbled. I’m worried about McCoy more than I’m worried about Lacy. The Eagles offensive line just isn’t doing him any favors and Darren Sproles continues to do more with less. I own McCoy in one of my leagues, and I’m beginning to poke around to see what I could get for him. I’m not selling too low on him, but if I can get anything close to 100% value I think I’m going to do it and you should do the same.
As for the Rams, Brian Quick is legit. He’s the clear-cut number one receiver in St. Louis, and you should see him as a solid WR3 from here on out. If someone owns Quick in your league, they might not even realize what they have, so you should see if you can get him as throw-in bonus in a deal. He might not even be owned in your league at all, in which case you should snag him ASAP.
Cardinals @ Broncos
How about my guy Andre Ellington, huh? With Drew Stanton leaving this game with a concussion, rookie Logan Thomas slung the ball into a crazy tight spot to Ellington for an 81-yard touchdown. Hey, running backs can catch passes too, and they count just the same. If Steve Smith in Baltimore was my worst call of the year, Andre Ellington was easily my best. I know he got off to a slow start but he’s the clear number one back on a solid offense. The dude is a stud.
Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas is on pace for an absurd 28 touchdowns. That can’t possibly happen, can it? I don’t know about you, but I seriously doubt it. It wouldn’t shock me to see Julius slow down substantially, but then again, there is absolutely no way I’m trading him for anything less than a super sell-high. If you have TE depth or there’s an owner who REALLY wants Julius Thomas, deal him, but otherwise keep riding this train until it derails and stay put.
Jets @ Chargers
The Jets got absolutely embarrassed in San Diego and finally turned to Michael Vick in the second half….who did absolutely nothing. This offense looked feeble at best, and the performance proves that the Jets need more offensive weapons. With Decker out, the Jets have no true receivers. Chris Ivory had the most productive day out of any Jets player, with a whimpering 44 yards. My mama always taught me if you don’t have something nice to say about something, don’t say anything, so let’s just move right along to the Chargers.
Once Donald Brown got hurt, Brandon Oliver stepped right in with 114 yards and a touchdown. Like I said earlier, this is a short-term solution in terms of fantasy, as the Chargers like to use multiple backs. If you’re hurting at the position and need a quick fix, grab Oliver, but don’t look for him to be your starter come playoff time.
Once again, the Chargers spread the ball around via the pass. It’s frustrating to watch if you own any San Diego pass-catcher. Antonio Gates caught two touchdowns in this game, so I think it’s time to put him back in the top 10 at tight end. It took a long time for him to finally come back around, but it looks like it’s happening. Speaking of top 10, I can’t believe I’m going to say this: Philip Rivers is a top-10 QB going forward. In 2014. Crazy.
Chiefs @ 49ers
So who has Phil Dawson? He was the biggest fantasy star in this game. Seriously. Jamaal Charles had 80 yards, but Andy Reid once again went into one of his mood swings and decided to stop giving him the ball. I just don’t understand the philosophy there. Also, full disclosure, I'd never heard of Kansas City wide receiver Junior Hemingway, and I am not ashamed to admit that. The only pass catcher on Kansas City worth owning is Travis Kelce. Everyone else is basically ignorable.
Frank “Goonies Never Say Die” Gore is back. He had 18 carries for 107 yards, and he seems to have regained his stride. The rest of the Niner offense was just “meh.” It looks like Michael Crabtree’s previous foot injury is more serious than the team is letting on. He caught just one pass and played in fewer than 60% of the snaps. It’s time to worry about Crabtree and look for other options on your roster until he turns it around or puts together a clean bill of health.
The final takeaway here is that Colin Kaepernick is not a fantasy starter in one-QB leagues. He just isn’t. There are at least 12 quarterbacks I would rather start than Kaepernick, so if you have enough trade pieces with him as your starter, look to upgrade at the position.
Bengals @ Patriots
The reports of New England’s demise have been greatly exaggerated, apparently. Tom Brady looked like Tom Brady in this game, due largely to a 100-yard receiving performance from Rob Gronkowski. Stevan Ridley also stepped it up and put together 113 yards on 27 rushing attempts. I’m not fully buying into the Patriots bounce back, but it is a step in the right direction. I’m still leaving Brady on my bench if I can, and only starting Gronk and possibly Julian Edelman. Other than that, this offense still seems risky to me.
The only productive player on the Cincinnati side of things was A.J. Green ,with 81 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals were simply outplayed in every facet of the game, so I wouldn’t read too much into this 43-17 loss. Every team ends up getting outmatched at one point or another; it just happened to be Week 5 for the Bengals. That said, can we officially put an end to the “Andy Dalton is a good fantasy QB” nonsense?
I hope you’ve done as I did and simply appreciated the fantastic weekend in sports that was. As we head into Week 6, let’s just hope the drama continues with more thrilling finishes and outstanding performances. And, hopefully, your fantasy teams have been competitive enough to keep you into playoff contention as we roll toward the middle of the season.
