This week we provide our Game Capsules free to let those interested in the report see some premium content – enjoy!

 

By The Fantasy Insights Senior Writing Staff

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Tennessee Offense	26	29	12	0	7	65.4	239.6
Pittsburgh Defense	8	6	2	2	8	95.3	184.8
Pittsburgh Offense	23	28	22	2	8	82.8	265
Tennessee Defense	32	28	27	6	12	144.2	279.6

 

Pittsburgh Steelers

After squeaking out a win against the Eagles, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers hit the road to face the Titans.  Roethlisberger should find his job to be a bit easier against the Titans, who are allowing the highest passer rating to opposing QBs in the league (112.4).  It should be a big day for Big Ben and his fantasy owners…Rashard Mendenhall made his presence felt immediately in Week 5, rushing for 81 yards and a TD, while simultaneously changing the look of the Steelers’ offense.  Though Isaac Redman will apparently continue to get 10+ carries, Mendenhall will only do more as he is eased back into the offense.  Consider him a solid RB2 option for Week 6…Antonio Brown has been getting the majority of the targets this season, but hasn’t been able to get into the endzone as frequently as Mike Wallace.  This week, both WRs make excellent WR2 options, as the Steelers will presumably run over the feeble Titans defense.  Both WRs should be able to get on the board this week…Heath Miller is the guy you want to grab off of the waiver wire if he’s available.  The Titans are giving up a criminal amount of points to tight ends this season, allowing an average of 84 yards and 1.4 TDs per game…The Steelers are a top defense this week, considering the immobile Matt Hasselbeck is at QB again this week.  The Steelers will dial up the blitz and create lots of sacks and turnovers this week.

 

Tennessee Titans

It has been announced that Jake Locker will be out again for Week 6, so Matt Hasselpick Hasselsack Hasselbeck takes the reins for another week.  With another stout defense across the line of scrimmage, fantasy owners would be wise to leave Hasselbeck on their bench this week…those who got on their horses and rode through town proclaiming that Chris Johnson was back (admit it, that’s exactly what you did, horse and everything) are crying in their beers once again.  Chris. Johnson. Is. Not. Back.  This is who you get for the rest of the season.  And with Javon Ringer out for the season, I would consider a speculative Darius Reynaud pickup.  Oh, and Johnson will be terrible again this week…While Kenny Britt is on the mend (he should not have played in Week 5), Kendall Wright has proven to be the one to whom the Titans want to give the ball.  For the 4^th straight week, Wright has led the Titans in targets – and though it hasn’t resulted in WR2 numbers, he has gotten the most red zone looks of anyone on the team.  Nate Washington must still not be 100%, as he puts up a lackluster showing for the second straight week.  With a short week, Britt will likely not be a factor in Week 6…Jared Cook, meanwhile, continues to improve and show himself to be someone that the QB can trust.  Cook sits on that line between TE1 and TE2, so he is someone who should be started in most leagues each week…Do not consider using the Titans defense under any circumstances.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Tampa Bay Offense	28	26	30	2	5	91	185
Kansas City Defense	28	24	10	4	10	121	205.8
Kansas City Offense	22	2	21	4	5	180.8	221.6
Tampa Bay Defense	10	1	25	4	4	73.8	345.3

 

Kansas City Chiefs

Lost in the “Win-sanity” about Chiefs fans cheering when starting QB Matt Cassel went down to injury against Baltimore – and the subsequent rant of offensive lineman Eric Winston – is the fact that the Chiefs coaching staff had lost all confidence in Cassel to complete a pass without a turnover even when it was 3^rd-and-5.  Enter Brady Quinn for this week.  Avoid the Chiefs QB situation for your fantasy team, but keep an eye on Quinn as a decent back up for later down the line.  Yes, I wrote that with a straight face.  Obviously, you need to start Jamaal Charles every week, but honestly, if the Chiefs keep running him 25-30 times a game, he’ll be injured by Week 10.  No other Chief running backs are fantasy factors at the moment, but Peyton Hillis could be back this week, but they’ll probably make him inactive and give him the bye next week to heal up more.   You will see a drop in production as far as catches for Dwayne Bowe because Cassel locked onto Bowe 9 out of 10 pass attempt.  Quinn may be a different story.    But, we can’t recommend Stevie Breaston or Jon Baldwin yet until we see what happens with the QBs.  Ryan Succop is an average fantasy starter this week because he might get 3 or 4 FG attempts if Quinn has trouble getting the ball in the end zone.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As far as the Bucs are concerned, they’re coming off their bye week and face a dysfunctional Chiefs team.  I wish I could recommend lots of Buc players, but I can’t.  Josh Freeman is not a starter this week, unless you’re in a league that starts two QBs.  Then, he is a low-end #2.  Doug Martin is the only Buc running back worth starting as he should produce as a top-20 fantasy back.   Perennial Chiefs killer, Vincent Jackson, is with a new team, but we’re not sure if the Chiefs can cover him now.  They certainly couldn’t when V-Jax was with San Diego.  He is a solid #2.  I’d avoid Mike Williams.  The good news for the Bucs is that KC is one of the worst teams in the NFL against TEs.  The bad news is that Tampa doesn’t have anyone that can take advantage of that situation.  Tampa’s defense is probably a good sleeper play with Quinn at QB for KC, but kicker Connor Barth is mediocre at best this week.

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
NY Jets Offense	19	22	28	1	6	83	201.4
Indianapolis Defense	16	17	5	5	8	133.8	227.3
Indianapolis Offense	25	23	17	2	7	97.5	286.3
NY Jets Defense	25	31	8	8	6	172	199.8

 

Indianapolis Colts

The story of Week 5 was the Colts’ comeback win over the Packers and the special dedication to Chuck Pagano in his fight with leukemia. The Colts try to keep the momentum going with a tough road matchup against the Jets.  Andrew Luck seems to be coming of age before our eyes, but a road matchup versus the Jets is a tough one.  The Jets are Top 10 in least points allowed to fantasy quarterbacks, so this may be the week to sit Luck if you have a QB with a better matchup…The Jets have surprisingly weak in run defense, but Word is that Donald Brown is getting his knee scoped to remove some cartilage, and he will miss the next two weeks.  It looks like Vick Ballard will get the start.  Ballard has been anything but impressive in my opinion, but you have to take notice for fantasy because of the opportunity.  Delone Carter (remember him?) will reportedly rotate in.  Carter is a little more intriguing from a skills standpoint, but he has been in the doghouse…Reggie Wayne has averaged 15 targets per game this season.  He is a definite WR1 in all formats, but especially in PPR, where he is probably winning you your league.  Donnie Avery is quite pedestrian by comparison, he with 17 catches on 35 targets (yikes).  When someone is getting 8-10 targets per week, you have to pay attention, but he is going to have to do better than 3 catches per week (and no red zone targets the last three weeks).  T.Y. Hilton did agonizingly little with his 9 targets (2 red zone targets), but you can tell he has talent.  Keep Hilton on your radar, especially in dynasty leagues…Coby Fleener is your quintessential rookie: great at times, maddening at times; he will be too inconsistent this season to rely on for fantasy purposes.  Though he may get targets, there won’t be a way to predict when…The Colts defense is not as bad as perhaps most people predicted (sheepishly raising hand) early in preseason, but they are not a safe fantasy starter either.  Granted, the Jets’ offense is not that prolific, but being a road matchup for the Colts makes this a stay away for Week 6.

 

New York Jets

Lost in the Hatorade^® bath Mark Sanchez is taking this season is the fact that he has faced nothing but top defenses since Buffalo in Week 1 (PIT, MIA, SFO, HOU).  Perhaps with a softer defense this week, Sanchez can keep his critics at bay for another week.  Sanchez should actually do pretty well this week, and he makes a capable bye week fill-in…The NY Jets running game has been as big of a mess as its passing game, frankly.  Shonn Greene has been, in a word, mediocre, as have the rest of the backs in limited carries (Bilal Powell and Joe McKnight).  However, for each of the defenses mentioned above, they are all even stronger run defenses than they are in terms of total defense.  So truly, the Jets’ RBs have been set up to fail by the scheduling gods.  Look for Greene to get a bit of redemption in Week 6 with a decidedly easier matchup.  Look for Powell to continue to only take 5-8 carries from Greene, but continue to split snaps evenly…Jeremy Kerley is about all the Jets currently have left after the loss of Santonio Holmes to a foot injury.  It will be interesting to see what Stephen Hill might add if and when he returns from injury in Week 6, as he is likely the best receiver on the team, though only a rookie.  Kerley is a flex option only…Jeff Cumberland, we hardly knew ye.  Move over and make way for Dustin Keller, who instantly becomes Sanchez’s best receiving option, as he is slated to return from a hamstring injury in Week 6.  Hopefully for fantasy owners Keller comes back fully healthy, as Keller could vault to a TE1 without reliable WR options in that offense.  However, it almost always makes sense to wait a week or two to see what you have in a returning player after a sustained period of time off.  Not to mention that Indianapolis is one of the toughest defenses for tight ends…The Jets defense is still very highly ranked thanks to some defensive and special teams scores.  The run defense has been atrocious, but it hasn’t stopped the defense from racking up points.  Start the Jets this week with confidence.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Cleveland Offense	18	24	10	4	5	77.8	246.4
Cincinnati Defense	24	21	17	7	6	118.2	230
Cincinnati Offense	11	15	7	3	10	104	267
Cleveland Defense	27	26	28	3	12	142.4	280.6

 

Cincinnati Bengals

QB Andy Dalton reverted to poor form just when we thought it was safe to use him every week.  It was more a function of a stout Dolphin defense that did a good job pressuring him and scheming for him – Cleveland gets Joe Haden back but Dalton should continue the streak of successful QB play against the Browns and is a QB2 . . . RB Bernard Scott is out for the year and Benjarvus Green-Ellis is playing like he is out for the year, meaning Brian Leonard and  Cedric Peerman are expected to get snaps – none of the three is worth a start . . . A.J. Green is a top 2 fantasy receiver through the first several weeks and is worth starting even though he’ll be shadowed by Joe Haden – Armon Binns has been more productive of late and could find some easy targets against a hapless Browns secondary.  Andrew Hawkins remains a flex-play because of his inconsistency . . . TE Jermaine Gresham has quietly put up 3 solid games in a row and is available in a lot of leagues – he’ll be a low end TE1 going against a banged up Browns linebacking corps . . . Bengals DST is no guarantee as Weeden has been improving against good defenses, but they’ll be good for some sacks and turnovers.

 

Cleveland Browns

Brandon Weeden actually has been a serviceable QB the past few weeks but is unlikely to have much success against a Cincinnati defense that has only surrendered one passing TD this season to WRs . . . Trent Richardson remains and every week start, Chris Ogbonnaya is not worth a flex-play even in desperation . . . WR Josh Gordon burst on the scene per our prediction last week against a woeful Giants secondary with 2 TDs – problem for this week is those were his only 2 catches – still with Massaquoi, Benjamin, and perhaps even Jordan Norwood out he is worth a flex play.  Greg Little didn’t have a catch last week and isn’t more than a bye-week start at flex in a pinch . . . TE Jordan Cameron has been coming on of late and is worth a roster stash in dynasty leagues – he’s a bye-week replacement if desperate now . . . Phil Dawson continues to kick well but suffers from lack of opportunities . . . Cleveland DST benefits greatly from the return of Joe Haden in the secondary but is not a startable unit.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Philadelphia Offense	29	10	9	2	6	132.2	251.2
Detroit Defense	21	10	3	1	5	102.8	213
Detroit Offense	17	27	8	4	5	90.3	322
Philadelphia Defense	13	14	11	2	5	100.4	206.8

 

Detroit Lions

The Lions seem to be in complete disarray but that shouldn’t affect your fantasy team.  Matthew Stafford should start performing at the level that comes with his high draft position although he will struggle this week against the vaunted Philly D . . . RB Mikel Leshoure gets a tough matchup and although he is the every-down back this is a tough start . . . WR Calvin Johnson is an obvious every week start – the issue here has been the invisibility of Titus Young and/or Nate Burleson and we don’t expect that to change this week . . . TE Brandon Pettigrew should see plenty of targets as Stafford is forced to check down often . . . Jason Hanson continues to defy father time and is a good bet for a heavy fantasy load this week as Lions drives stall in the red zone . . . Lions DST is not a startable unit right now.

 

Philadelphia Eagles

Mike Vick continues to take a beating – and a lot of blame for poor performances as well.  Even as a subpar player he does okay from a fantasy perspective, but he should be able to light up the Lions D and is a recommended start . . . LeSean McCoy is a lock to score at least once this week and for 120 all-purpose yards at a minimum . . . WR Jeremy Maclin is all the way healthy but not all the way fantasy relevant yet – this week changes that as he gets to exploit the Detroit secondary.  Desean Jackson has been playing well and should be able to dominate against Detroit with at least 5 catches and a score . . . Brent Celek has become a favorite red zone target of Vick’s and is worth a low end TE1 play . . . Alex Henery didn’t have many excited prior to the season but has put up several strong performances in a row and is a good start . . . Eagles DST is fierce but hard to play against this offense in leagues that count against for points allowed.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Atlanta Offense	6	20	4	4	13	94.8	281.6
Oakland Defense	22	15	16	5	9	128.5	283
Oakland Offense	30	32	26	1	5	60.8	258
Atlanta Defense	11	27	9	6	5	142.8	203

 

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have been decimated by injuries on offense but hope to get some of their firepower back – at the very least they had a bye-week to implement some new things and get some key reps for other players.  QB Carson Palmer has performed very well so far and has been consistent for fantasy owners – he should continue that trend playing from behind in Atlanta . . . Darren McFadden has been remarkably average since opening week but the Raiders surely worked on ways to get him the ball this week making him a must start . . . Darrius Heyward-Bay has been practicing but not yet cleared for contact and is still an iffy start at best, while Denarius Moore is finally healthy and should see about 8 targets.  Juron Criner is worth a flex play if DHB cannot go . . . TE Brandon Myers was a pleasant surprise early but remains just a low end TE2 and a bye-week replacement at best . . . Sebastian Janikowski should get plenty of opportunities in a dome this weekend so he is a must start . . . no defense is startable against Atlanta’s potent offense.

 

Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan is the early season leader for MVP and is playing at a high fantasy level.  He’s a no-brainer every week start regardless of opponent, and he’ll torch the Raiders for 3 or even 4 TDs . . . Michael Turner has been successful because of a great schedule against porous rushing defenses – - he’ll be okay this week but we still think you should trade him while he is at peak value.  Jacquizz Rodgers has failed to secure a role and is now unplayable . . . Julio Jones returned to form last week and will continue his dominance this week – Roddy White is an obvious must-start as well . . .TE Tony Gonzalez continues to impress and perform and reward fantasy owners – he’s a no-brainer play like all the skill spots on this offense against the Raiders . . . Matt Bryant  has been victimized by too good an offense limiting his opportunities – he is safe to drop and move on to another kicker . . . Atlanta DST has been inconsistent but is always good for creating a few turnovers – at home this unit is always playable.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Miami Offense	16	8	14	9	2	136.2	237.2
St. Louis Defense	12	20	13	6	2	117.2	218.2
St. Louis Offense	20	21	29	0	7	94.6	183.4
Miami Defense	15	2	29	2	7	61.4	281.8

 

St. Louis Rams

Break up the NFC West!  The Rams are sitting at 3-2, and yet are tied for 3^rd in the division – who knew?  Sam Bradford faces a tough road challenge this week, taking his (no) talents to South Beach to face the scrappy Dolphins.  Unless you are in a bye week bind or a two-QB league, Bradford belongs
on fantasy benches for this matchup…RB Steven Jackson put in a solid performance against the supposedly-tough-against-the-run Arizona Cardinals – so solid that it was perplexing to see Daryl Richardson come into the game at times.  However, whatever momentum and fantasy goodwill were created from this solid performance will melt away against the Dolphins.  Folks, the Dolphins have one of the defenses where running backs go to die.  Jackson is barely worthy of a flex spot this week…if the Dolphins’ defense does have a weakness, however, it’s defending WRs in the passing game.  Unfortunately, the Rams lost their top WR, Danny Amendola, to a fractured clavicle.  What this injury does is bring some youngsters to the forefront.  Most intriguing is rookie deep threat Chris Givens, who has caught a 50+ yard deep ball each of the last two weeks.  It will be interesting to see what he does with more targets, as he needs to show more consistency on the short stuff.  Brandon Gibson started off strong in Weeks 1 and 2 and has quieted down since.  Neither are worth anything but a desperate flex play until they can show some consistency and reliability…TE Lance Kendricks has yet to live up to any of the potential that made him a 2^nd round draft pick in 2011.  His TD catch in Week 5 was a first, but it was his only catch on two targets.  It seems clear that his upside will be limited as long as that offensive line is so poor and blocking stands out as his highest and best use.  The Rams defense is quietly a Top 10 unit for fantasy, led by the feisty play of CB Cortland Finnegan.  Miami isn’t exactly a top offense, and rookie Ryan Tannehill has given up several turnovers.  The Rams are a sneaky bye week fill-in this week.

 

Miami Dolphins

Ryan Tannehill leads the 2-3 Dolphins against a Rams team that is feeling good coming off of a home win against a divisional opponent.  Tannehill has performed at about the level most people expected, typical of a rookie in his first five games.  He has thrown two TDs and six INTs in five games, and there is no reason to expect a dramatic statistical turnaround against the visiting Rams…Reggie Bush has performed adequately to date, as he has been a bit banged up early on.  Daniel Thomas will likely miss this week due to a second concussion, so Bush stands to see a slight bump in carries and is a great start this week.  The biggest beneficiary of the available carries will be Lamar Miller.  He has shown himself to be a capable 2^nd back when called upon earlier in the season.  He becomes a low-end flex play with 10 carries (see Week 2)…Now that everyone has calmed down after Brian Hartline hysteria fizzled out, we can take stock of what we have.  Hartline is a capable, yet inconsistent WR4 that will more likely put up 4/59/0 than 12/253/1.  Davone Bess is the other WR worth consideration, but barely.  Hartline and Bess are going to be similar fantasy stories – as goes Tannehill and the game, so goes the WRs.  More often than not, this is going to be a team that will try to run the ball – Tannehill has only thrown more than 40 passes one time this season (and that’s when Hartline and Bess did really well). Consider Hartline and Bess (in that order) for flex spots this week…Anthony Fasano is a TE whose typical output is going to be 37 yards and no TDs.  Fasano can stay on most fantasy benches…The Miami defense is solid or better.  This week, their matchup against St. Louis is a good one.  Trust the Miami D as a Top 5 defense at home.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Baltimore Offense	10	13	5	5	7	117.6	281.2
Dallas Defense	7	12	1	2	5	108	169.5
Dallas Offense	32	31	15	1	6	67.8	296.3
Baltimore Defense	9	22	24	6	2	118.4	261.4

 

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are as hot and cold as any team in the league right now, and conventional wisdom states they’ll be overmatched against the Ravens D.  But we are sticking with Tony Romo to turn it around in grand fashion and rebound with a solid fantasy performance.  The Ravens D has been surprisingly vulnerable . . . RB Demarco Murray has been one of the season’s biggest disappointments, but the Ravens D has given up 5 rushing TDs in 5 games and 140 yards to Jamaal Charles in the other – RBs need not fear this D anymore and Murray will break out . . . WR Dez Bryant is too inconsistent to start on a week to week basis but is viable play here during bye season.  Miles Austin has been the most consistent and is worth a start, while Kevin Ogletree is buried back into fantasy irrelevance . . . TE Jason Witten proved he was back with a monster game before the bye and he remains an every week start now that he is fully healthy . . . K Dan Bailey should get a few opportunities against the Ravens D as they tighten near the goal line . . . Dallas DST  will get sacks and have the opportunity to force turnovers against Flacco but will give up more than 20 points.

 

Baltimore Ravens

Joe Flacco proved again why he is absolutely not elite for fantasy purposes and why we don’t trust him at all after putting up zero TDs against the hapless Chiefs D last week.  He cannot be trusted to start because he is wildly inconsistent . . . Ray Rice will get a steady diet of carries and catches and try to break out – he’s a shoe-in for over 110 all-purpose yards and a TD . . . Torrey Smith finally had a down week against the Chiefs, but he’ll rebound mightily with at least 8 targets against Dallas.  Anquan Boldin suffered as well because Flacco was bad – he’ll get 6 catches or so with a chance at the endzone . . . . Dennis Pitta has been invisible since his back to back strong games, this should be the week he gets more going and reminds us he is still worth starting . . . K Justin Tucker  continues to kick accurately and from distance with only one miss on the year – he should get 3-4 chances from distance against the Cowboys . . . Ravens DST isn’t what it once was for statistics on the other side of the fantasy ball but they are not giving up a lot of points even if they are conceding a lot of yards.  They are still startable every week.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Arizona Offense	21	30	24	2	7	63.4	209.8
Buffalo Defense	31	30	26	9	12	171.8	277.6
Buffalo Offense	14	5	25	3	12	144.2	206.8
Arizona Defense	5	16	19	1	5	103	231

 

Buffalo Bills

The Bills seem to either get blown out or win.  No in-between here.  Ryan Fitzpatrick has been as average as expected, and will get beat up, picked off, and even more average against the tough Cardinals D . . . Fred Jackson has looked stronger and will shoulder the majority of the load against Arizona, but CJ Spiller is now healthy again and this hurts the fantasy value for both.  Because of their mutual presence, each qualifies only as a low end RB2 . . . WR Stevie Johnson has struggled as the offense has struggled but will do fine this week as the Cardinals play their bend/don’t break style of defense with split ends.  TJ Graham and Donald Jones are both too inconsistent to give a start, but we like Graham’s upside better . . . TE Scott Chandler is hot and cold and could free up for a TD in the red zone here, but will not be viable for PPR points as he’ll be limited to just a few catches . . . Buffalo DST has all the tools but has been unable to translate that into strong performances on a consistent basis – still the Cards have a suspect offense so this Buffalo unit is a good matchup play for bye week desperados.

 

Arizona Cardinals

Over the last 16 games the Cardinals have the best home record in the NFL and they always play well at home.  Kevin Kolb was beaten up badly last week by a strong front 4 and is vulnerable against Buffalo’s front four as well – he’s not a recommended start . . . RB Ryan Williams and Beanie Wells are both gone, so next man up is William Powell, or so they say.  We remember last year when Alfonso Smith performed well in a couple of spot starts so he is worth a waiver claim now before he starts getting the ball and earns his way into that time share.  No Arizona back is worth starting right now, as even the guys ahead of these two on the depth chart couldn’t perform . . .   WR Larry Fitzgerald is far beyond his early season woes and is as consistent now as any receiver in the game – he’s an obvious start this week and should score at least once.  Andre Roberts continues to have Kolb’s trust and should put up a strong performance against this shoddy secondary . . . TE Rob Housler is an emerging option and becoming a big factor in this offense – he has an excellent shot to score and have at least 4 catches this week . . . Cardinals DST is still monstrous and will beat down Buffalo up front – this unit is one of the league’s best when playing at home – start them with confidence.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Seattle Offense	27	7	31	2	5	140.2	147
New England Defense	19	9	31	2	12	82.2	291.6
New England Offense	1	3	6	10	8	165.4	274
Seattle Defense	2	4	7	2	3	66.6	192

 

New England Patriots

Tom Brady and company rolled up a ton of offense against Denver and Brady is an obvious start even against a tough Seattle D at home . . . RB Stevan Ridley has had some huge games but they have been compounded by a couple of huge fumbles, including one last week as they were trying to ice the game.  Ridley remains the feature back for now, but if he gets into Belichick’s doghouse he could lose his job fast.  Brandon Bolden seems to have a stranglehold on the number 2 position right now, with Danny Woodhead still in the committee.  Ridley is the best and most dynamic runner of the group and there has been no indication yet that he’ll be benched or lose carries, but the game plan against a solid Seattle D could call for more Woodhead and Bolden out of the backfield as their plan against the Ravens did.  Ridley is a middle-of-the-road start this week . . .  WR Brandon Lloyd continues to be hot and cold, but all of the Patriots receivers not named Wes Welker are . . . even Rob Gronkowski has struggled, but all should be helped by the return of weapon Aaron Hernandez to the lineup in week 6 if all goes as planned . . .  Stephen Gostkowski continues to be an unimpressive fantasy kicker getting most of his value from many extra points . . . Patriots DST is a great start even in Seattle as they face a rookie QB.

 

Seattle Seahawks

QB Russell Wilson continues to flourish for Carroll while failing for fantasy owners.  He’s a game manager for a run-first offense and is not startable . . . RB Marshawn Lynch is the lone starter for your fantasy team out of Seattle and he should have a solid, but unspectacular game against the Pats . . . WR Sidney Rice and Golden Tate are both too inconsistent to rely on.  In a pinch we like Tate better for bye-week spot starts . . . Zach Miller has done nothing to show he is playable at all . . . Seahawk DST is always a tough unit at home, but it’s hard to start any unit against Tom Brady.  They are a middle of the road start if points allowed are a category for DST.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
San Francisco Offense	3	1	27	8	8	195.8	205.4
NY Giants Defense	17	18	23	3	8	111.4	261.4
NY Giants Offense	2	12	2	6	10	120.2	309
San Francisco Defense	1	8	4	1	5	81.4	181.2

 

New York Giants

The Giants continue to put up huge fantasy numbers at various positions every week.  This week the sailing gets much tougher as Eli Manning and company venture to San Francisco where the Niners will be pumped up trying to avenge their playoff lost last year.  Manning is unfazed, and will throw for nearly 300 yards and two TDs, but it will be a tough game at the skill positions for the Giants . . . RB Ahmad Bradshaw is coming of a 34 carry performance and cannot be expected to shoulder that kind of workload against a punishing Niners D.  He is barely startable as a flex when you see what this defense does to running backs.  Enter David Wilson, who should see his most significant action of the season as a receiver out of the backfield as the Giants try to exploit his speed a bit against the Niners powerful front 7 . . . Hakeem Nicks is still not practicing in full but expects to play.  Nicks always says he’ll play so we are listening to the coaching staff on this one.  Domenik Hixon has performed well and will be the starter again if nicks cannot go.  Victor Cruz is a must start despite the defensive opponent this week.  Ramses Barden still has not been cleared to practice . . . TE Martellus Bennet is expected to play through his hyper-extended knee injury and will be able to have limited success as a low end TE1 . . . Lawrence Tynes should get plenty of opportunities and could feasibly lead the Giants in fantasy points this week . .  .after seeing what the 49ers offense has done each of the last two weeks, the Giants DST is a suspect start at best.

 

San Francisco 49ers

Alex Smith is coming off of a huge performance against a terrible defense, but the Giants secondary has made some average QBs look very good.  That trend should continue and Smith is a high end QB2 this week and a solid bye-week replacement . . . Frank Gore is still a strong start on a weekly basis, even with the return of Brandon Jacobs.  Jacobs is solid flex-play this week because you can bet Harbaugh will do what he can to get Jacobs in the endzone against his former team . . . Michael Crabtree is the only 49er receiver worth a start – the others are too inconsistent, although Mario Manningham as a flex is viable because of the same factor of scoring against his former team . . . Vernon Davis is an every week play no matter the opponent, so are K David Akers and the 49ers DST.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Washington Offense	8	4	13	8	5	162.6	238
Minnesota Defense	6	7	15	1	6	78.6	225.6
Minnesota Offense	13	9	23	4	6	133.2	210.8
Washington Defense	29	13	32	3	13	87.8	328.6

 

Minnesota Vikings

QB Christian Ponder has made me eat my words – I was certain Joe Webb would be QB of the Vikes by now.  But Ponder continues to perform admirably and fight through small injuries, and he’s leading his team and compiling stats as he does – he’s still a QB2 but a viable bye-week replacement . . . RB Adrian Peterson has made running mate Toby Gerhart obsolete.  I still can’t bring myself to cut him just yet . . . Percy Harvin very well could be the #1 overall receiver when it is all said and done for Week 6, but we are putting him at 6.  Jerome Simpson may actually play rather than sit 6 weeks as initially feared with a back surgery looking in the horizon.  What magical substance might we attribute Jerome’s certain wonderful health to – any guesses? . . . TE Kyle Rudolph is so good you don’t need to worry about his bad outings meaning anything other than one-week pain – he’s an every work start who will produce double digit fantasy points far more often than not . . . K Blair Walsh is less heralded than fellow rookies Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein and Justin Tucker, but he’s been just as effective . . . Vikings DST is playable at Washington ONLY IF RGIII sits out.

 

Washington Redskins

QB Robert Griffin III said he would keep running until they took him out and they did.  He has to get more careful with his body, but his concussion was stated as mild.  Still the concern is that he has to pass medical tests and gain third party clearance, so anything can happen even though he should play.  Basically if he plays, everyone on the Redskins is startable – if he doesn’t . . . RB Alfred Morris is an every week start even if Griffin sits, so start him with confidence – he may even see a bigger workload . . . WR Pierre Garcon is ready to go and will be a great start if RG3 plays.  If not, he and every other Redskin are sits . . . TE Fred Davis is a viable start as a low-end TE2 without RG3 and a low-end TE1 with him . . .  Redskins DST is not playable . . . K Kai Forbath replaces Billy Cundiff, who was released.  He should get a few chances and is a good flier.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
Houston Offense	5	6	18	7	8	143	228.8
Green Bay Defense	18	19	18	2	10	114.2	230
Green Bay Offense	15	19	11	2	11	95.6	242.4
Houston Defense	4	11	6	0	6	86	189.6

 

Green Bay Packers

The $64,000 question this week is, “What is wrong with the Packers?” QB Aaron Rodgers recently blamed himself on a radio show, but then again, he has thrown for 550 yards and 7 TDs in the last two weeks.  But he has to perform against an absolute wrecking crew of a defense in Houston.  They are only giving up around 200 yards passing per game.  You can’t bench Rodgers, but he isn’t winning you your week this time around…The battle of attrition at RB has been won by Alex Green for now.  Green has talent, and he might end up being the best back that the Packers have had in a long time, but Houston is a rough draw for your first start.  He’s a flex at best this week, but we have good feelings about his future…Your answer to the “What’s wrong with the Packers?” question could start with Greg Jennings.  His groin injury has certainly hurt the offense to some degree.  Jordy Nelson certainly has not been what fantasy owners were hoping for, but don’t sell…Nelson will come around, and he should be started each week.  James Jones is the one who you should sell high – his value is entirely tied to whether Jennings starts or not.  If Jennings is out in Week 6, you should get one more good week out of Jones…Jermichael Finley has been another relative fantasy disappointment. His 198 yards and 1 TD are good for 18^th among TEs – and Houston is a pretty tough matchup for TEs…The Green Bay defense has performed at a decent level – up to this point in the season, they are a low-end starting defense in a 10-12 team league.  Houston is putting up almost 30 points per game, so you might consider other starting options over Green Bay due to the downside risk.

 

Houston Texans

Matt Schaub hit a bit of a speed bump in Week 5 against the Jets, but for the most part, he has been a pretty good fantasy starter.  However, his work hasn’t been consistent – he’s delivered some great games and some clunkers.  It’s hard to predict how he’ll do going forward from game-to-game, but his matchup against Green Bay is a good one (GB #9 in points allowed to fantasy QBs)…Arian Foster is having a brilliant season.  If there is any gripe, it’s that he doesn’t give you that old school LaDainian Tomlinson 3 TD game that single-handedly won your week.  But there is something to be said for the steady elite performance.  He is, of course, a must-start regardless of matchup…It has been revealed that Andre Johnson has been on a bit of a pitch count in order to keep him fresh and healthy.  This is a good thing, I suppose, but it’s made for fewer targets and lower performance than what is expected from Johnson.  That said, Green Bay is a great matchup and he should be worthy of a WR1 start this week.  Kevin Walter is too inconsistent to be relevant for fantasy…Meanwhile, the top receiver on the team is Owen Daniels.  His matchup with Green Bay is excellent, so Daniels should be poised to score big this weekend.  Schaub will definitely be looking his way…The Houston defense has been terrific this season, and I don’t think you would have to feel bad about starting them every week.  However, if there was a week with downside risk, this would be one of those weeks.  Nevertheless, Green Bay is averaging only 22 points per game, so even with the risk built-in, they should be a decent start this week.

 

Quick Stats	Rank	Rush Rank	Pass Rank	Rushing TDs	Passing TDs	Rush YPG	Pass YPG
San Diego Offense	12	16	16	4	8	103.4	231.4
Denver Defense	20	23	12	4	9	120.2	215
Denver Offense	9	17	3	4	11	101.2	288.8
San Diego Defense	14	5	21	2	11	74	260

 

Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning keeps throwing for 300 yards and 3 TDs like he’s Peyton Manning, so it’s safe to assume he really is Peyton Manning – he’s an every week must start if you have him . . . RB Willis McGahee had a rough Sunday but won’t lose his role as feature back even if he does lose a few touches here and there to Ronnie Hillman . . . Demaryius Thomas fumbled, fumbled, and fumbled again – and while it has hurt his point production he is still an every week start and should do fine against a secondary that Marques Colston destroyed.  Eric Decker is now a solid every week play.  I didn’t like seeing him on my opponent’s roster last week and that’s always my gage . . . Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreesen both will take turns scoring TDs so will be tough every week plays . . . K Matt Prater is only an asset in Denver . . . Broncos DST is better than they showed against New England and should be positive points against the Chargers.

 

San Diego Chargers

Phillip Rivers is still productive despite turnovers and a lack of real receiving talent at the wideouts.  The Broncos have given up big passing performances so 2-3 TDs is probable . . . Ryan Mathews commandeered the running back job and put Jackie Battle into fantasy irrelevance – until Mathews gets hurt again . . . Malcom Floyd is still the only San Diego receiver to own despite Robert Meacham’s two touchdowns last week – he won’t repeat that total soon, especially with the return of Vincent Brown only 3-4 weeks away . . . TE Antonio Gates merits a start every week, but the Broncos held Gronkowski to near zero production so don’t count on too much . . . Chargers DST has been a turnover creating machine but flailed against the Saints on the road – Manning should have similar success . . . Nick Novak continues kicking for the Chargers.