Week 5
Games through October 7

• Tweet

• Tweet

START

QB:

Steve McNair, Ten: McNair has been solid so far this season, and now faces a rather suspect Redskins defense. The Titans’ running game is still not very effective, so McNair has to carry the load right now. And he will.

Brad Johnson, TB: Johnson has been a nice surprise this year, playing not very spectacular, but almost errorless football. He will try to add to his statistics against a weak Atlanta secondary, especially with the Tampa Bay running game still not living up to expectations. With almost 75% of the Bucs offense coming via air this season, Johnson will again be counted on to produce.

RB:

Lamar Smith, Car: And when was Smith drafted in your league? The Panthers are still the surprise of the NFL, and surging Lamar Smith is one of the keys to their success. Expect him to continue his good work, especially against a weak Cardinals defense.

Jamel White, Cle: Does anybody in Cleveland think William Green should be starting these days? White has been very impressive so far, and faces a Baltimore defense that isnt as tough as it was only two years ago.

WR:

Rod Gardner, Was: Gardner was a non-factor in the Skins’ last two games after posting monster numbers in week 1. But the main reason for that was a struggling QB and two tough pass defenses. The QB situation is still not resolved, but facing a suspect Titans secondary will be enough for Garnder to bounce back – especially since the Redskins will need his skills if they want to win this one.

Isaac Bruce, StL: Torry Holt was the main man so far in the Rams malignant passing game, and Bruce hasn’t done very much. But with the change at QB, you can expect the Rams to play things more conservatively and throw more short and mid-range passes, especially to the sure-handed Bruce.

TE/K/D:

Todd Heap, TE, Bal: The Ravens might still be without a victory without their special teams and – Todd Heap. The tight end almost single-handedly beat the Broncos last week, and he will once again be the main target against a blitzing Browns defense.

Morten Anderson, K, KC: The Chiefs are rolling on offense. If they were half as good at keeping their opponents out of the end zone as they are at moving the ball, they would be 4-0. High-scoring offenses are always good news for kickers, and Andersen has been stellar this season. Facing the Jets, the Chiefs once again will light up the scoreboard, so Andersen looks to be in for another big day.

Indianapolis: Do you need to know anything more than that the Colts play the Bengals? As long as Cincinnati’s offense doesn’t show that they’re capable of scoring points occasionally, every defense facing this unit is a good start…

 
BENCH

QB:

Tommy Maddox, Pit: Maddox came into the game for Kordell Stewart and won it for the Steelers last week. But don’t jump on the bandwagon too quickly: especially since the Steelers face a toguh Saints defense, Maddox will come back to earth soon. Bench him for now, but watch him closely. If he really can get the Steelers passing game rolling, he may have some good games ahead.

Jay Fiedler, Mia: Fiedler was erratic last week, which hurt his owners a lot in leagues where interceptions are penalized. Otherwise he would have been a good start. This week, things are different. The Chargers have shown how to beat the Patriots: run first, run second, run third. And Miami has the perfect weapon for this game plan in Ricky Williams, so don’t expect to see much of Fiedler against a strong Patriots secondary.

RB:

Garrison Hearst, SF: The Rams have lost four games in a row now, but their defense is still one of the league’s best at stopping the run. Combined with Hearst losing more and more carries to Kevan Barlow, this adds up to another subpar week.

Jerome Bettis, Pit: The Bus gained just 24 yards last week, and is on the brink of losing his starting job in Pittsburgh. Facing a defense that shut down Anthony Thomas two weeks ago surely won’t help. Bench Jerome for now, and keep your fingers crossed that he can return to form soon.

WR:

Troy Brown, NE: Brown’s injury looks more serious than originally thought, and may keep him from playing for another week. But even if he can play, he may not be much of a factor against a Miami defense that held the Patriots and Tom Brady to just 194 yards passing last year.

Reggie Wayne, Ind: Indianapolis faces the weak Bengals defense, but this still is not be enough for Reggie Wayne to be worth a spot in your lineup. Wayne hasn’t had good numbers so far, and as long as he doesn’t prove he can be a factor week in, week out, you shouldn’t consider starting him – even if he faces the Bengals.

TE/K/D:

David Sloan, TE, NO: It used to be that any Saints TE was a good start each week. But this doesn’t seem to be the case with Sloan, who has not been a factor in the Saints’ passing game so far. As a Lion Sloan had solid seasons, but stay away from him until Aaron Brooks becomes more comfortable throwing to him.

Hayden Epstein, K, Jax: The Jaguars are playing against the toughest defense they have faced so far, the Eagles. That alone should be enough to bench their kicker. But additionally, Epstein has just made two of five field goal attempts so far. So if you have been sticking with him so far, search elsewhere – perhaps not only for this game, but for the whole season.

Buffalo: The Bills defense hasn’t exactly been the best unit in the league so far, but things get even worse this week when they face a red-hot Oakland Raiders team. The Raiders are moving the football well, and they haven’t been making costly mistakes so far, so don’t expect the Bills to have an easy time on defense.