Week 5
Games through Oct. 11

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Last week, 11 running backs rushed for more than 100 yards, and a total of 20 backs found the end zone at least once. Priest Holmes was one of the top performers once again, and Tiki Barber finally made his owners happy. But who would have thought that Amos Zereoue would finish with 117 yards and two scores? Or that Emmitt Smith would have 127 yards and a pair of TDs (one rushing, one passing)? Zereoue was helped by an injury to starter Tyrone Wheatley, but Smith looked like he didn’t need help from anyone as he reminded us of the old days while leading the Cardinals to a 34-10 victory over New Orleans. Can these two repeat their performances? And who else will step up this week? You’ll find some help for putting together your lineups in the weekly Start & Sit column.

START

QB:

Michael Vick, Atl: Vick let many of his owners down during the last two weeks, and owners of Atlanta’s receivers weren’t wearing big smiles, either. That should change this week as the Falcons seek to win their fifth game in a row against Detroit. The Lions rank 31st in the league against the pass, a weakness that Atlanta will no doubt attempt to take advantage of.

Kerry Collins, Oak: With Gannon out for several weeks, Collins is now at the helm in Oakland, and he could reward his owners with a nice game this Sunday as the Raiders play the Colts, who lead the league in passing yards allowed by a considerable margin. If you need a bye-week fill in, or you regular starter has a bad matchup, Collins deserves consideration.

Others to start:
Marc Bulger, StL
Chad Pennington, NYJ
Brett Favre, GB
Tom Brady, NE
David Carr, Hou
Aaron Brooks, NO

No-brainers:
Daunte Culpepper, Min
Peyton Manning, Ind
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea
Steve McNair, Ten

RB:

Amos Zereoue, Oak: Famous Amos is another Oakland fill-in who might be a nice start this week against a vulnerable Indianapolis defense. With Tyrone Wheatley out two to four weeks and Justin Fargas still questionable, Zereoue should be the clear-cut starter for the Raiders and is worth starting as a #2 RB in all formats.

Corey Dillon, NE: Dillon has already proved to be a nice asset for the Patriots; however, his fantasy value might have dropped a bit compared to last season, when he was with the Bengals. As New England aims for a 19th consecutive victory, they will presumably turn to Dillon more often, as they face a Miami defense that has allowed 135 yards per game on the ground compared to just 115 yards per game through the air.

Others to start:
Fred Taylor, Jax
Warrick Dunn, Atl
Tiki Barber, NYG
Travis Henry, Buf

No-brainers:
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Jamal Lewis, Bal
Clinton Portis, Was
Ahman Green, GB
Curtis Martin, NYJ
Chris Brown, Ten
Edgerrin James, Ind

WR:

Plaxico Burress, Pit: Burress was expected to be at least a #2 fantasy WR this year, but let everybody down in the first two weeks. With the switch of QBs in Pittsburgh, however, Burress finally came to life. Ben Roethlisberger looks for him more consistently, and that should finally pay off for Burress owners this week as Pittsburgh faces a vulnerable Browns secondary.

Koren Robinson, Sea: Robinson had problems getting out of the gate this year, something that can also be said for Seattle’s passing game as a whole. But Robinson, Jackson, Hasselbeck and company should be back on track now, and with an extra week to prepare, could put up solid numbers against St. Louis. Robinson will be the main benefactor, and shouldn’t be left off fantasy lineups.

Others to start:
Eric Moulds, Buf
Derrick Mason, Ten
Andre Johnson, Hou
Rod Smith, Den
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Laveranues Coles, Was
Amani Toomer, NYG

No-brainers:
Torry Holt, StL
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Joe Horn, NO
Javon Walker, GB
Isaac Bruce, StL
Hines Ward, Pit
Randy Moss, Min
Darrell Jackson, Sea

TE/K/D:

George Wrightster, TE, Jax: Wrightster may not warrant a spot in your starting lineup on a weekly basis, but he may be a nice fill-in option this week, as the Jaguars play against San Diego. The Chargers are not only ranked 29th in the league against the pass, but have allowed 14 catches and a score to opposing tight ends in the last two weeks.

Martin Gramatica, K, TB: Gramatica was one of the top fantasy kickers a few seasons ago, but his value has dropped of late. So far this season, he hasn’t gotten too many chances to put the ball between the uprights thanks to a struggling Tampa Bay offense. Things might change this week, however, when the Bucs visit New Orleans, a team that has allowed 26.8 points per game so far, ranking 30th in the league in points allowed.

Seattle Defense: The Seahawks have quietly become one of – if not the – best defensive teams of the league, allowing a mere 4.3 points per game so far. Chances are, they may still available in your league, but for sure not long anymore. The Rams might not be the best opponent to play a defense against, but the Seahawks are rapidly turning into a team worth starting every week.

 
BENCH

QB:

Jake Delhomme, Car: Delhomme took many fantasy owners by surprise with quality performances so far, and has unexpectedly been a viable #1 QB in 12-team leagues. Nevertheless, this is the week to bench him, as the Panthers play the Broncos, second in the league against the pass, in Denver. If you’ve been relying on Delhomme so far, look for an alternative on Sunday.

Tim Rattay, SF: In case you missed the memo: the Cardinals, and especially their secondary, are not punching bags for opposing offenses any more. Arizona contained Aaron Brooks and Michael Vick in the last two games and will make moving the ball difficult for Rattay and the struggling 49ers.

RB:

Marshall Faulk, StL: Seattle has given up only 4.3 points per game so far, and is third in the league against the run. Faulk remains one of the better backs in the game, but has lost a step and no longer dominates opposing defenses at will. It’s hard to leave a back like Faulk on the bench, but he can’t be considered a safe start this week.

Emmitt Smith, Ari: Last season, it seemed that Smith’s career was drawing to an end, but look who’s back. After being handed the starting job in Arizona this year, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher has been providing his owners with some very nice fantasy numbers. Yet after finishing last week with 127 yards and two TDs, expectations should be lowered for this Sunday. Smith could struggle against a 49ers defense that is a whole lot better than San Francisco’s offense. Smith might be far from done, but this isn’t the week to rely on him looking like the Emmitt of old.

WR:

Donte Stallworth, NO: Stallworth has proved himself to be a viable #3 receiver this season, but this week he will have a tough time against a Tampa Bay defense that has held opposing teams to a mere 153 yards per game through the air. Stallworth should certainly have a place on your lineup if the matchup is right, but he still struggles against stronger units, and Joe Horn remains the go-to guy when the going get tough.

Reche Caldwell, SD: Caldwell seems to have secured himself the #1 WR spot in San Diego, and has been one of this year’s nice surprises. However, the Chargers face the Jaguars on Sunday, one of the best defenses in the league so far. Drew Brees will struggle against an aggressive pass rush, and his targets won’t have a lot of time to get open.

TE/K/D:

Boo Williams, TE, NO: Williams was quite high on draft boards this year following a breakout 2003 campaign. Unfortunately, he has not been able to duplicate that performance so far, and will find it even tougher to do so this week. Tampa Bay plays especially well against the pass (see Donte Stallworth), and have only allowed a miserly five catches to opposing TEs so far.

Phil Dawson, K, Cle: Having scored only 14.8 points per game this year, the Browns travel to Pittsburgh this week, where they will face the tough Steelers defense. Dawson makes it two in a row on our sit list, as last week he looked like an equally bad start against the Redskins. He responded with five points against Washington, and that should be about as much as he will get this week.

Buffalo Defense: The Bills were one of the best units in 2003, but this year they have had considerable difficulty stopping opposing offenses. The Jets are on a roll behind a rejuvenated Curtis Martin, and should stay hot at home on Sunday afternoon. Bench the Bills, and go with another defense that has a better matchup.

 
Fantasy Football Cafe’s Start & Sit lists are suggestions intended to give fantasy football players an edge in their weekly matchups. Savvy owners will see these lists not as an absolute ranking, but as an indication of possible outcomes of a given week, and use them together with their own opinions and hunches to field the lineup that will give their team the greatest odds of winning. The Start & Sit lists are compiled by Dan Spazierer (not Madame Zelda). For more insights and additional fine-tuning, visit our Who to Start/Bench forum section.