Week 5

• Tweet

• Tweet

Did you hear that big sigh of relief on Sunday afternoon? It came from all those Peyton Manning owners who used their #1 pick on the Colts’ quarterback and finally got what they expected. And with Indy playing the worst pass defense of the league this week, there is more to come! Peyton Manning wasn’t this week’s only success story, however. Look no further than within the Manning family, as Eli matched Peyton’s four TDs, and is on his way of becoming a legitimate #1 fantasy QB. And then there was Neil Rackers. Nineteen points from a kicker who was available on the wire in most leagues – hopefully you followed our column’s advice and picked him up. (I did, and wound up winning my matchup by four points – yeah, that 19 saved me.)

Looking for this week’s gem? You may find one here in our weekly Start & Sit column!

START

QB:

David Carr, Hou: Carr and the Texans have not exactly had a good start into this season. After stumbling to an 0-3 record, there is plenty of room for improvement. Many of owners Carr’s owners are likely to have given up on him already, however. While we do not think he should be a fantasy starter every week, he has nice upside this Sunday as the Texans meet the week Titans defense.

Matt Hasselbeck, Sea: Hasselbeck was projected to be a solid #1 fantasy QB but has been slightly disappointing so far. His performance hasn’t been bad, but his numbers aren’t quite what his owners were hoping for, thanks to Shaun Alexander getting all the TDs as well as the tough defenses the Seahawks have faced. This could change now, as Seattle plays the Rams on Sunday. St. Louis’ secondary was shredded by Eli Manning last week, and Hasselbeck will studying the film from that game very carefully.

Others to start:
Tom Brady, NE
Michael Vick, Atl
Carson Palmer, Cin
Drew Brees, SD
Steve McNair, Ten
Jake Delhomme, Car

No-brainers:
Marc Bulger, StL
Donovan McNabb, Phi
Peyton Manning, Ind
Drew Bledsoe, Dal
Brett Favre, GB

RB:

Ronnie Brown, Miami: This week marks the last week before Rickie Williams’ return to the Dolphins, and while we do not know how much this will impact Brown’s playing time in the future, Ronnie will be running full-speed to produce good numbers and keep the starting job sealed. Buffalo is next to last in the league in rushing yards allowed, and will have a tough time stopping Brown.

Ahman Green, GB: While it is not 100% clear that Green will indeed play on Sunday, it’s looking more and more like he will. That’s why we put him on the start list – but if he cannot go, simply plug Najeh Davenport in instead of Green. Why? The Packers play the Saints, who have the third-worst run defense in the league, allowing more than 130 yards on the ground per contest. Whoever starts for Green Bay should be in your lineup.

Others to start:
Fred Taylor, Jax
Steven Jackson, StL
Warrick Dunn, Atl
Corey Dillon, NE
Thomas Jones, Chi
Domanick Davis, Hou
Clinton Portis, Was
Willis McGahee, Buf
Stephen Davis, Car
Rudi Johnson, Cin

No-brainers:
Carnell Williams, TB (if healthy)
LaDainan Tomlinson, SD
Shaun Alexander, Sea
Deuce McAllister, NO
Edgerrin James, Ind
Julius Jones, Dal
Brian Westbrook, Phi

WR:

Derrick Mason, Bal: Mason is the clear #1 target in the Ravens’ receiving corps, but his fantasy production has been limited so far by the poor overall showing of the Baltimore offense. Still, it looks like things are getting a bit better. Baltimore travels to Detroit this week to face the Lions, a team that gave up 166 yards receiving to Joey Galloway last Sunday. Mason should find himself open more often that in recent weeks and could be in for a solid game.

Muhsin Muhammad, Chi: OK, so there weren’t many fantasy owners who missed any of Chicago’s players during their bye last week (IDP owners excepted). With rookie Kyle Orton throwing to him, Muhammad is not exactly a receiver to rely on. Yet with Chicago playing the Browns this week, this could change. The Browns have the third-worst pass defense in the league, and will have a hard time keeping Muhammad in check.

Others to start:
Joey Galloway, TB
Jimmy Smith, Jax
Rod Smith, Den
Terry Glenn, Dal
David Givens, NE
Keenan McCardell, SD
Santana Moss, Was
Kevin Curtis, StL
Anquan Boldin, Ari
Larry Fitzgerald, Ari
Andre Johnson, Hou
Donald Driver, GB
Drew Bennett, Ten

No-brainers:
Torry Holt, StL
Steve Smith, Car
Terrell Owens, Phi
Chad Johnson, Cin
Joe Horn, NO
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Reggie Wayne, Ind

TE/K/D:

Jerramy Stevens, TE, Sea: After a good start into the season, Stevens has been relatively quiet the last couple of weeks. He still is a borderline #1 fantasy TE, but definitely worth starting this week when the Seahawks play the Rams, who have not played much defense recently.

Jeff Reed, K, Pit: Reed has been very solid in his first three games, averaging nine points per contest. Against the Chargers, he should be able to continue his good run, as the Steelers should be able to move into scoring range often enough.

Cleveland Defense: The way the Bears have played on offense so far, Cleveland should be a nice bye-week fill-in. Rookie QB Orton makes a lot of mistakes, and even the Browns should be able to cash in several times.

 
BENCH

QB:

Brian Griese, TB: Griese was able to put up good numbers last week, hooking up with Galloway often. It will get a lot tougher on Sunday, as the Jets still play some good defense, especially against the pass. Consider benching Griese if you have other options.

Trent Dilfer, Cle: Dilfer’s performance so far has earned him a roster spot in almost all fantasy leagues, and he is being used as a starter by many owners. He might indeed be a viable option if the matchup is right – this week, unfortunately, it simply is not. Chicago is playing very good on defense and is just allowing 175 yards through the air per game, so better not count on the veteran passer this week.

RB:

Curtis Martin, NYJ: Martin is one of the disappointments at the running back position so far, and his troubles might well continue for at least one more week. Martin faces the top rushing defense this Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sit him; this is a matchup to avoid.

Kevin Jones, Det: Despite scoring a TD, Jones still did not convince anyone last week that he is a #1 fantasy RB. He was even replaced by backup Artose Pinner on numerous downs in the second half, which is never a good sign. To make matters worse, the Lions play the Ravens on Sunday, who allow just 70 yards per game on the ground, and have not given up a rushing TD so far.

WR:

Brandon Lloyd, SF: Lloyd has been a nice surprise for his owners so far, turning into an absolutely solid fantasy receiver. However, you should not expect a lot from him this week, as the 49ers play against the Colts. Indianapolis leads the league in fewest points allowed with 6.5, and this surprising defense should not have any problems stopping San Francisco on Sunday.

TJ Houshmandzadeh, Cin: Houshmandzadeh has benefited greatly from the Cincinnati’s rolling offense and the rise of Carson Palmer. This week, the Bengals face their toughest challenge so far this season, as they have to play the Jaguars in Florida. So far, Jacksonville has allowed a mere 136 yards per game through the air. That said, do not count on too much from Houshmandzadeh, especially as he still is only the #2 receiver on the team.

TE/K/D:

Chris Baker, TE, NYJ: Baker might still be in the top ten in fantasy points at the TE position, but most of those points came in week 1. Since then, he has caught just seven passes for 77 yards. Additionally, his value took a steep hit following the injury to Chad Pennington. So if you’re still relying on Baker at TE, it might be time to search for a replacement, especially this week when the Jets go up against the tough Tampa Bay defense.

Josh Scobee, K, Jax: Jacksonville’s offense seems isn’t putting a lot of points on the board (15.5 per game), and that probably won’t change this week. Believe it or not, the Bengals are second in the league in points allowed with a mere 9.5, so this is simply not a week in which to expect a lot of points from Scobee.

New England Defense: All the injuries finally seem to have caught up with this unit, and they cannot be counted on as an every-week fantasy start right now. The power running attack of the Falcons might again give the Patriots trouble, so look for a defense elsewhere.

 
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.