Fantasy Football Week 5: Updated Rankings for Sundays Action: I like to think that my role in your fantasy football universe is akin to Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. Im a guide, I can introduce you to the force, but I cant use it for you. Im not as cool as old Ben Kenobi, of course, and Im not nearly as wise, either. Heck, I dont even own a robe and, no, were not going to be blowing up a Death Star. But on the path to fantasy success, I can help you identify which players on your roster are smarter options than others this week. Remember, these rankings are all about how smart it is to start certain players. In general, the higher a player is on my rankings, the more his potential reward outweighs his probable risk. May the fantasy points be with you! Notes: For a full explanation of the rankings, go here. Abridged version: Ability measures a players overall talent, proficiency at his position and ability to produce fantasy numbers. Offense measures how much that teams offense improves his fantasy stock. The overall startability grade is weighted. All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues. Schedule Quarterbacks Good matchups define the top of the quarterback rankings this week, as none of the top players really have that rough of an opponent to deal with in Week 5. Arizona wont make life easy for Peyton Manning, but hes matchup-proof anyway, so there arent any concerns on that front. As you can see, solid matchups all boost the fantasy value of Philip Rivers (who is off to a hot start this season), Russell Wilson and Nick Foles. Drew Brees should torch Tampa Bays shaky pass defense, while Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan dont have great matchups this week but are talented enough to overcome them for fantasy owners. Nick Foles has proven to be a bit hit-or-miss this season, so he misses QB1 status given his inconsistency. And both Colin Kaepernick and Jay Cutler have proven to be good, not great, for fantasy owners more often than not and dont have the easiest of matchups, so they drop to the realm of QB2 as well. Running Backs The top 14 fantasy running backs are pretty much must-start players for most owners this week. Chances are, you dont have the luxury of sitting any of them at an erratic position, and pretty much all of them should produce for you this week. Matt Forte, Jamaal Charles and Marshawn Lynch are about as safe as they come. LeSean McCoys demise has been greatly exaggerated, and hell torch a suspect St. Louis run defense. Giovani Bernard will do the same against New Englands poor run defense. Rashad Jennings is fantasys breakout star. A healthy Arian Foster is a must-start player. Zac Stacy should get a ton of touches against Phillys poor defense. Andre Ellington and Doug Martin have nice matchups and big-play ability. Frank Gore is as steady as they come. After that, it gets a bit trickier. Are you willing to ride with the boom-or-bust guys (Darren Sproles, C.J. Spiller, Reggie Bush)? Who do you trust in committee backfields? Do you put your money on young guys having breakthrough weeks (cough, cough, Bishop Sankey, cough)? Can good players overcome bad matchups (Montee Ball vs. Arizona)? Here are my answers: Trust Sproles and Spiller, not Bush; Chris Ivory, Ahmad Bradshaw, Ben Tate, only at flex if you dont have a safe option; its probably best to temper your expectations with Ball this week. Good luck reading the tea leaves at running back, folks—its a conundrum we collectively love and loathe trying to solve on a weekly basis. Wide Receivers The top of the wide receiver rankings has been proliferated by surprises this year. Steve Smith Sr. has had a resurgent season. Kelvin Benjamin has hit the ground running in his place. DeAndre Hopkins has had a breakthrough campaign. Jeremy Maclin has picked up where DeSean Jackson left off in Philly. Eddie Royal is off to another fast start (though, much like last year, one would guess hell tail off soon enough). Allen Hurns has become a fascinating high-risk, high-reward play. Terrance Williams has taken a big step in Big D. Some of these players are for real. Smith has established an instant rapport with Joe Flacco, and weve all seen him post huge numbers in the past. Maclin is a talented player on an explosive offense. Hopkins and Williams have the talent to sustain strong starts. Who else is Newton going to throw to if not Benjamin? No, I dont trust Royal, and Hurns is incredibly risky from week to week, but the other guys mentioned have to be considered legitimate WR1s or WR2s moving forward. Ill still take the upside of players like Calvin Johnson, Jordy Nelson, Julio Jones, Brandon Marshall, A.J. Green, Randall Cobb and Demaryius Thomas, among others, any day of the week, but some of this years upstarts at wide receiver are here to stay. Adjust your lineups accordingly. Tight Ends At this point in the season, the most fascinating player at this position is Rob Gronkowski. We all know his upside. Weve seen him absolutely dominate. But given his recovery from injuries and the stagnant New England offense, will he return to that level of dominance? The days of Gronk rivaling Jimmy Graham-esque numbers might be over, at least for this year (Julius Thomas is the new challenger to the throne). The Patriots simply arent creating the scoring opportunities they once did, in large part because they completely lack a vertical threat to keep defenses honest. In turn, Gronk isnt in the red zone as often, where hes impossible to deal with. Theres no question that hes still rounding into his top form, so the best is certainly yet to come. But while his best this year will be enough to keep him as a top-five tight end, its hard to imagine him finishing as the top dog at the position this year. Keep him in those lineups. Just lower your expectations a bit. Defense/Special Teams Kickers Hit me up on Twitter—Ill answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. Its more fun than a Jay Cutler Fumblerooski. Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #NFL #FantasyFootball #Opinion
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 14:55:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015