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It's the end of another exciting week of football which means it's time to put your claims in for available free agents in your fantasy league to strengthen your team. I'll be going over who I think are the top five picks for you to target this week so don't miss out on them. Good luck!

Note: %owned is based on Yahoo! leagues at the time of publication.

5) Josh Doctson (WAS) - 14% owned - Doctson looks to move into the top receiver role on the Redskins' offense after Pryor and Crowder have seemingly run out of chances. A good candidate to really break out over the next few games, and he has already had a bye week which makes him a great fill-in play.

4) DeAndre Washington (OAK) - 4% owned - Washington played (along with fellow RB Jalen Richard) on Sunday, filling in for the ejected Marshawn Lynch. As Lynch will be heading for a one-game suspension, Washington will get the same opportunity to put up fantasy points in week 8 and it's important to note that Washington got the goalline touchdown call, not Richard. On a high-powered offense like the Raiders, he'll have more of these opportunities against Buffalo.

3) JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT) - 15% owned - Smith-Schuster is really stepping up this season and, after quickly rising past incumbent slot receiver Eli Rogers, has also started to clearly become the #3 option in the passing game (after Brown and Bell). With the rumor mill going into high gear about a possible trade or suspension for troubled speedster Martavis Bryant, even more opportunities may open up for Smith-Schuster going forward.

2) Marlon Mack (IND) - 41% owned - Mack is going to be involved in every Colts game going forward after Robert Turbin's injury knocked him out for the season. With Andrew Luck out indefinitely, the Colts will continue to lean on the running game where they can, and Mack will continue to perform (especially in the receiving game - 4/6 for 40 yards in week 7 with another 30-yard catch called back).

1) O.J. Howard (TAM) - 14% owned - 6 receptions for 98 yards and 2 scores in last week's matchup was exactly the breakout game that Howard owners were looking for (if they were still hanging on), and we'll still see Cameron Brate involved just as heavily in the offense, but there may be room for both to be productive depending on how the offensive schemes develop in Tampa. I'm betting he'll be a flex option going forward, which makes him worth owning (and spot starting) in every league.

It's the end of another exciting week of football which means it's time to put your claims in for available free agents in your fantasy league to strengthen your team. I'll be going over who I think are the top five picks for you to target this week so don't miss out on them. Good luck!

Note: %owned is based on Yahoo! leagues at the time of publication.

5) Paul Richardson (SEA) - 32% owned - With the Seahawks not being able to produce anything on the ground they will have to continue airing the ball out which should mean continued opportunities for Richardson. He's been making the most of his targets lately as well, catching 8 of 9 for 166 yards and 3 TDs over the past two games.

4) Darren McFadden (DAL) - 35% owned - Ezekiel Elliott's 6 game suspension is in effect and it seems likely to stand this time around. McFadden is the likely favorite to lead the Cowboys backfield with Zeke sidelined so he's worth a claim; assuming there are no more appeals putting the suspension on hold further.

3) Robbie Anderson (NYJ) - 29% owned - Anderson got off to a slow start to the season but his targets and production each week put him on the WR2/3 border which means he should be owned more than he currently is.

2) JuJu Smith-Schuster (PIT) - 49% owned -  Martavis Bryant twittered himself to the bench last week giving JuJu the opportunity to start and he came up big catching 7 of 10 targets for 193 yards and a touchdown. Bryant seems to have fallen out of favor with the Steelers so expect more and more opportunities for JuJu going forward. Note the Steelers have a bye in week 9.

1) Alex Collins (BAL) - 35% owned - Collins had the look of an elite every-down back last week after he torched the Dolphins for 113 yards rushing on 18 attempts and another 30 yards receiving on 2 catches. Collins is actually leading the league with his 6.0 yards per carry for all running backs that have over 15 carries on the season. Look for him to be the guy in Baltimore the rest of the season.

Another week in the books and more injuries to many promising fantasy players. Although I do not have Dalvin Cook in any leagues, it is tough to see an exciting young rookie hit the deck. It was a rough week but hang on tight and be sure to check Jim Hutchins' suggested pickups for this week to keep the dream alive.

Quarterback

Derek Carr (Back) – Derek Carr has a transverse process fracture in his back and is out 2-6 weeks according to Rotoworld. This is a tough blow to the Raiders and all of those around Carr will suffer from his absence. Keep monitoring the injury reports and his activity. Amari Pooper and Crabtree owners will have to temper expectations until Carr is healthy. To read more about what the hell a transverse process fracture is, check out this article: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/low-back-pain/transverse-process-fracture

Marcus Mariota (Hamstring) Déjà vu with two young QB’s going down in the same week again. Last year both Carr and Mariota went down to season-ending injuries and it is not as severe this time around. Mariota is considered Day to Day and the Titans are prepping both Matt Cassel and Mariota to start. Same as Carr, temper your Titans in case Mariota is out this week.

Running Back

Dalvin Cook (ACL) – And just like that one of the most promising rookie backs this year is out for the season. Rough night for a Vikings team that has already been playing without Sam Bradford. Look for Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon to pick up the slack. Murray will be a hot add on the waiver wire this year, but if you are in a PPR league I would be looking to grab McKinnon.

Chris Carson (Leg) – Another promising rookie, another season-ending injury. Carson fractured his leg and has been placed on IR. He was looking to take over that backfield and was a hot add in the weeks leading up to the injury. This backfield just turned ugly with Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise, and Thomas Rawls all in the mix. Eddie Lacy is the hungriest of the bunch, but I would proceed with caution.

Ty Montgomery (Ribs) – New broke this morning that TY is dealing with multiple broken ribs. Although this is a painful injury, Montgomery has a shot to play this week and he said he will be fine. If he is starting, it is tough not to play him. This injury makes me nervous though. This could linger throughout the year and he is only one big hit away from leaving the game at any moment. Look for Aaron Jones to pick up the rock if he were to miss time. I like Aaron Jones as an add this week. Not only does he share a name with Rodgers, he has been getting praises from the gun-slinging A-A-Ron stating, “I’ve been a big fan of his since the beginning.”

Ameer Abdullah (Ankle) – Ameer rolled his ankle late in the game after looking rock solid against a stingy Vikings defense. Abdullah should be good to go this week but keep an eye on the injury reports. If he continues to be fed the rock, Abdullah could be a strong RB2 play for weeks to come.

Paul Perkins (Ribs) – I contemplated not even including this injury because the Giants and running backs go together like peanut butter and anchovies. It is worth noting because 4^th round rookie Wayne Gallman came in and looked like a competent runner and could see more playing time. He should be worth a look in a backfield I would usually recommend avoiding. The Giants need to shake things up and McAdoo could be coaching for his job. Gallman looked like the best runner on the field and McAdoo would be crazy for not giving the kid a larger role moving forward.

Wide Receivers

Julio Jones (Hip) – Julio is no stranger to the injury report and left the game in week 4 and did not return. Thankfully the Falcons are on bye this week and it gives Julio some much-needed rest early in the season. He is not expected to miss any time.

Jordan Matthews (Thumb) – Jordan Matthews' thumb injury does require surgery and he is expected to be out at least a month. Matthews developed some great chemistry with Tyrod Taylor and this will be a blow to the “potent” passing attack of the Bills. I expect Charles Clay to get peppered with targets and Zay Jones to take on a bigger role in the passing game.

Mohamed Sanu (Hamstring) – Sanu is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with a hamstring injury. With Sanu out and Julio hobbled, expect Taylor Gabriel and Justin Hardy to pick up more looks.

Welcome to Statistically (in)Significant, the place to find great stats that probably only matter at the water cooler (or bar). Each week I'll dig through the stats of the week gone by and deliver you some choice conversation starters.

0-4 vs the Chargers

Eli Manning is now 0-4 against the team that he shunned on draft day, way back in 2004. Sure, he probably made the right call, considering the Giants have two Super Bowl rings to the Charger's zero since that draft, but karma's a bitch. The Giants lost all 4 of their wide receivers on Sunday, with Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris out for the season. We'll see what happens going forward with Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard, but the Giants are really hurting now and have an 0-5 record to show for all their struggles. For now, the Giants are a fantasy wasteland, best avoided until they can get some things figured out.

73 Seconds to Win the Game

When Aaron Rodgers has the ball in his hands at the end of a game, it just feels like a TD is inevitable. Perhaps the biggest mistake the Cowboys made in their own late fourth quarter touchdown drive was leaving too much time on the clock for Rodgers. This game delivered on its marquee matchup status, with 5 lead changes in the fourth quarter and a ridiculous end of game lateral play that worked a lot better than most - and resulted in the Packers D/ST gaining two fumble recoveries in the same play. Can we get an official scorekeeper explanation on this? As a commissioner, I sure can't explain it to people in my league. Sorry, @Shawn_Foss.

125.8 Passer Rating

Alex Smith has a 125.8 passer rating for the 2017 season, through 5 games. This leads the league, and it's not even very close. Brady is second with 112 - but Brady is closer to Deshaun Watson at 7 than he is to Alex Smith. Smith is also leads the league in completion percentage (76.6), yards per attempt (8.8), game winning drives (3) and has zero interceptions so far. In fact, he has zero turnovers at all and over 100 rushing yards already! All this maybe makes this last stat a little more impressive - he's only second overall in fantasy points this season, now just 0.32 points behind a guy who didn't even start in Week 1.

5 (more) Passing TD's

Deshaun Watson scored another 5 TD's last night, and has 10 in the last two games (9 passing, 1 rushing). He has now put up over 70 points in the last two weeks, with those games basically splitting that total. This has catapulted him into the top fantasy spot after 5 weeks, and with his 30.8 point average over the last three weeks, he's not just in the QB1 discussion, he's near the top of it. The Texans get Cleveland next week, followed by a bye week and a pretty easy looking schedule with a couple of tough road games sprinkled in. Watson has made a whole bunch of guys fantasy relevant in Houston, including Will Fuller and D'onta Foreman, not to mention the re-emergence of DeAndre Hopkins as a solid WR1.

5 Interceptions

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw 5 INT's on Sunday, yes F-I-V-E. Two of those went as a pick-six and perhaps the better story here is that the Jaguars DST has 12 or more points in 4 of their 5 games this season. Yesterday's 28 points matches their Week 1 total, and a home game against the Rams and a road game in Indy means you fire them up for a couple more weeks before their bye. It also is likely to mean you find a way to keep them through your bye week. On the other side, you've got the Steelers juggernaut offense that is just....not. Roethlisberger knows it's basically on him to figure this out and improve so as to not squander the great talent they have surrounded him with. Matchups in KC and Detroit over the next three weeks do not give a good outlook that he gets it turned around quickly.