Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

Week 5 marks our approach into the 2nd quarter of the 2015 NFL season. At this point we have learned who a lot of players and teams are and who they will be going forward. There are still a lot of surprises, but those general come with caveats. For example, Andre Johnson had a great game on Thursday night but he was playing with Matt Hasselbeck instead of Andrew Luck and against a Houston defense which has proved more ineffective than initially projected. So do your research, and make the best decisions that you can each week! Here are our Week 5 Rankings, and feel free to use the start/sit tool here on the site as well.

Quarterbacks

START Marcus Mariota (TEN) vs. BUF – Mariota has certainly played well so far his rookie year, but there is always room for improvement. Week 3 against the Colts was punishing for him, giving up his first 2 interceptions of the season, but he still looked sharp for the majority of that game and showed good poise under pressure. Although the Bills have a great defense, they have allowed a surprising 19.5 points per game to opposing fantasy quarterbacks (3rd highest in the NFL) and so we're expecting Mariota to have a good outing this week.

SIT Tyrod Taylor (BUF) vs. TEN – Taylor was not impressive against the Giants last week, and he'll be without a good running game (both LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams will not be playing this week, leaving Anthony Dixon and new addition Dan Herron to start) as well as #1 WR Sammy Watkins. Without Watkins to distract the defense and an ability to establish the run, Taylor will be left with Charles Clay and Percy Harvin as his main targets. Not enough, Taylor. Best of luck!

Running Backs

START LeGarrette Blount (NE) vs. DAL– It's always particularly scary, attempting to predict which New England running back will have a productive day on the football field. In week 3, Blount played the role of clock killer and plowed his way to 3 TDs. Dion Lewis has recently been installed as the starter for the Patriots, but look for Blount to come out to play whenever the Pats have a hefty lead. That's what I'm expecting in this match-up against Dallas.

START Darren Sproles (PHI) vs. NO – A little birdie told me that the Eagles were still having trouble getting their offense going. Sproles is getting some good targets but has had a few issues with drops over the past few weeks. In a match-up against the Saints pretty soft defense, Sproles should have an easier time turning those targets into fantasy points. I'm predicting at least 80 all-purpose yards and a TD this week.

SIT Joseph Randle (DAL) vs. NE – Still the head of the laughable Dallas Cowboys RBBC, lucked into a few touchdowns in week 3 but should have a much harder time gaining ground against a staunch Patriots defense. Averaging only 14.75 carries per game (hardly any of those in the 2nd half of games), two things have become obvious: the Cowboys will be playing from behind, and Randle will not have a part in that.

SIT Ameer Abdullah (NE) vs. DAL – Abdullah is not the problem here - it's the Lions' offensive line and play-calling woes. He'll do better going forward and should keep the starting job in Detroit, but this week's romp against the Cardinals will not be padding his stats.

Wide Receivers

START Martavis Bryant (PIT) vs. SD – Bryant was a monster last year, and all signs point to him bringing a lot of that production to 2015. Losing Roethlisberger was a blow to his fantasy value, but fortunately Vick can still chuck the ball downfield and the existing double threat of Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown on offense will keep opposing defenses from focusing on Bryant. He should still get his. Editor's Note: Unfortunately, it looks like Bryant will be out for another week at least, due to a knee tweak.

START Travis Benjamin (CLE) vs BAL -  Ok, I didn't want to like Benjamin when he started putting up stats but now I have no choice but to recognize his talent within that offense. Chemistry is building with Josh McCown, and the Raven's secondary has been taking hits from all across the league this year. I'd consider Benjamin to be an every week WR3 or Flex play going forward. Not bad for someone who went undrafted in all but the deepest of leagues.

SIT Brandin Cooks (NO) vs PHI – Cooks has yet to score a touchdown, and Brees's current infatuation with Willie Snead looks to continue into week 5. Although Cooks could easily go back to being a borderline WR1 play, right now he's barely a start. I'm going to go ahead and leave him off of lineups where I can insert someone with more upside, like Leonard Hankerson or Allen Hurns, for example.

Tight Ends

START Owen Daniels (DEN) vs. OAK - Daniels looks like he should be a sit based on his stats, but he climbs in the rankings due to how miserable the Oakland Raiders are at defending against tight ends. Besides that, Daniels had a touchdown last week as well as in week 3 which proves that Manning is targeting him in the red zone. The guy does not get yardage, but he will likely be targeted 5+ times in week 5 against the Raiders. If there was ever a time to play Owen Daniels, that time is now!

SIT Jared Cook (STL) vs. GB - Cook, on the other hand, has yet to record a touchdown and his stats have decreased throughout the season so far. As the Rams rediscover t heir offense through Todd Gurley and Tavon Austin, it's possible that Cook will have some opportunities to score but right now they look few and far between.

Marching right along to Week 6, aren't we? Here are some starts and sits to keep in mind for this week's games. Do you have any specific questions? Feel free to leave a comment or email me directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I'll be sure to respond quickly. Good luck to all of you this week and remember: consistency is generally the name of the game in fantasy unless you're down on your luck with injuries, etc. In that case, it's okay to throw caution to the wind a bit and play someone with more of a risk/reward situation.

Week 6 Quarterback Starts

Josh McCown (CLE) vs. DEN - McCown has been throwing the ball a crazy amount of times each game and that looks to continue this week. Can we trust newcomers to fantasy football relevancy like Travis Benjamin and Gary Barnidge? For as long as they are putting up points, of course we can! Denver has a great defense this year, but McCown will still need to sling the football around in order to give Cleveland a chance in this game. At the time this column was written, McCown was our #11 QB for Week 5. That makes him a great bye-week fill in or even a low end starter.

Week 6 Quarterback Sits

Andrew Luck (IND) vs. NE - Yes, we know that he is Andrew Luck. Lots of experts are very high on him this week. Our advice is to let him sit for one more week and throw in whatever replacement that you were previously using, if possible. The Colts offensive line still looks as bad as it did early on in the season and Luck will be under pressure from a good New England defense during this match-up. Classic recipe for a disappointing performance.

Week 6 Running Back Starts

Danny Woodhead (SD) vs. GB - Woodhead lost a few snaps to Melvin Gordon last week against the Steelers, but continues to show that he is productive every time he touches the football. Gordon looked better, but still not as good as Woodhead when catching the ball in the backfield and operating on 3rd downs in general. Expect Woodhead to have more opportunities in a game against the Packers where they are likely to be playing from behind.

Ryan Mathews (PHI) vs. NYG - Mathews had 73 yards and 1 TD on just 8 carries in last week's game against the Saints. He also added on a few receptions to that total. Chip Kelly is starting to realize that using Mathews and Murray as more of a tandem (and ceding goal-line carries to Mathews) may end up being a better offensive strategy. Look for more of the same for Mathews this week from a Giants defense giving up 17+ points per game to Running Backs.

Week 6 Running Back Sits

Ronnie Hillman (DEN) vs. CLE - For some reason, Hillman keeps popping up on RB rankings in the top 25. He simply does not get enough opportunities to be treated as an every week RB2 or flex start. Add to that a hamstring tweak from last week and the Broncos' offensive woes in general. Nope.

Alfred Morris (WAS) vs. NYJ - Morris used to dominate all short yardage and goal-line work for the Redskins. The only way he was fantasy relevant was by compiling the majority of carries in any given match-up. Now that he has been joined by two other touch-hungry running backs (Matt Jones and Chris Thompson) in the backfield, this is a full-blown RBBC and it will be difficult to every play Alfred Morris again in a starting role.

Week 6 Wide Receiver Starts

Torrey Smith (SF) vs. BAL - Here's a bold one.. I've seen Torrey Smith out on some waiver wires already this year - and while I don't entirely disagree with that move based on Smith's boom or bust way of playing lately, I'm looking at Smith to perform at a high level this week against the dismal Ravens' secondary. WR2 numbers, maybe? At least 80 yards and a TD will be on Smith's stat sheet after week 6.

Mike Wallace (MIN) vs. KC - Wallace is developing some chemistry with Teddy Bridgewater in a time that really calls for some passing plays downfield. The Vikings are starting to realize that they need to throw more in order to balance their offense, and Wallace is becoming the go-to guy in Minnesota. Originally we thought it would be Charles Johnson after some great performances down the stretch in 2014, but injuries have put a damper on his production so far this year. The Titans are giving up almost 20 points a game to opposing WRs - expect Wallace to get most of that.

Week 6 Wide Receiver Sits

Donte Moncrief (IND) vs. NE - Assuming that T.Y. Hilton plays, he should continue to sop up the most targets from Andrew Luck, but I'm looking at the mid-season resurgence of Andre Johnson as the Colts' WR2. After gaining more self confidence in last week's 'grudge match' against his former team, Johnson should continue to perform at a high level. Also, the addition of Ahmad Bradshaw in passing downs should give Luck a great target to dish the football off to when being pressures. Don't get me wrong, I like Moncrief - but he'll have less opportunities than he previously found himself with.

Week 6 Tight End Starts

Ladarius Green (SD) vs. GB - Even though Antonio Gates is back on the warpath, the Chargers are using Ladarius Green fairly heavily throughout the game. Makes sense, considering their other passing options have not been performing up to their expected potential. We should see Green out there by himself as well as in two tight end sets along with Gates. I expect high-end TE2 production for the foreseeable future.

Week 6 Tight End Sits

Zach Ertz (PHI) vs. NYG - Ertz stepped up last week against the Saints, but still has no touchdowns and has been generally disappointing so far in 2015. Some of that can be blamed on the performance of the offense in general, but remember that the Eagles are still splitting snaps between Ertz and Celek. In what could be a tight game between the Eagles and Giants, I think we'll see a lot of Celek because of his skill at blocking. It's all about opportunities, people!

Week 6 brought us tears of pain and of joy, depending on what side of the match-up you were on. When setting your lineup each week, it's important to have the very latest information and analysis in order to make the best possible decisions on any given Sunday. We're not 100% accurate (and neither is anyone else!) but we hope to guide you on your way to the playoffs, and from there onto sweet, sweet victory. So take these recommendations under advisement and add in your own gut feelings and fantasy knowledge. Go forth, and kick some ass!

Week 6 Quarterback Starts

Brian Hoyer (HOU) vs. MIA- Hoyer, you ask? Yeah, we're higher on him than most experts because of his efficiency so far this year (8 TDs with only 2 INTs) and how prolific his main target (DeAndre Hopkins) is on the football field. The Texans are also struggling with their defense in the first half of the season, forcing the offense to throw the ball downfield.

Week 6 Quarterback Sits

Matthew Stafford (DET) vs. MIN - Stafford killed it last week against a Bears' secondary that is questionable at best, but likely won't have the same success this week against a Vikings' pass defense that has only given up 6 TDs through the air. 

Week 6 Running Back Starts

T.J. Yeldon (JAX) vs. BUF - Yeldon is just now coming back from a groin injury in week 5 and his return is not assured just yet, but it looks promising. The Bills have a great defense, but when Yeldon is healthy he has soaked up the majority of the touches at RB and this week should be no different.

Antonio Andrews (TEN) vs. ATL - Andrews is a risky RB2 or flex play this week, but he should still get around 10 touches including some goal line carries against an Atlanta defense that is allowing less than 80 yards per game on the ground, but has given up 10 TDs. 

Week 6 Running Back Sits

Duke Johnson (CLE) vs. STL - In weeks 4 and 5, Duke was an unexpected asset to some fantasy teams (especially in PPR), but his lack of TDs and membership in a RBBC that includes Isaiah Crowell and Robert Turbin does not bode well for fantasy production in week 7. Add to that an opposing Rams' defense that has only given up 3 rushing TDs this season and the stars aren't exactly lining up for Johnson.

Ameer Abdullah (DET) vs. MIN - Last week may have been Abdullah's final chance for quite a while to prove himself as a bell-cow back for the Lions. Not that he won't have a part in the offense on a weekly basis, but another RBBC has started up in Detroit co-starring Theo Riddick and Joique Bell, whenever he can get healthy. Abdullah may have another chance to prove himself, but it won't be right away.

Week 6 Wide Receiver Starts

Tavon Austin (STL) vs. CLE - Austin has been lighting it up recently, and without many receiving options, the Rams are starting to look to him quite often. Unfortunately, he has yet to practice this week so keep your eyes peeled to any updates that come out before Sunday. Regardless, I'm continuing to start him as long as he's out there.

Vincent Jackson (TB) vs. WAS - Jackson has been a boom or bust receiver this season, really disappointing fantasy owners in his last start with only 1 catch for 14 yards in week 5 against the Jaguars. A lot of that can be explained by the run-first scheme that the Bucs used in that game, though, and I expect them to utilize Jackson much more this week.

Week 6 Wide Receiver Sits

Mike Evans (TB) vs. WAS - Evans was soooo good last year, but that was a different season and with a different QB. I'm certainly not suggesting to drop Evans just yet, but two weeks of sub-par stats and 0 TDs so far this season warrant a benching until he can figure it out. We're rooting for you, Mike, but not starting you until we see something good.

Week 6 Tight End Starts

Crockett Gillmore (BAL) vs. ARI - Gillmore is healthy again after missing a few weeks. The Ravens offense is just in shambles outside of Steve Smith, but Flacco loves a good dump-off target and Gillmore has has been averaging about 4 receptions per game. Conventional logic says to avoid playing TEs against an Arizona defense that has been exceptional against the position this year, but I have confidence that Flacco will need to slag the football over to Gillmore at least 4 or 5 times in week 7, which makes him a low-end TE1.

Week 6 Tight End Sits

Kyle Rudolph (MIN) vs. DET - Over the past 3 games, Rudolph has managed just 2 receptions per game for relatively few yards. He is only fantasy relevant, then, when he's able to score TDs (which is only 40% of the time, to this point). This TD dependence is not a good sign going forward and makes Rudolph a coin-flip kind of play.