Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

With so many options to choose from, sometimes fielding a fantasy lineup can be quite the headache. Obvious are the starts akin to Antonio Brown, Brandon Marshall, Matthew Stafford, Jamaal Charles and the game's other bigger names. However, it’s the tougher choices – namely the less obvious starts – that will end up winning your league.

Here are a few names you might want to consider:

Ben Roethlisberger QB Pittsburgh – Big Ben and Antonio Brown have been hooking up like nobody’s business in the first few games of the 2014 season. That should continue in Week 5. This should be another big week for the Pittsburgh tandem as they hit the road to take on Jacksonville – a team that sits on the bottom against the pass. Rookie wide receiver Markus Wheaton has also begun to make his presence known giving Roethlisberger yet another speedy target. Roethlisberger is off to one of the best starts in his career already having 6 touchdown passes and nearly 1,100 passing yards in just four games. Ride with Ben as your QB1 this week and don’t look back.

Justin Forsett RB Baltimore – This week’s matchup at Indianapolis could be a decent one for Forsett. Although Bernard Pierce could be in the picture, Forsett has been the most productive and versatile runningback in Baltimore’s backfield. Last week Forsett averaged over 4.5 yards gaining 66 yards on 14 carries and also scored a touchdown against Carolina and is averaging just under 5 yards per carry in four games so far this year. Coach Harbaugh cannot ignore Forsett’s early season success and should move forward with him as his featured back whether Pierce plays or not. Forsett should get some scoring chances making him a good gamble as a RB2 this week.

Bishop Sankey RB Tennessee – Bishop Sankey is emerging as the clear cut featured runningback as most predicted he would after the first few games. Coach Ken Whisenhunt thought Sankey’s footwork wasn’t quite there a couple weeks ago but much changed a week later and the rookie back is now slated for more carries – and against a bad Cleveland run defense. Riding high after his first career touchdown last week against Indianapolis, Sankey will certainly have his sights on the endzone at home against Cleveland this week. Sankey should be looked at as a solid RB2 for Week 5.

Michael Floyd WR Arizona – It looks like Drew Stanton could be Arizona’s quarterback for the foreseeable future and though that will undoubtedly be a hit to Floyd’s overall value, he should still be a decent contributor when he takes to the road in a matchup against the high-flying Broncos. Stanton might not have Palmer’s accuracy but he does target Floyd enough to make things happen. In Week 3 Floyd got 9 targets and went off for 114 yards against a tough San Francisco defense. Stanton’s security blanket should be a good bet to top the 100-yard mark again this week and is a good bet to nab his first touchdown of the year. Maybe Palmer’s absence will pay off as Stanton probably won’t spread the ball around as much. Start Floyd with confidence as a WR2.  

Roddy White WR Atlanta – White was targeted a whopping 14 times last week against Minnesota but only managed four catches. Still, it was good enough for 73 receiving yards and a touchdown grab. Though the catches don’t indicate it, the targets certainly show Matt Ryan has a renewed faith in his former number one receiver. I fully expect a shootout this week when Atlanta goes to New York to take on the Giants and White should find himself right in the middle of the action. Julio Jones has a funky ankle, which if still affected by game time could make White an even more enticing start. White enters Week 5 as a high end WR2 or low end WR1 – however you want to look at it.

Garrett Graham TE Houston – Garrett Graham was supposed to move into a bigger role with the departure of fellow tightend Owen Daniels. But a back issue has kept him out of the season opener and he hasn’t exactly taken off since his return. Still, Graham has all kinds of potential to shine in Week 5’s matchup against Dallas, a team that has given up the most points to tightends this season. Starting Graham is a stretch in leagues that start one tightend, but not the worst play in the world. In leagues that start two tightends Graham is definitely worth a shot as he should get a handful of catches, decent yards and is always an endzone threat. 

Week 4 was certainly a bumpy ride as one game was postponed and another was nearly canceled as well. But we got through it! Here's the tough part of the season as all of the injuries and player issues pile up - depth at the important positions of running back and wide receiver. Use the next few weeks to build up a roster that can weather the storm that is midseason fantasy football! Listen to the Fantasy Finish Line podcast to stay on top of the latest news and analysis - we broadcast live on YouTube weekly on Wednesdays at 9pm CT.

Guys that jump out to me this week to overperform expectations: Ben Roethsliberger, Devin Singletary, Justin Jefferson, Jonnu Smith, and Cleveland Browns (DST).

Pay attention to these rankings throughout the season, as they will continue to evolve based on the latest injury updates, news, and player analysis. Have any specific lineup questions? Feel free to tweet us @drinkfive with any of your questions or comments!