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Working the waiver wire is an important skill for all fantasy team managers, regardless of their team's record. Sure, it may be easier to sit back and relax if your team has been performing at a high level these past several weeks - but that's exactly what you shouldn't be doing. There is always someone who is not performing up to expectations and there are always up and coming players on the wire to bring onto your roster and hope that they will end up being the Victor Cruz or Devonta Freeman of that year. Generally, we recommend not sticking with players week after week who are under-performing and instead picking up one of our waiver wire picks and crossing your fingers. On the other hand, teams that have been performing poorly can catch back up with a great pickup like Charcandrick West or Brandon LaFell. So choose wisely this week as you're browsing the waiver wire and keep our picks in mind. Happy hunting!

 

Quarterbacks

 

Josh McCown, CLE – Wasn’t this guy coaching high school football like 3 years ago before the Bears called? It really should come as no surprise that a journeyman QB like Josh McCown is finding success with the Browns. In any case it doesn’t really matter who it is or what team. The bottom line is that in his last 3 games he has 1154 yards with 6 touchdowns and 1 interception. There are plenty of underperforming quarterbacks with better names out there. You know who they are and if you’re one of them then you should pick up McCown.

 

Jay Cutler, CHI – He makes his second consecutive appearance this week. While his fantasy scores have yet to truly impress his attempts and consistency are important to look at. The Bears continue to battle and Adam Gase seems to be getting the most out of Jay Cutler. His numbers are also being hindered by the fact that he is working with inexperienced WR5’s and 6’s. I really like Jay Cutler’s matchup next week against a dismal Detroit Lions team.

 

Running Backs

 

charcandrick west week 6 waiver wire pickups

 

Charcandrick West/Knile Davis, KC – It’s always a sad day when a top running back goes down. At least for the owner who drafted him it is. This one is a double dose but I am leaning towards Charcandick West as the pick up here. West proved himself and was the backup before Jamaal Charles went down. Knile Davis will no doubt see an increased roll as well. Andy Reid seems to like West more at this time and he should be targeted first.

 

Charles Sims, TB – The second repeat of the week. Charles Sims is still only owned in 19% of leagues. He now has 3 weeks of consistent numbers to go on. He added four more receptions in week 5 for 85 yards. While Doug Martin continues to impress in Tampa Bay I don’t see them changing what’s working. That means Sims remains a high end prospect when it comes to RBBC players as he continues to hit double digit fantasy points three weeks in a row.

 

Wide Receivers

 

Jamison Crowder, WAS – Over the last 3 games Jamison Crowder has 197 yards on 21 receptions. Much of his usage is due to DeSean Jackson and Jordan Reed being sidelined with injuries. That being said in week 5 he caught all 8 of his targets and is developing great report with Kirk Cousins. It would be nice to see him get in the end zone. Again, it’s week 6 and the pickings are getting slim as we focus on less than obvious waiver targets. Jamison Crowder is a good pick up that you can stash when Jackson comes back. Honestly I could see his value stay strong even on Jackson’s return as the field will be spread more.

 

Brandon LaFell, NE – It is that time to consider reaching out for Brandon LaFell. He is still on schedule to return in week 7 or 8. He was the clear number 2 in New England last year as he set personal bests in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The way the Patriots continue to play (cheat) makes LaFell a much anticipated return for fantasy owners.  If you have the room on your bench and can wait a couple of weeks for his return then go ahead and grab him early.

 

Tight Ends

 

Jacob Tamme, ATL – A prime example of week 6 thin pickins. Tamme had a great week last week with Leonard Hankerson exiting the game and Julio Jones nursing an injury. Those injuries are exactly why I like Tamme for one more week at least. It’s a Thursday night game so the Falcons have little time to rest their wounds. The New Orleans defense is also pathetically bad this season.

 

Kickers

 

Robbie Gould, CHI – Chicago has surprised the last two weeks with comeback victories. Robbie Gould is actually the 7th best kicker when you look at fantasy points this season. The Bears have an ability to move the ball, without actually getting in the end zone; A big plus for fantasy kickers. He is also one of the most accurate kickers in the game today. It’s pretty offensive he is only owned in 23% of leagues.

 

Defense/Special Teams

 

Atlanta Falcons – Streaming defenses is a fickle thing. You’re going to have a better idea in your individual leagues depending on who is available. If you are looking for a little advice heading into week 6 then my suggestion is Atlanta. They have New Orleans on Thursday night in week 6. Traditionally Thursday Night Football is underwhelming due to lack of preparation so it’s a plus for defenses. They also have a pretty nice schedule over the next four weeks with New Orleans, Tennessee, Tampa Bay and San Francisco.

Details

TNF: 10/8/15 Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

AARP member Matt Hasselbeck saves the day for the Colts. He teamed up with 34 year old Andre Johnson and hit him for 2 TDs. They tried to give it away but Matt & Andre had taken an extra swig of Geritol and were ready to go. Johnson's 2yd score in the 4th Qtr put them ahead to stay. A. Johnson was released by the Texans in March after 12 seasons with them, he tallied up 6 catches for 77yds & 2 TDs. Hey, it's 25yr old guys who can't do that on a daily basis. Sure it might be he his last year, but he looks like he's going out with a bang. They won 27-20. With 2:08 left in the 2nd Qtr, Nick Novak hit a 36yd FG to finally put the Texan on the score board. The Texans would get the ball one more time in the 2nd QTR with maybe 1 min left.  Hoyer kept moving it down the field, no sooner than I said it, it happened.  Hoyer threw a pretty Hail Mary pass into the end zone with 0 seconds left on the clock and Jaelen Strong caught it.  He was as open as a convict giving testimony to get time off his sentence, LOL.  There were 3-4 Colts around him but they were busy knocking each other around while Strong caught the pass and after the 1pt kick, we had a game 13-10 going into the half. I kept telling Indy that Hoyer was going to throw it. Ryan Mallett wasn't cutting the mustard so they sat him down, early. Oh yeah-Hasselbeck was so ill he couldn’t even speak at meetings Wednesday night, so the injured Andrew Luck spoke for him. Luck was saying that Matt said, "this is your team man, I'm just happy I could help." Yeah right. Luck better be glad Matt is 40 or he would give him a run for the money, just my thoughts. He went to the emergency room on Monday and was discovered to have a really bad bacterial infection. Hasselbeck is 40 and prior to this season, he hadn’t started and won a game in the NFL since 2012. Yet here he is, taking over for Andrew Luck amid a disappointing 0-2 start, leading the Colts to consecutive victories in the division. Same ole story with the Texans, though they tried, they could not win. Mallett, who started for the Texans had the wind knocked out of him on an illegal hit midway through the 2nd Qtr & was replaced by Hoyer. Nuff said about this one. M. Hasselbeck threw for 213yds & 2 TDs. F. Gore had 22 carries for 98yds & 1 TD. T. Hilton, who, 2 years ago that he would be the best receiver to every play in the NFL, had 5 receptions for 88yds. You got a long way to go man. B. Hoyer, threw for 312yds, 2 TDs & 1 int. He received a game ball along with A. Johnson of the Colts for their work today. No rushing yds worth writing, where you at A. Foster? 41yds, that's ridiculous. D. Hopkins had 11 receptions for 169yds. Could you please help out Hilton.

 

MNF: 10/12/15: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. S. D. Chargers.
 
I can't believe the Chargers let this one get away, it was a good game. But the Chargers would bow to the Steelers 24-20 when all was said and done. They seem to have forgotten that Vick is a running QB, he don't sit still unless they tell him to. It was a sweet pass to Le'Veon Bell from Michael Vick for a 1yd, game winning TD as time expired. Vick was having a bad game for the most part but redeemed himself by the time the clock was done, he said, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish." Of course, they had to review it and I'll be darn, they let it stand. I saw a TD but not sure if the refs would agree. They were down by 3pts with the ball inside the 1 with 5 seconds left. Bell said it was the most meaningful TD of his 3yr career. He said he dreamed about "being the one that catches the game winner on the last play of the game." Besides, Tomlin was not putting his kicker out there, he still salty about that last game. Vick also hooked up with Markus Wheaton on a 72yd TD on a stop and go route to tie it at 17 with 7:42 left. The Chargers battery had run down, Lambo, who kicked a 34yder as time expired for a 30-27 win over Cleavland, was short & left on a 60yd attempt just before halftime. Antonio Gates returned from a 4 game PED suspension. He had 2 TDs to contribute. Gates has 101 career TDs, joining Tony Gonzalez (111) as the only tight ends to reach that milestone. Rivers have thrown 74 TD passes to Gates, the most from a QB to a TE in NFL history. Antwone Gates of the Steelers intercepted a River's pass & return it 70yds for a TD. Rivers 3rd pick-six of the season. M. Vick threw for 203yds, 1 TD & 1 interception. L. Bell had a good day at work with 21 carries for 111yds & 1 TD. M. Wheaton had 1 reception for 72yds & 1 TD. P. Rivers threw for 365yds, 2 TDs & 1 interception. M. Gordon had 15 carries for 42yds & 1 fumble. Not worth writing but somebody might want to know. A. Gates had 9 receptions for 92yds & 2 TDs.

 

​NFC NORTH:
 
aaron rodgers week 5 image
 
Green Bay Packers: 5-0
You know what really grinds my gears? The fact that green, is my favorite color and when I wear it, with my green gym shoes & cap, I get these insults like, "hey, you a Packers fan?" I just walk away shaking my head. lol. A girl can't have a favorite color anymore. As far as this pack of green people, they did it again, this time to the Rams, 24-10. Aaron Rodgers remarkable run of mistake-free football at home is over, even though they are the Kings of the NFC North. The defense did their job in this one with 3 sacks & 4 interceptions to hold off the Rams. But Rodger NFL record streak of 587 pass attempts & 49 TD passes at home without  an interception ended in the 1st Qtr on LB James Laurinaitis diving pick of a tipped ball for the Rams. Then he threw another one in the 2nd Qtr before losing a fumble in the 3rd on a sack. Rough day at the office. When the press asked him which one bothered him the most, he said all of them. Nick Foles said of his 4 interceptions, I've got to make better decisions. Here's a tip, learn how to play. You wasn't all that with the Eagles either. You had your wonder season already, it's over. A. Rodgers threw for 241yds, 2 TDs & 2 ints. A. Rodgers had 8 carries for 39yds & 1 fumble. J. Jones had 2 receptions for 77yds & 1 TD. N Foles threw for 141yds, 1 TD & 4 ints. T. Gurley had 30 carries for 159yds & S. Bailey had 3 receptions for 73yds.
 

Minnesota Vikings: 2-2
They did not play in WK 5, so therefore, they did not lose. A. Peterson just proclaimed himself to be the Michael Jordan of football. Get over yourself already.
 

Chicago Bears: 2-3
You made me sooooo very happy, I'm so glad youuuu, won another game. LOL. Yeah, my Bears won their 2nd game, 18-17. So naturally, I'm getting the "they only won by one point" So, what y'all trying to say?  If you ever read my blog, one thing you should have heard a bunch of times is that, "a win is a win." So get off my back people, you can't break me. Now, I'm not going to lie, the Bears had me shaking in my boots, this is definitely one of those games where you don't want to turn your head or you are going to miss something. What it boiled down to was this, Cutler led the Bears to 2 TDs in the closing minutes Sunday. An alert toss to Matt Forte with 18 seconds remaining, putting us in the lead for good. Mind you he dropped the snap, picked it up and look straight down the field and hit Forte in the end zone and there were Chiefs literally grabbing at his fee. After Robbie Gould's 2nd FG got them going, Cutler led an 88yd drive that he capped off with a 22yd pass to Marquess Wilson. The 2pt conversion came up short, but the Bears defense responded by forcing a quick 3 and out. Sadly, the Chiefs paid for this loss in more ways than one.  Star RB Jamaal Charles with a torn ACL & I do believe a torn MCL as well, either way, he is done for the season. It was a freak accident, no hit was involved, he just made this cut and you can see the weird way his knee turned. That's sucks, for anyone. Well, I guess I'll have some wine and check out a few more games, yeahhh meeee. Cutler threw for 252yds & 2 TDs. M. Forte had 18 carries for 71yds & M. Wilson had 6 receptions for 85yds & 1 TD. A. Smith threw for 181yds & 1 TD. J. Charles had 12 carries for 58yds before leaving the game with an injury. J. Maclin had 8 receptions for 85yds.


Detroit Lions: 0-5
Man, I can't even imagine being a Lions fan right now. This has to suck for the fans especially. Lions slain by Cardinals, check out that update. I really don't want to play them, win less teams are the hardest to beat. Ughhhh.

 

NFC SOUTH:
 
Atlanta Falcons: 5-0
Next I'll be losing 25lbs. I mean it when I say, I could guarantee you that nobody saw Atlanta coming out the gate, 5-0. Maybe there is hope for me yet. They stayed in the "y'all can't take us down club" with the 25-19 win over the Redskins, which was really no surprise. Atlanta trailed 16-12 before D. Freeman's 6yd scoring run with 24 seconds remaining in regulation. Redskins kicker, Dustin Hopkins 52yd FG on the final play of regulation forced OT. I see the studying that Robert Alfred did of Kirk Cousins, 3-step drops, paid off in OT.  Alfred returned an interception 59yds for a TD in over time that kept the Falcons undefeated. The Redskins had 1st possession in OT and Cousins moved the team to midfield. On 2nd & 8 from the 50, Ryan Grant slipped while trying to adjust to Cousin's pass. Alford was in perfect position for the pick six and eased on down the sideline for 59yds for the winning TD. He said he trusted his instincts and the film study. Lesson 101 guys, study your opponents. M. Ryan threw for 254yds & 2 ints. D. Freeman had 27 carries for 153yds & 1 TD. J. Freeman is the 1st NFL player with 7 rushing TDs in his first 3 starts. J. Tamme had 8 receptions for 94yds. K. Cousins threw for 219yds, 1 TD & 2 ints. M. Jones had 11 carries for 20yds and 1 TD, which is what even got him a mention, 20yds, really, that's like 1.82 yds per carry. J. Crowder had 8 receptions for 87yds.
 
 
Carolina Panthers: 4-0
They did not play this week, thus they are still undefeated.
 
 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2-3
First they came out with the iPhone, now the Bucs are 2-3, what other miracle will happen next? Well, here it is, they beat the Jaguars, 38-31 and they both put some points up.  If you play a pool, I would always put this match down for only 3pts, you can never be sure how it turns out with these 2. With this win the Bucs end an 11-game home losing streak. The Bucs ran the ball with authority, young QB J. Winston didn't make any costly mistakes and an improving defense did it's part too. Add all that up and it = victory. Winston said, "This was just smash-mouth football. We lined up in two-TE formations, two-RB formations and pounded that football. When you are able to force your will upon somebody else, and you've got a RB that's just getting 4 & 5 yds and then popping one for 20, that's great football." Well, nothing else to say here, he said it all. It was a bad day for B. Bortles, he threw 4 TDs but was sacked 6x, that's going to leave a bruise. He also threw an interception that led to a Bucs TD. The Bucs won for the 1st time at home since beating Buffalo 27-6 on Dec. 8, 2013, one week after Jacksonville last won on the road, 32-28 at Cleveland. J. Winston threw for 209yds & 1 TD. D. Marting had 24 carries for 123yds & 2 TDs. C. Sims had 4 receptions for 85yds. B. Bortles threw for 303yds, 4 TDs & 1 costly interception. No rushing yds worth mentioning. A. Hurns had 5 receptions for 116yds & 1 TD.
 
 
New Orleans: 1-4
Ain't no sunshine when they gone, only darkness everyday. I'm sure that's the saints theme song since Sproles and Graham have both left. And, the buzz is getting louder & louder that Graham is not happy with Seattle. Seattle is also not happy, they said he is not fitting into their system the way they thought he would. They lost to the Eagles 39-17, check that update for the 411.
 
 
NFC EAST:
 
New York Giants: 3-2
Bingooo, Giants win their 3rd straight game. They beat the already broken 49er's 30-27. Larry Donnell's spectacular catch over two 49ers with 21 seconds remaining lifted the N.Y. Giants over the hump and capped off Manning's sensational clutch performance. His perfect throw to Donnell finished off an 82yd drive with a 12yd TD. The two time Super Bowl winner passed for 441yds and became the winningest QB in team history with 102. They now lead the NFC East. S.F. has lost 4 in a row and let this one slip away after an impressive comeback. Carlos Hyde's 2yd run with 1:45 left gave the 49ers the lead. But on a night of huge plays & lengthy drives, Manning and Donnell had the topper. Beckhams speed & moves were too much for the 49ers. He set up the 1st TD by using his elusiveness for a 31yd reception down the middle. His 15yd catch led to a 17yd score on which he neatly spun & sped down the left sideline. The TD was his last reception, he left with a hamstring injury, something that has plagued his short pro career.  He returned only briefly on the winning series. E. Manning threw for 441yds, 3 TDs & 1 int. No rushing yds worth writing about. O. Beckham had 7 receptions for 121yds & 1 TD. C. Kaepernick threw for 262yds & 2 TDs. C. Hyde had 21 carries for 93yds & 1 TD. A. Bolding had 8 receptions for 107yds & 1 TD.
 
 
Dallas Cowboys: 2-3
There's going to be some heartache tonight. This can't be good for the Cowboys ego. They were walking in rhythm last season. Dez gets hurt then the very next week, their fearless leader Romo gets hurt. I'm sorry Cowboy fans, but I think you might have to chalk this season up and regroup for next year.  And Terrell Owens, said Dallas should give him another shot. It's about at that point T.O., hang around the phone for a bit. They just might do that. ​There might be a bright side, Dez Bryant was seen doing some light running as rehab continues. Read about their expected loss to the Patriots, 30-6 in N.E. update.
 
 
Philadelphia Eagles: 2-3
I gotta say, watching the Eagles play is like watching paint dry on a wall, just not the least bit interested in watching either one. But they won so I'll give them their props. They put the Saints away easily 39-17. All those "playmakers" Chip Kelly acquired made plays in the same game. Sam Bradford overcame 2 red-zone interceptions & threw for 333yds & 2 TDs, Ryan Mathews & DeMarco Murray each rushed for TDs and all that team work made for an easy win over the Saints. Fletcher Cox forced 2 fumbles on sacks to help the Eagles snap a 3 game losing streak at home that dated to last season. Drew Brees had 3 turnovers leading to 17pts for the Eagles. The Saints fell to 1-4 a week after an OT win against Dallas. S. Bradford threw for 333yds, 2 TDS & 2 ints. D. Murray had 20 carries for 83yds & 1 TD. J. Huff had 4 receptions for 78yds & 1 TD. D. Brees threw for 335yds, 2 TDs & 1 int. M. Ingram had 12 carries for 57yds & W. Snead had 6 receptions for 141yds.
 
 
Washington Redskins: 2-3
They lost this one in OT to the still undefeated Falcons, read that update for details. I just read that DeSean Jackson suffers injury setback in practice. You have to go read that one for yourself.
 
 
NFC WEST:
 
carson palmer azArizona Cardinal: 4-1
It took exactly 7 days for the Cardinals to get over their surprising loss to the St. Louis Rams. They slayed the king of the jungle, the Lions, 42-17. Palmer threw 3 TDs and Stafford was benched after throwing a 3rd interception. Palmer had a 154.2 passer rating which was the second highest of his career that started when Cincinnati drafted him No. 1 overall in 2003. Palmer was poised & efficient as he threw a 14yd pass to Darren Fells, an 18yd connection to John Brown and a 2yd strike to Larry Fitzgerald for scores. Even though they won, they only have a 2 game lead in the NFC West and Larry Fitzgerald said that no one on the team will be celebrating on the flight home. He said it's far too early. The Lions 0-5 have the dubious distinction of being the NFL's only win less team for a 2nd straight week, and are off to their worst start since becoming the league's only 0-16 team in 2008. Cory Redding who was part of that infamous team 7 years ago said that he hopes the Lions win 1 game. He said he wouldn't wish a 0-16 season on his worst enemy. Stafford will start against the Bears next week. Mannnn, I hate playing teams that haven't won yet, they usually get their 1st win on us, I'm just keeping it real. C. Palmer threw for 161yds & 3 TDs. C. Johnson had 11 carries for 103yds & J. Brown had 4 receptions for 73yds & 1 TD. D. Orlovsky threw for 191yds, 1 TD & 1 int. G. Tate had 8 receps for 74yds & 1 fumble.
 
 
St. Louis Rams: 2-3
The Rams were gobbled up by the green goblins, 24-10. They did break Rodgers "no ints @ Lambeau". Read about that in the Packers update.
 
 
Seattle Seahawks: 2-3
See what happens when the refs cheat for you, your bad karma comes back on you. Y'all know that was a bogus non-call in the Detroit game. So, good for y'all. Oh, they lost to the Bengals, 27-24 in OT. Read Cincinnati's update for details.

 
San Francisco 49ers: 1-4
Where's the love 49er fans, I heard you guys been walking out on your team lately, man up and take the beat downs. Read about their 30-27 loss in the N.Y. Giants update.
 
 
AFC NORTH:
 
Cincinnati Bengals: 5-0
Whoops upside ya head, I said whoops upside ya head. Yeah, the Bengals can pretty much talk all the smack they want to right now. They are flying high, staying undefeated going into WK6. Playing like an elite QB, Dalton led the Bengals from a 17pt deficit to a legacy victory over the Seahawks. Mike Nugent's 42yd FG in OT bounced off the left upright, but went through for a 27-24 win over Seattle. I thought for sure Seattle had this one. Dalton's looks like a totally different QB this season. He didn't look too bad last year, but he is looking great right now. This just wasn't a good come back win, it matched the 2nd biggest comeback in team history and came against the 2 time defending NFC champions, a signature moment for the unbeaten Bengals. Here's the deal, they were trailing 24-7 heading into the 4th Qtr. Dalton threw for a TD, ran for another and led the Bengals on a 69yd drive with no timeouts to get Nugent's 31yd FG on the final play of regulation. Dalton said, "For us to come back against a really, really good team is huge." The 17pt collapse matched the biggest in Seattle history. The Seahawks also blew such games in 2003 against Baltimore and 2004 against St. Louis, losing in overtime as well. Well, they ain't look all that good right about now, lol. That's all I got for this one. A. Dalton threw for 331yds, 2 TDs & 1 int. G. Bernard had 15 carries for 80yds. T. Eifert had 8 receptions for 90yds & 2 TDs. R. Wilson threw for 213yds, 1 TD & 1 int. T. Rawls had 23 carries for 169yds & 1 TD. D. Baldwin had 3 receptions for 70yds.
 
 
Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-2
The road is long, with many a winding turn. Seems like the Steelers going down every one of them, finding a win along the way. They beat the Chargers, 24-20. Read about that in MNF update.
 
 
Cleveland Browns: 2-3
Well, I can't talk about them to bad, my Bears have the same record. After being down 21-9 in the 4th Qtr, they did manage to pull this one out off against the Ravens, 33-30 in OT. Seems to be the theme for WK 5. One thing I can say, you should go and read the FULL recap on this one, it was something. I'll just add my two cents and keep it moving. Josh McCown bucked recent history and put his name in the Cleveland record book with a marvelous performance that went into OT. Travis Coons kicked a 32yd FG, which turns out to be the winner in OT. This was the Ravens 2nd straight OT game and they went 3 and out on their 1st possession. McCown then used more than 7 minutes to move the Browns 51yds before Coons kicked his 4th FG of the game with 6:43 left in OT. Justin Tuck did his part in kicking a 23yd FG with 25 seconds left in regulation to get the Raves an extra session. But, OT belonged to the Browns after a wild 4th Qtr. Cleveland had lost 13 of it's last 14 meetings with their AFC North foes, but the Brown rallied from 12pt deficit to leave the Ravens 1-4 alone in the division cellar. Baltimore has never been 1-4 and this marks the 1st time they lost their first 2 games at home. J. McCown threw for 457yds, that's almost 500, dangggg and 2 TDs. No rushing yds worth mentioning. G. Barnridge had 8 receptions for 139yds & 1 TD. J. Flacco threw for 210yds & 1 TD. J. Forsett had 21 carries for 121yds & 1 TD. K. Aiken had 4 receptions for 78yds.

 
Baltimore Ravens: 1-4
Who knew? I know I didn't, did you?  The Ravens got it bad and that ain't good. Read about the comeback for the Browns to beat them, 33-30, in OT, in that update.
 
 
AFC SOUTH:
 
Indianapolis Colts: 3-2
Read about how the Geritol Boys won this one, 27-20 over the worried Texans. Check out the TNF update. 

 
Tennessee Titans: 1-3
They lost by 1pt. I am sure they would have loved to win by 1pt, see what I mean when I say 1pt does make a difference. Read the details in the Bill update.
 
 
Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-4
Looking better than you did last year at this time. Read about their spanking from the Buccaneers in that update.
 
 
Houston Texans: 1-4
The big ole state of TEXAS must be feeling pretty small right about now. Neither Houston or Dallas is bringing nothing home this season as far as football. Read about their loss to the Colts in the MNF update.
 
 
AFC EAST:
 
New England Patriots: 4-0
Like my dad used to say, "ain't no fun when the rabbit got the gun." Say what you will about the Patriots, all you are doing is fueling the fire. I mean come on, the Cowboys can barely beat the Patriots when everyone is healthy. You got two of your star player out and one left? Come on man, this was like sending a sheep into a lions den, the sheep is done for. So were the Cowboys with the 30-6 loss to the Patriots. To add insult to injury, they whipped them in their new $1.2 billion showplace of a stadium. Brady threw a pair of TD passes in the 2nd half after surviving 5 sacks in the 1st half. The Super Bowl champion Patriots won their 7th straight game going back to the playoffs last year. Brady's sneak to put N.E. ahead for good in the 2nd Qtr was his first rushing TD since Dec., 16, 2012, when he had the last of his career high four that season. The Cowboys lost their 3rd in a row without Romo & Bryant, both out with injuries. They have at least 4 more before the two come back, maybe. Weeden, he has lost his 11th straight game a a starter going back to his time as a 1st found draft pick in Cleveland. The buzz is that he has been replaced this week by Matt Cassel when they come off their bye week. T. Brady threw for 275yds & 2 TDs. L. Blount had 13 carries for 74yds & J. Edelman had 4 receptions for 120yds & 1 TD. B. Weeden thew for 188yds & 1 interception. J. Randle had 15 carries for 60yds. D. McFadden had 9 receptions for 62yds.
 

New York Jets: 3-1
Well now, look whose right on the Patriots heels. The Jets are doing well for the start of the season, wonder how long this is going to last. They had a bye this week so they are home chilling. They have the Redskins Sunday, should make them 4-1.

 
Buffalo Bills: 3-2
The Bills were determined not to lose this one. They beat the Titans 14-13, 1pt. I'm just curious why everyone at work ragging me about our 1pt win. Anyway, the Titans had a 10pt lead and gave it up. They said that QB Tyrod Taylor came through by doing a little bit of everything, even catching a pass. Taylor threw a TD pass and ran for another in rallying the Bills over the Titans, saving the day. Rex Ryan said that "Taylor has the biggest heart, it was tough sledding, but he's got guts, he's got heart. He wasn't playing great but at the end of the day, he's the reason we won the game." Taylor rand for 76yds as the Bills snapped a 5 game skid against Tennessee. The Titans blew a 2nd straight double digit lead at home, this by 10pts. They have lost 2 straight by a total of 3pts. All I can say is, move over Cam, there's a new super man in town. T. Taylor threw for 109yds & 1 TD. T. Taylor had 8 carries for 76yds & 1 TD. C. Hogan had 3 receptions for 52yds & 1 TD. M. Mariota threw for 187yds & 1 int. M. Mariota also had 5 carries for 47yds. No receiving yds worth writing.
 
 
Miami Dolphins: 1-3
Good thing there is a great night life and beautiful beaches in Miami or you guys just would not get over the sucky season the big fish are having. But, the good news, they didn't play Sunday, so they are still 1-3 instead of 1-4. Just my opinion.

 
AFC WEST:
 
Denver Broncos: 5-0,
You guys know I love me some Peyton Manning. But, keeping it real, he is playing OK right now, not the usual I expect to see whenever he takes the field. His crew got his back right now, he is just along for the ride and to throw a few balls. I think he has lost a step and he is giving up way too many interceptions, like the two that Charles Woodson had in this game. He said he has waited 18yrs to pick off one of Manning's passes, he did one better and got 2.  The man that saved the day, Chris Harris Jr., he returned a 4th Qtr interception for 74yds for a TD and the Broncos overcame a shaky day from Manning to Beat the Raiders, 16-10.  Harris said, "You never know who it's going to be, but we've got a team full of play makers on defense, if we got to win on D, we feel we can do it. They've done it so far with 22 sacks, 14 turnovers and 3 defensive TDs as Manning and the offense have struggled for long stretches. Manning has more interceptions, (7) than TD passes (6) through 5 games for the 1st time since his rookie season. He was intercepted twice by 1998 draft classmate Woodson and failed to lead the Broncos to an offensive TD for the 2nd time in 5 games. The Raiders were done in by an interception midway through the 4th Qtr with Oakland in position for a possible go ahead FG. Carr's 3rd down pass over the middle was off target & Harris picked it off like a fresh peach off a tree and returned it for the score & the win. Silencing what had been a loud crowd in Oakland. The Raiders added a late 50yd FG by Sebastian Janikowski but Denver recovered the onside kick to seal it. P. Manning threw for 266yds and 2 ints. No rushing yards worth writing. E. Sanders had 9 receptions for 111yds. D. Carr threw for 249yds, 1 TD & 1 int. No rushing yard worth writing. M. Crabtree had 4 receptions for 54yds, barely worth writing.
 
 
San Diego Chargers: 2-2
I thought for sure the the Chargers would win this one. Good thing I didn't ask anybody to bet. They lost to the Steelers. Check out the MNF update for all details.
 
 
Oakland Raiders: 2-3
They were thisssss close and let it slip away. Read about it in Denver's update.
 
 
Kansas City Chiefs: 1-4
Read about not only the loss of the game to the Bears, 18-17 but also the loss of Jamaal Charles, he's gone for the season. Check out the Bears update.

Details

Welcome back to another week geared towards cashing in on that huge pay day. Last week we had a decent lineup with every position getting into double digits, besides an under performing Greg Olsen (at least he's on bye this week so he doesn't have the chance to screw things up again). Looking ahead to this week we are investing in a QB/TE pairing to come through and playing a bargain basement RB to help us afford the finer things in life.

 

QB  - Alex Smith, KC - $6,900 vs. CHI:  Coming off a career high in yardage against Cincinnati, Smith now gets a home matchup against a weak Bears defense. This game has potential for a high scoring affair, which should add a higher point ceiling to Smith's already consistent floor.

 

RB - Le'Veon Bell, PIT - $9,000 at SD:  This is the dream play of the week. With Roethlisberger still sidelined, Pittsburgh will be utilizing Bell heavily in the run game and with check downs. It doesn't hurt that the Chargers are giving up a league worst 4.9 yards per carry to opposing running backs so far this year.

 

RB - Anthony Dixon, BUF - $4,500 at TEN:  The value is too good to pass up being able to play a starting running back for the minimum price in a decent matchup. Not expecting Boobie to break off huge chunks of yardage, but he will get a high volume of carries as well as all goal line work.

 

WR - Julio Jones, ATL - $9,200 vs. WAS:  Julio didn't get many opportunities in a blow out game against the Texans in week 4 but he gets a nice matchup at home against the Redskins. Look for Atlanta to air the ball out frequently to avoid a Washington run defense giving up the second fewest yards per game this season.

 

WR - Larry Fitzgerald, ARI - $7,400 at DET:  While Fitzgerald didn't find his way into the end zone last week, he still put up 7 catches for 99 yards against a tough Rams defense. He has a much better matchup this week against a Detroit defense giving up almost 300 yards per game to opposing receivers.

 

WR - James Jones, GB - $6,400 vs. STL:  It looks like Davante Adams will be missing another week with his ankle injury, which means Jones will once again provide great value at his low price tag. Possibly a tough matchup in this one, but betting on the Green Bay passing game in Lambeau is never a bad thing.

 

TE - Travis Kelce, KC - $6,500 vs. CHI:  Purely a pairing play to Alex Smith, albeit with one of the top tight ends in the game.  Feels like a thunderstorm is brewing...

 

K - Stephen Gostkowski, NE - $5,000 vs. DAL:  Why not go with the kicker averaging the most fantasy points per game the past 3 years in a row?

 

DEF - Broncos, DEN - $5,000 vs. OAK:  Expecting the Denver defense to capitalize on a few Oakland mistakes and make their way into the end zone this week.

Details

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.

 

 joseph randle sit week 5 2015

 

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.

Details

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! I hope you managed to cash in on the big days of Todd Gurley, TJ Yeldon, Duke Johnson & Karlos Williams in an eventful week 4. Gurley’s breakout came a week earlier than I expected, and Andrew Luck’s absence kept the Jaguars running deep into the game allowing Yeldon to break the century mark. The other two guys I was already high on in last week’s Rookie Report. Unfortunately, Melvin Gordon didn’t carry over the good vibes from that quartet. At WR, Amari found paydirt again, and some less heralded rookies like Willie Snead and Jamison Crowder made a splash as well. Let’s take a look at what we can expect in week 5…

 

Rookies to Start:

 

RB Todd Gurley, STL (Wk. 5: @GB): Wasn’t this guy impressive last week? Facing a really tough run defense, he gashed the Cardinals in a big way in the 2nd half and led the Rams to a huge upset win. Pounding the rock with Gurley will be the formula going forward for the Rams, and the Packers’ run defense isn’t one I’m afraid of. The Packers will likely load up to stop him, and very well could run away with the game, making the run game useless, but I think Gurley is good enough to overcome that. I think the Rams feed him early and often, and they stay in this game en route to an RB1 day for Gurley. He’s ready to be unleashed.

 

tj yeldon wk4Yeldon has 70 carries and 14 targets this season.

RB TJ Yeldon, JAX (Wk. 5: @TB): Yeldon didn’t quite have the coming out party that Gurley did last week, but he did have his best day as a pro and topped the century mark in rush yards for the first time in his career. He has a good chance to make it two in a row, and a solid shot to find the end zone as well. Yeldon is surprisingly 3rd in the NFL in total carries, and also has at least two receptions each game. The Bucs have allowed over 100 rushing yards and at least 1 rushing TD in 3 of their 4 games this year, and with no one around to threaten Yeldon’s workload, he could produce like a borderline RB1 this week.

 

RB Karlos Williams, BUF (Wk. 5: @Ten.): Obviously this hinges on whether or not Karlos can play. He’s still in the concussion protocol, but if he’s able to play, he should probably be in the lineup. His talent is real, Shady McCoy should be out again, and the Titans have allowed 104 RB rush yards per game and 3 rushing scores in the past 2 games. Williams should be a very solid RB2 if he starts.

 

WR Amari Cooper, OAK (Wk. 5: vs. Den.): I’m not nearly as high on Cooper this week as I have been the past couple…the Broncos’ pass defense has been pretty impressive. Let’s face it though, if you have Amari, you’re going to play him. If you want a bright spot, the Broncos did look less than impressive in week 4 against the Vikings WRs. They allowed WRs to put up totals of 25 catches, 246 yards and zero touchdowns in the first 3 weeks combined. The Vikings WRs tallied a 21-249-1 line in week 4. Go ahead and get Amari in there, but know there is some risk.

 

Borderline Rookies:

 

QB Marcus Mariota, TEN (Wk. 5: vs. Buf.): The Bills sound like a daunting matchup on paper with their great d-line and Rex Ryan’s aggressive schemes, but they have been shredded through the air so far. The Bills are allowing the 3rd most QB fantasy points per game so far, and have allowed at least 15 points and multiple TDs to each QB they’ve faced. The guys they’ve faced are pretty good (Brady, Luck, Eli & Tannehill), but this defense shouldn’t be feared as much as you’d think. Mariota has low QB1 upside and is a solid option in 2QB leagues.

 

QB Jameis Winston, TB (Wk. 5: vs. Jax.): This recommendation is for 2 QB leagues, but Jameis could be a decent low end QB2 option this week. The Jaguars have allowed 293.5 yards passing and 1.5 TDs per game, and it’s only a matter of time before Winston starts clicking with Mike Evans. What should make this really interesting is that the turnover-prone QB faces a defense that has just one interception on the year. There is decent upside, and a 250 yard, 2 TD day is within reach.

 

RB Matt Jones, WAS (Wk. 5: @Atl.): It’s hard to get a read on how Jones and Alf are going to split carries, but there is some upside against Atlanta. The Falcons allow a league-worst 26.3 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs, but there is some reason to believe that the biggest beneficiary of the matchup will be Chris Thompson. Thompson is clearly the receiving back in this offense, and Atlanta has allowed 365 receiving yards to RBs and just 318 rushing yards. The good news for Jones…the Falcons have allowed 7 rushing TDs, and Jones has received 9 red zone carries in the last 3 weeks to 6 for Alfred Morris. I love Matt’s chances of finding the end zone this week, but his yardage may be limited. View him as a boom-or-bust flex option.

 

RB Melvin Gordon, SD (Wk. 5 vs. Pit.): Gordon failed to break out in a great matchup last week. It’s hard to see him doing so in a much tougher matchup this week. I’d lean toward sitting him this week, but you might not have any better options. Pittsburgh did struggle to slow down Justin Forsett last Thursday on the short week, but they allowed just 167 total RB rush yards in the first 3 games. The Steelers have 11 days to get ready for Gordon and the Chargers. The sledding could be tough.

 

RB Duke Johnson, CLE (Wk. 5: @Bal.): The matchup gets much tougher for Duke this week. The Ravens did allow 100-yard rusher for the first time since 2013 last week, but the guy who broke the century mark was LeVeon Bell. I’m not ready to put Duke at that level yet. With the way he’s played the last couple weeks, Johnson has earned a bigger role and is worthy of flex consideration. His best area of point production is as a pass catcher though, and Baltimore has allowed just 19 RB receptions through 4 games. Tread carefully with Duke.

 

willie snead wk4In case you aren't getting it, this is Willie Snead.

RB Ameer Abdullah, DET (Wk. 5: vs. Ari.): The Cards have been tough on every RB they’ve faced other than Gurley, and the Lions’ run game has been abysmal. When you add in that he’s ceeding passing game work to Theo Riddick, it’s hard to see a big day for Ameer. He’ll get a decent amount of volume in this one in a game I think the Lions will actually be competitive in, but like Gordon, if you have better options you should probably use them instead.

 

WR Willie Snead, NO (Wk. 5: @Phi.): You may be asking yourself ‘Who is Willie Snead?’ You should already know the answer. While the Saints’ offense has struggled to get going, Snead has quietly made his way up the depth chart, clearly passing Brandon Coleman and now possibly climbing over Marques Colston as well. He’s developing a great rapport with Drew Brees, and this week he faces off with an Eagles’ defense that has allowed at least 25 WR fantasy points to every team they’ve faced except the Dez-less Cowboys. Willie has caught at least 4 passes each of the last 3 games, and put up a season best 6-89 line against Dallas last week. He has a real chance to at least duplicate that against Philly. He’s a reasonable WR3 option this week, especially in PPR.

 

WR Nelson Agholor, PHI (Wk. 5: vs. NO): Agholor made the most impressive play of his young career last Sunday, making a ridiculous one handed catch on a deep ball from Sam Bradford. On the very next play, he fumbled a pitch on a reverse. That’s the kind of season it’s been for Agholor…a frustrating one, but there are reasons for optimism. His playing time hasn’t dipped, and the Eagles finally looked like they were getting the deep passing game figured out in week 4. I’m still scared to start him, but there’s upside for a decent day against a mediocre defense. The more this offense gets rolling, the better things will get for Agholor.

 

Rookies to Sit:

 

RB Thomas Rawls, SEA (Wk. 5: @Cin.): The Seahawks are hopeful that Marshawn Lynch will be back this week, and if he is, you want no part of Rawls. The Bengals’ run defense is no joke with Geno Atkins terrorizing the middle of the line again, and the Seahawks’ run game hasn’t been the same without Max Unger at center and with non-blocker Jimmy Graham at TE. The Bengals are vulnerable to backs catching passes out of the backfield, but it was telling that FB Brandon Coleman was lining up at running back in some passing situations after Fred Jackson went down. I’m not sure Rawls has the skills to take advantage. If he gets the start, I’d expect similar output to what he produced on Monday night.

 

RB David Johnson, ARI (Wk. 5: @Det.): Johnson did factor in again last week with Andre Ellington out another week, but AE is all but certain to return for week 5. DJ should slip to 3rd in the pecking order for touches this week against a defense that has allowed just 9 RB fantasy points in each of their last 2 games. Arians referred to him as the odd man out.

 

WR Ty Montgomery, GB (Wk. 5: vs. StL): Montgomery was very quiet against a very suspect 49ers secondary. The Rams are much better than SF on the back end. Despite getting a bunch of snaps, Montgomery isn’t producing enough to be a viable starting option this week.

 

WR Tyler Lockett, SEA (Wk. 5: @Cin.): It was a good sign that Lockett finally got involved in the passing game a bit more this week, but the Seahawks just haven’t had enough passing game volume to make any of their WRs a weekly start. Lockett remains a standout WR3 if your league awards points for return yards, but for now he’s more of a WR4 or 5 in regular PPR leagues.

 

WR Chris Conley, KC (Wk. 5: vs. Chi.): I considered putting Conley in the ‘sleeper’ section this week, but I’m just not sure there will be enough extra to go around after Charles, Kelce and Maclin get their touches for Conley to have a big day. I’d expect his increased playing time to continue if Albert Wilson is out again, but I doubt it turns into a big fantasy day even in this plus matchup.

 

TE Maxx Williams, BAL (Wk. 5: vs. Cle.): Even if Gillmore is out again, Maxx is still struggling to make an impact. Granted, the Ravens are even more short-handed for pass catchers with Steve Smith out, but I still think Maxx will be hard-pressed to top 50 yards this week. I personally think Gillmore will be able to play, which would hamper Williams’s value even more.

 

Deep League Sleepers and Cheap DFS Options:

 

WR Keith Mumphery, HOU (Wk. 5: vs. Ind.): Mumph appears likely to get the start this week with both Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts already ruled out for Thursday night’s tilt with the Colts. Jaelen Strong was drafted higher than Mumphery, but he was beaten out by the MSU product in training camp. Vontae Davis is questionable for this week, and if he plays, I’d expect a few extra targets to go Mumphery’s way while Davis covers DeAndre Hopkins. Even if Davis is a go, Mumphery still managed to see 7 targets while Hopkins saw 22 last week. Expect a healthy workload for the rookie, and even with Ryan Mallett at QB should have a pretty solid game.

 

WR Dorial Green-Beckham, TEN (Wk. 5: vs. Buf.): Here’s a quick fun note on Dorial…he ruined the NFL’s shot at an arrest-free month on September 30th. The offense? Unpaid parking tickets. He was released after paying the $92 ticket. Arrests aside, DGB is a red zone monster, and the Bills have allowed 7 passing TDs to WRs in just 4 weeks. Green-Beckham is the best bet to get one this week, and coach Ken Whisenhunt has talked about getting him more involved. He’s a great punt option in DFS tournaments this week.

 

WR Jamison Crowder, WAS (Wk. 5: @Atl.): It looks like there is a good chance that DeSean Jackson is out again, and Crowder has really come on in the last two weeks, tallying 13 catches and 110 yards in those contests. The Redskins figure to be throwing plenty once again to keep pace with the high-powered Falcons’ offense, and the likely absence of Jordan Reed should increase Crowder’s targets. He has great upside as a PPR WR3 this week in a plus matchup, and he’ll be dirt cheap in daily leagues.

 

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps decide some of those tough rookie lineup decisions this week. As always, good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It’s just a game.

Details
WK 4 is over and done, but the heartache continues for a lot of fans. Well, to avoid any unnecessary heartache for you Fantasy Football Fans, I'm passing on a little info I heard. Don't bet with Fanduel, they caught employee's rigging stuff for self wins. One guy did it and won $350K. You know the story, if I'm passing it on, he got busted. Supposedly, as a result of this scam, no Fanduel employee's can play. Might be helpful or might not, but had to put it out there for you Fantasy folks. Enjoy WK4 update.
 

TNF: 10/1/15 - Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Ravens won this one 23-20 but they shouldn't have. For the first time, we can honestly blame Scobee the kicker & Coach Tomlin for the Steelers loss of this one.  First he makes a 58yd FG, good for 3.  Then he missed two crucial FGs, that would have put them on top by at least 6 with maybe 5mins left in the 4th.  Well, you know what happens next, the Ravens get the ball, Flacco is pushing it down the field as he does on a regular and yep, they got a FG with maybe 32 seconds left. We got us some OT people. So the Steelers received the first kick off. Didn't score and they were 4th & 2. Tomlin, not feeling his kicker, decided to have Vick run the ball to try & get a first down. Well, everybody knew that was coming and they stopped him short of the 1st down. Even the announcer said it was a bad call, he should have let the kicker go for it. Well, the rest is in the books. Flacco took his team down but only to the pt where their kicker had to try a 52yd FG for the win. Well, he did & they won. Vick was solid in this game. Even the announcers gave him credit, he looked good out there. But it won't be long, Big Ben was chomping at the bits to get back out there. Take it slow man, don't force it, just relax and let it go. The Tweets against the Kicker & Coach Tomlin were unmerciful. So much so that Scobee, Pittsburgh's kicker, deleted his tweeter account. Coach Tomlin, well you know, he don't care what y'all got to say. J. Flacco threw for 189yds, 1 TD & 1 int. J. Forsett had 27 carries for 150yds & K. Aiken had 5 receptions for 77yds & 1 TD. M. Vick threw for 124yds & 1 TD. L. Bell had 22 carries for 129yds & 1 TD. No receiving stats worth writing about.
 
 

​MFN: 10/5/2015 - Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks.
Detroit fought back in this 13-10 loss to the Seahawks. Seattle truly won this one on a bogus NON call. Detroit was about to win this one. One thing rang clear, K.J. Wright intentionally batted the ball out of bounds, which is a clear penalty, except the refs didn't call it. I kept looking at the replay and asking myself, can he do that, just bat the ball out of bounds?  Well, if you are a Seattle player and you are in Seattle and you are about to lose to your home crowd, sure you can, the refs got your back. I checked out several sports shows last night and that should have been a call. I also read that had the Seahawks lost this game, they would only have had a 35% chance of making it to the playoffs this year. With this win, they now have a 60% chance. Something smells fishy around here. The "GURU" of football, Mike Pereira said that The illegal bat is not a reviewable play, but how could you miss the play? It was right there in the refs face. Lions were clearly robbed of this one. C. Johnson said that he doesn't have any excuses, it was his fault. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I side with Detroit on this one. R. Wilson threw for 287yds & 1 TD. No rushing yards worth writing. J. Kearse had 2 receptions for 84yds. M. Stafford threw for 203yds. No rushing yards worth writing. C. Johnson had 7 receptions for 56yds & 1 fumble.


​
NFC NORTH:

 

Green Bay Packers: 4-0
What else is new, GB played, GB won. This time they whopped it on the San Francisco 49'ers. They are now 4-0 with a handful of other teams, this is their first 4-0 start since winning the initial 13 games in 2011. The outcome wasn't a beat down, 17-3. But with this win against the 49ers, it snapped a 4 game losing streak to San Francisco, which included a pair of playoff defeats. Green Bay made just enough plays to win this one, Aaron even had to run 17yds to set up a TD. Randall Cobb had his streak of 7 games with either a TD or 100+ yards receiving snapped today. Watching this game, I thought it would be more. Kap, who had played some of his best games against the Packers, ended up with a 55.4 passer rating. They were eating up Kap like he was rice crispy treats, he was sacked 6x and getting hit by C. Matthews or J. Peppers, ain't no fun, doesn't make for a good Sunday evening at home. Kap threw his 5th interception in 2 games and they have been limited to 28 total points over three games while giving up 107pts. Kap was booed in the 4th Qtr along with rookie punter Bradley Pinion. Don't take it personal Kap, most fans are only real fans when you are winning, period. Except me, I never give up. The 49ers did sack Rodgers 3x, you don't see that too often. A. Rodgers threw for 224yds & 1 TD. E. Lacey had 18 carries for 90yds & J. Jones had 5 receptions for 98yds. C. Kaepernick threw for 160yds & 1 interception. Kap also had 10 carries for 57yds. T. Smith had 2 receptions for 54yds.
 
 
adrian peterson minnesota vikings week 4
 

Minnesota Vikings: 2-2
Yeahhhh, they lost. Denver handled business and put them away, 23-20. On this loss, all Peterson had to say was that he is still the best RB in the NFL and that he feels he could have played in the NFL at 18. Really, I could have been rich had I invested in technology when it first came out.  You don't see my crying or lingering in the past, move on AP. Read Denver's update for the details on this loss.
 

Chicago Bears: 1-3
Just when I thought I was over you, Just when I thought I could stand on my own, you go and win a game for me. Yes, my Bears did it folks, 22-20, beating the Raiders for their 1st win of the season. I don't care if they had beat the Bad News Bears, they won and that's what counts. Of course, Jay put the fear of foreclosure in me when he threw the expected 4th Qtr TD to Charles Woodson. That turned into a FG by Janikowski with a little over 2 mins. left. I was like, nooooo, please don't give this one away. I need to keep my sanity. He didn't, he threw for 2 TDs & redeemed himself following the interception by helping set up a 49yd FG by Gould in the closing seconds. He lead the Bears from their 20 to Oakland's 32 so that Gould could nail the winning FG. The man of the day was Roby Gould. BTW, Gould was named NFC Special Teams Player of the week. Coach Fox, who just got his 1st win as the Bears coach said, "I was really happy to see smiles in  there, I'm really happy for our fans because we haven't exactly lit it up here at home in the first two tries." Let's keep it moving forward now coach. Center W. Montgomery is gone for the season with a broken leg, I saw that one, it was ugly. Slauson moved from left guard to center. Cutler threw for 281yds, 2 TDs & 1 interception. M. Forte had 25 carries for 91yds & 1, not usual, fumble. D. Carr threw for 196yds, 2 TDs & 1 interception. No rushing yards worth mentioning. M. Crabtree had 5 receptions for 80yds.
 
 
Detroit Lions: 0-4
Read about the loss to the Seahawks in the MNF update. They shouldn't have loss. I believe the refs blew the "batted ball" call  for the Seahawks to stay alive for the Season. Busters!!
 
 
NFC SOUTH:
 
Atlanta Falcons: 4-0
If you are on a winning streak, might as well pile up the points on your victims. The Falcons roped the Texans 48-21. With this win, there are mumbles of Atlanta being Super Bowl contenders. It's way to early to start that chatter. All of the undefeated teams are SB contenders. The Falcons do have the best receiver in the game in Julio Jones, that's what I read at least. They also have the NFL's leading scorer in Devonta Freeman, 7 rushing TDs for 42pts, that's a fact jack. They have the league's top red-zone offense (12 of 15 for 80 percent), and a plus-6 turnover ratio (8 takeaway, 2 giveaways), and the season is just getting started. And they say that Matt Ryan hasn't even played his best ball. It all sounds good on paper, but the proof is on the field. Remember too, the Falcons entered the season with the league's weakest schedule based on the combined 2014 winning percentage of their opponents. The still have New Orleans, Titans, Tampa Bay & the 49ers. This is looking good for them, but I still wouldn't say SB contenders just yet. But, will they win the division with the Panthers also 4-0? According to the ESPN's Football Power Index, the Falcons have a 97.1 percent to make the playoffs -- something they haven't done since the 2012 season -- and a 79.3 percent chance to win the division. They did send the Texans home crying like somebody stole their Halloween candy and Ryan Mallett & Brian Hoyer are playing musical bench. Nuff said about this one. M. Ryan threw for 256yds & 1 TD. T. Ward had 19 carries for 72yds & 1 TD. L. Hankerson had 6 receptions for 103yds & 1 TD. You can't forget D. Freeman, he had 14 carries for 68yds & 5 passes for 81yds with 3 TDs. I don't think T. Coleman will get his spot back with the way Freeman is playing. B. Hoyer threw for 232yds & 2 TDs. C. Polk had 3 carries for 27yds & a mention because he had 1 TD. D. Hopkins had 9 receptions for 157yds.
 

Carolina Panthers: 4-0
Panthers easily take down Tampa Bay, 37-23. Instead of rejoicing, the whole team is crying foul. I guess the Falcons are getting more press & media coverage. While they are both 4-0, the Panthers feel undervalued by the media & public. The word on the street & with the media is that the Panthers are the worst of the NFL's 6 remaining undefeated teams. lol, I can see Cam whining about that as I write. It has been said that they have one of the more easier schedules this season, as they have said about the Falcons. Coach Rivera pretty much said, "we don't make the schedule, the schedule says this is who we play and that's what we do." Well let's just check out the stats on this one game. 1st downs, P-17, TB-25, total plays, P-57, TB-75, total yds, P-244, TB-411 and total passing, P-111, TB-270. If you ask me, and I could be wrong.  The Panthers aren't doing anything spectacular, they were out played on paper but paper don't win the game as these stats can prove. Stop whining, and try to keep winning is my advice. They said that David would fall to Goliath, guess who was left standing when the dust cleared. Why would you guys even care? Play ball, quit crying and take it like men. Prove them wrong, even though I agree, I'm just saying.  C. Newton threw for 124yds & 2 TDs. C. Newton had 12 carries for 51yds & 1 fumble. B. Bersin had 4 receptions for 54yds. J. Winston threw for 287yds, 2 TDs & the killer, 4 interceptions. D. Martin had 20 carries for 106yds & 1 TD and V. Jackson had 10 receptions for 147yds & 1 TD. See what I mean, killed the Panthers on paper.

 
 
Tampa Bay Buccanners: 1-3
They lost this one to the Panthers 37-23. Check out the update above for a few details.
 
 
New Orleans Saints: 1-3
These are the boys that should be crying, starting the season 1-3. Instead they pulled themselves up for this game and beat the Cowboys, 26-20. It took OT to win this one and for D. Bree's to throw his 400th career TD pass. He hits C.J. Spiller with a short pass that the RB turned into an 80yd TD on the 2nd play of OT. Dallas safety, Barry Church had the best chance at stopping Spiller with a game saving tackle, but was no match for Spiller's speed. Spiller was signed as a free agent last off season. They would have not needed the OT had first year kicker, Hocker, who had hit from 51yds earlier missed a 30yd game winner. Hocker was nervous, he was filing in for regular punter Tom Morstead who was icing a quad injury. But the Saints won the toss and took the ball first. The rest you know. This gave the Saints their 1st win for the season. Brees is the 5th QB in NFL history to throw 400 TD passes. He did it in 205 games, faster than the other 4. QB for Dallas, Brandon Weeden did come through with a 91yd TD drive to tie the game in the final minutes of regulation, only to lose his 10th straight start overall. Cowboys fear that RB, Lance Dunbar tore his ACL & MCL, talk about bad luck for a team. Jerry Jones said he is NOT looking for a new QB, Romo will be back. D. Brees threw for 359yds & 2 TDs. M. Ingram had 17 carries for 77yds & C. Spiller had 5 receptions for 99yds & 1 TD. B. Weeden threw for 246yds & 1 TD. L. Dunbar had 3 carries for 54yds before a serious injury. B. Butler had 1 reception for 67yds.
 
 
NFC EAST:
 
Dallas Cowboys: 2-2
The Cowboys aren't going to make it this season. They to beat up and broke down. If Romo & Bryant do return, they will be to far down the rabbit hole to make a difference. Read the details in the Saints update.
 
 
N.Y. Giants: 2-2
Awwwhh snap, Giants win their 2nd game of the season. They wrangled the Bills 24-10. Rashad Jennings eluded 3, would be tacklers to score on a 51yd catch & run midway through the 4th Qtr to secure the 24-10 over the Bills. For this week, the reputation for blowing 4th Qtr leads would be put to rest. Beckham said that somebody had to step up and make a play and Jennings made a big one. Manning's final pass was intercepted, ending his streak at 142 attempts from the start of the season. He don't care, as long as they won. The Bills had just made mince meat of the Dolphins a week ago, 41-14 at Miami. In this game though, offense combined for just 77yds & 2 first downs on it's first 9 possessions. Then add on the problem of penalties. The Bills had a total of 17 for 135yds, two weeks after they were penalized 14x for 140yds in their 40-32 loss to New England. That's gotta be one of the main things beating them, you gave up 275yds in two games, smh. These were point costing fouls, one was a 31yd TD take back by a holding call. Add to that a 32yd TD catch was negated when Richie Ingognito & Cordy Glenn were flagged for a chop block. I think they asking for problem with Richie on the team anyway. Rowdy Coach Ryan said,"Can we play a lot smarter? Absolutely. Say what you want, but I'll take a team that will fight." Even if it has nothing to do with the game, just beat the crap out of the other players, but try to get away with it, play smarter, don't get caught.  That's what I just heard in his statement. I heard Beckham was throwing some dirty punches in the game too. They must be talking about the 5 catches for 38yds that upped his total to 1,612yds, the most by an NFL player through 6 games. Orrr, he was just fighting the Bills back. LOL. E. Manning threw for 212yds, 3 TDs & 1 interceptions. R. Jennings had 9 carriers for 38yds & added 2 receptions for 54yds & 1 TD.  T. Taylor threw for 274yds, 1 TD & 1 interception. No rushing yards worth writing and C. Clay had 9 receptions for 111yds.
 
 
Washington Redskins: 2-2
OK, now you know when you have Matthew McConaughey, give you a pep talk, it's all down hill. If he is not talking to himself in a Cadillac, he's trying to persuade a Big Bison Buffalo to move. What happens?  He turns around and leave, not the Buffalo. I would think about that first guys before I take any advice. But they did win, 23-20 over the Eagles. So either the Eagles suck worse than the Redskins or the pep talk worked. While K. Cousins has thrown for more interceptions than TD passes in the NFL, he made this one TD count and had 0 turnovers. He probably still dancing about that. Cousins concluded a 90yd drive with a go ahead, 4yd TD toss to Pierre Garcon with 26 seconds left Sunday, flying the Redskins pass the Eagles. QB for the Eagles, Sam Bradford threw 3, 2nd half TD passes for the Eagles who trailed 13-0 at the half. He started this game with only 3 TD tosses all season and hadn't completed a pass of at least 40 yds until one that went for 45 to Nelson Agholor in the 2nd Qtr. Things may be looking up for Sam. Not so much for their new kicker, Caleb Sturgis who missed an extra point attempt & a 33yd FG try. That's 4 big points in what turned out to be a 3pt, back and forth game. No surprise here, DeMarco Murray has voiced disappointment with the way he's being used by Kelly. I think they meant to say, he is pissed. He was asked if he is getting the ball enough, he said no, I think they meant he said, hell no. He said it's how the plays are being called. With the Eagles he has 29 carries for 47yds (he's only missed one game) after leading the NFL in rushing last season for Dallas. Grass ain't always greener on the other side, is it DeMarco? He said he loves playing with the Eagles, LMAO. K. Cousins threw for 290yds, 1 TD and NO interceptions. A. Morris had 17 carries for 62yds & J. Crowder had 7 receptions for 65yds. S. Bradford threw for 270yds & 3 TDs. No rushing yards worth writing. R. Cooper had 2 receptions for 72yds & 1 TD. What doe's he use on his hair? It's so nice & shiny, I need to know. Just keeping it real people, a good tip is always good.
 
 
Philadelphia Eagles: 1-3
Talk about a bunch that can't get it together. Read about their 23-20 loss to the Redskins in that update. Go ahead, look up.
 
 
NFC WEST:
 
Arizona Cardinals: 3-1
This was a shocker, I was so sure that the Cardinals would stay in the undefeated column for a bit. It was not to be on this day. They got beat by the Rams of all teams, 24-22. Read the details in the Rams update below.
 
 
St. Louis Rams: 2-2
I know they are still saying, I can't believe we beat the Cardinals. They may not admit it, but they are. I watched this game, it was good, but I sat there saying, Arizona got this. Nope, not today. St. Louis scored after Arizona rookie David Johnson fumbled away the opening kickoff, the 1st time the Cardinals have trailed this season and never relinquished the lead. Johnson also dropped a TD pass, but he did had some big plays late in the game. Too late, damage already done. Coach Arians said Johnson played like a rookie today, uhhhh, coach, he is a rookie, just in case you didn't remember. Just 2 weeks ago, Johnson had a 108yd return on the opening kick. But, it's not what you did in previous games, it's what you do each game going forward. The man of the hour was Rookie RB, Todd Gurley, he rushed for all but 2 of his 146yds after halftime and the Rams held on to beat the undefeated Cardinals, 24-22. Bruce Arians said that he is "a heck of a back."  His pro debut was delayed due to a knee injury, he came out today and made up for lost time. On top of that, Nick Foles throws for 3 TDs, two after Arizona turnovers and St. Louis defense held the Cardinals to FGs on 4 of 5 trips inside the red zone. Arians also said that you are not going to win many games kicking FGs in the red zone. The Cardinals scored TDs in 11 of 12 trips to the red zone in their first 3 games, this time they were 1 for 5. It was only the 4th loss in the Cardinals 19 home games under Arians. Palmer lost for the first time in 10 starts. The Rams made their presence known in this game with 4 sacks on Palmer who had only been sacked once in the previous 3 games. St. Louis LB Alec Ogletree broke an ankle in the 1st half and it will require surgery. N. Foles threw for 171yds & 3 TDs, T. Gurley had a super debut with 19 carries for 146yds & T. Austin had 6 receptions for 96yds & 2 TDs. C. Palmer threw for 352yds, 1 TD & 1 interception. C. Johnson had 16 carries for 83yds and my L. Fitzgerald had 7 receptions for 99yds and a rare fumble. 
 

Seattle Seahawks: 2-2
To show you how stupid things can just come out of people's mouth, Mike Bennett said he doesn't like Stafford because he was born in Dallas and they killed JFK. Fool, you wasn't even born back then. Well, I don't like you because you play for Seattle. You and Kam Chancellor, with his leprechaun hat can get lost. Ohhh, sorry, I got carried away. Read about their break from the refs to get this win in from the Lions in the MNF update.
 
 
San Francisco 49'ers: 1-3
Read about their loss to the Packers in that update.
 
 
AFC NORTH:
 
Cincinnati Bengals: 4-0
The Bengals are on the prowl.  They beat the K.C. Chiefs 36-21 to remain unbeaten going into WK 5. Dalton completes his first 10 passes of the game, the defense holds K.C. to 7 FGs and the end result is a 4th straight win. They matched the 3rd best start in franchise history, two wins shy of a club record. Jeremy Hill had 3 TDs as the Bengals got off to a fast start and stayed ahead, never looking back. Dalton has been the glue throughout the wins, ascending to the top of the AFC passer list. He had another on point day, completing 17 of 24 for 321yds with the long TD pass to Brandon Tate during a scramble. Alex Smith, well, to say that today wasn't his day, would be putting it lightly. He was under pressure most of the game and was sacked 5x. The Chiefs have been beaten by P. Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Dalton in the past 3 weeks. In the past two, Rodgers & Dalton went a combined 41 of 59 for 654yds & 6 TDs. Dalton came into the game trailing only Rodgers on the league's passer rating list. It was Dalton's 2nd straight 300yd passing game and the 16yth of his career. They've got the look of a team finally capable of not only reaching the playoffs, but winning once they get there. They better be glad that don't play my Bears this year, we ready too man, lol. A. Dalton threw for 321yds & 1 TD. G. Bernard had 13 carries for 62yds & 1 TD. M. Samu had 4 receptions for 84yds. A. Smith threw for 386yds and no TDs, crazy. J. Charles had 11 carries for 75yds & J. Maclin had 11 receptions for 148yds. The Kicker Cairo Santos kept them from embarrassment by making all 7 of the FGs that were presented to him for 267 total yards, 2 were for 51yds.


Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-2
You will lose a game, when your kicker miss 2 crucial FGs and the Coach loses faith and doesn't give him a 3rd try. Read about their 23-20 loss to the Ravens in the TNF update. Bad call Tomlin.
 

Baltimore Ravens: 1-3
They won it fair and square against the Steelers. Check out the TNF update for details.
 
 
Cleveland Browns: 1-3
They lost, again, against the San Diego chargers 30-27. Read the details in the Chargers update.
 
 
AFC SOUTH:
 
Indianapolis Colts: 2-2
Looks like the Colts are trying to get the steam roller moving. They beat one of the underdogs of the NFL, Jacksonville Jaguars 16-13 but they barely closed this one out. They were playing under the veteran QB Hasselbeck. This must be the "over the hill gang" and they are still going strong. Hasslebeck is 40 & the kicker Adam Vinatieri is 42. Hasselbeck led the Colts on a 53yd drive in OT on Sunday & Vinatieri finished it with a 27yd FG for the victory over the Jaguars. Like they say, nothing substitutes for wisdom and experience which both of these guys have. This is the first week without Luck who is out with a right shoulder injury and the old men pulled out the win, barely, but they did it. This was Matt's first start in nearly 3 years with no interceptions in this game. The Jaguar's, well Blake Bortles did his job, so did T.J. Yeldon & Allen Hurns. Jaguars kicker, Jason Myers blew it. He missed a 53yd wide right with 6 seconds left, then got a do over because the Colts called a timeout. The next one sailed wide right too. His next chance came with 8:13 left in OT, that one sailed wide left. He must be related to the Steelers kicker, Scobbe, I'm just saying. Vinatieri broke Mike Vanderjagt's franchise scoring record with his first FG, a 54yder, then became the first player in NFL history to top 1,000pts with 2 different teams on his 2nd FG. He won it with his 3rd kick. I heard that Luck won't be playing TNF this week and truth be told, me myself would prefer to watch Hasselbeck than Luck, I'm just being truthful. It looks as though Luck's, luck, is turning around with a dependable back up. I'll take Matt over Claussen, any day and any time. I know this is pretty much about the ole timers this time, but they deserve it. This win puts them back on top of the AFC South. It also allowed Indy to tie the NFL record for consecutive wins against one division (15), which was set by the 1972-73 Miami Dolphins. The Colts can break the record this Thursday against the Texans, with or without Luck. You get the gist of the game, so I'm done with this one. If not, get the ESPN app and catch up on all games. M. Hasselbeck threw for 282yds & 1 TD. F. Gore had 17 carries for 53yds & 1 fumble. C. Fleener had 9 receptions for 83yds & 1 TD. B. Bortles threw for 298yds & 1 TD. T. Yeldon had 22 carries for 105yds & A. Hurns ended the day 11 receptions for 116yds & 1 TD.
 

Tennessee Titans: 1-2
The Titans did not play in WK4. At least they are still 1-2. Better than a bunch of team right now.
 

Houston Texans: 1-3
With this 48-21 loss to the Falcons, J.J. needs to concentrate on cheering on his teammates instead of all of the fans on the American Family Insurance commercial. I'm just saying. Read the details in the Falcons update.
 
 
Jacksonville Jaguars: 1-3
Well, considering the start of last season, they are doing great. They did lose to the Colts, 16-13, checkout that update.
 
 
AFC EAST:
 
New England Patriots: 3-0
The Patriots did not play in WK4. However, I was reading that they have a 4.4% probability of going undefeated. Yeah, I agree but the question is, can they do it without cheating? LOL, sorry, had to put that out there. 
 

N.Y. Jets: 3-1
The Jets easily carved up the Dolphins for bait to the tune of 27-14. They piled up yards, good & bad and won in the end. They gained 425yds of total offense, including a career high 166 for RB Chris Ivory. They went all the way to London to kick their butts. But, as much as the offensive yards helped, it was the 163yds given up on 14 penalties that kept the Dolphins in the game. Probably should have been a real beat down instead of a warning of a beat down. Fitzpatrick got it going with a 58yd pass to Brandon on the teams first play from scrimmage. Who might I add, is fitting in quite well, I miss you man. Ivory then ran 12yds & scored from the 3 on the next 2 plays, he and the ball would be as one on this day. This ended with Ivory having his 9th career 100yd game. The offense line shut down Dolphins tackler Suh all day long. Suh is the highest paid defensive player in league history, had only 3 tackles with the 1st one coming in the 3rd Qtr. Kinda like Jay, get paid big, singing easy money everyday. Both teams have byes next week, which is the usual for teams playing in London. This is Miami's 3rd straight loss.  They both return to the filed on Oct., 18th. Dolphins vs. Tennessee & the Jets vs. the Redskins. I'm going to call it right now. Dolphins over the Titans by 10+ and the Jets over the Redskins by 20+. I do know this. The Dolphins must win if they have any chances on making something respectable of this season. The Jets need to stop the penalties, against a better team, they would have lost this one for sure. Keep your hands to yourselves guys. R. Fitzpatrick threw for 218yds, 1 TD & 1 interception. C. Ivory had 29 carries for 166yds & 1 TD. My guy, B. Marshall had 7 receptions for 128yds. As of the end of WK4, Marshall has a total of 400 receiving yds, 3 TDs & 1 fumble. Just my personal stats. R. Tannehill threw for  198yds, 2 TDs & 2 ints he ain't no Marino. No rushing yards worth mentioning. K. Stills had 5 receptions for 81yds & 1 TD.
 

Buffalo Bills: 2-2
The Bills bowed to the Giants in this 24-10 loss. Check out the Giants update.
 
 
Miami Dolphins: 1-3
Lot's of chatter going around about the big fish. Things like, will Tannehill remain Dolphins franchise QB after coaching change? Also, word is that Philbin told the practice squad players to go easy on Tannehill. I told y'all, he's an OK QB. But I have to say it again, comparing him to Dan Marion is just laughable. Philbin said he wasn't worried about his job, then got fired like 1/2 day later. I think I mentioned this in last update, but wanted to be sure. BTW, they lost again to the Jets, read that update for details.
 
 
AFC WEST:​
 
Denver Broncos: 4-0
The Broncos barely slid past the Vikings, 23-20 to stay perfect for the season. They played it close. Peyton was picked off 2x and the Vikings turned those pics into 10pts. Ronnie Hillman had a 75yd TD run, it was the longest TD run by a Broncos RB in 15yrs. This was his 3rd career 100yd game. He said that he and C.J. Anderson got tired of people telling them they can't run the ball. He said they had 3 bad weeks, but do believe they got it going now. A. Peterson did get a 48yd TD run on 4th & inches to pull Minnesota to 20-17 with 10 minutes left. Von Miller said that they came into this game knowing the Peterson was going to make plays. He was just glad it was just that one play. Free safety, Harrison Smith's interception, 2 plays later set up Blair Walsh's tying FG from 33yds with 5:11 left. Next, Manning drove the Broncos 55yds in 9 plays & Kicker McManus made a 39yd FG with 1:51 left to break the tie and it would be the game winner. They let Teddy have it, 7x to be exact. I know he was like, what the hell is going on?  I can't get up long enough before I'm put back down, smh. Manning joined Brett Favre as the only QBs to win 100 home starts in the NFL. Manning has now led his teams to a 4-0 start 7x, most in NFL history. Next up is my guy, Fran Tarkenton with 4. P. Manning threw for 213yds, 1 TD & 2 interceptions. R. Hillman had 11 carries for 103yds & 1 TD. D. Thomas had 9 receptions for 93yds. T. Bridgewater threw for 259yds & 1 TD. A. Peterson had 16 carries for 81yds & 1 TD. s. Diggs had 6 receptions for 87yds.
 
 
Oakland Raiders: 2-2
They lost to my Bears, what did y'all expect, lol. Read my Bears update for details.

 
San Diego Chargers: 2-2
Trying to pile em up weekly, the Chargers added another win against the Cleveland browns, 30-27. Check out this twist of fate. Lambo pushed a 39yds FG attempt wide right with 2 seconds left and the Cleveland sideline erupted and jumped up & down, thinking they'd forced OT. Slow down Browns, it ain't over yet. Cleveland's Tramon Williams was whistled for offside, giving Lambo another shot. He sent a 34yder through the uprights, his 3rd of the game. The Chargers break a 2gm losing streak and the Browns are left in disbelief. The winning kick preserved another great game by Rivers. Rivers threw TD passes of 28yds to Keenan Allen in the 1st qtr, 19yds to Ladarius Green for the go ahead score in the 3rd qtr and a 1yder to John Phillips in the 4th. The Browns had tied it at 27 on J. McCown's 1yd pass to Gary Barnidge with 2:09 to pay and a 2pt conversion pass to Taylor Gabriel. That score was set up when the Browns won a challenge of McCown's 19yd pass to Barnidge that originally was ruled incomplete.  McCown said it so truly, "You come home with a loss, it doesn't reflect the effort that was put into that game." He was sacked 4x in this losing effort. Now, it's over. P. Rivers threw for 358yds & 3 TDs. D. Woodhead had 8 carries for 54yds & d. Inman had 3 receptions for 68yds. J. McCown threw for 355yds & 2 TDs, he did his job. I. Crowell had 12 carries for 63yds & D. Johnson had 9 receptions for 85yds & 1 TD.
 

Kansas City Chiefs: 1-3
It was another rough day all around for the Chiefs. Read the details on their 36-21 loss to the Bengals.

Details

We’re a quarter of the way through the season. Now is the time that off-season questions are answered and we have an idea of what we can expect from this season. Which teams will be at the top of the league, which teams will be at the top of the draft board next year and what teams will be comfortably in the middle?

 

Don’t worry though – this is the NFL! Nothing is really predictable! (As proven by some of last week’s outcomes).

 

Week 5 – HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!

 

(HOME TEAM IN ALL CAPS)

 

14 – GREEN BAY over St. Louis – Yes, the Rams did spoil our top line game last week, but this is in Lambeau. Different story. Aaron Rodgers won’t let what happened to the Cardinals last week happen in his house.

 

13 – ATLANTA over Washington – The Falcons seem to be turning things around. After a couple years of mediocrity at best, the Falcons look prime to make run to return to the playoffs. This week’s BOLD PREDICTION is that THE FALCONS WILL WIN THE NFC SOUTH.

 

12 – NEW YORK GIANTS over San Francisco – The Giants are taking advantage of the depleted Cowboys. Look for them to make a statement against the struggling Niners.

 

11 – KANSAS CITY over Chicago – The Bears showed some signs of life last week. That should be short-lived with a trip to Arrowhead.

 

10 – BALTIMORE over Cleveland – Baltimore lucked into their first win of the season in Pittsburgh last week. Lucky for them they get a visit from the lowly Browns. The Ravens should be able to enjoy their first legit win this week.

 

9 – PHILADELPHIA over New Orleans – Well this would have been a great game in the off-season! Now, the Eagles are at home so that gives them the edge.

 

8 – Buffalo over TENNESSEE – After years of waiting, this week 5 win 15 years later will finally accept the Music City Miracle! Right?

 

7 – SAN DIEGO over Pittsburgh – The week ends with an intriguing Monday night game. If Roethlisberger was playing, then the Steelers win this game. Unfortunately, Michael Vick showed that he is not the quarterback that the Pittsburgh offense needs.

 

6 – CINCINNATI over Seattle – Game of the week by far! This has an outside chance of being this year’s Super Bowl matchup! Lucky for the Bengals this one will be played at home.

 

5 – New England over DALLAS – This was billed as the Eastern Illinois Bowl in the pre-season with a potential Tony Romo vs Jimmy Garoppolo battle. Instead we get the opposite Tom Brady vs Brandon Weeden. Sorry Cowboys, you’re struggles without Dez and Romo continue this week.

 

4 – Denver over OAKLAND – Pump the brakes on the Raiders. They showed last week that they still aren’t there yet. Though the last time I said that they won at home against Baltimore. Hope is the only reason that this game isn’t higher on our list.

 

3 – Arizona over DETROIT – The Cardinals losing at home to the Rams may be the most surprising outcome of the year. I can see them looking to take some aggression out on the seemingly confused Lions.

 

2 – TAMPA BAY over Jacksonville –The state of Florida has three NFL teams…and not an ounce of entertaining football.

 

1 – HOUSTON over Indianapolis – It took overtime for the Colts to beat the Jaguars…at home. If Luck still isn’t 100%, it’s hard to see the Colts win this game.

Details

Injury Updates:

 

Andrew Luck, QB, IND - partial shoulder separation may miss another game on a short week (Thursday vs. HOU)

 

LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF – hamstring injury aggravatated, 3-4 more weeks possible. Backup Karlos Williams suffered a concussion, Anthony Dixon may split carries with newly signed ex-Colts RB Dan Herron if Williams can’t go.

 

Lance Dunbar, RB, DAL – knee injury, out for season. This solidifies Darren McFadden as the Cowboys’ 3rd down back and means that newcomer Christine Michael will start getting carries, but Joseph Randle looks to remain the lead back at this time.

 

Marshawn Lynch, RB, SEA – hamstring.. rumors of a grade 1 or 2 tear but nothing has been officially announced. Fred Jackson has a high-ankle sprain and will likely be gone for a few weeks. In the meantime Thomas Rawls will monopolize carries if Lynch can’t get back on the field – Seattle is not carrying any other RBs.

 

Nate Washington & Cecil Shorts, WR, HOU – Both have been somewhat productive this season so far across from DeAndre Hopkins, though the Houston offense is very inconsistent on a week-to-week basis. We’ll likely see rookie Jaelen Strong take the field at this point but he is only a consideration in deep leagues due to the Texans’ QB woes.

 

Stevie Johnson, WR, SD – hamstring injury, has had the same thing in the past – may sideline him for a game or more so keep an eye out!

 

Jordan Reed, TE, WAS – Reed was playing well but it was only a matter of time before an injury caught up with him. Not only did he suffer a concussion in the game against the Eagles, but he also sprained his knee and his ankle. Yikes.

 

(Listen to the Fantasy Football Podcast: 10/6/15, Week 5 Preview)

 

Player Trends:

 

Blake Bortles, QB, JAC – After a disappointing week 1 against the Panthers stout defense (putting up 22/40 for 183 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT), Bortles has thrown 5 TDs with only 1 INT over the last 3 games (21.62, 17.28 and 19.02 points per game, respectively). He’s currently the #10 QB in overall fantasy points and we’re now entering into the bye weeks. Only 18% owned in Yahoo leagues currently, Bortles will likely be snatched off many a waiver wire to be played in weeks 5 and 6 against Tampa Bay and Houston (allowing 15.5 and 18.5 points per game, respectively. Plus, he gets Julius Thomas back shortly. Last year, Bortles finished as the 24th highest scoring QB in standard leagues – can he keep up his current production to stay within the top 15 this year? Will Bortles finally lead Jacksonville to at least 6 wins in a season for the first time since 2010?

 

sam bradford player trending week 5 2015

 

Sam Bradford, QB, PHI – Bradford hadn’t played in an NFL regular season game since 2013, but hopes were high this year for a landmark season out of the Eagles and a lot of that comes from the QB. So far this year he is only the 19th highest scoring QB in standard leagues even though some experts had him as high as 7th to start the season. Bradford has been trending down since week 1, having scored 15.44, 9.86 and then 8.52 fantasy points over the first 3 weeks, but his performance in week 4 against the Redskins was a bright spot, registering 270 yards and 3 TDs with no interceptions. Facing a hapless Saints’ passing defense giving up the 2nd most fantasy points to quarterbacks so far in 2015, is this the beginning of a resurgence for the Eagles’ offense and Bradford’s fantasy hopes in general? He is owned in 63% of Yahoo leagues, and so likely not available, but looks to be a great spot start (at the very least) in weeks 5 and 6 against the Saints and the Giants.

 

Todd Gurley, RB, STL – Gurley didn’t play in an NFL game until week 3 against the Steelers, but he was really only getting his feet wet in that game, mixing in for a few touches only. In Week 4, Gurley broke out in a big way with 19 rushes for 146 yards and 2 catches for 15 yards. He didn’t hit pay dirt, but it’s looking like Gurley could definitely be a workhorse for this offense and a weekly mention among the top RBs. The Cardinals have a fairly stingy rushing defense, so this was a good test for Gurley. As the season progresses, the Rams play quite a few soft rushing defenses including Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago and Green Bay. Will Gurley continue to run all over them as was foretold by so many after the draft this year? Could he end up being a top 10 RB when the dust clears?

 

C.J. Anderson, RB, DEN – Anderson has only scored 17.4 points total so far this season, which basically makes him a big, red, neon sign flashing the words, ‘DISAPPOINTMENT’. Some of this can be attributed to the injury issues that Anderson had in the first few weeks, but the fact that the Broncos have looked more and more towards Ronnie Hillman in clutch game situations tells the story. No TDs on the year and no games with more than 50 rushing yards are certainly leading fantasy team managers that have played Anderson each week to frustration. Does C.J. get his groove back? Will Ronnie Hillman take the reins of the Broncos’ rushing offense, or will they just continue with the current RBBC that is shaping up in Denver?

 

Allen Hurns, WR, JAC – Hurns is currently sitting as the 21st highest WR this year with a total of 41.40 fantasy points in standard leagues. He started off slow (so did Bortles), but has since scored 6.8, 13 and 17.6 fantasy points in his last 3 games, respectively. Against the Colts this past weekend, Hurns had 15 targets and brought down 11 receptions for 116 yards and 1 TD. He goes on to play the Bucs this week who have given up the 10th most fantasy points to WRs. Is there enough room for several receivers on the Jacksonville offense? Maybe. Hurns is trending up but he does have to face the Bills and the Jets in his next two matchups. Regardless, he is an excellent spot start this coming week with 4 teams on bye. He is only 21% owned. *included in week 5 waiver picks

 

Marvin Jones, WR, CIN – There has been a lot of talk about Jones over the past few years. The Bengals have been clicking on offense this season, but there are a lot of mouths to feed: A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert and Mohamed Sanu are also soaking up targets, not to mention Giovani Bernard. We thought that Marvin Jones was settling in as the WR2 this year, but it looks like Eifert has usurped that role, leaving Jones as a boom or bust play on a weekly basis. His next game is against Seattle, who boasts a top passing defense, so it’s likely that Jones will not be a play in week 5 except in desperation. What do you do with a guy like Marvin Jones? Drop him? Keep him on your bench for a good matchup and roll the dice? His last 4 games have resulted in scores of 1.9, 11.1, 15.4 and 1, respectively.

 

Gary Barnidge, TE, CLE – Who is this guy? Seriously, I had barely heard the name ‘Barnidge’ until this week 2, when he exploded onto the scene with 6 receptions for 105 yards and 1 TD. His past 4 games have resulted in scores of 3.8, 1.7, 16.5 and 13.5 and he has scored TDs in the last two while averaging 8 targets per game. Will this 30-year-old tight end continue to act as a security blanket for Josh McCown and a redzone threat? Week 5’s matchup has him going against the Ravens who have somehow only allowed 8 receptions for 31 yards to all tight ends that they have played. Would it be crazy to play Barnidge against the Ravens knowing this information? *included in week 5 waiver picks

Details

We're at the quarter point of the fantasy football season, assuming (and let's do just that) you will make the championship. It's what we're all here for, anyways. This week, Carolina, Miami, New York (Jets) and Minnesota are on bye, so at least you get Gronk back, but you might lose AP. And if you do have both of those guys on the same team, then you're probably doing just fine.

 

Andy Dalton has been on fire all year, scoring the second most points among all QB's. Make sure to keep him in your lineup, despite his ECR of 15. Giovani Bernard is still getting more touches per game than Jeremy Hill, so while he may be making his way out of the doghouse, Bernard is still a solid every week RB2/Flex play. Arian Foster's premier was less than inspiring, so while you want to dial him up Thursday night, do it as a flex play and not RB1/2. The QB situation in Houston is just too bad to rely on their defense heavily.

 

Martavis Bryant returns to the Steelers lineup, and despite missing big Ben, he should still fill in just fine as a WR3. Brandin Cooks is a guy who you might want to stay away from, as Willie Snead seems to be Brees's new favorite target. Make sure to check out the waiver picks for Week 5 to keep your team from accumulating too much dead weight!

 

 

Details

Grab’em while they’re hot! Week 5 is getting ready to start and the waiver wire continues to bear fruit. Bye weeks are in full swing this weekend too with Carolina, Miami, Minnesota and the New York Jets all off. My recommendation is to dig deep this week. The season is really starting to take shape and waiver wire gold tends to get slim in the middle of the season.

 

Quarterbacks

 

Jay Cutler, CHI – The Bears are not staging a comeback or anything this year but fantasy value can still be found on losing teams. Jay Cutler came back last week and had his best game of the season despite his bum hamstring. The Andrew Luck and Drew Brees injuries should be a wake-up call to all owners. Stashing a good streaming QB on your bench is valuable and Jay Cutler has yet to really hit his full stride this season. Playmaker Alshon Jeffery should be returning soon too giving him another dynamic player to target. He is only owned in 25% of leagues.

 

Brian Hoyer, HOU – Houston plays on Thursday and that might be the only reason Brian Hoyer doesn’t replace Ryan Mallett in week 5. Mallett is too inexperienced and immature to handle his poor play and benching properly so I do expect Hoyer to win back the starting position soon. Houston isn’t setting any offensive records but Hoyer does have DeAndre Hopkins to target. Plus, we haven’t really seen the full impact of Arian Foster returning. Foster should open up the field a bit more and Hopkins continues to play very well despite his QB handicap. Hoyer is wide open and only owned in 1% of leagues. He must have a lot of family playing fantasy football.

 

Running Backs

 

Duke Johnson Jr., CLE – We knew Duke Johnson Jr. was going to find his way onto the field this season. Though he remains the backup - for now - the Browns have found a way to use him effectively. In his last 2 games Johnson has 15 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. He’ll continue to get some touches too, but his impact in the passing game is obviously a big plus for a guy only owned in 31% of leagues.

 

charles sims waiver wire week 5 2015

 

Charles Sims, TB – The RBBC approach is starting to take on a bit of a new look this season. Players like Lance Dunbar, Duke Johnson Jr. and now Charles Sims are finding success through the air when they sub in. Sims has 10 receptions for 108 yards and 2 touchdowns. His value is further increased based on the fact that he is the third down back for Doug Martin. I will point out too that I like him in DFS lineups, especially as a FLEX. He is only owned 11% of leagues.

 

Wide Receiver

 

Allen Hurns, JAX – The waiver wire gold is few and far between this late into the season, but I believe Allen Hurns has just that type of value as a WR3. He has made the most of his opportunities early, racking up 13 catches for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hurns narrowly missed making my waiver picks last week and quite honestly I am disappointed in myself. He is still only owned in 19% of leagues. That won’t last long after putting up two consecutive weeks of WR3 numbers.

 

Willie Snead, NO – A new name that should make his way onto everyone’s radar is Willie Snead. He has overtaken Brandon Coleman as the 3rd wide out in New Orleans. The amount of playtime he is seeing gives him good enough upside to make my picks this week. He also plays in the Saints pass happy offensive system. For now he is a streaming option with high upside. I predict his ceiling will continue to rise as the season moves on. He is only owned in 3% of leagues.

 

Leonard Hankerson, ATL – Atlanta is rejuvenated under new Head Coach Dan Quinn; especially on the offensive side of the ball. Julio Jones was predicted to dominate, and he has, but Roddy White was a question heading into this season because of his age. Enter Leonard Hankerson to offer the Falcons another option in the passing game. Through the first 4 weeks he has been boom or bust, but is seeing a good number of targets for a guy only owned in 19% of leagues. Whether or not he gains more consistency is still up in the air, but don’t pass up on the number 2 wideout in a top 5 passing yards per game offense.

 

Tight Ends

 

Gary Barnidge, CLE – After the two weeks the 30 year old Gary Barnidge has had I would be an idiot not to recommend picking him up. He has 12 catches in his last two games for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. The tight end position continues to be a popular streaming position as the talent pool has large gaps between tiers. Injuries are another issue with the TE position; see Jordan Reed (SHOCKER). Barnidge is a bright spot on an otherwise dismal Browns team. His is only taken in 9% of leagues.

 

antonio gates week 5 waiver wire 2015

 

Antonio Gates, SD – Injuries are starting to mount up for the San Diego offense with Stevie Johnson exiting in week 4 and Malcom Floyd going through concussion protocol. That is why it surprises me that Antonio Gates is still only owned in 54% of fantasy leagues right now. Gates is finally back after serving his 4 game suspension and will no doubt make an immediate impact. Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates have long been a great fantasy marriage. The injuries only boost his ceiling in his week 5 return.

 

Kickers

 

Cairo Santos, KC – Kansas City’s losing streak continued in week 4 but Cairo Santos had a hell of a game. Most kickers are lucky to see half the number of field goals Santos made last week. His 7 field goals were good for 27 fantasy points. Streaming kickers is popular because, well, they’re kickers. Kansas City plays Chicago next week and it’s a favorable matchup for Jamaal Charles. That said, Alex Smith handicaps drives and an improved Bears defense should be good enough to keep the Chiefs out of the end zone.

 

Robbie Gould, CHI – The only game in which Robbie Gould has yet to put up favorable kicker numbers is the Seattle game where Chicago was shut out. He has 41 points on the season despite that, and is one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL. Jay Cutler is back and Matt Forte hasn’t been traded yet so I like the Bears ability to move the ball against Kansas City next week. Gould is owned in 18% of leagues which is just ridiculous considering his history and the numbers he has put up this season.

 

Defense/Special Teams

 

New York Giants – If you are heading into week 5 and find yourself in need of a defense then the New York Giants offer a good matchup option. There are two huge advantages to their week 5 matchup. One, San Francisco is traveling across the country. Two, and most important, San Francisco is the worst offense in the league led by an increasing disappointing Colin Kaepernick and coached by an increasingly greasy Jim Tomsula. Coach and Quarterback aside, you can’t ignore the numbers. The Giants have yet to put up big numbers as a D/ST this season, but they are 3 of 4 on the season in maintaining double digit fantasy points.

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