Week Five Aftermath

As usual, week five provided us with some great performances and bitter disappointments. Let’s get right to it as we spin around the league in the week five aftermath.

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Week Four Fantasy MVP

There were a lot of tremendous performances, but let’s focus on Brandon Lloyd for a moment. After never fulfilling his potential in San Francisco, Chicago, or Washington, his emergence is one of the most unbelievable stories in fantasy football.

Most wide receivers blossom in the third season, not their ninth. Lloyd has become the exception to the rule as he’s posted 30 catches, 589 yards, and three touchdowns already this season. His five catches, 135 yards, and two touchdowns against Baltimore (yes, Baltimore!) seal the deal as this week’s fantasy MVP.

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Week Four Fantasy LVP

Arian Foster killed some fantasy owners this week. After rolling through the first month of the season, Foster only produced 27 total yards with no scores against New York.

Look for a bounceback performance this week against the Chiefs.

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Lineup Fun

You probably won if your lineup looked like this…

QB Philip Rivers = 431 passing yards, 14 rushing yards, two total touchdowns
RB Matt Forte = 166 rushing yards, 22 receiving yards, two total touchdowns
RB Ray Rice = 133 rushing yards, 26 receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB Chris Johnson = 131 rushing yards, 1 receiving yard, two touchdowns
WR Malcom Floyd = 8 catches, 213 yards, one touchdown
WR Brandon Lloyd = 5 catches, 135 yards, two touchdowns
WR Hakeem Nicks = 12 catches, 130 yards, two touchdowns
TE Marcedes Lewis = 4 catches, 54 yards, two touchdowns

You probably lost if your lineup looked like this…

QB Matt Schaub = 196 passing yards, no touchdowns, one interception
RB Arian Foster = 25 rushing yards, 2 receiving yards
RB Marion Barber = 19 rushing yards
RB Thomas Jones = 19 rushing yards
WR Chad Ochocinco = 3 catches, 20 receiving yards
WR Greg Jennings = 2 catches, 22 receiving yards
WR DeSean Jackson = 2 catches, 24 receiving yards, 8 rushing yards
TE Dustin Keller = 2 catches, 14 yards

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Gut Checks

I’d be worried if…

I’m reliant on players from the Bengals. Carson Palmer isn’t getting any better and Chad Ochocinco has dropped four straight clunkers after a great week one.

Greg Jennings is my No. 1 wide receiver. The Packers are apparently attempting to get him the ball more, but his season has been a total disaster thus far.

I’m expecting Marion Barber to break out. The Cowboys running game has left a lot to be desired and Barber’s 144 yards in four games aren’t winning anybody a championship.

I think the addition of Randy Moss will solve everything in Minnesota. The Vikings will play the Cowboys in a must-win game for both teams next week. If things go South for Minnesota, this could spiral quickly for Brett Favre.

I’m counting on Beanie Wells for anything. The Cardinals are going to face teams poised to stop the run and challenge Max Hall to beat them. Wells isn’t scaring anyone at the moment.

I expected Austin Collie to remain fantasy’s No. 1 wide receiver. While Collie is still an excellent play, the Colts have too many weapons to expect his numbers to stay where they have been, especially with Garcon coming back from injury.

I’m relying on any Bears wide receiver. While Jay Cutler’s imminent return will help, this team is simply way too unpredictable to rely on.

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A Look Back at our Waiver Suggestions for Week Five

1. Mike Bell, RB, PHI = Four carries, 8 yards (McCoy played)
2. Tiquan Underwood, WR, JAX = No catches
3. Max Hall, QB, ARI = 168 passing yards, one interception
4. Derrick Ward, RB, HOU = one carry, one yard, one touchdown
5. Steve Johnson, WR, BUF = Five catches, 46 yards, two touchdowns
6. Brandon Stokley, WR, SEA = BYE
7. Travis Beckhum, TE, NYG = One catch, 8 yards
8. Ben Watson, TE, CLE = Five catches, 45 yards
9. Javon Ringer, RB, TEN = Four carries, five yards, one catch, nine yards
10. James Anderson, LB, CAR = Eight total tackles, 1/2 sack

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A Look Back at our Sneaky Plays for Week Five

Five we hit on:

1. Shaun Hill = 227 passing yards, three touchdowns
2. Michael Bush = 104 rushing yards, one touchdown
3. Kenny Britt = four catches, 86 yards, one touchdown
4. Jermaine Gresham = Four catches, 24 yards, one touchdown
5. Ryan Fitzpatrick = 220 yards, three touchdowns

Five we missed on:

1. Fred Jackson = 73 rushing yards, -7 receiving yards (we just wanted more)
2. Mike Bell = Four carries, 8 yards
3. David Gettis = Three catches, 32 yards (that sadly led the team)
4. Matt Cassel = 156 passing yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions
5. Tim Hightower = Four carries, six yards

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A Look Ahead to Hot Names on the Week Six Waiver Wire

1. Matt Flynn QB GB

This is likely a straight dynasty league pickup since it looks like Rodgers will play this week, but Flynn could be the next Matt Schaub-like dynasty league backup. Dynasty league owners should take note. If he plays and plays well, it may be too late to stash him.

2. Jason Campbell QB OAK

Campbell played very well on Sunday and would start if Gradkowski misses time with that shoulder injury.

3. Deji Karim RB JAX

He’s likely already on a dynasty league roster, but redraft owners should take note. After an impressive performance on Sunday, he’ll push Rashad Jennings to be a very valuable handcuff to MJD owners.

4. TJ Houshmandzadeh WR BAL

While his season will undoubtedly go down as one of his worst, he is starting to integrate himself into the offense a little more.

5. Mike Hart RB IND

Hart played well with Addai sidelined. If Brown and Addai can’t go this week, Hart would be the pickup of the week for sure.

6. Danny Amendola WR STL

He’s likely already on a dynasty league roster, but he’s only owned in about 12% of redraft leagues. His seventeen targets combined with a season-ending Mark Clayton injury make him roster worthy in all formats.

7. Mardy Gilyard WR STL

Gilyard hasn’t been incredibly impressive thus far, but Clayton’s injury opens the door for him as well.

8. Caleb Hanie QB CHI

This is a straight dynasty league recommendation. Hanie has moved past Todd Collins to be the backup to Jay Cutler. He’s someone to keep an eye on at least.

9. David Carr QB SF

He was one more mistake away from playing.

10. Tyler Thigpen QB MIA

This is another shot in the dark, but Chad Henne hasn’t played well so far and patience in Miami is starting to grow a little thin. If you have a deep roster, you could do worse on a late round flyer.

11. Ben Patrick TE ARI

Patrick had five catches last week and is establishing himself as an important safety valve for Max Hall.

12. Damian Williams WR TEN

Williams has been slow to get started, but he looked pretty good last week with two catches for 30 yards.

Keep in mind the names found on this list are added to ones from previous weeks. That’s why you don’t see someone like Anthony Armstrong (we listed him three weeks ago). For the prior week’s picks, check out the links below:

Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five

Good luck this week!