Week Five Aftermath
When reports surfaced early Sunday morning that Ben Roethlisberger was limping around badly and looking relatively gimpy in pre-game warmups, many owners hit the panic button and went to their secondary option.
Oops.
Roethlisberger’s five touchdown performance in week five showed us once again that you just never know in fantasy football. That was just one of week five’s highlights, so let’s rewind in the week five aftermath.
Week Five Fantasy MVP
Adrian Peterson could seemingly win this every week, but scoring three touchdowns by 10:35 PDT let quite a few owners get out and start raking leaves instead of watching their teams get slaughtered any longer by Peterson.
Week One Fantasy LVP
We’ve likely seen the last of Kyle Orton for a while. His putrid first half that featured 34 passing yards and one interception saw him get benched in favor Tim Tebow. Things have gone south awfully fast for Orton and it’s quite possible we’ve seen the last of him until 2012.
Lineup Fun
You probably won if your lineup looked like this…
QB Ben Roethlisberger PITÂ Â = 228 passing yards, five touchdowns, one INT
RB Adrian Peterson MINÂ Â = 122 rushing yards, three touchdowns
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis NEÂ Â = 136 rushing yards, 13 receiving yards, two touchdowns
RB Fred Jackson BUFÂ Â = 111 rushing yards, six catches, 85 receiving yards, one touchdown
WR Dwayne Bowe KCÂ = Seven catches, 128 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Pierre Garcon INDÂ = Five catches, 125 receiving yards, two touchdowns
WR Victor Cruz NYGÂ = Eight catches, 161 receiving yards, one touchdown
TE Vernon Davis SFÂ Â = Three catches, 39 receiving yards, two touchdowns
You probably lost if your lineup looked like this…
QB Kyle Orton DENÂ = 34 passing yards, one INT
RB Joseph Addai INDÂ Â = 19 rushing yards
RB Stevan Ridley NEÂ Â = 13 rushing yards
RB Cedric Benson CINÂ Â = 53 rushing yards
WR Vincent Jackson SDÂ = Four catches, 38 receiving yards
WR Mike Williams TBÂ = Four catches, 28 receiving yards, one lost fumble
WR Steve Johnson BUFÂ = Four catches, 29 receiving yards
TE Marcedes Lewis = One catch, six receiving yards
Gut Checks
I’d be worried if…
I own Josh Freeman or Mike Williams in my dynasty league. The Bucs just look awful and it seems like each of these two have taken a major step back in their development.
I have Kyle Orton in my dynasty league. He’s not going to see the field again now that Tebow has taken over. It’s tough to see him being relevant ever again in fantasy leagues. He won’t find much on the free agent market this Summer.
I expect immediate dividends from Denarius Moore. While his long-term future looks bright, he hasn’t been a big part of the offense for a bit now.
I’m expecting Stevan Ridley to take over for BGE any time soon. While it looked likely last week, Green-Ellis put up a monster performance to throw some water on the rookie’s progression up the depth chart.
I have Mario Manningham. He’s being outplayed by Victor Cruz in a big way. It’s hard to see him re-emerging to be the player many thought he’d be this season.
I expect a resurgence from Brandon Lloyd with Tim Tebow at the helm. Â Umm, no.
I’m hoping for a breakout from Marcedes Lewis. The fear many owners had all along was that last was a fluke – even with the quarterback trouble in Jacksonville, he isn’t doing much to prove those owners wrong.
I expect a repeat performance of this week from Hines Ward. He’s an afterthought in the Steeler offense, so sell now if you can find a buyer.
I’m hoping for Michael Crabtree to emerge. Â It’s becoming more and more apparent that he’s another SF wideout bust.
I’m banking on Thomas Jones to re-capture some of his old magic yet again. He looks old and worn out at this point. When Jackie Battle makes you look bad, that’s saying something.
I’m looking for some bye week production from Derrick Mason. Mason is one of the most underrating fantasy wide receivers of all time, but he’s fading quickly even with the move to Houston.
I think Knowshon Moreno is going to re-capture some of his value. Willis McGahee actually looks pretty spry and one thing Willis will do is run hard – not exactly what Moreno is known for, eh?
I’m going to get WR1 numbers from Marques Colston this year. Jimmy Graham has taken over as option number one in New Orleans and it doesn’t look like he’s going away any time soon.
I expect any form of consistency from LeGarrette Blount. Injuries aside, he’s only going to have good games when the Bucs are winning. Â It really is that easy.
A Look Ahead to Hot Names on the Week Six Waiver Wire
Remember, we focus on some of the lesser names here in addition to some of the obvious.
1. Jackie Battle, RB KC
He was one of DLF’s favorite sleepers when he was in Dallas five years ago. While his career has been very quiet thus far, it does look like he’ll get a decent chance in Kansas City.
2. Brady Quinn, QB DEN
Sneaky, I know. Just figure the Broncos are NOT going back to Kyle Orton. If you’re not a Tebow believer, Quinn could make a decent stash.
3. Earnest Graham, RB TB
Don’t forget, he was a major player a few years ago.
4. Donald Brown, RB IND
If Addai is hurt, Brown will get a chance with Delone Carter to carry the load. This could be his one final chance to prove his worth. While the odds are stacked against him, it’s worth a shot.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
