We’re through the first quarter of the NFL season and things are starting to get tight in the fantasy world. As the temperature falls, the heat rises, and not just in the offices of daily fantasy CEOs. Rosters are a bit thinner now that byes are upon us and your fellow managers have had four weeks to pick through the scraps of the waiver wire.

But while they think they have a firm grasp on where their team is headed, there’s still time to make some moves, especially in the trade market. It’s your chance to strengthen your roster and send the bottom feeders off to their fantasy NBA and NHL teams.

Let’s take a look at a few players on the rise that you should set your sights on and a few coming off of tough weeks that should either be disposed of or snatched up at bottom-of-the-barrel prices.

 

Week 5 Fantasy Football Risers

Blake Bortles – QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Common wisdom says to stay away from anybody under center in Jacksonville, but Blake Bortles has been surprisingly consistent in his second year. Although accuracy is still an issue, head coach Gus Bradley is giving him every opportunity to throw the ball around. Bortles has 116 pass attempts in the last three weeks and has tallied 813 passing yards, 65 rushing yards, five TDs and just one interception. If not for the shoddy work of kicker Jason Myers, the Jaguars would be sitting at 2-2 in a weak division.

Tight end Julius Thomas appears close to making his first appearance, and he should give the Jaguars offense an extra dimension. Bortles will not lead your team to a fantasy title, but with the rash of injuries around the league, he is very capable as a bye week or injury fill-in.

Justin Forsett – RB, Baltimore Ravens

The early season was a struggle, and plenty of fantasy football managers had already benched Forsett and were looking to deal him before he broke out against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. He came into the game with a total of 124 rushing yards, but he ate up 150 yards on 27 carries in the Baltimore Ravens' first victory of the year.

If the Ravens want to keep winning, they’ll need to rely on Forsett, who averaged just under 5.5 yards per carry last season. Although many expected Lorenzo Taliaferro to be breathing down his neck, Forsett was clearly the team’s feature back in Week 4 and should continue that role going forward, especially against the Browns this week.

Pierre Garcon – WR, Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins have fared better than many people expected early in the season, but they are not on solid ground yet. If they want to stay at the top of the NFC East, Kirk Cousins will need to find Pierre Garcon in big spots. Garcon caught the game-winning touchdown for the Redskins on his 24th reception of the season. He won’t put up a ton of yards, which makes him more of a threat in PPR leagues than in standard scoring, but he’s sure-handed and has a great rapport with Cousins.

To top it off, DeSean Jackson is still dealing with his hamstring injury and tight end Jordan Reed suffered another concussion that makes his return uncertain. Washington also appears to have three talented running backs forcing more defenders into the box. With the middle of the field wide open, Garcon will continue to collect his targets and cash in on his opportunities.

Gary Barnidge – TE, Cleveland Browns

Perhaps the most surprising revelation of the year has been the Cleveland Browns' Gary Barnidge. The 30-year old tight end had a career high 13 receptions last year. Through four weeks, he already has 16 catches and has become a preferred target of quarterback Josh McCown. In the last two weeks, he’s caught 12 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

We don’t expect him to keep up those numbers, but it’s clear that he is a big part of what the Browns want to do on offense. With Travis Benjamin streaking down the field, and Duke Johnson catching balls out of the backfield, Barnidge is finding favorable matchups in the middle of the field. The wily veteran has the hands to be a dependable outlet for a Browns team that has excelled in the passing game through the first four weeks of the season.

 

Week 5 Fantasy Football Fallers

Carlos Hyde – RB, San Francisco 49ers

After Week 1, some people were questioning their thoughts about the San Francisco 49ers. Carlos Hyde ran for 168 yards and two touchdowns in a dominant Monday Night victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Since then, the Niners have come crashing back down to Earth. They rank dead last in the league in points scored, including just 10 over the last two weeks, and quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been dreadful.

The 49ers offensive line has done nothing to open up holes for Hyde and opposing pass rushers have shredded them to the tune of 14 sacks. Defenses have nothing to fear from the passing game and have been loading up the box to stop Hyde. Since the opening game, Hyde has averaged just 3.17 yards per carry and 10 receiving yards per game. On the plus side, Hyde’s job is safe with Reggie Bush rookie Mike Davis behind him. RB1 numbers are out the window for Hyde, but he’ll continue to rack up the touches while his value is extremely low.

Jordan Reed – TE, Washington Redskins

It’s not the on-field performance that’s affected Jordan Reed’s stock. Through four weeks he has 24 receptions, 278 yards and a touchdown. However, he left the Washington Redskins Week 4 matchup with a concussion, and it’s far from the first in his career. Reed missed the final seven games of his rookie season with a concussion and admitted afterward that he may have suffered a concussion two weeks prior.

Reed missed twelve games due to various injuries over his first two seasons and on top of a concussion, the Washington tight end is dealing with knee and ankle injuries, too. We all know how talented he is and hope that he’ll have a long and healthy future, but it’s looking more and more like Reed will be a player perpetually on the injury report. With space for tight ends limited on any fantasy roster, it’s going to be hard to keep Reed around.

Darren Sproles – RB, Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles offense was expected to put up huge fantasy numbers in their third season under head coach Chip Kelly. But the team has struggled to a 1-3 record and is averaging less than 20 points per game. Darren Sproles production has taken one of the biggest hits so far. He's totaled just 72 yards from scrimmage over the last three games, and that includes Week 3 when Demarco Murray did not play. Sproles had just 17 yards from scrimmage in Week 4 and was held without a reception for just the fourth time in his last 74 NFL games.

The Eagles rank 30th in the league in rushing yards after finishing 2014 in the top 10. They've clearly missed the dynamic ability of LeSean McCoy, who they traded in the offseason, and have not gotten the production they've expected from offseason acquisitions Murray and quarterback Sam Bradford. While things look bleak for the Eagles, Sproles might just be the answer to their problems. He's great in the open field and was the team's biggest spark in their lone win. In that game against the New York Jets, he scored two touchdowns, including an 89-yard punt return.

DeVante Parker – WR, Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins were many experts' sleeper pick to make a leap into the playoffs, but Ryan Tannehill has failed to take that next step, the team's defense is in disarray and now they have to transition to a new coach as Joe Philbin was fired this week.

Rookie DeVante Parker was expected to be a big part of their push for an AFC East title, but now he's been buried on the depth chart behind several wide receivers, including Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills and Rishard Matthews. Parker has just four catches this season, and did not receive a single target in the team's Week 5 home game in London. The only time Parker's name was mentioned on the television broadcast was when he committed a penalty - one that brought back a late Jarvis Landy touchdown that would have given the Dolphins a chance at a late comeback. The best hope Parker has for a stellar rookie season is earning the trust of interim coach Dan Campbell, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

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