Fantasy aside, the fifth week of NFL action featured some entertaining match-ups that should make us all appreciate the game of football in general. I say that as both a real-life football fan and as someone who got absolutely destroyed in almost every fantasy league this week. Nevertheless, this isn’t all about me so let’s move right along into Sunday's slate.

The biggest news to come out of Week 5 has to be the injury to Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles. The preliminary report is that Charles suffered a torn ACL after going down with the dreaded non-contact injury against the Bears. If that report holds true, it would be the second torn ACL of his career and a massive blow for the Chiefs. It’s tough to project or envision a scenario where he’s ever the same player again following a second tear at this stage of his career, even at the age of 28.

As far as the Chiefs ground game is concerned, it’s still unclear which running back will carry the load with Charles sidelined. Knile Davis has been the automatic fill-in for the past few seasons but un-drafted second-year player Charcandrick West has been getting more significant touches in 2015 thus far. Both running backs will be worth an add and should be viewed as the top waiver claims of the week. Even with that in mind, unless the Chiefs come out and declare which guy is the new starter before this Sunday, it’ll be hard to trust either one as anything more than an RB2. Once one back emerges as the lead dog, however, we’re looking at a top 10 or 12 fantasy running back given the talent and usage. It’s just going to take a week to figure out which back is worth relying on. Either way, you should make a claim for both guys and hope you net the right one.

 

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans

The struggling Andrew Luck missed his second game with a shoulder injury on Thursday night, allowing for backup Matt Hasselbeck to toss two touchdowns to…sigh…Andre Johnson. Just when everyone had abandoned ship on Johnson he goes off for 77 yards and two scores. Still, I think this is a case of game flow and Andre facing his former team so he’s still not worth anything more than a bench stash at this point. The other Colt who put up a big game here was running back Frank Gore. Gore had been running well thus far this year but was having trouble hanging on to the football, particularly near the goal line. If he can secure the ball, he’s a lock to finish within the top-12 at the position so take this as a sign of things to come for him.

Arian Foster played his second game of the season here, finishing with 118 total yards on 19 carries and nine receptions. Foster should be locked in as an RB1 now that he’s fully healthy so you should expect his usage and production to steadily increase as the season progresses. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins continued to be a target monster in this game, ending up with 11 receptions for 169 yards. It certainly helped that both Cecil Shorts and Nate Washington missed this game but either way, Hopkins is a stud of a receiver this year. Foster and Hopkins are the only two Texans you can start with any confidence so there really isn’t much else to see on the Houston side of the ball.

 

Chicago Bears @ Kansas City Chiefs

In a game that I’m sure knocked out tons of people in their survivor pools, the Chicago Bears pulled out a last second victory over Kansas City despite being completely depleted offensively. Both Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal missed this game, leaving Jay Cutler with Marquess Wilson and Josh Bellamy as his primary options at wide receiver. Wilson was the primary beneficiary with 85 yards and a touchdown. Although Wilson picked up the slack with Jeffery and Royal out, he’s going to take a backseat once they’re fully healthy. Until then, he’s worth a stash if you’re struggling at wide receiver. Running back Matt Forte continues to rack up yards on the ground. Forte had 18 rushes for 71 with five receptions for 38 and a score through the air. He’s going to continue to be the most overlooked top-10 fantasy running back of the year so ideally you were able to scoop him up at great value in your draft this year.

Aside from the aforementioned injured Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs were able to move the ball somewhat effectively through the air. Jeremy Maclin had 85 yards while De’Anthony Thomas pulled in his first career touchdown reception. It’ll be interesting to see if the Chiefs decide to open things up in the offense now that their star running back is out but even if they do, you won’t be able to trust any pass-catcher not named Maclin or Travis Kelce. It’s just hard to trust quarterback Alex Smith as someone who can get the ball to multiple receivers with any sort of consistency.

 

Seattle Seahawks @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals came all the way back from 17-down to win on an overtime field goal here but perhaps the bigger story is the production of Andy Dalton and Jeremy Hill. In the case of Dalton, he continues to put up great numbers as a fantasy quarterback, ending with 331 yards and two touchdowns despite throwing an interception. I don’t think you can rely on him as an every week starter, especially if you drafted more consistent options but for those of you who are struggling without Ben Roethlisberger or Tony Romo, Dalton is worth using at this point. He’s obviously very A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert dependent so I’d be concerned if anything were to happen to either of those two players.

As for Jeremy Hill, I guess I should have said “lack of production.” Now I’m actually worried that this is going to be too much of a timeshare with Giovanni Bernard to warrant Hill’s projected status as a top-10 running back. Sadly, I think it’s time to lower Hill down to the 15-or-so range at the position. As someone who owns Hill on a team with running back depth, I’m going to look to move him for some depth at wide receiver. Other than that, I think he’s still worth hanging onto given how much this team prefers to lean on it’s ground game.

Thomas Rawls had a huge game filling in for running back Marshawn Lynch here, ending with 169 yards and a touchdown. This was a great bounce back game for Rawls as he struggled to get anything going last week against the Lions. It’s unclear whether or not Lynch will be fully healthy in time for next week’s matchup against the Carolina Panthers but if he were to miss another game, Rawls has to be locked in as a high-end RB2 even with the tough matchup.

Seattle continues to spread the ball around significantly at wide receiver and is back to under utilizing tight end Jimmy Graham. I had said before that Graham is now below fellow tight ends Greg Olsen and Travis Kelce for the rest of the year but that might actually be too low at this point. I’m sure there’s going to be another game where Graham explodes but there have been far too many now where he’s just out there to block. I don’t know what Seattle was thinking bringing in the second most talented tight end in the league just to run-block. It is what it is at this point; you’re going to have to deal with Graham’s subdued production and hope he gets some redzone targets.

 

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens

Our second overtime matchup of the weekend featured two AFC North foes in a game in which Josh McCown of all people broke a Cleveland franchise record for most passing yards in a game. That’s a nice little milestone for McCown’s career which has absolutely zero fantasy impact whatsoever. I suppose this Gary Barnidge thing is legit though. McCown keeps looking for the tight end and Barnidge managed to reel in an insane touchdown reception that needs to be seen to be believed. If you’re really struggling at the TE position, Barnidge might be worth using although I’d poke around for a more reliable name. In the backfield, Duke Johnson not only started over Isaiah Crowell but out touched him as well. Crowell might have been the one who got the touchdown reception but I think Johnson’s usage is a sign of things to come in this Cleveland offense. Johnson is viewed as an every down type of back so he’s the guy I’d rather own and start going forward.

Speaking of running backs, Baltimore’s Justin Forsett left this game with an ankle injury and did not return. There hasn’t really been a significant update on him yet so we’ll have to wait and see how this injury progresses before making any significant moves. If he were to miss any time, Lorenzo Taliaferro and Buck Allen would have to carry the load although it’s unclear which guy would get the first crack at the gig. Taliaferro has been hobbled by injuries thus far and Allen hasn’t really been productive even in his limited usage. I’d likely avoid this situation entirely until one guy emerges while Forsett is sidelined.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It would appear that the Jacksonville Jaguars are no longer the dumpster fire of an offense we’ve grown accustomed to. For several weeks now both Allen Hurns and Alan Robinson have been usable wide receivers in an offense that throws the ball with decent enough consistency. Hurns in particular has been a big surprise this year, ending with his fifth game in a row of at least 60 yards. He had 116 and a touchdown in this game while Robinson went for 72 yards and two scores of his own. This is a team that is going to continue to throw the ball and both Hurns and Robinson should be viewed as reliable WR3/flex options for the rest of the year.

On the Tampa Bay side of the ball, Doug Martin exploded for 155 total yards and three touchdowns, sparking the debate about whether or not he’s truly “back” this season. If it weren’t for some tough matchups coming up on the schedule, I’d be more inclined to buy into this as a long-term bounce back. But with games against tougher-than-you-think run defenses in Atlanta and against the Giants, we should all temper our expectations on Douggie for the foreseeable future. Having said that, running back has been so brutal this year that I do think you can still rely on him as an RB2 it’s just that I don’t think we’re looking at a return to his numbers from his rookie year. He’ll be serviceable any given week, especially with how bad the rest of the position has been. The Buccaneers struggled to get any sort of consistency through the air so it’s best to chalk this up as a lost game for both Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson.

 

St. Louis Rams @ Green Bay Packers

If you were waiting to buy into the Todd Gurley hype, it’s a bit too late now. Gurley had another monster game here with 159 yards on 30 carries but didn’t manage to find the endzone. Touchdown or no touchdown, Gurley is looking like a lock to finish within the top 10 or 12 at running back and could easily be the fantasy MVP by year’s end as far as draft value is concerned. In fact, he already has more fantasy points than fellow rookie running back Melvin Gordon. Not only is he already a stud of an NFL player but he’s also the only Ram you can start with any confidence other than the defense. I know Tavon Austin had another touchdown in this game but he also only had two receptions for six yards. This offense is going to live and die by Todd Gurley’s knee so it’s best to maintain that same philosophy in fantasy.

What is there to say about the Green Bay Packers that you don’t already know? Aaron Rodgers might have had his interception streak broken but the team still managed to put up 24 points with Rodgers tossing two touchdowns. The scores went to Ty Montgomery and James Jones, yielding a sub-par performance out of Randall Cobb. Eddie Lacy had a down game here as well but you’re not allowed to complain if you own any Packers. Take your dud performance and be happy when each player goes off.

 

Buffalo Bills @ Tennessee Titans

This game was UGLY with a capital U.G.L.Y. The Buffalo backfield was a mess with both Boobie Dixon and Dan Herron struggling to get anything going. Even the team’s third stringer, Cierre Wood, ended up leaving this game with an injury. In fact, the team’s leading rusher in this game was actually quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Until either Karlos Williams or LeSean McCoy come back, you have to bench these other guys if you can afford to. Passing wise it was a shame to see tight end Charles Clay struggle here but I still believe in him as a low-end TE1 for the rest of the season.

I’m struggling to find anything of fantasy relevance on the Titans side of the ball so it’s probably best to make this quick. Marcus Mariota had a rough outing here yet he’s shown us that he’s good enough for a bye week fill-in as well as a suitable replacement for Big Ben and Romo. I wouldn’t bail on him just yet, especially with a dysfunctional Miami Dolphins team on deck. As far as the ground game is concerned, Antonio Andrews fell into the endzone for a touchdown here but he had seven rushes for nine yards otherwise. If that’s the kind of production you want out of your fantasy running back, be my guest. I’ll be looking elsewhere for my starters.

 

Washington Redskins @ Atlanta Falcons

Our third overtime matchup of the day featured a 4-0 Falcons team that many expected to go full “This is Sparta!” against Washington. The Redskins managed to hang tough in Atlanta but didn’t exactly provide us with substantial fantasy production. That said, the biggest takeaway on offense for the Redskins was that running back Matt Jones went back to out touching Alfred Morris and managed to finally get into the endzone. This tells me that head coach Jay Gruden still has faith in Jones despite his fumbling issues so I’d expect this timeshare to continue to lean in his favor going forward.

Julio Jones salvaged his rough fantasy outing by recovering a fumble in the endzone for a touchdown. It was really surprising to see Atlanta struggle through the air although with Julio and Hankerson both nursing injuries, the team really had no choice but to continue to rely on running back Devonta Freeman. Freeman had another huge game here of 153 yards and a score, rendering Tevin Coleman useless in his return. Like I said before, I can’t possibly imagine Atlanta turning back to Coleman as the starter now that Freeman is producing so Coleman is actually more of a handcuff at this point. Lastly, you can safely ignore the production of tight end Jacob Tamme. With Julio and Hankerson both hobbled in this game, Matt Ryan had to throw to someone so Tamme picked up the slack. Nothing more than a one week blip on the radar. Tough game for Matty Ice owners in general though; better days are ahead.

 

New Orleans Saints @ Philadelphia Eagles

Brandin Cooks finally had a big game for the Saints here with 107 yards and a touchdown but it was Willie Snead who led the team in receptions and yards with six for 141. As much as the Cooks breakout was reassuring for his season long outlook, I still don’t think the Saints offense is consistent enough to rely on him as the stud we expected him to be. And with this unexpected emergence from Snead, it’s clear New Orleans wants to utilize more weapons than initially thought. Cooks should be viewed as a low-end WR2 in PPR while Snead is approaching week-to-week WR3/flex status. I’d like to see one more decent game out of Snead before I consider him a must start but he’s slowly creeping up there. C.J. Spiller had a brutal game out of the backfield here so I think it’s time to forget about his upside even in a PPR format and just leave him on your bench until your starting running backs are on bye.

Speaking of spreading the ball around, the Philadelphia Eagles continue to throw like crazy without getting Jordan Matthews involved consistently. Matthews only had five receptions for 44 yards while a whopping eight other players reeled in passes. The Eagles might be winning games now by putting up points in bunches but no one seems to be reliable on an every week basis. DeMarco Murray finally had a big game here with 120 total yards and a score while Ryan Mathews had 73 yards and a touchdown of his own. Again, even when Philly is productive, the fantasy points seem to be sporadic. If you own an Eagle you’re likely going to have to continue to trot them out there and hope they funnel their fantasy prowess your way. Any Eagle can go off at any given time, it’s just tough to view them as consistent contributors at this point.

 

Arizona Cardinals @ Detroit Lions

Earlier I had mentioned that the Jaguars are no longer the dumpster fire of old and it looks like that moniker has simply been traded to the Detroit Lions. The Lions struggled in every facet of this game against the Cardinals, leading the team to pull Matthew Stafford in the second half. Detroit came out and said that Stafford is still their guy and with a backup like Dan Orlovsky, that’s the way it should stay. Stafford has been brutal though so I’m definitely worried about Calvin Johnson and this offense as a whole. Ameer Abdullah fumbling out of the backfield certainly didn’t help matters either. Obviously you can’t bench Calvin freakin’ Johnson so you’re stuck with what you got at this point but what you can do is bench every Detroit running back until further notice. The team is simply too bad to rely on this backfield so why bother giving yourself that aggravation if you can help it?

On the Arizona side of things Carson Palmer continues to be a stud of a fantasy quarterback this year, throwing for three touchdowns on just 14 passing attempts. Those scores went to John Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, and tight end Darren Fells, showing once again that this team can keep multiple players involved at once. Usually a team that spreads the ball around makes me hesitant to rely on them week-to-week but teams like the Cardinals are the exception to the rule. When you have five different players scoring touchdowns, anyone with fantasy relevance is worth starting. Those other two players who found the endzone were running backs Andre Ellington and David Johnson. Chris Johnson might have been the one who did all the legwork of 103 rushing yards but it was the other two backs who received the touchdowns. Again, start your Cardinals if you got ‘em as virtually every key player can contribute in fantasy.

 

Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders

The Denver Broncos continue to squeak out victories as they improved to 5-0 against an improved Oakland Raiders team. Even in a victory, every single Denver Bronco not named Emmanuel Sanders disappointed in this game. Sanders finished with nine receptions for 111 yards while Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas, Owen Daniels, C.J. Anderson, and Ronnie Hillman all struggled at their respective positions. This timeshare of Anderson and Hillman is basically one you need to avoid entirely at this point. Outside of Hillman’s big 72-yard run last week, neither guy seems poised to take control of the starting gig with any sort of meaningful production. You can safely bench both guys until that happens. Peyton Manning continues to be inconsistent at his old age but there really isn’t anything you can do about it.

Oakland struggled on offense here so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that both Latavius Murray and Amari Cooper were disappointing. That said, both players are still top-15 at their position so hopefully the rest of your team performed well enough to net you a win despite their struggles this week. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree had a down game as well but he too can be usable given the right circumstances. He should be owned in all leagues, just be careful when you decide to start him as far as match-ups go.

 

New England Patriots @ Dallas Cowboys

This was another big game for the New England Patriots but is anyone really surprised at this point? Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are clearly out to shove it down the NFL’s throats after the whole deflategate debacle so every single relevant offensive player is going to have fantasy value. If you own a Patriot, you’re starting him, and that’s really all there is to it. The ground game is going to continue to be split between Dion Lewis and LeGarrette Blount with Lewis reeling in the bulk of the receptions. Again, both guys have value so they’re worth an every week start.

The Dallas Cowboys were held to just six points in a game that saw Darren McFadden as the most interesting name in terms of fantasy. Sure, Joseph Randle received the lion’s share of the carries but it was McFadden who stepped up into the Lance Dunbar role in terms of receptions. I think this usage is legit so look for McFadden to be a key contributor in PPR formats. The problem with him has always been a combination of health and being unable to be productive in between the tackles so as long as he can stay on the field, he should have value when the Cowboys are able to get him the ball in space. Other than that, there really isn’t much else to report from this game. Jason Witten had a bad game here but he’ll be fine long term. No other pass-catcher is worth starting on Dallas.

 

San Francisco 49ers @ New York Giants

Sunday night’s matchup almost netted us a fourth overtime game but Eli Manning and Larry Donnell must have had late night dinner plans. The Giants threw the ball a whopping 54 times in this game, reemphasizing the idea that this ground attack isn’t to be trusted. Still, running back Shane Vereen had a huge game here with eight receptions and a touchdown so he’s clearly the back you want to own and start in a PPR format. Donnell might have reeled the game winning touchdown reception but it was Odell Beckham Jr. who racked up 121 yards and a score of his own, proving his worth as a top-five fantasy wide receiver. He did exit this game with a hamstring injury for quite a while but did ultimately return. Hopefully this isn’t something that lingers and he’s able to suit up next week at full strength. Between Beckham and the emergence of Shane Vereen, it’s starting to look like Eli can be the top-10 fantasy quarterback many people (including myself) predicted he would be this year.

It was looking like another bleak outing for the 49ers before Colin Kaepernick and Carlos Hyde were able to turn it up later in the game. Kaepernick managed to have a solid outing here of 262 yards and two touchdowns but he’s still not worth anything more than a bye week fill-in. He’s too inconsistent on a team that isn’t very good so if you’re lucky enough to start him this week, congratulations, you can now put him back on your bench before he struggles again. Carlos Hyde had his best outing since his week one breakout and that’s about what you’re going to have to expect out of him going forward. He’s a mid-range RB2 who can put up solid numbers while also struggling in other match-ups. Like I said, the 49ers just aren’t a very good team anymore so Hyde’s Week 1 explosion likely isn’t repeatable on a week-to-week basis.

 

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