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Under-the-Radar Booms/Busts - Week 5

Craig Rondinone looks at some fantasy football lineup sleepers and busts for Week 5 of the NFL season. Under-the-radar booms and busts for fantasy football.

Let the booming and busting begin!

Thursday night’s New England-Tampa Bay contest already had a couple under-the-radar booms (Doug Martin, Cameron Brate) and an under-the-radar bust (Dwayne Allen couldn’t catch a pass with Rob Gronkowski sidelined?). This trend will continue into Sunday, guaranteed.

Here are some under-the-radar booms and busts for the fifth week of NFL action to help you set a winning lineup!

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Week 5 Under-the-Radar Booms

LeGarrette Blount (RB, PHI) vs. ARI

Blount is running with more conviction and purpose in recent weeks than he did at the start of the season. Now that Philly’s backfield is thinning out with the season-ending injury to Darren Sproles and scatback Wendell Smallwood suffering from his own knee problem, Blount should see 15-20 carries this weekend. Arizona has a top-10 run defense, but the Eagles should be able to move the ball downfield via Carson Wentz passes, and when they get inside the five-yard-line Blount will be the one finishing off the scoring drives. Start with confidence in standard leagues.

 Jarvis Landry (WR, MIA) vs. TEN

The Tennessee Titans secondary has shown it can make any receiver look like Jerry Rice this season. They could not cover either DeAndre Hopkins (10 receptions, 107 yards, one TD) or Will Fuller (two TD) when division rival Houston pummeled them last weekend. Even though DeVante Parker has arguably become a better fantasy option, Landry leads the Dolphins in catches and targets and could rack up plenty of points in PPR leagues because of the shoddy secondary he is running slants and crosses against.

Duke Johnson (RB, CLE) vs. NYJ

Johnson has been the lone bright spot in Cleveland’s dismal offense. He leads the team with 20 receptions and 207 yards and is averaging twice the yards per carry when he is handed the ball than regular runner Isaiah Crowell is. While he is still has not been much of a help to fantasy owners, it will change this week as he faces a Jets defense that has allowed 66 points in two road games. Look for Johnson to be featured more often than the slumping Crowell and have seven receptions for 70 yards, add 40 yards on the ground and find the end zone for the first time this season.

 

Week 5 Under-the-Radar Busts

Latavius Murray (RB, MIN) at CHI

Murray may have rushed for a dozen touchdowns last year and over 1,000 yards the year before, but he is far from an impressive running back. The man is averaging 2.7 yards per carry this season behind the same line that rookie Dalvin Cook was sprinting for 4.8 yards per pop before he tore his ACL. Chicago’s underrated run defense is sixth in the NFL and should be jacked up at home on a Monday night and with No. 1 overall pick Mitchell Trubisky juicing up things on the other side of the ball. I can see a scenario where Murray is stuffed for 25 yards on nine early carries and gives way to Jerick McKinnon later in the contest.

Eddie Lacy (RB, SEA) vs. LAR

Just when you thought rookie Chris Carson was going to sprint away as Seattle’s starting tailback and become a fantasy force, the speedster fractured his leg and essentially through the Seahawks backfield into a frenzy. Lacy was the one who carried the ball the most last week once Carson went down, so fantasy owners will install him as the favorite to be the top tailback this week against the L.A. Rams’ 30th-ranked run defense, but former starter Thomas Rawls and emerging threat J.D. McKissic will likely not allow Lacy the opportunity to touch the ball more than 12-15 times, especially if one of them becomes the “hot hand” early in the game before Lacy does.

Charles Clay (TE, BUF) at CIN

Clay has been Tyrod Taylor’s most effective pass catcher during the first month of the season, catching 18 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns. While Clay is no Kellen Winslow in his prime or a healthy Rob Gronkowski, he has always been serviceable as a fantasy tight end. This is the week to bench him, though, since he will be covered by a Cincinnati defense that is ranked third against the pass and is probably brimming with confidence after shutting down and shellacking the Cleveland Browns offense this past weekend.

 

More Week 5 Lineup Prep




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ajay Mitchell

Cleared to Return Sunday
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Ruled Out for Sunday
Kyshawn George

Iffy for Sunday
De'Anthony Melton

Sits Out First Leg of Back-to-Back
Jaxson Hayes

Unlikely to Play Sunday
Derrick Jones Jr.

to Return From Knee Injury Sunday
Jock Landale

in Danger of Missing Another Game Sunday
Vince Williams Jr.

Won't Play Sunday
Robert Williams III

Inactive on Sunday
Jerami Grant

to Sit Out Fifth Consecutive Game
Brandin Podziemski

Probable to Play Sunday
Jakob Poeltl

to Miss Another Game Sunday
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Listed as Questionable for Sunday
Paul George

Probable for Meeting With Former Team
Joel Embiid

Won't Play on Sunday
Josh Hart

to Miss at Least Two More Games
Kevin Love

Resting on Saturday
Ace Bailey

Misses Saturday's Action
Mohamed Diawara

Starting on Saturday Night
Gary Trent Jr.

Sits Out Second Straight Game
Bam Adebayo

Ruled Out Again on Saturday
TreVeyon Henderson

Clears Concussion Protocol, Will Play in Week 17
Davante Adams

Downgraded to Doubtful for Week 17
Ryan McDonagh

Misses Saturday's Action
Jordan Kyrou

Jimmy Snuggerud Back for Blues Saturday
Tanner Jeannot

Misses First Game of the Season
Rasmus Dahlin

Won't Play on Saturday
Elias Pettersson

Ready to Return Saturday
Leo Carlsson

Available Against Kings
Jack Eichel

Still Out Saturday
Ilya Sorokin

Lands on Injured Reserve
Bo Horvat

Returns to Action Saturday
Kimani Vidal

Inactive on Saturday
George Kittle

Questionable to Face the Bears in Week 17
Maxx Crosby

Done for the Season
Calvin Austin III

Ruled Out with Hamstring Injury for Week 17
Harold Fannin Jr.

Expected to Play on Sunday
Jordan Love

Ruled Out with Concussion for Saturday's Contest
George Kittle

"Likely a Game-Time Decision" on Sunday Night
A.J. Brown

Returns to Practice on Friday
Josh Allen

Trending Toward Playing Vs. Philly
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Michigan Targeting Kyle Whittingham as Next Head Coach
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Texas Leading Rusher Quintrevion Wisner Set to Transfer
George Kittle

Remains Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
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Jordan Love

Questionable for Saturday's Contest
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Listed as Doubtful for Week 17
Amon-Ra St. Brown

to Suit Up on Christmas Day
Rome Odunze

"Increasing Unlikely to Play" in Week 17
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Carries Questionable Tag on Thursday
David Montgomery

Expected to Play on Christmas Day
David Montgomery

Questionable to Play With Illness
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Questionable, Expected to Play on Thursday
Pete Fairbanks

Marlins Agree on One-Year Deal
Brooks Koepka

Leaving LIV Golf
Connor McDavid

Finishes Battle of Alberta With Five Assists
Karel Vejmelka

Battling Upper-Body Injury
Alexandre Texier

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Against Bruins
Alexander Nikishin

Dealing With Apparent Ankle Injury
Denver Barkey

Exits Early Tuesday
Travis Sanheim

Pulled by Concussion Spotter Tuesday
Ryan O'Hearn

Pirates Agree on Two-Year Deal
Viktor Arvidsson

a Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Ryan Leonard

Available Tuesday
Tom Wilson

in Danger of Missing First Game of the Season
Phillip Danault

Makes Second Canadiens Debut Tuesday
Collin Graf

Available Against Golden Knights
Jack Eichel

Misses Fourth Straight Game
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Jeff Brohm, Eli Drinkwitz "Names of Interest" for Michigan Head Coach
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Byrum Brown Entering Transfer Portal
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Bobby Petrino Joining Bill Belichick as North Carolina's Offensive Coordinator

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