Last week, fantasy owners saw new arrivals including Rashard Mendenhall and Mohamed Massaquoi. What will Week 5 bring?
Hey, I know what you're thinking. Just because the Packers are taking a week off doesn't mean that fantasy football gets put on the back burner here. You'll find the usual in this week's edition, along with a few added first quarter grades for a fantasy studs and duds.
Don't forget to go to RapidDraft.com and check out the RapidDraft Weekly Contest where you can draft a 10-player starting team every week for a chance at $50,000.
Week 5 Player Watch
Peyton Manning -- Who wouldn't want to watch perhaps the best field general in the history of the game? I've never seen a quarterback read a defense like Manning does. It's probably why he'll be looking to record his fifth straight 300-plus yard performance of the young season this week. And mind you, it's been with second-rate talent since Gonzo exited early in Week 1.
Knowshon Moreno -- Moreno will most likely get his first career NFL start this week in place of ailing Correll Buckhalter. After a brutal first-week performance, Moreno has rebounded nicely and in the last two weeks has recorded 155 yards rushing and two trips to the end zone. The Broncos are 4-0 and will host a Patriots defense that is ranked 10th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game.
Mohamed Massaquoi -- As if his eight-reception, 148-yard outburst wasn't enough, Braylon Edwards gets traded to the New York Jets. Fantasy owners will find out quickly this week not only how good Massaquoi is, but how much Derek Anderson will utilize him on a weekly basis. Is he a one week wonder or will he solidify himself as the Browns primary target moving forward?
Obvious, Dubious, and Hideous Starts
Cincinnati vs. Baltimore
Obvious -- Joe Flacco, Willis McGahee, Chad Ochocinco, Derrick Mason, Baltimore DST, Todd Heap, Ray Rice
Dubious -- Carson Palmer, Laveranues Coles, Cincinnati DST
Hideous -- Cedric Benson, Mark Clayton
Cleveland vs. Buffalo
Obvious -- Fred Jackson
Dubious -- Derek Anderson, Marshawn Lynch, Terrell Owens, Trent Edwards, Lee Evans, Mohamed Massaquoi,
Hideous -- Braylon Edwards, Browns RB
Washington vs. Carolina
Obvious - Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams, Clinton Portis, Carolina DST
Dubious - Santana Moss, Chris Cooley, Muhsin Muhammad
Hideous - Jake Delhomme, Jason Campbell
Pittsburgh vs. Detroit
Obvious -- Rashard Mendenhall, Calvin Johnson, Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Mewelde Moore, Pittsburgh DST
Dubious - Kevin Smith,
Hideous - Matthew Stafford, Bryant Johnson, Willie Parker
Dallas vs. Kansas City
Obvious - Tony Romo, Marion Barber III, Dwayne Bowe, Jason Witten, Tashard Choice
Dubious - Matt Cassel, Jamaal Charles, Roy Williams, Mark Bradley
Hideous - Larry Johnson, Patrick Crayton, Sean Ryan
Oakland vs. New York Giants
Obvious - Brandon Jacobs, NY Giants DST, Steve Smith
Dubious - Eli Manning, Justin Fargas, Michael Bush, Mario Manningham
Hideous - Jamarcus Russell, Louis Murphy
Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia
Obvious - Desean Jackson, Philadelphia DST, Tampa Bay DST, Kellen Winslow, Brent Celek
Dubious - Brian Westbrook, Lesean McCoy, Antonio Bryant, Carnell Williams
Hideous - Josh Johnson, Jeremy Maclin
Minnesota vs. St. Louis
Obvious - Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota DST, Percy Harvin
Dubious - Steven Jackson, Bernard Berrian, Donnie Avery
Hideous - Keenan Burton, Kyle Boller, Sidney Rice
Atlanta vs. San Francisco
Obvious - Matt Ryan, Vernon Davis, Michael Turner, Roddy White
Dubious - Glen Coffee, Tony Gonzalez, Isaac Bruce, Atlanta DST
Hideous - Josh Morgan, San Francisco DST, Shaun Hill
New England vs. Denver
Obvious - Knowshon Moreno
Dubious - Tom Brady, Kyle Orton, Randy Moss, Brandon Marshall, Wes Welker, Denver DST, New England DST
Hideous - Eddie Royal, Fred Taylor, Ben Watson, Tony Scheffler
Jacksonville vs. Seattle
Obvious - Maurice Jones-Drew, David Garrard, Mike Simms-Walker, TJ Houshmandzadeh
Dubious - Julius Jones, Nate Burleson, Seneca Wallace, Torry Holt
Hideous - Seattle DST, Jacksonville DST
Houston vs. Arizona
Obvious - Kurt Warner, Tim Hightower, Steve Slaton, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Schaub, Owen Daniels
Dubious - Anquan Boldin, Kevin Walter,
Hideous - Arizona DST, Chris Wells
Indianapolis vs. Tennessee
Obvious - Peyton Manning, Chris Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Kenny Britt
Dubious - Justin Gage, Kerry Collins, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie
Hideous - Bo Scaife, Tennessee DST, Indianapolis DST
New York Jets vs. Miami
Obvious - Jerricho Cotchery, Ronnie Brown, Dustin Keller, NY Jets DST
Dubious - Mark Sanchez, Leon Washington, Thomas Jones, Brian Hartline
Hideous - Ricky Williams, Davone Bess, Chad Henne
RapidDraft writers Eric Huber, Matt Schauf, and Frank Mazzola put their knowledge to the test and give you their insight on four burning questions heading in to Week 5.
Will Brett Favre continue to build on his great Monday night performance this week against St Louis, or will he take a step back?
Huber: I think he'll take a small step back. The Rams aren't exactly a high scoring team, so Favre won't have to use his arm as much in this game. Expect a heavy dose of Adrian Peterson, though.
Schauf: He'll continue to be a productive fantasy quarterback and is a good starter for this week, but Adrian Peterson won't have too many 50-yard rushing days. Don't look for too many three-touchdown performances from Favre, but 250 yards and two scores should be well within reach against the Rams -- with more certainly possible.
Mazzola: Don't expect the same numbers. Favre was emotionally charged during the Green Bay game and motivated to prove himself. He won't need to go to great lengths to beat St. Louis and they will run all day on the Lambs.
Has Rashard Mendenhall done enough to claim the top spot in the Steelers running back rotation? Explain.
Huber: I think he's done enough, but I'm not the coach. Mendenhall needs to continue to practice and play hard, and Fast Willie needs to continue to struggle to stay on the field. He's definitely the best of the trio of runners in Pittsburgh.
Schauf: Yep. Willie Parker has limited ability at this point even when he's healthy and getting carries. It's not time to dub Mendenhall a star after just one good game against an underperforming defense without its stud nose tackle, but he looked more dynamic than Not-so-fast, Willie. I'd start Mendenhall this week against Detroit and expect him to be a top scorer again if Parker remains out.
Mazzola: Not quite yet. He has the most potential of anyone, but until he cures his fumbling problem and shows that he's able to produce consistently when given the opportunity, he will share the load with FWP and Mewelde Moore.
Who has the worst offense in the NFL? Can they turn things around?
Huber: This one is too easy. Clearly, the Oakland Raiders own the worst offense in the NFL. They're averaging a 31st best 10.5 points per game, an NFL-worst 208.5 total yards per game and have scored just three offensive touchdowns. Receivers have caught an NFL low 45 passes, and quarterback Jamarcus Russell has a completion percentage of 39.8 and a quarterback rating of 42.8 this season; yuck! It won't get any better either with Darren McFadden injured once again. The only cure here is a new everything, including their air-head owner.
Schauf: I think it's clearly the Rams and their 24 total points through four games, and no, they won't turn things around. The team is weak up front and bad at quarterback. It lacks a true No. 1 receiver and lost its most productive early-season player there (Laurent Robinson) to injured reserve. Steven Jackson continues to show just how awesome he is by rushing for 4.4 yards a carry despite being all the team has on offense, but the fact that he has no touchdowns through a quarter of the schedule shows that he can't do it alone. Furthermore, history tells us that he'll get hurt at some point if the team continues to rely on Jackson so heavily while doing nothing to draw defensive attention away from him. Imagine a historically bad offense losing its best player.
Mazzola: Considering they are averaging a mere six points per game right now, you need to give this "award" to St. Louis. Don't look for things to improve as long as the injury bug continues to strike and Marc Bulger is under center. This mess won't be cleaned up any time soon.
Name your best and bust picks for Week 5 (QB, RB, WR, TE).
Huber: QB -- Best: Tony Romo, Bust: Jason Campbell RB -- Best: Chris Johnson, Bust: Cedric Benson WR -- Best: Larry Fitzgerald, Bust: Santana Moss TE -- Best: Jason Witten, Bust: Ben Watson
Schauf: QB -- Best: Peyton Manning, Bust: Kyle Orton RB -- Best: Adrian Peterson, Bust: Ronnie Brown WR -- Best: Reggie Wayne, Bust: Brandon Marshall TE -- Best: Dallas Clark, Bust: Marcedes Lewis
Mazzola: QB -- Best: Peyton Manning, Bust: Jamarcus Russell RB -- Best: Brandon Jacobs, Bust: Kevin Smith WR -- Best: Reggie Wayne, Bust: Antonio Bryant TE -- Best: Dallas Clark, Bust: Ben Watson
Individual Defensive Player Insight
Don't be afraid to look to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense for an IDP fill-in or even a permanent starter. Yes, their offensive players are probably not worth your time or roster spots, but outside linebacker Quincy Black may be worth a look, especially this week. Eagles tight end Brent Celek has developed in to a nice offensive target and I suspect he'll be targeted a lot this week, which could mean that Black may get plenty of tackle opportunities. Last week against Chris Cooley and the Redskins offense, Black recorded eight total tackles and sacked Jason Campbell once. Another Buccaneers player to keep an eye on is safety Tanard Jackson, who is returning from a four-game suspension.
Locks
LB EJ Henderson: The Vikings will face a Rams offense that literally has nothing besides running back Steven Jackson. Expect a heavy dose of Jackson, which means that Henderson will be chasing all game long. In Week 3 against the 49ers Henderson recorded 13 total tackles while running back Glen Coffee ran the ball 25 times.
DE Kamerion Wimbley: Wimbley has recorded three sacks through four games, something that he could match this week alone against a Bills defense that has allowed 16 quarterback sacks thus far in 2009. He is a must start, possibly the only must defensive start for the Browns this week.
DB Chris Hope: Last season at home against Peyton Manning and the Colts Hope picked off two passes and the Titans won the game 31-21. This week head coach Jeff Fisher has to be hoping for the same results. And while I don't believe Hope will repeat those numbers I do feel he'll get plenty of opportunities for tackles, especially if Manning continues his 2009 aerial assault.
First Quarter Fantasy Grades Sneak Peek
The report card. It's every schoolchild's brag paper or trash can liner. For the record, I never really looked forward to this day; every parent has high expectations, right? Now, I get to hand out a few grades (Insert evil laugh).
A+
Steve Smith (NYG): Nobody saw Smith averaging almost nine receptions and 103 yards per game to along with four touchdowns to start the season. He's been phenomenal and consistent.
A
Joe Flacco: The young fiery gunslinger has led the Ravens on his back to a 3-1 record, and has recoded two 300+ yard games and 8 touchdowns through four weeks. Amazing, considering that the Ravens are a run-first offense.
Steven Jackson: The Rams offense is absolutely terrible, but Jackson's efforts have been absolutely amazing. Sure, he's tied for fourth in rushing yards and has yet to find paydirt, but he's recorded two 100-plus yard performances in one of worst offenses in the NFL.
Aaron Rodgers: There's something to say about a quarterback who gets sacked an unheard of league high 20 times in four weeks, but still averages 274.5 yards per game and throws six touchdown passes. Take that Mr. Cowherd!
B
Drew Brees: Brees started out the season with a bang in the first two weeks with two 300-plus yard games and nine touchdowns. Since then he's recorded less than 200 yards and no touchdown passes in each of last two games.
Adrian Peterson: Peterson has been solid every week from a fantasy standpoint, but has only recorded one 100-plus yard game; disappointing considering he recorded 10 in triple digits last season.
C
Tom Brady: Brady has recorded just one 300-plus yard game and has found the end zone just four times through the first four games. He's definitely been one of the biggest disappointments at quarterback thus far considering his expectations.
Matt Forte: Up until last week, Forte was posting No. 3 like numbers as a No. 1 on almost every fantasy roster. He has not lived up to his elite status thus far, but has been serviceable.
D
Greg Jennings: Yes, Jennings has recorded two 100-plus yard games, but at the same time he's caught one touchdown pass, and recorded a donut in week two to go along with a three catch 31-yard performance this past week.
Trent Edwards: He has one of the best all-round wide receivers in the game, and a few fast downfield playmakers, yet he's averaging 197.5 passing yards per game and has thrown just as many interceptions (5) as touchdowns.
F
Jamarcus Russell: His 126.5 passing yards is laughable. The Raiders stink and Russell reeks.
