WEEK 5 BULLS AND BEARS

The early portion of the NFL season is always very interesting.  Teams and players begin to reveal their real identity as story lines begin to emerge.  No one would have predicted that Cedric Benson would be the NFL’s leading rusher in Week 5 or that the McDaniels-led Broncos would defeat the Patriots to move to 5-0 on the season.  The non-fantasy season has been thrilling up to this point.

This fantasy season has been no different.  By Week 5 in Fantasy, the preseason hype starts to wear off some players, and players true colors begin to shine through (how’s Buffalo treating you, T.O.?).  Some owners may start to panic about their players’ lack of production, and may be willing to trade that player for cents on the dollar.  Be sure to look for these undervalued gems, and try to uncover a diamond in the rough.

WEEK 5 BULLS

Matt Ryan, QB Atlanta Falcons:

So much for the 49ers’ defense being considered one of the best in the league! Matt Ryan led the Falcons to scoring 45 points against San Fran in his biggest game of 2009. Ryan went 22/32 for 329 Yards, 2 TDs passing and 1 TD rushing.

Recommendation: HOLD; this is the type of performance that was expected from Ryan following a terrific rookie campaign.

Matt Hasselbeck, QB Seattle Seahawks:

When healthy, there are only a handful of QBs better than Hasselbeck. After missing the previous two games with a back injury, Hasselbeck went 18/30 with 241 Yards and 4 TDs. He has been impressive with 7 TDs in only 3 games.

Recommendation: SELL/HOLD; injury risk makes it hard to have him as QB1, but a very legit QB2.

Cedric Benson, RB Cincinnati Bengals:

Led all Week 5 RBs with 120 rushing yards on 27 carries. Benson has been a great sleeper so far this season, and will continue to get the carries in Cincinnati. You have to feel dirty about putting him in your starting lineup, but you cannot argue with the production.

Recommendation: BUY; his value is discredited because he is Cedric Benson, but is playing beyond his reputation.

Ray Rice, RB Baltimore Ravens:

Did not put up huge numbers in Week 5, but he was consistently fed the ball. It appears that the coaches in Baltimore are favoring him (he received 14 of Baltimore’s 17 hand-offs). He is starting to get more comfortable as a starting RB in the NFL.

Recommendation: BUY; expect consistent numbers from Rice, looks like a light version of MJD.

Miles Austin, WR Dallas Cowboys:

Probably the most obvious choice on this list. Career day for Austin: 10 Rec for 250 Yards and 2 TDs. With Roy Williams returning after the BYE Week, expect Austin to push Crayton back to the slot in Week 7.

Recommendation: BUY; only owned in 2% of ESPN Leagues, number will certainly increase ASAP.

Roddy White, WR Atlanta Falcons:

The BYE Week did wonders for the Atlanta offense. After a slow start to the season, Roddy White stepped up to the tune of 8 Rec for 210 Yards and 2 TDs. This is the breakout performance that we all expected from White, hopefully a sign of things to come.

Recommendation: HOLD; this big game corrected his value, which had previously been too low.

Kellen Winslow, TE Tampa Bay Buccanneers:

Boy, I was sure wrong about Winslow last week. The numbers do not indicate how well QB Josh Johnson played on Sunday. The young QB’s confidence is growing, and young QB’s tend to look for the TEs. Winslow tied for the lead with 12 targets in Week 5, bringing in 9 Rec for 102 Yards and 2 TDs.

Recommendation: HOLD; his performance either moved him to the bottom of the upper tier, or the top of the second tier of TEs.

WEEK 5 BEARS

Tom Brady, QB New England Patriots:

I know, I know, I know… his numbers were not that bad this week (19/33 for 215 Yards and 2 TDs). The point is, Brady typically went in the second round in most drafts because people expected him to return to his 2007 form; so far he is only playing like a top 10 QB. It appears that he is still out of sync with some of his receivers, and this will likely improve as the season progresses.

Recommendation: BUY; I am still a believer in Brady, but his performance has not been Brady-esque so far this season.

Joe Flacco, QB Baltimore Ravens:

When I watch the Ravens play, I sometimes forget that Flacco is only in his second season. I think his struggles in Week 5 were due to the underrated Bengals Defense. He should continue to play close to a top ten QB going forward, but a minor setback in Week 5.

Recommendation: BUY; poor performance in Week 5 should not impact his performance on the balance of the season.

Chris Johnson, RB Tennessee Titans:

The Titans have been from behind a lot this year because of shoddy passing defense. The Colts forced the Titans to be pass happy again in Week 5. Johnson only had 9 carries but managed 34 Yards (3.8 YPC). His stock dropped a little in Week 5, but he still is averaging 6 YPC.

Recommendation: BUY; good opportunity to pick up a top 5 RB.

Kevin Smith, RB Detroit Lions:

His weak yards per carry has been over shadowed by his performance near the goal line. Smith is barely averaging 3.1 yards per carry on 94 attempts. His 3 TDs have made owners happy, but he needs to improve his rushing average.

Recommendation: BUY; never underestimate the power of a featured RB, you cannot score points if you do not get the touches.

Randy Moss, WR New England Patriots:

My Favorite Stat of Week 5: Randy Moss caught as many passes from Tom Brady as he did from Kyle Orton. Only 1 Rec for 36 Yards, it looks like Brady and Moss have lost their chemistry from the 2007 season. I think he can improve, but his success is tied to that of Brady.

Recommendation: BUY; good buy-low opportunity to pick up a top tier WR, hopefully Welker can open up more big plays in their offense.

Calvin Johnson, WR Detroit Lions:

Banged up his knee in the game against the Steelers. Has had a brief history of knee injury, a cause for concern for owners. He still possesses the freak ability to score from anywhere on the field.

Recommendation: SELL; valued very highly by some owners, but injury concerns are worrisome going forward.

Chris Cooley, TE Washington Redskins:

HUGE Surprise in Week 5: Chris Cooley had 0 REC AND 0 Targets. Chris Samuels had to leave the game against the Panthers, and the ‘Skins used Cooley in protection for much of the game.

Recommendation: BUY; literally could not play any worse in Fantasy.

Thanks for checking out the Week 5 Recap! Do you agree or disagree, let me know what you think! Who are your Week 5 Bulls and Bears? Please comment below.