Fantasy Football Matchups: Week 5
| To prepare you as best we can for your week of Fantasy Football, we've devised this series of previews for each NFL game. We'll give you a taste of what to expect, then rank each significant Fantasy contributor on a scale from 0-5 stars (with five stars suggesting can't-miss; a player or unit without any stars suggests you probably shouldn't start him under any circumstances). The rankings take the matchup into account, but injuries and other significant factors also contribute. You should be able to compare the ratings for the players on your team and make an educated pick on who should start -- and sit -- in your lineup. |
| Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers Sunday, 1:00 pm, Bank of America Stadium |
| The Chiefs will continue to bring a heavy dose of Larry Johnson, but I think they've realized that as long as Damon Huard is under center, they can expect some stable play from their passing game. Huard is completing over 70 percent of his passes, and receiver Dwayne Bowe is the most-targeted receiver in Fantasy. Kansas City will need the passing game, too -- the Panthers have a four-week streak of stopping quality running backs, limiting LaDainian Tomlinson, Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson and Michael Turner in succession. The Panthers may rank 19th in run defense, but they've given up one rush TD this season (by a fullback). Be careful starting Johnson, but Bowe and Tony Gonzalez should continue to do well against a Carolina defense that's allowed four pass TDs. The Panthers have to be happy with their offense, from Jonathan Stewart starting to churn out first downs (a dozen on the year) and Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad taking advantage of a weak secondary last week. They'll be at it again this week as the Chiefs' secondary is still relying on a pair of rookie cornerbacks. It's a good week to start Muhammad as a sleeper receiver and Jake Delhomme at quarterback, even with him going without his starting offensive tackles (the Panthers have quality depth at the position and should be fine). |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Damon Huard | *** | QB | Jake Delhomme | **** |
| Larry Johnson | *** | RB | Jonathan Stewart | *** |
| Jamaal Charles | RB | DeAngelo Williams | ** | |
| Dwayne Bowe | *** | WR | Steve Smith | ***** |
| Devard Darling | WR | Muhsin Muhammad | *** | |
| Tony Gonzalez | **** | TE | Dante Rosario | |
| Nick Novak | ** | K | John Kasay | *** |
| Chiefs | * | DST | Panthers | *** |
| Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers Sunday, 1:00 pm, Lambeau Field |
| Look for Michael Turner to get a lot of work here, and be successful. The Packers are weak vs. the run and will be without DT Cullen Jenkins and SS Atari Bigby, and maybe even LB A.J. Hawk. That's a recipe for a big week for Turner, as well as Jerious Norwood. No one else on the Falcons should experience much success. The Packers are a mixed bag with Aaron Rodgers' shoulder injury causing concern, but no matter what, they're going to lean on their run game. That's not necessarily good news as Ryan Grant has been a huge disappointment, and the Packers haven't given him more than 15 carries in a game. Even with the matchup looking good (the Falcons are ranked 23rd vs. the run), Grant isn't the most reliable starter in my opinion. It wouldn't surprise me if he struggled early and Brandon Jackson and Kregg Lumpkin cleaned up in the second half. Be careful starting Grant this week. The passing game will likely melt if Matt Flynn is under center, turning into even more of a short-area attack with minimal deep tosses. Aaron Rodgers is a game time decision. Flynn's longest preseason pass went for 22 yards; if he's under center, Greg Jennings becomes a No. 3 receiver and Donald Driver is a scary start. If it's Rodgers, consider that a sign that he's healthy enough to play close to his normal game. That'll be fine for the receivers in Green Bay, but Rodgers is a low-end No. 1 quarterback if he suits up. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Matt Ryan | QB | Aaron Rodgers | *** | |
| Michael Turner | ***** | RB | Ryan Grant | *** |
| Jerious Norwood | * | RB | Brandon Jackson | ** |
| Roddy White | ** | WR | Greg Jennings | **** |
| Michael Jenkins | ** | WR | Donald Driver | ** |
| Ben Hartsock | TE | Donald Lee | *** | |
| Jason Elam | ** | K | Mason Crosby | ***** |
| Falcons | ** | DST | Packers | ** |
| Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, 1:00 pm, Lincoln Financial Field |
| Despite Santana Moss' history against the Eagles, we like him here. Philadelphia's secondary is getting attacked because its run defense is so good, and Washington will take advantage. That's good for Moss, Jason Campbell and Chris Cooley, but what about Clinton Portis? The Eagles' run defense has allowed just one ground score (Marion Barber, Week 2) and have held Steven Jackson, Barber, Willie Parker and Matt Forte to nominal yardage in succession. Portis' expectations must be held in check in spite of his status as a stud Fantasy back. We'd be surprised by a big game. The Eagles will likely utilize Brian Westbrook as much as possible, assuming he's healthy, and he's been a backbreaker for the Redskins. Washington's secondary has played well, but cornerback Shawn Springs has been key, and he's not expected to play, nor is Jason Taylor. Philly might wind up having its way here, but Westbrook is the key to the whole equation, as usual. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Jason Campbell | *** | QB | Donovan McNabb | **** |
| Clinton Portis | **** | RB | Brian Westbrook | ***** |
| Ladell Betts | RB | Correll Buckhalter | * | |
| Santana Moss | **** | WR | DeSean Jackson | **** |
| Antwaan Randle El | ** | WR | Reggie Brown | * |
| James Thrash | WR | Hank Baskett | * | |
| Chris Cooley | ***** | TE | L.J. Smith | ** |
| Shaun Suisham | ** | K | David Akers | *** |
| Redskins | * | DST | Eagles | *** |
| Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions Sunday, 1:00 pm, Ford Field |
| Matt Forte should make up for last week with a big game here, both on the ground and through the air. The matchup is perfect for him, even with the Lions' defense rested. They rank dead last vs. the run. The Bears will use Forte often, and that should soften the pass coverage and make Kyle Orton's life a little easier, even though he'll likely be without his best wideout, Brandon Lloyd. Greg Olsen looks like the best option; don't bank on Devin Hester even with his nice touchdown catch last week. He's not consistent enough. Yet. The Lions had a week to go over what they've done, and there's no way they can look at themselves in the mirror and consider themselves a running team. With the Bears' secondary banged up, they'll likely throw the ball. That plays to their strength, and it will give them the best chance to win. The matchup also dictates it as the Bears' run defense has been solid. Jon Kitna's history at home vs. Chicago is immaculate, and Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams are due. If the Lions can somehow find a way to stop Matt Forte, they won't lose. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Kyle Orton | ** | QB | Jon Kitna | **** |
| Matt Forte | ***** | RB | Rudi Johnson | ** |
| Kevin Jones | RB | Kevin Smith | ||
| Marty Booker | WR | Calvin Johnson | ***** | |
| Devin Hester | WR | Roy Williams | *** | |
| Greg Olsen | *** | TE | Casey Fitzsimmons | |
| Robbie Gould | *** | K | Jason Hanson | *** |
| Bears | *** | DST | Lions | ** |
| San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins Sunday, 1:00 pm, Dolphin Stadium |
| The Chargers have another long east-coast flight, this time to Miami, but it's their first 1 p.m. ET kickoff (10 a.m. PT) since a loss at Jacksonville last year. In that game, Philip Rivers threw for 300 yards and LaDainian Tomlinson totaled over 150 yards with a touchdown. Expect the time to not play a factor. The Dolphins defense only looked good against a backup quarterback on a team with no running game that was forced to throw (can you believe that's the Patriots?). I like Tomlinson's chances to churn for some good yardage (not great yardage) and for Rivers to connect with Chris Chambers and Antonio Gates for big gains. Now, what about the Dolphins? The Chargers are sure to have an answer for the 'Wildcat' play that stung the Pats in Week 3, but can their secondary hold up against even this underachieving unit? The Bolts are ranked dead last vs. the pass with nine passing TDs allowed (they made JaMarcus Russell look sharp last week). Expect the Dolphins to take some shots downfield. Tight end Anthony Fasano is virtually a lock to start considering the Chargers' woes. There's even an argument to start Greg Camarillo (11 catches, 143 yards) or Ted Ginn because the Chargers' secondary is so shoddy. The running backs will also be involved in the passing game, but Ronnie Brown clearly is a guy you have to start since he's scored every week and looks real good coming back from the torn ACL suffered last year. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Philip Rivers | **** | QB | Chad Pennington | *** |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | ***** | RB | Ronnie Brown | **** |
| Darren Sproles | ** | RB | Ricky Williams | ** |
| Chris Chambers | **** | WR | Greg Camarillo | * |
| Vincent Jackson | ** | WR | Ted Ginn | * |
| Antonio Gates | ***** | TE | Anthony Fasano | **** |
| Nate Kaeding | **** | K | Dan Carpenter | * |
| Chargers | **** | DST | Dolphins |
| Seattle Seahawks at N.Y. Giants Sunday, 1:00 pm, Giants Stadium |
| A change in philosophy offensively will impact Seattle's game plan. They're getting back Bobby Engram and Deion Branch, which will help the passing game immensely. It's just a matter of how soon they'll knock the rust off. Expect a decrease in carries for Julius Jones, and a decrease in production because of the matchup. I like Bobby Engram to pick up where he left off, but Deion Branch will need time to get up to speed. Engram's legs are fine; Branch's knee is coming off a torn ACL. That all builds up to better numbers for Matt Hasselbeck, and it'll help his cause that the Seahawks will likely be playing from behind. The Giants won't miss a beat without Plaxico Burress. Why? Because Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith will pick up Plax's slack and beat up the Seattle secondary, which has been a weak spot this year. Brandon Jacobs should also churn for big yardage, and Derrick Ward might get a lot of work if the Giants build a big lead. Have no fear starting Eli Manning. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Matt Hasselbeck | *** | QB | Eli Manning | *** |
| Julius Jones | ** | RB | Brandon Jacobs | **** |
| T.J. Duckett | * | RB | Derrick Ward | ** |
| Bobby Engram | *** | WR | Amani Toomer | ** |
| Deion Branch | ** | WR | Domenik Hixon | ** |
| John Carlson | ** | TE | Kevin Boss | |
| Olindo Mare | ** | K | John Carney | **** |
| Seahawks | ** | DST | Giants | *** |
| Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens Sunday, 1:00 pm, M& Bank Stadium |
| This should be a defensive, grind-it-out battle, but we've had two such games last week, and they both saw scores total over 40 points (Titans over Vikings 30-17, Steelers over Ravens 23-20). There were a total of six rushing touchdowns and only two passing touchdowns, but no one player got over 100 rush yards. Also, nine of 10 field goals were made. That data suggests loosening the purse strings on what the players in this game will do, but the reality is that there's no one who we can count on as a must-start. Tennessee might get away from running a ton here since the Ravens' 3-4 defense is very fast and will try to KO Chris Johnson with their hard-hitting style. Moreover, this is the very first 3-4 defense Tennessee will see this season, including the preseason. The Titans managed only 10 points in their last game vs. a 3-4 defense (vs. the Jets, Week 16 last year). The Ravens might find themselves more comfortable with LeRon McClain running the ball as Willis McGahee has been beaten up since July. The Titans were stung by a pair of Adrian Peterson touchdowns last week, but McClain is no AD. Look for Baltimore to continue to be more balanced with the pass, letting Joe Flacco continue to get comfortable with the offense. The key will be to keep him protected from a Titans defense that has punched up 15 sacks so far this season. Albert Haynesworth vs. the inside of the Ravens' O-line will be the battle to watch Sunday. This still looks like a predominantly low-scoring game that will benefit kickers and DSTs. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Kerry Collins | ** | QB | Joe Flacco | * |
| Chris Johnson | ** | RB | LeRon McClain | ** |
| LenDale White | * | RB | Willis McGahee | ** |
| Justin Gage | ** | WR | Derrick Mason | *** |
| Justin McCareins | WR | Mark Clayton | ||
| Bo Scaife | * | TE | Todd Heap | * |
| Rob Bironas | *** | K | Matt Stover | *** |
| Titans | ***** | DST | Ravens | ***** |
| Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans Sunday, 1:00 pm, Reliant Stadium |
| Coming off the bye, it's impossible not to like Peyton Manning. He should continue his dominance over the Texans, even in an emotional homecoming for Houston (first home game this season and first since Hurricane Ike ravaged the Texas coast). No question marks for the Colts, even with Reggie Wayne scoring once in his last six vs. Houston. The Texans' secondary is banged up and ripe for a beating, as is their run defense. Speaking of run defense, the Colts' stinks too. If Houston has a shot to win, it must lean on Steve Slaton as much as possible. Slaton should thrash the Colts even though he'll lose a few reps to Ahman Green. Andre Johnson has seen lots of double- and triple-coverage in games against Indy and the Colts have done well with him, so keep expectations in check. Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels have potential but remain risky starts. Remember this: The Colts have yet to allow a passing touchdown, and the Texans have connected for three scores to its receivers (all Walter, two last week). |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Peyton Manning | ***** | QB | Matt Schaub | ** |
| Joseph Addai | ***** | RB | Steve Slaton | ***** |
| Dominic Rhodes | RB | Ahman Green | ||
| Reggie Wayne | **** | WR | Andre Johnson | *** |
| Marvin Harrison | *** | WR | Kevin Walter | ** |
| Dallas Clark | ***** | TE | Owen Daniels | ** |
| Adam Vinatieri | **** | K | Kris Brown | ** |
| Colts | *** | DST | Texans |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos Sunday, 4:05 pm, Invesco Field at Mile High |
| Expect a high-scoring game. Tampa Bay should be able to move the ball on the ground and through the air as the Broncos have been disappointing defensively. The best medicine against the Broncos is to keep their offense off the field. That would suggest using Earnest Graham often to grind down the clock. Denver's allowed five rushing touchdowns, and they'll struggle with Graham. Denver has also allowed seven passing touchdowns, and Brian Griese is coming back to the Mile High City. He doesn't have great receivers, but going up against a bleeding secondary will make life easier. Antonio Bryant has a chance to do well, as does Ike Hilliard. The Broncos aren't expected to change their offensive philosophies here, even against a veteran unit like the Buccaneers. This is the second week in a row they're facing a Cover-2 defense and should be able to exploit it much in the same way as they did at Kansas City last week. One difference: The Bucs' pass rush is much better than the Chiefs, so Jay Cutler can't take his sweet time. Also, the best Bronco running back for Fantasy is Michael Pittman, who is starting to get playing time beyond the goal line. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Brian Griese | **** | QB | Jay Cutler | ***** |
| Earnest Graham | **** | RB | Michael Pittman | *** |
| Warrick Dunn | RB | Selvin Young | * | |
| Antonio Bryant | *** | WR | Brandon Marshall | ***** |
| Ike Hilliard | ** | WR | Eddie Royal | *** |
| Jerramy Stevens | * | TE | Tony Scheffler | *** |
| Alex Smith | * | TE | Nate Jackson | * |
| Matt Bryant | ** | K | Matt Prater | **** |
| Buccaneers | ** | DST | Broncos | * |
| Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys Sunday, 4:15 pm, Texas Stadium |
| Carson Palmer looks like he'll play, but we thought that last week. Assume he'll be active, because if he's not then there's no one from Cincy worth starting. With Palmer, the Bengals' pass attack should give the Cowboys a fight. Palmer is a closet Cowboys fan (we learned that this week), and Chad Johnson is starting to make noise about celebrating touchdowns. With their backs to the wall, expect them to be decent options ( T.J. Houshmandzadeh, too). And besides, if Dallas builds a lead, they'll be throwing. Count on the Bengals' passing game, but not their running game, which is so bad that they picked up Cedric Benson to pad their depth. Chris Perry's days are numbered. The Cowboys should have their way with the Bengals, especially running the ball. Last week, Marion Barber barely got the chance to play; this week he'll make up for it with a big game against a hapless run defense. Look for the Bengals' pass defense (ranked fourth) to also get trampled as the 'Boys get back to basics after a loss at home in Week 4. We like Felix Jones to get a decent workload this week. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Carson Palmer | *** | QB | Tony Romo | ***** |
| Chris Perry | RB | Marion Barber | ***** | |
| Cedric Benson | RB | Felix Jones | *** | |
| T.J. Houshmandzadeh | *** | WR | Terrell Owens | ***** |
| Chad Johnson | ** | WR | Patrick Crayton | ** |
| Chris Henry | * | WR | Miles Austin | ** |
| Reggie Kelly | TE | Jason Witten | ***** | |
| Shayne Graham | * | K | Nick Folk | ***** |
| Bengals | * | DST | Cowboys | ***** |
| Buffalo Bills at Arizona Cardinals Sunday, 4:15 pm, University of Phoenix Stadium |
| The Bills may not be able to help themselves but try and take advantage of the same secondary Brett Favre ripped for six touchdowns last week. They'd be lucky to get two scores, but if the Cardinals' pass rush isn't improved, Trent Edwards should find some open receivers. Otherwise, the Bills will be running Marshawn Lynch full speed ahead; the Cardinals are OK vs. the run, but Lynch should still be good for at least one score. From there, the Bills will lean on their defense to keep the Cardinals at bay, but they'll struggle even if Anquan Boldin doesn't play. Kurt Warner proved last week that he's fine with throwing the ball, and he seems to have meshed with Steve Breaston. Arizona should get aerial, not only because they've struggled to run the ball effectively, but because the Bills' secondary is without their best corner, Terrence McGee. Arizona's best chance to win might be to outscore Buffalo. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Trent Edwards | ** | QB | Kurt Warner | **** |
| Marshawn Lynch | **** | RB | Edgerrin James | ** |
| Fred Jackson | * | RB | Tim Hightower | ** |
| Lee Evans | *** | WR | Larry Fitzgerald | **** |
| Josh Reed | * | WR | Steve Breaston | ** |
| Robert Royal | TE | Ben Patrick | ||
| Rian Lindell | **** | K | Neil Rackers | ** |
| Bills | *** | DST | Cardinals | ** |
| New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers Sunday, 4:15 pm, Candlestick Park |
| Look for the Patriots to go after J.T. O'Sullivan with lots of exotic blitzes, forcing turnovers and getting points off of those. With that in mind, the Patriots should be able to wear down the 49ers' defense with a good blend of running the ball and using that and the short pass to go deep with Randy Moss. I have the feeling that Matt Cassel won't look like the same quarterback we saw vs. Miami. He may not stay that way, but he should be good enough here. Moss and Wes Welker should also get back on track. No 49ers look good except for Frank Gore. While the 49ers should consider doing something like the 'Wildcat' play Miami used, coordinator Mike Martz may not be willing to have anything like that in his playbook. Still, expect Gore to be used quite a bit, and that makes him Fantasy worthy. The only way New England loses here is if Matt Cassel and the running game get stuffed. They won't be embarrassed defensively. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Matt Cassel | *** | QB | J.T. O'Sullivan | * |
| Sammy Morris | ** | RB | Frank Gore | **** |
| Laurence Maroney | ** | RB | DeShaun Foster | |
| Randy Moss | **** | WR | Isaac Bruce | ** |
| Wes Welker | *** | WR | Bryant Johnson | |
| Jabar Gaffney | * | WR | Arnaz Battle | |
| Benjamin Watson | * | TE | Vernon Davis | |
| Stephen Gostkowski | **** | K | Joe Nedney | ** |
| Patriots | **** | DST | 49ers | ** |
| Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, 8:15 pm, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium |
| The Steelers are left with Mewelde Moore and Najeh Davenport at running back this week, and that should be easy for the Jaguars to stuff. With a banged-up offensive line, the Steelers are in big trouble vs. a team that sacked Ben Roethlisberger 11 times in two 2007 meetings (one in-season, one in the postseason). The passing game is a question mark, especially since Roethlisberger hasn't had a strong showing yet this season. Look for the Jaguars to bring the heat on the pass rush and force the issue for Roethlisberger, resulting in some turnovers and bad passes. Expect about what you've been getting from Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Heath Miller. Of course, if the Jags' secondary is without three starters, this is all subject to change so long as Roethlisberger can stay upright. Jacksonville will find themselves stuck, too, though history has shown that they can run on the Steelers. They'll attack with Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, but much like they did last week vs. Houston, they'll start to throw the ball a little bit. Matt Jones has developed into a reliable receiver for David Garrard, and hopefully Jerry Porter can come alive here. The Jaguars could blow the Steelers away if they can get the pass game going, but that's a big if. Both DSTs are solid for this week. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Ben Roethlisberger | *** | QB | David Garrard | * |
| Mewelde Moore | * | RB | Maurice Jones-Drew | *** |
| Najeh Davenport | * | RB | Fred Taylor | *** |
| Santonio Holmes | ** | WR | Matt Jones | ** |
| Hines Ward | ** | WR | Jerry Porter | |
| Heath Miller | *** | TE | Marcedes Lewis | |
| Jeff Reed | * | K | Josh Scobee | ** |
| Steelers | **** | DST | Jaguars | *** |
| Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints Monday, 8:30 pm, Superdome |
| The matchup is great for the Vikings, who will get the Saints without DT Sedrick Ellis, helping the cause for Adrian Peterson. Minnesota is also expected to pass with ease as the Saints' secondary hasn't been very impressive (ranked 29th vs. pass). Bernard Berrian could beat these guys much like he has in his last two meetings against them (with Chicago), so consider him for that No. 3 receiver spot. Naturally, this is also a great matchup for the Saints, who will throw a bunch against a Vikings' secondary that always gets too much action. Look for lots of deep passes from Drew Brees to Robert Meachem and Devery Henderson with underneath stuff to Reggie Bush, Lance Moore and David Patten. This has potential for a high-scoring game; the only player you should sit here is Deuce McAllister, who might score but not deliver a good stat line otherwise. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Gus Frerotte | *** | QB | Drew Brees | ***** |
| Adrian Peterson | ***** | RB | Reggie Bush | **** |
| Chester Taylor | RB | Deuce McAllister | ** | |
| Bernard Berrian | *** | WR | Lance Moore | *** |
| Sidney Rice | * | WR | Robert Meachem | ** |
| Visanthe Shiancoe | * | TE | Billy Miller | |
| Ryan Longwell | **** | K | Martin Gramatica | *** |
| Vikings | ** | DST | Saints | ** |
