NFL First Look: Week 5
Week 5 Schedule
| MATCHUP | VEGAS LINE | VEGAS TOTAL | DATE | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota at Green Bay | GB -9.5 | 49.0 | Thursday, October 2nd | 8:25 PM |
| Chicago at Carolina | CAR -3 | 45.5 | Sunday, October 5th | 1:00 PM |
| Buffalo at Detroit | DET -7 | 44.5 | Sunday, October 5th | 1:00 PM |
| Houston at Dallas | DAL -3.5 | 46.0 | Sunday, October 5th | 1:00 PM |
| Baltimore at Indianapolis | IND -3.5 | 47.5 | Sunday, October 5th | 1:00 PM |
| St. Louis at Philadelphia | PHI -7 | 47.5 | Sunday, October 5th | 1:00 PM |
| Cleveland at Tennessee | TEN -2 | 44.0 | Sunday, October 5th | 1:00 PM |
| Pittsburgh at Jacksonville | PIT -6.5 | 46.0 | Sunday, October 5th | 1:00 PM |
| Tampa Bay at New Orleans | NO -10.5 | 48.5 | Sunday, October 5th | 1:00 PM |
| Atlanta at N.Y. Giants | NYG -4.5 | 49.0 | Sunday, October 5th | 1:00 PM |
| Arizona at Denver | DEN -7.5 | 49.5 | Sunday, October 5th | 4:05 PM |
| N.Y. Jets at San Diego | SD -7 | 43.5 | Sunday, October 5th | 4:25 PM |
| Kansas City at San Francisco | SF -7.5 | 45.0 | Sunday, October 5th | 4:25 PM |
| Cincinnati at New England | NE -2.5 | 47.0 | Sunday, October 5th | 8:30 PM |
| Seattle at Washington | SEA -7.5 | 45.5 | Monday, October 6th | 8:30 PM |
1) Running Back Rampage
DeMarco Murray (vs. Houston Texans) – A wise man once said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That expression has hit home with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, as well as with many daily fantasy football players. The Cowboys are at their best when they are pounding the ball to Murray, who has been by far the most productive running back in the NFL through the first four weeks of the season. The Cowboys have spent three of their last four first-round draft picks on offensive lineman and it’s starting to pay dividends. Murray is averaging 27 touches per game and should see a full complement of carries again this week, as the Cowboys take on the Texans, who are giving up a generous 5.0 yards per carry.
Giovani Bernard (vs. New England Patriots) – Bernard and the Bengals should be ready to go for this week’s matchup against the Patriots. The Bengals are well rested after their bye week while the Patriots will have a short turnaround after getting trounced by the Chiefs on Monday night. The Chiefs running backs combined for 207 rushing yards, 28 receiving yards, and 3 touchdowns in that game. Bernard is averaging over 22 touches per game and is always a threat in the passing game which boosts his value on full PPR scoring sites. He’s considerably cheaper than the other top backs this week and provides similar upside.
2) Top Passing Attacks
New Orleans Saints (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – Before everyone sprains an ankle jumping off the Saints bandwagon, give it one more week. The Saints have never been a great road team (they’ve now lost six straight) and are a different animal when they are at home in the Superdome. We keep waiting for an offensive outburst, but good things come to those that are patient. Drew Brees and the Saints get to face the Buccaneers this week, who have one of the worst defenses in the NFL and have given up the third most passing yards per game (273) this season. Brees, Graham, and Cooks are all top options at their respective positions this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars) – I hate to pick on my Jaguars, but I don’t have much of a choice. They are ranked dead last in quite a few defensive categories, including passing yards allowed per game (321) and passing TDs allowed (11). Big Ben and his receiving core should be licking their chops for this matchup. While the running game should also have some success here, there should be plenty of fantasy points to go around. Roethlisberger, Brown, Wheaton, and Miller are all great targets against the Jags.
3) Target Watch
Kelvin Benjamin (vs. Chicago Bears) – Benjamin saw nine more targets last week against the Ravens for a total of 36 on the season. He has caught 5+ passes for 75+ yards and a touchdown in three of the first four games this season. He should be able to keep things rolling against a banged-up Bears defense that didn’t record a single hit on Aaron Rodgers last week. If they give Cam Newton time, he’s going to find his receivers down the field.
Martellus Bennett (vs. Carolina Panthers) – Bennett is coming off of a career week in which he caught nine passes for 134 yards and was inches away from recording his fifth TD of the season. Bennett now has 37 targets on the season, which is second only to Jimmy Graham at the TE position. Bennett is priced as the fourth most expensive TE on most sites, but has as much upside as any TE not wearing a Saints uniform.
4) DvP Standouts
Rashad Jennings (vs. Atlanta Falcons) – It’s still extremely early in the week, but Jennings is looking like one of the safest plays at running back. He’s facing a Falcons defense that is giving up the most fantasy points to opposing backs this season. The Falcons have already given up nine rushing TDs through four games and were thrashed on the ground by both RBs of the Vikings last week. With Jennings the clear workhorse back for the Giants, he is primed for a big fantasy outing this week.
Brian Quick (vs. Philadelphia Eagles) – Quick is an extremely talented young wide receiver. He has that big-play potential and gets to face an Eagles defense that gives up a ton of big plays. The Eagles have given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season and their secondary continues to struggle. Look for the Rams to take some shots down field with Quick this week.
5) Week 5 Injury Notes
Vincent Jackson / Louis Murphy / Brandon Myers – Mike Evans is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks with a groin injury. That opens up some targets for the rest of the wideouts in this offense. The Buccaneers will likely have to air it out this week in order to keep up with Drew Brees and the Saints offense. Jackson is the obvious play here, but don’t rule out Murphy and Myers as tournament plays.
Allen Robinson / Allen Hurns – Cecil Shorts III is expected to sit out this week with a hamstring strain, and Marqise Lee’s status is also in doubt after sitting out last week’s game with the same injury. That should open up some looks for both Robinson and Hurns, who have both showed signs of promise in the first four weeks.