Fantasy Football Week 5 Preview (and Picks!)

A quarterback switch in Chicago could help impressive pass-catching back Tarik Cohen
(Photo via ChicagoBears.com)

It's been an action-packed week in the NFL. A rookie quarterback led his team to a franchise-record 57 points, New England lost again (and then won Thursday night), the Mike Glennon era ended in Chicago, two teams lost their starting quarterbacks, and the Browns... are still the Browns. It looks like we could see a lot more action this weekend. 

Top Performers of Week 4

QB: Deshaun Watson, Texans (vs. TEN)

25-34, 283 yards passing, 4 TD, 1 INT; 4 carries, 24 yards rushing, 1 TD

Photo via USA Today

RB: Le'Veon Bell, Steelers (@ BAL)

35 carries, 144 yards rushing, 2 TD; 4 catches, 42 yards

Photo via Yahoo! Sports

WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Texans (vs. TEN)

10 catches, 107 yards, 1 TD

Photo via 247Sports

TE: Tyler Kroft, Bengals (@ CLE)

6 catches, 68 yards, 2 TD

Photo via Cincinnati Enquirer

Picks

Record

Last Week: 7-8   vs. Spread: 7-8   O/U: 5-9-1

Season: 33-25   vs. Spread: 26-32-1   O/U: 25-31-3

(Home Teams Listed Last)  (All Times Eastern Standard)

Sunday

Jets 16, Browns 24 (1:00 PM, Fox)  Line: PUSH  O/U: 39.5

Bills 20, Bengals 17 (1:00 PM, CBS)  Line: CIN -3  O/U: 39.5

Panthers 27, Lions 38 (1:00 PM, Fox)  Line: DET -2.5  O/U: 42.5

49ers 28, Colts 27 (1:00 PM, Fox)  Line: IND -1.5  O/U: 44.5

Titans 13, Dolphins 23 (1:00 PM, CBS)  Line: TEN -3  O/U: 43.5

Chargers 31, Giants 28 (1:00 PM, CBS)  Line: NYG -3  O/U: 44.5

Cardinals 29, Eagles 31 (1:00 PM, Fox)  Line: PHI -6.5  O/U: 45

Jaguars 14, Steelers 35 (1:00 PM, CBS)  Line: PIT -7.5  O/U: 42.5

Ravens 30, Raiders 19 (4:05 PM, CBS)  Line: OAK -2.5  O/U: 39

Seahawks 6, Rams 9 (4:05 PM, CBS)  Line: LAR -1.5  O/U: 46.5

Packers 34, Cowboys 28 (4:25 PM, Fox)  Line: DAL -2.5  O/U: 52.5

Chiefs 32, Texans 24 (8:30 PM, NBC)  Line: KC -1  O/U: 45.5

Monday

Vikings 35, Bears 20 (8:30 PM, ESPN)  Line: MIN -2.5  O/U: 40

Players I Like This Week

(Players Listed in no Particular Order)

Quarterback
Phillip Rivers, Chargers (@ NYG)
If you take away his zero touchdown/three interception performance against Kansas City, Dr. Phil has thrown for 870 yards, six touchdowns, and one pick in three games. I think this game between winless teams (and veteran quarterbacks) could come down to the wire, and I expect Rivers and the Chargers to come out on top.


Carson Palmer, Cardinals (@ PHI)
Palmer has been shaky so far this season (as has the health of his receiving corps), but he has a nice matchup this week against a Philadelphia pass defense that ranks 30th in the NFL. Plus, Arizona's rushing attack hasn't done much since David Johnson went down, meaning Palmer will continue to air it out quite a bit.


Dak Prescott, Cowboys (vs. GB)
The Dallas-Green Bay game will likely be a shootout, and that's good news for Dak, who's played well this season. The last time he played Green Bay (during last season's NFC Divisional Round), Prescott threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns.


Running Back
Tarik Cohen, Bears (vs. MIN)
After four weeks of ineffectiveness from Mike Glennon, the Bears are finally turning to rookie Mitch(ell) Trubisky. Cohen leads the team in targets (and catches) by a wide margin, and Trubisky will probably lean on Cohen heavily in the rookie's debut. 

Isaiah Crowell & Duke Johnson, Jr., Browns (vs. NYJ)
I'm literally doubling down on the Cleveland backfield this week. Johnson has been the team's most dangerous receiving weapon, but Crowell has not done much. He expressed his frustration with his usage after last week's loss, and coach Hue Jackson agreed that they need to lean on him more. I think they will against a Jets team that has given up 143.8 rushing yards per game (fourth-worst in the NFL).

Alex Collins, Ravens (@ OAK)
Apparently, Collins is now Baltimore's feature back. In each of the last two weeks, he has turned nine carries into 82 yards. That production, coupled with the fact that Oakland's rush defense is below-average, could lead to more carries (and more production) Sunday.  


Wide Receiver
Pierre Garcon, 49ers (@ IND)
Garcon has been targeted 33 times this season, 11 more than the next closest Niner (Carlos Hyde). This week he travels to Indy to play his former team, which has had the fourth-worst pass defense in the NFL so far this season.

DeVante Parker, Dolphins (vs. TEN)
Through three games, Parker has 18 receptions and 230 yards. Tennessee's defense just gave up 57 points to Houston, and the Titans have yielded 11 total touchdowns through the air this season (second-most in the NFL).

Jaron Brown, Cardinals (@ PHI)
Brown had eight catches for 105 yards in an overtime win against San Francisco last week, and fellow pass-catchers John Brown and J.J. Nelson are questionable for this Sunday. Plus, he should find plenty of room against the porous Philly pass defense.


Tight End
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jets (@ CLE)
Bengals tight end Tyler Kroft scored two touchdowns against the Browns last week, becoming the second tight end to accomplish that feat against Cleveland this season (Jesse James was the other). ASJ, who had four catches for 46 yards last week, could find success this week against the league's worst tight end defense.

Jared Cook, Raiders (vs. BAL)
With Derek Carr out this week, backup E.J. Manuel might lean on his tight end a little bit. Cook tied for the team lead in targets (eight) last week against Denver (albeit with Michael Crabtree out), and he could be heavily-targeted again this week.

Charles Clay, Bills (@ CIN)
Clay has been Tyrod Taylor's favorite target so far this season. Clay leads the team in targets (25) and yards (227), and is tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (two). Now that Jordan Matthews is out, Clay will be looked to even more. 


Defense
Cleveland Browns (vs. NYJ)
Yes, I know I have put the Browns defense on this list too many times (the correct amount would have been zero), but number one overall pick Myles Garret will play this week, and New York's offense doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of opponents.

Baltimore Ravens (@ OAK)
Baltimore is tied for the league lead in takeaways (11), and this week the Ravens get E.J. Manuel and the Raiders, who have only scored ten points in each of the last two games (and most of that was with Derek Carr at quarterback).

Cincinnati Bengals (vs. BUF)
Cincinnati ranks third in the NFL in total defense, giving up just 273.3 yards per game. On the other side of the ball is Buffalo's offense, which ranks 29th in the NFL (284.3 yards per game).

Stats and information via ESPN.com

Lines and Over/Unders via SportsLine.com

Lines and Over/Unders as of Friday Evening


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