C.J. Anderson may very well be the bust of the year so far
Here’s a look at the studs and duds of the fifth week of the NFL season.
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*Points represent standard scoring
Week 5: Studs
Doug Martin – RB – TB
24 carries, 123 yards, 2 TDs, 3 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD (33 points)
Doug Martin was your top fantasy running back this week, dominating a Jaguars’ defense all afternoon that clearly missed ILB Paul Posluszny. Martin is beginning to look like the guy we saw his rookie season in 2012, which is very impressive coming off of the injury he had. Plus, he runs behind a poor offensive line. Martin now has four TDs, and over 300 total yards of offense in his last two games. The Buccaneers were competitive for the entire game, which gave a lot of opportunities for Martin to run the ball.
Moving forward: Not many people expected such a resurgence from Martin this season, but when he has been given opportunities, he has produced. He currently has a yards per carry average of 4.5, which is his best since his rookie season. While this game is encouraging, we need to be careful in deciding that he can be a for sure fantasy star again. The Jaguars have a bad defense to being with, and they were missing their best run stopping linebacker, giving an extremely favorable advantage to the Tampa Bay running game. Martin will be on the bye next week, and then will have a tough matchup against a strong Redskins’ run defense the week after. Martin is a solid RB2 after these last two impressive performances.
Josh McCown – QB – CLE
36/51, 457 yards, 2 TDs, 3 carries, 12 yards, 1 TD (35 points)
That’s right, your top fantasy scoring QB this week was Josh McCown. All of a sudden, the Browns’ passing game has come to life led by the strong pass blocking play of the offensive line. WR Travis Benjamin and TE Gary Barnidge have been pleasant surprises for the Browns, who now seem to be a pass-first offense. McCown has thrown the ball over 40 times in his last three games, giving plenty of chances to rack up yards against opposing defenses. The Ravens’ secondary had no answer for the Browns’ passing game on Sunday, and McCown finally seems comfortable in an offense.
Moving forward: It’s hard to believe that a Browns’ QB led the entire fantasy pool of players, but it’s time to realize McCown’s fantasy relevance. McCown has a six-to-one TD/INT ratio this year and is simply slinging the ball all over the field. It may not be time yet to consider McCown as a legit QB1, but it is time to start adding him to your team if he is available. Even if his play regresses, the mere volume of throws he has will make him continue to be fantasy relevant. He is not worth a start next week against a stingy Broncos’ defense, however.
Devonta Freeman – RB – ATL
27 carries, 153 yards, 7 catches, 44 yards (25 points)
If you didn’t believe that Devonta Freeman is a real fantasy RB1, you better now. Freeman had another dominant fantasy performance for the third week in a row carrying the Falcons’ sluggish offense in a close game over the Redskins. Freeman consistently tallied off runs of at least five yards and found the endzone for his league-leading eighth touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He is the hottest running back in the league and has now produced a whopping 539 total yards and seven touchdowns in his last three games.
Moving forward: Rookie Tevin Coleman returned from his rib injury for the game, but he only received two carries in the game. Coleman will see more touches as the season goes on. But if Freeman can keep this up, there is no doubt the bulk of the carries will be going to the second-year man out of Florida State. Now that we have seen such consistent elite production for three weeks in a row, you can continue to confidently start him. Freeman is a very solid RB1 next Thursday as the Falcons take on a weak New Orleans’ defense in a division rivalry game.
Honorable Mentions:
- Tyler Eifert – TE – CIN
- Blake Bortles – QB – JAC
- Eli Manning – QB – NYG
Week 5: Duds
Peyton Manning – QB – DEN
22/35, 266 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs (6 points)
Peyton Manning finished his second game this season without a touchdown pass in the Broncos’ win over the Raiders. Manning has also thrown two INTs in consecutive games, and now has a negative TD/INT ratio for the season. It appears that age may finally be catching up with Manning, as he just doesn’t have velocity left on his passes any longer. If defenses can stop the shallow route tree combinations the Broncos employ, Manning struggles. Manning hasn’t played very well at all this year, but the lack of a run game and a young offensive line hasn’t helped him any.
Moving forward: Most owners thought he had one good year left in him, but it’s not looking good for Manning right now. The Broncos’ offense ranks in the bottom half of the league in both passing and rushing yards per game as the team continues to rely on their defense to win games. It’s time to consider benching Manning until the offense can figure things out because you need more production at the QB slot than just over ten points a game. Manning is a low-end QB1 next week, even against a poor Browns’ defense.
Eddie Lacy – RB – GB
13 carries, 27 yards, 1 catch, 8 yards (2 points)
Eddie Lacy seemed to be one of the safest picks in fantasy this season, but it has been a rough start to 2015. Even with WRs Jordy Nelson, and Davante Adams hurt, the Packers continue to sling the ball at will with QB Aaron Rodgers. Lacy has been given limited touches this year, but he also simply hasn’t been very productive with what he has been given. Lacy may still be hobbled with an ankle injury, but he has yet to eclipse 100 yards in a game and has only found the end zone once so far this year. We knew coming in that he wouldn’t run for all that many yards with a Rodgers-led offense, but only one touchdown is surprising.
Moving forward: What’s really bizarre about this whole situation is that the Packers have the fourth-most rushing yards in the league, but somehow Lacy finds himself out of the top 20 in RB fantasy scoring. It may have been a rough start to the season, but don’t give up hope yet. Lacy still plays on one of the best offenses in the NFL, and he will have many opportunities to find the end zone as the season continues. The Packers know they are going to need to run the ball as cold weather nears, so Lacy is a really good buy-low candidate right now. Lacy will be a pretty nice RB2 next week as the Packers take on a leaky Chargers’ run defense.
C.J. Anderson – RB – DEN
11 carries, 22 yards, 2 receptions, 18 yards (3 points)
Another week, another disappointing performance from C.J. Anderson. The Broncos’ offense struggled once again, especially in the running game. Anderson, taken in the first round of most fantasy drafts, has to be near the top of the list for biggest disappointment so far this season. The offensive line has not played well at all, but they can’t be completely at fault here. Ronnie Hillman was given eight touches in this game, so it’s clear the Broncos are desperate for anyone to step up and perform well. Anderson now has a dismal yards per carry average of 2.6 on the year, and he has yet to find the end zone.
Moving forward: Those who were hesitant to draft Anderson so high because he only had one good season have to be pretty happy with themselves right now. The defense has been bailing the Broncos out of games over and over with the lack of production of the entire offense. Owners need to start taking control of the situation by sitting him on the bench until the Broncos’ offense figures things out. Keep the young back on your roster, but it is time to consider taking him out of your starting line-up. Anderson is a mere desperate flex play against the Browns.
“Not So” Honorable mentions
- Alfred Morris – RB – WAS
- Matt Ryan – QB – ATL
- Randall Cobb – WR – GB
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Justin Dade is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Justin, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @jcdfantasy.
