Jerick McKinnon has a great Week 5 matchup coming off a solid Monday night performance
R.C. Fischer discusses players to start and those to sit in Week 5 matchups.
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Non-top 12 consensus ranked players at their positions who could wind up top 5 this week:
Julian Edelman (NE) vs. Cleveland
People are falling asleep on the very-quiet-in-2016 Julian Edelman. Obviously, musical quarterbacks, young quarterbacks, have a lot to do with that. Edelman has only caught 2.5 passes per game the last two weeks with Jacoby Brissett…so it’s easy to lose track of him with such dull fantasy numbers. However, we forget that Edelman averaged 7.0 catches per game (exactly seven catches in each game) with Tom Brady clone Jimmy Garoppolo.
What do you think is going to happen when Brady takes over? We all expect Brady to try to run it up against the Browns…is Edelman not his favorite target? He might have a 10+ catch game here.
Terrelle Pryor (CLE) vs. New England
On the other side of the field this week from Julian Edelman, the Browns are asking how they could possibly defeat the almighty Patriots. I would guess – getting the ball in Pryor’s hands about 20+ times in this game – as a passer, runner, and receiver. If you think new England can just ‘cover’ Pryor easily, ask Josh Norman how easy that was last week.
Pryor is tied for the eighth-most targets per game among all WRs this season to date. He’s going to get 10+ targets in this game, and I suspect he’ll be running the wildcat about 10-to-15 times, and carrying the ball 5+ times and throwing it 3-to-5 times. It could be a crazy fantasy day for Pryor…a receiving TD, rushing TD, and throwing TD, maybe?
Jerick McKinnon (MIN) vs. Houston
First off, McKinnon is one of the most gifted runners of the ball in all the NFL. He’s a mini version (20+ pounds smaller) of David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell. He bounces when he runs and cuts, swiftly moving away from tacklers and accelerating as soon he senses a hole. He’s a treat to watch, a very talented running back. This week he faces Houston – the No. 27 run defense in yards allowed per game, No. 29 in yards per carry allowed, and No. 29 in most rushing TDs allowed. Yeah, I’ll roll with McKinnon this week.
Sit
Top 15 ranked players at their positions that are going to make you whine and say “I can’t sit my studs!” and then will make you wish you had:
The ‘all big name wide receiver’ version of ‘wish you would have sat them.’ While you’re likely starting them in season-long leagues if you have them, you’ll likely wish you hadn’t come next Monday.
Julio Jones (ATL) vs. Denver
What? Did he have a good week last week or something? How quickly we forget he was the same WR that produced one catch on seven targets the week prior. Against three of the worst pass defenses around (TB-OAK-NO), to start 2016, Julio averaged just 3.3 catches and 62.7 yards per game on 6.7 targets per game. Then we had the explosion in Week 4…and now we have the Goliath in his path – the Denver defense in Week 5. Last week, the great Mike Evans caught five passes for 59 yards and no TDs against the Broncos. A.J. Green had eight catches for 77 yards and no TDs in Week 3. T.Y. Hilton finished with four catches for 41 yards and no TDs in Week 2. The Broncos will not allow Julio to score, so we start the crying there. All teams will double and triple Julio and make Mohamed Sanu and Jacob Tamme beat them. This could be a real egg for Julio versus Denver.
I don’t know how you sit him after last week, but you’ll likely wish you did.
Marvin Jones (DET) vs. Philadelphia
Jones had that monster game vs. Green Bay, and we’re all holding onto that, but Jones has 5.7 catches for 92.3 yards and no TDs in his other three games – solid numbers, but no TD production…and that was against IND-TEN-CHI. This week, Jones faces an Eagles defense that has allowed ZERO passing TDs this season. They have kept Terrelle Pryor, Alshon Jeffery, and Antonio Brown out of the end zone. Until they break, I’ll bet on Philly.
I don’t believe in the Lions’ passing game against better pass defenses, and I do believe Philly will contain Jones this week.
DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) vs. Minnesota
Hopkins has played in four games this season, and in three of them he was held to under 60 yards in a game. His coach took over the play calling last week, and won the game – so you know he’s calling plays again. O’Brien’s game plan led Hopkins to one catch for four yards last week. What do you expect is going to happen against the vaunted Minnesota Vikings defense at Minnesota? The panic button will be hit on Hopkins after this week.
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